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Jeep Dealer’s $50,000 Sticker Shock Captures Auto Sales Stress
Finance.yahoo.com ^ | October 2, 2019 | Gabrielle Coppola, Keith Naughton and David Welch

Posted on 10/03/2019 10:59:03 AM PDT by Red Badger

Robert Loehr’s dealership is hanging in just fine, much like Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s sales did last quarter. But just as investors doubt the U.S. car market can sustain near-record results for much longer, the Georgia retailer is apprehensive about a key issue: sticker shock.

“Prices are crazy on cars nowadays -- all of them,” said Loehr, who sells Jeeps, Rams and other Fiat Chrysler models from a showroom northwest of Atlanta and has been in the business for 35 years. “They’re crazy to me, and I do it every single day, all day long.”

New Jeep Gladiators -- the truck version of the rugged Wrangler model -- can easily fetch $50,000 and are emblematic of a trend toward eye-popping prices carmakers are commanding for the pickups and sport utility vehicles making up an ever-greater share of their sales. Even as manufacturers and lenders increasingly stretch out auto loan terms to more than seven years and subsidize interest rates with incentives, average monthly payments keep climbing.

Affordability could become more of a risk if the mounting concern that the American economy is headed for recession ends up panning out. Those fears drove the benchmark S&P 500 down more than 2% on Wednesday, to the lowest since August. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. shares slumped by even more.

The U.S. car market has probably reached the end of a great run, according to Brian Irwin, who leads the automotive and industrial practice for consulting firm Accenture. “It’s a step down from where we thought we would be a few months ago,” Irwin said in a phone interview. “I expect to see stronger incentives coming out.”

For more on U.S. auto sales, click here for Bloomberg’s TOPLive blog

(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; US: Kentucky; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: autoloans; buyingcars; buyingvehicles; carloans; vehicleloans; vehicles
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To: bgill
Toyota would do VERY well if they’d bring back their little pickups with zero bling.

Yep, the Taliban fleet needs an upgrade.

101 posted on 10/03/2019 1:56:20 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: bgill

There are a number of smaller pickups sold around the world that aren’t sold in the US. 25% tariff.

https://blog.consumerguide.com/forbidden-fruit-5-small-pickup-trucks-americans-cant-buy/


102 posted on 10/03/2019 2:04:56 PM PDT by jjotto (Next week, BOOM!, for sure!)
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To: Red Badger
People who buy new cars are stupid...Now I hear they have 7-10 year payment plans for a stinking car. Greed and stupidity abound.


103 posted on 10/03/2019 2:18:20 PM PDT by dragnet2
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To: bgill

“Toyota would do VERY well if they’d bring back their little pickups with zero bling.”

I bought a 4WD Toyota new in 1985. It was as basic as it gets, 5 speed, locking hubs, 2.4L straight 4 and a radio.

Best truck I ever owned. Bar none. And roughest riding. And you had to get it going to turn it.

I paid $5,800 cash...it was a price leader in an ad they thought nobody would ever want. NOTHING extra.

That same truck sells on the market today for $7,500. And it’s worth ever penny if the body is intact. They are simply unstoppable. 300,000 miles on the engine, transfer case/transmission was routine. And that’s if you didn’t change the oil lol

Everything can be replaced cheaply, as necessary.

The finest little truck mankind ever created.


104 posted on 10/03/2019 2:21:37 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Red Badger

That Z4 and my ST would make a great pair zipping around together. All we would need is a Mini Cooper to join (I know a young lady who has one), and we’d have a trio of street-legal go-karts!


105 posted on 10/03/2019 2:56:16 PM PDT by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: Mariner

Similar 1986 Nissan Hardbody for sale right here. 112k, original owner, 5 speed, never needed anything but the most basic maintenance. Did replace clutch last year.


106 posted on 10/03/2019 3:02:32 PM PDT by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: central_va

That would be fine if the “bolt turners” weren’t coerced and even forced to join unions.


107 posted on 10/03/2019 3:53:48 PM PDT by Bullish (My tagline ran off with another man.)
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To: Big Red Badger
"A Nickel!"

My first new car was a red 4-speed manual 1979 Ford Fairmont. $3688.00, $700.00 down. Looked like this, but without the whitewalls and all the fancy fender and door trim or vinyl roof. No a/c or power anything. Had to buy an AM radio.

Payments were $91.78 a month. That was like, a nickel!

108 posted on 10/03/2019 4:19:06 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: TalBlack

My work truck is a ‘52 Chevy 3600 long bed. I have about $8500 in it for a frame off restoration.
It’s not a show truck, but a driver. I can haul a yard of gravel, building materials, logs, etc.
My heaviest load was around 2500 lbs.

It’s not fast, and there’s a lot of slamming gears.

I get more comments on it than I would driving a new pick-up.


109 posted on 10/03/2019 5:07:27 PM PDT by PhiloBedo (You gotta roll with the punches, and get with what's real.)
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To: Abathar

I put very few
Miles on Vehicles
So 12 mpg won’t
Kill me.


110 posted on 10/03/2019 5:08:34 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (Despised by the Despicable!)
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To: Rebelbase
A year of so ago while checking out the new vehicles in the dealership while waiting on a recall fix I saw a Jeep with a $65,000 price sticker. That’s insane.

At that price I'm guessing it was a Rubicon, which is optimized for off road use. It has a lot of invisible features that add to the cost like electronic disconnecting sway bars and locking front and rear axles.

If you want to buy the best production luxury sedans in the world, you're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you want the best, most capable production sports cars in the world, you're easily looking at millions.

Getting what is arguably the best, or at least one of the best, most capable production off road vehicles in the world for $65k is, by comparison, not that bad a deal.

111 posted on 10/03/2019 5:41:52 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
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To: cuban leaf

How do you go from salvage title to drivable on the roads?


112 posted on 10/03/2019 5:44:48 PM PDT by CJ Wolf (Freedom, if you can keep it)
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To: Abathar

What % of current sticker for same truck?

Ill never buy another new truck. My 16 year old cummins pulled in 15 ton loads of hay through wet pasture and up the hill all day today and will go to town in comfort tonight.

Maintenance, two lift pumps and wheel bearings in 178,000 miles. Always garaged.

I wouldn’t trade it for a coupe deville.

My next daily driver will be my Cheyenne Super bought new in 72 running on a C body Roadmaster drive train after frame off body restoration.

I don’t even drive 6,000 miles a year anymore so new vehicles are not high on my needs list.


113 posted on 10/03/2019 5:49:13 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (We are governed by the consent of the governed and we are fools for allowing it.)
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To: setter

An honest truck.


114 posted on 10/03/2019 5:55:48 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (We are governed by the consent of the governed and we are fools for allowing it.)
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To: Red Badger

I once heard a cowboy poet say...

“A pickup truck with electric windows is like blue jeans that zip up the side!”


115 posted on 10/03/2019 6:57:05 PM PDT by MarineBrat (Better dead than red!)
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To: Data Miner

Two vehicles took me through 25 years on active duty - a Bronco II and a Bronco. Made more on ‘do it yourself’ moves than the first one cost. Sold the Bronco after 20 years when it hit 200k miles.


116 posted on 10/03/2019 6:58:45 PM PDT by GreyHoundSailor
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To: CJ Wolf

In Texas to go from salvage title you just fix it, take it down to the regular annual vehicle inspection station and they have to fill out an extra form. You take that to the courthouse where you get your tags and they will issue you a “salvage “ title.

On newer vehicles that will definitely ding the resale value but if you plan to drive it until it gives up for good it’s a good deal if you can do the work or most of it yourself.

I have bought a bunch of stuff from Copart.com to fix and part out and recommend them.


117 posted on 10/03/2019 7:21:07 PM PDT by Clay Moore (“Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities” Voltaire.)
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To: SVTCobra03

The New Cars,,,
I Like Them.
The Corvettes are
Beyond Fabulous!
These “Naysayers”
Are Full of themselves.


118 posted on 10/03/2019 7:21:35 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (Despised by the Despicable!)
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To: Clay Moore

I will have to look into it. Got one sitting right now. Drivable but not legal.


119 posted on 10/03/2019 7:37:06 PM PDT by CJ Wolf (Freedom, if you can keep it)
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To: GreyHoundSailor

A lot of people love those old Broncos. I think there is even a company that does a “new” Bronco II kit. Ford has announced a new Bronco coming in 2020.


120 posted on 10/03/2019 8:12:16 PM PDT by Data Miner
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