They simply cost too much...they are producing TOO MUCH VEHICLE.
Make them simple and cheaper.
There’s NO WAY $50k for a pickup is reasonable.
The first company to put a $22k pickup on the market (underpowered and without the fancies) will get very, very rich.
5sp transmission, 6 cylinder, PS, PB. Radio, heater and AC. 4WD as a $1,500 option.
You’re done. You’re rich.
The inexpensive, small, light pickup would be great. Ford used to have the F-100, and the Ranger (early Rangers, they got fat after a while), GM the S-10. Keep the towing and payload down a bit and they'll be able to make them cheap. They'll sell like hotcakes. We don't all tow 6000 pound boats around.
I suspect that the crash standards are one of the reasons that they can't make a truck like the old F-100 or the original Ranger any more.
From an old “Ode to my pickup truck” cowboy poem I heard many years ago...
“...and there’s something about a pickup truck with electric windows that’s like blue jeans that zip up the siiide!”
< said with heavy drawl >
Agreed. No way I’m going to buy a new car. Paid $24k for a new Toyota Highlander in 2008 and it’s running perfect with 145,000 miles on it. My neighbor just bought a new Highlander for $52k!
Bottom line...Ya look at the prices of new trucks, and it's laughable. From my perspective, one would have to be a fool to put out that kind of money for a freaking truck.
It’s not just that. There’s first off a glut of cars out there.
Secondly, the cars made have better warranties and quality, so people are keeping them.
Third, price of gas is down so people are buying the SUVs.
4th, economy may be picking up, but it’s not just cars, I think people are still holding off on big purchases.
I’m leasing a Lexus. It due in September. First time I’ve done this, and it’s great, but what do I do come September? Any one have some advice?
I agree. I would go there on my lunch break and buy one.
Plus a 3/4T & 1T spartan for towing, absent the ridiculous $60-70k & up they’re asking for diesels these days...
I don’t care if it has leather and electronic crap; give me a bench seat and a real steel bumper!
I just bought a new, pretty much fully loaded, F-150 with Eco-boost and 10-speed trans for under 39k. Hell, the thing even backs-up a trailer on it’s own. If I went base model with 2-wheel drive, I could have gotten it for 24k. That’s a lot of vehicle for the money. Add to that I recently bought my wife a 2017 Edge, again nicely equipped for 32k. These cars have a lot of tech in them and last upward of 200k miles, I don’t think that is too expensive.
The best pickup I ever had was a ‘63 Chevy 3/4T long bed fleetside with a big 6 cyl engine and 3 on the tree. I could haul 3,000 lbs on it like nobody’s business. Then I changed occupations and never needed a truck after that.
You are way wrong on this one. All the ones that want this cheap basic truck are the ones that buy one every 15 or 20 years. I hear this all the time, but reality is that nobody wants a base anything. If this were true, they’d all be building them already.
This is why we are seeing V-6 trucks with turbochargers, aluminum bodies, 10 speed gear boxes, etc.
And its arguably worse for passenger cars. This is why we're seeing all sorts of 'toy' cars out there.
The auto companies don't have high margins on these toys. So they mark up the luxury vehicles...and truck's are today's luxury vehicle.
CAFE was enacted for ONE reason - to wean ourselves off of OPEC. But suggest scrapping it today, in the midst of an energy revolution, and you're branded as an environmental heretic.
Auto manufacturers have to subsidize by many thousands the purchase of hybrids/electric vehicles to get their fleet fuel economy to today's requirements.
How many hybrids do you have to sell to “offset” a low mileage pickup? As the hybrids aren't selling and still use fuel, many car companies are sending many thousands to Elon Musk and having him be their offset.
So you are paying Elon Musk $5,000 to buy that pickup. Isn't life grand for him?
$18k, remove radio,AC,PS. Install 4cyl around 150 cid. Guess what that is my 1991 GMC Somona.... Better make it $15k.
I also would like a bare bone pickup for around 22k. Not going to happen. The people have become entitled to $50,000.00 cars whether they can afford them or not.
And the manufacturers have calculated the break even price for every unit. They have to pay union wages, remember?
“The first company to put a $22k pickup on the market(underpowered and without the fancies) will get very, very rich.”
They won’t in W. Texas and other places where people use their trucks.