$71,000 for a Pickup Truck !?

[RoadRaceJosh]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
What does your work truck say about you?


Great article, great blog with solid analysis. It lays bare that many, many people are working hard to keep up appearances and stroke their ego. The argument, based on economics, does not support what people are buying in trucks. I'm nearly off the edge of the bell curve with my new 4 cylinder, manual transmission pickup. I would have happily bought a used one, but the smaller trucks aren't depreciating like the larger ones, and I plan to keep it for 20 years so I expect I'll get my money's worth.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
Originally Posted By: exranger06
What does your work truck say about you?


Great article, great blog with solid analysis. It lays bare that many, many people are working hard to keep up appearances and stroke their ego. The argument, based on economics, does not support what people are buying in trucks. I'm nearly off the edge of the bell curve with my new 4 cylinder, manual transmission pickup. I would have happily bought a used one, but the smaller trucks aren't depreciating like the larger ones, and I plan to keep it for 20 years so I expect I'll get my money's worth.

Also I assume he's not out giving quotes to people who have no idea who he is. I would need some good references on a contractor who shows up in his families minivan... Same goes for a guy in a lifted $50+k truck with $5k rims on it as well. My first impression is not real good for either, but I could still hire them if they check out OK.
A van or a ~$30-40k work truck with a cap is normal around here atleast.

 

[cptbarkey]

Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner


Great article, great blog with solid analysis. It lays bare that many, many people are working hard to keep up appearances and stroke their ego.

 

[RoadRaceJosh]

Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner


Great article, great blog with solid analysis. It lays bare that many, many people are working hard to keep up appearances and stroke their ego.

Maybe you don't care yourself, but if that were the truth you wouldn't have replied at all. Stifling discussion is generally counter productive to arriving at the best decisions, but who wants the facts when they get in the way of what they want or what makes them feel good? Maybe you don't like my posts because having your choices questioned makes you uncomfortable? I really don't know, but I'm willing to hear you out.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Truck hate = latent "bubba bashing".

My favorite is how the media reports. If a driver who happens to be in a truck happens to cause a wreck, then they say "THE TRUCK" caused the wreck. If the driver is in a car or van, then "the driver" caused it...


The media did the same thing with SUV's. This is nothing new.

 

[cptbarkey]

Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner


Great article, great blog with solid analysis. It lays bare that many, many people are working hard to keep up appearances and stroke their ego.

Maybe you don't care yourself, but if that were the truth you wouldn't have replied at all. Stifling discussion is generally counter productive to arriving at the best decisions, but who wants the facts when they get in the way of what they want or what makes them feel good? Maybe you don't like my posts because having your choices questioned makes you uncomfortable? I really don't know, but I'm willing to hear you out.


Read into my response all you like, keep talking though, everyone is just dying to hear your opinion, right?

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
It lays bare that many, many people are working hard to keep up appearances and stroke their ego.


It could be many factors, ego included. Who knows (and I'm not really sure what difference it makes). We paid extra once for the Cognac Crystal color on our then-new 2007 Town & Country. Not because our neighbors had that color, but because we liked it. We bought the house we did not to one-up someone with a smaller house, but because we liked it. We drive the vehicles that we do now not because of what someone else thinks, but because we like them (not that they're brag-worthy to begin with).

I like the earlier observation that the recent new Challenger thread is full of positive comments, but a good lot of truck threads, this one included, devolve into some folks at BITOG collectively deciding what the right vehicle is for someone else or presuming to know why someone bought a truck that those folks at BITOG don't think he or she needs.

Sure, some people spend more on trucks than you, who bought nothing more than what you felt that you need. And both ways are fine -- buying just what you think you need and buying something that you want. I presume that you enjoy spending time (and money!) on your old Stude -- that's cool -- I would, too. There are probably some, however, discussing something along the lines of how foolish it is to try to restore something so old and unsafe, and how anyone who does so must be going through some midlife crisis or must be trying to rekindle some link to their past.

And their assumptions are probably as correct as the assumptions posted here regularly about why people make some of the purchasing decisions they make.

 

[mrsilv04]

After seeing so many $40,000 (and up) 1/2 ton pickup trucks, this looks like a complete bargain at $34,700.

http://www.kcsummersbuickgmc.com/Vehicle...n-IL/2469500323

 

[jrmason]

I would be interested in how many members here that have commented negatively have bought brand new $25k-$30k Harley Davidson's, and how many of them live in a climate that only allows them to ride it 6-7 months a year (weather permitting no less) At least a truck can be used in all weather, haul a family (or at least multiple passengers), haul cargo, drive off road, plow snow, haul a camper, boat, or trailer, the list goes on. Come to think of it there are many vehicles on the road that have alot fewer uses than a truck and make a lot less sense.

I for one have no issue with anything anybody buys. It's your business after all. Seems like an awful lot of people here that are either jealous or have so much time on their hands they feel the need to stereotype people they don't know. The truth is you guys have no clue how the majority of the population use their vehicles. You only assume you know.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner


Great article, great blog with solid analysis. It lays bare that many, many people are working hard to keep up appearances and stroke their ego.

Maybe you don't care yourself, but if that were the truth you wouldn't have replied at all. Stifling discussion is generally counter productive to arriving at the best decisions, but who wants the facts when they get in the way of what they want or what makes them feel good? Maybe you don't like my posts because having your choices questioned makes you uncomfortable? I really don't know, but I'm willing to hear you out.

So why do you need an M3? I mean is it really any different?
People drive what they want. His blog missed guys like me who have a truck for towing a travel trailer. That is how our family vacations. I didn't get a bells and whistle one and cost me only 12,000 but I don't hate on anyone for buying a 50,000 to 70,000 truck. I don't know their situation and I, like some here, won't pretend to.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: laserred96gt
Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Big egos required a big truck or SUV.


So so right. I live here in TX and you will see folks living in 100K homes and have large ugly trucks with clean beds parked in their driveways, there is no use for these trucks in city limits. Its fine if they are used in farms and construction but for an average joe, 12-14MPG on the 1T ugly trucks doesn't cut it. I find them obnoxious and stupid to drive these trucks when they are not using them for what they were built for. Many if not most seem to have poor self esteem with huge egos. The bigger the better.

Much worse women driving these truck based SUVs to match their partners.

Americans have lousy auto habits (if they didn't how could the big three sell 2M trucks excl. truck based SUVs every year) and have thin memory when it comes to oil prices and saving up for retirement!!


That's not just big, that's Texas size EGOs
Can't have the women folk driving.

 

[RoadRaceJosh]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
So why do you need an M3? I mean is it really any different?
People drive what they want. His blog missed guys like me who have a truck for towing a travel trailer. That is how our family vacations. I didn't get a bells and whistle one and cost me only 12,000 but I don't hate on anyone for buying a 50,000 to 70,000 truck. I don't know their situation and I, like some here, won't pretend to.


A better question is: How much are you willing to sacrifice to own a thing? What does that thing really cost you? How much of your life did you give up to buy and maintain the thing? Would you have rather had that time available to spend otherwise or use the money elsewhere?

My M3 is a sedan. It gets equal or better fuel economy than any full size truck and the whole family fits in it just fine. It is an amazingly capable car without being amazingly wasteful. The M3 cost me $6500 18 months ago and so doesn't suck my money/life away to the extent that even the cheapest of the new trucks available does. I know this because I own that truck. The wife's 2004 Corolla actually holds more stuff than the M3 as the trunk is larger, but it's relatively noisy and relatively boring to drive.

At the beginning of this year I ended my ~3 year experiment of attempting to do everything with one vehicle, a Subaru Legacy Outback. It came close to doing everything, but since I'm a homeowner again the truck has proven to be valuable. The Subaru wouldn't have helped me move to nearly the extent the Frontier did. And I'm really unsure how the Subaru would have handled the small trees and large shrubs that I chained to the Frontier and jerked out of the ground.

Someone else asked about motorcycles. I also own a motorcycle, but it's no $25k Harley, but a $3000 Honda VFR 800. It's 17 years old, but it looks good and rides great. In almost 70k miles the only repairs have been to the charging system.

Part of why I am able to own these older vehicles is that I can generally repair them myself which drives down the cost of ownership, but that doesn't mean I'll buy junk. Junk just eats up too much of my life. I want value.

The thread started because of someone questioning the value of a thing. Everyone should question the value of a thing especially when so much money/time/life energy is at stake.

 

[MaximaGuy]

Nothing in this world justifies 50K for a bad-bad guzzling engine, transmission & differential, a frame and 4 wheels. Period.

I recently bought a piece of furniture from Costco and rented a F250 from HD. Got the job done in $20 was the rental price, I didn't have to own that guzzling POS to move my furniture.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
So why do you need an M3? I mean is it really any different?
People drive what they want. His blog missed guys like me who have a truck for towing a travel trailer. That is how our family vacations. I didn't get a bells and whistle one and cost me only 12,000 but I don't hate on anyone for buying a 50,000 to 70,000 truck. I don't know their situation and I, like some here, won't pretend to.


A better question is: How much are you willing to sacrifice to own a thing?

The thread started because of someone questioning the value of a thing. Everyone should question the value of a thing especially when so much money/time/life energy is at stake.

Should not matter you are not the one sacrificing. Maybe that person who buys, well whatever, isn't and makes enough to buy one. You don't know and neither do I.

How do you know they didn't question it? All my cars except for the Equinox are older, easy to maintain and serve a purpose. My 12000 dollar truck just rolled 40,000 miles. I didn't need new to get the job done. Should I be mad at you for burning the resources to get a brand new one? Nope. Glad you could get a 2015. That is on less thing YOU have to worry about. Others and myself don't have to because it was your choice.

And yep your M3 is a Sedan, the upper end one but by that logic so is a Buick Regal. Would it not have moved the family or was it not good enough for you...See where I am going with this. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Nothing in this world justifies 50K for a bad-bad guzzling engine, transmission & differential, a frame and 4 wheels. Period.

I recently bought a piece of furniture from Costco and rented a F250 from HD. Got the job done in $20 was the rental price, I didn't have to own that guzzling POS to move my furniture.


But you still had to use one to get your furniture... In YOUR world it is not justified, for someone else it might very well be. My truck is very justifiable for me as it is how I get my trailer to the campground. We don't fly for vacation or go far, but we do camp and the truck was necessary. Narrow minded much?
In my world nothing justifies the purchase of a Lexus, but that was YOUR choice and if you are happy with it guess what. AWESOME as you have to live with it.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Nothing in this world justifies 50K for a bad-bad guzzling engine, transmission & differential, a frame and 4 wheels. Period.

I recently bought a piece of furniture from Costco and rented a F250 from HD. Got the job done in $20 was the rental price, I didn't have to own that guzzling POS to move my furniture.


That's what makes this country great. You can purchase a big truck, big house, etc., and you don't have to justify it TO ANYBODY.PERIOD!

 

[jrmason]

Ls1Mike, resistance is futile. We will all have to sell our campers, trailers, property, and farms and move into the metropolis where we can all commute by rail like pack rats. Or perhaps if we are fortunate we will be able to buy an M3 or a Lexus and then we will be accepted as frugal people that don't waste our retirement money on such silly and pointless luxuries in life, as much as we may enjoy them. Because enjoyment is a thing of the past that we as one can not and will not partake in.

We will assimilate.

 

[RoadRaceJosh]

I enjoy my M3, I enjoy my motorcycle. I enjoy that the both of them together were less than 1/5th my annual income.

We all have different values. My argument has been to look at what you buy and spend and make sure it serves you the best and costs you the least. So many people buy more than they need and it's not just the person paying the bill who pays a cost.

I don't ask that you assimilate, but ask that you consider your impact on others.

 

[RoadRaceJosh]

Originally Posted By: CKN
That's what makes this country great. You can purchase a big truck, big house, etc., and you don't have to justify it TO ANYBODY.PERIOD!


Methinks thou doth protest too much.

 

[Nate1979]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Nothing in this world justifies 50K for a bad-bad guzzling engine, transmission & differential, a frame and 4 wheels. Period.

I recently bought a piece of furniture from Costco and rented a F250 from HD. Got the job done in $20 was the rental price, I didn't have to own that guzzling POS to move my furniture.


It's opinions like this that are pure hogwash. As someone who drives a truck and uses it to pull a camper, as do my parents and some friends I can honestly say your opinion and others like you is worthless and we could care less that you feel this way.