Holy BeJesus!!! - New Truck Cost

[AngC]

I've been twitching over the cost whenever we take the husband's truck in for service. It's in there now, and this time it also needs new tires.

So we were checking out new trucks. I don't like to make payments so I was hoping we could downsize a bit. Maybe go for an extended cab vice the crew cab and a shorter bed. Holy good-golly!!! I was interested in a new truck, not a new house!!!

It's kind of a moot point; we couldn't even find a diesel to test drive. I had never heard of this, but there's some sort of Flex-Fuel (E85) engine. I was reading on the internet after we came home; near as I can figure, it gets you 25-35 percent lesser fuel economy (according to Road&Track.) Apparently this stuff is more available in the corn belt. There are 7 stations in Washington that sell E85. One station is within 20 miles of our house. But.... like we would drive out of our way, to pay more for fuel that gets you lower fuel economy. I don't get it. (The husband was familiar with this E85 stuff and said not no, but heck no!)

Well here's hoping the repair quote isn't too outlandish. I was kind of in love with the idea of getting my husband a new truck. But on the other hand, if they suck I would never hear the end of it.

 

[Sonya]

The E85 is cheaper but it has to significantly cheaper to make up for lost mileage. I think we figured it needed to be at least $1.25 cheaper to be worth it. Even still, when I use it, my car runs like and sounds like crap so I stay away from it.

Any new vehicle is outrageous these days, especially trucks. We always buy used cars, a year old with around 15k miles. The only vehicle we've bought new is hubby's truck. We bought it way back in 2004, a F250 10 cylinder crew cab. Even then it was almost $30k. We rarely use it...it's in the garage and only used when hauling something, like the boats. It only has 35k miles on it...original tires and everything. He will have it til he dies, I refuse to pay $40k for a truck...it's not happening.

My car, a 2009 Chevy HHR just turned 200k miles, it only had 12k miles when we bought it. I paid it off in 3 years and haven't had a payment since. I can't stand the car, it's ugly, does terrible in the snow, has many blind spots but I just don't want another car payment so I will run it until it dies.

The prices these days are absolutely ridiculous.

 

[vickie gee]

Last new truck for me was a Nissan frontier club cab. We still have it about 300,000 miles later. It needs some transmission work but right now we just use it around the place and to haul anything that might scratch our newer Nissan crew cab. It is the red one I bought used that had always been garage kept and had only 34,000 miles on it and came as an answered prayer after the dealership ticked me off. Recently I decided that I wanted to purchase a used car. Now, I have not owned a car in decades, last one being a 1987 Toyota Cressida that I had for about 17 years. I was shocked at the price of USED cars. I retired this summer and we decided my husband would drive our latest pickup. I wanted a dependable used car and was hoping to get a Nissan, or maybe even a Toyota or Honda. HAHAHA! I had already set my budget for what I would allow savings to pay for. I watched craigs list and autotrader and cargurus for a couple of months hoping to get a good deal on for sale by owner. People are really hanging on to their reliable cars nowdays... I finally ended up with a Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg edition. It is used but new to me. I don't seem to be having a lot of luck with windshields. Back one had to be re-tinted, it was baaaad. Scheduled that and then before the appointment something on interstate shattered the front one while I was taking dad to chemo. Got two fixed for the price of two. Today, the new windshield got a rock chip in it. Got it fixed immediately. I like the sporty feel, turbo, moonroof/sunroof, deluxe sound, heated leather seats, and no payments though. I think the best way to find what you are looking for is to watch for sale by owner, especially right after Christmas and before tax refund.

 

[AngC]

One down---one to go. We picked his truck up today and dropped mine off.

We've never bought a new-off-the-lot truck. His was relatively low mileage; mine was probably better with about 1500 miles on it. (...and was rather a rare find because I wanted a stick shift.)

The new tires on his truck look pretty nifty. It sucks to have this expense right now, at the holidays. It also kind of sucks to learn that the truck repair guys all refer to my husband's truck with some sort of rhyme-y phrase about the red one with the dent. (I put the dent in the side on a really solid fence post at my parents house; and at the time, told the husband that it wasn't worth the insurance deductible to have it repaired.) Now that we had the rear engine seal leak fixed, I guess we might have to get the dent pounded out; then I think it will need repainting. sigh....

 

[Minimor]

my car is flex fuel but I can use regular gas too...good thing since we have no stations that sell flex fuel.

we bought a new truck in 1983 but since then have bought used. am tired of buying other people's problems!! my car was bought new the end of August and I love it. my next truck will be new--with 0% financing the payments are not really so

bad. mind you...Ford prices their vehicles cheaper in canada...what a novelty!!--and that's a good thing given that our exchange rate is now over 40%. if I had to pay US price plus the 40% I would be out of luck!

 

[AngC]

We drove his to the dealer today to pick up mine. The "check engine" light came on in his truck. So now mine's home, and we left his back at the dealer. I am really going to freak if they come up with more problems for which to charge us. aarrgghh!

 

[sfmini]

I hear you. I bought my current truck brand new off the lot and tell people I am paying a mortgage on it. It's a loaded 2015 diesel. I made fun of the heated steering wheel until the first cold day. I love that steering wheel!!!

People ask me when I am going to retire (30 years with state government) and I just tell them I have a truck mortgage to worry about.