Recession = Cheap New Pickup Truck Purchase

[silverwhaletail]

FYI;

If anybody is looking for a cheap Full Size, Gas Guzzler Pickup in the Los Angeles Area, try Puenta Hills Nissan:

2008 Titan 4x2 XE,
4 Door Crew Cab
silver exterior, black cloth interior

5.6L, 317 HP
4 wheel disc brakes w/ABS
AC
AM/FM/CD with 8 Speakers
power windows
power door locks (with remote controls)
power sliding (vertical) back glass
cruise control
tilt steering wheel
variable speed wipers
speedometer, tach, oil press, volt, fuel guages
tire pressure monitoring system

wheel locks
door edge protectors
splash guards
floor mats
BED LINER

MSRP $ 28,645

purchased today at Puenta Hills Nissan with 10 miles on the odometer for
$ 17,942

it gets better... Nissan Motor Credit at 6.14% for 72 months (six years) with ZERO down.... payment is $ 341 month.

The LA Times newspaper ad offered the truck at $ 18,999 but they came off of that price by $ 1,057 after I blew a gasket when the sales manager tried to screw me on the interest rate...

2008 may turn out to be a great year for major purchases if this keeps up...

[hytem]

Yeah. I bought a Jeep Liberty a few years ago for about the same price. Thousands in rebates, and 4% financing.

Trouble is, Kelly Blue book knocks the rebates off the value of the car. So you don't get full value in trade.

The big inventory of gas guzzlers is a real problem for the car industry right now. There are big changes in mpg requirements just around the corner.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The one that keeps me up at night is that as the big gas guzzlers go out of vogue and John and Jane Jones decide they're no longer practical for commuting to work and the grocery store, guess who ends up with them?

That's right - all their teenage kiddies, since they have nothing better to do with their money than spend it on $100 fill-ups.

The thought of millions of stupid teenagers with cell phones in one hand and IPods in the other while driving these ridiculous 6,000-pound, high-center-of-gravity junkers sharing the roadways with me is enough to seriously make me consider surrendering my license and walking everywhere.

I used to own a pickup, but personally, I'd never buy another one living here. They're about the least practical vehicle I can think of for living here in SoCal. They are terrible on gas, handle poorly, and are damn near impossible to park. I suppose if I had a business hauling stuff or doing roofing or whatever then maybe. . . but I don't.

[Tim Hancock]

I own a 4x4 Toyota pick-up that I occasionaly use for driving to work onsnow days and for when I need to occasionally haul stuff, but I ALWAYS choose to drive a car the rest of the time. What cracks me up is how many folks that have NO USE for a pickup, drive them daily to work (with empty beds 99% of the time. Where I work, there are 3 cars in the parking lot (mine, the owners and the engineering supervisor's) ...... the rest are all pickup trucks. 2/3 of those trucks are owned by folks who live in the city and I have NEVER seen ANYTHING being hauled in them for many years. To each their own, but I just can't figure out why most of these guys would rather drive a big truck daily to work over a comfy car.

I am sure that they can't understand why I have so many old german cars
I guess it all cames down to what you like, but I still don't get it.

[the]

pick up trucks can come in handy. I always try to have at least one friend with one.

[Komenda Fan]

Yes, there are some amazing deals out there right now, and if I had the need, I would buy now. Not as a fashion accessory, though. I love looking at the beds of trucks around my neighborhood, not a scratch in the bed. Just factor in the added fuel costs when buying one of these, it adds up fast. Amazing time to buy if you really need one, though.

[Jim Bremner]

well, is it better for the world if Joe six pack buys a truck as his daily driver, if he uses it as a truck 10% of the time.

Then for Joe to own 2nd vehicle as his daily driver? Hmm. That means that 2 more tons of steel,plastic and rubber must be made.

Let's say that Joe six pack only drives 12,000 miles a year. Both vehicles tires will age out before wearing out.

A car is the first choice to drive for me. My 2002 Silerado has 150k on it.
It was used as a daily driver for several years. but on the weekends it was hauling dirt, dirtbikes, 'mountain bikes or a trailer full of race karts

My trucks bed is well used.

[Mo_Gearhead]

QUOTE: "...purchased today at Puenta Hills Nissan with 10 miles on the odometer for $ 17,942"
_____________________

Don't you fools understand we are in the beginnings of a recession! What the he!! are you out doing ...trying to stimulate the economy???!!!

You should be cowering at home under your bed with your gold bullion and gun in hand!

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

well, is it better for the world if Joe six pack buys a truck as his daily driver, if he uses it as a truck 10% of the time.

Then for Joe to own 2nd vehicle as his daily driver? Hmm. That means that 2 more tons of steel,plastic and rubber must be made.

Let's say that Joe six pack only drives 12,000 miles a year. Both vehicles tires will age out before wearing out.

A car is the first choice to drive for me. My 2002 Silerado has 150k on it.
It was used as a daily driver for several years. but on the weekends it was hauling dirt, dirtbikes, 'mountain bikes or a trailer full of race karts

My trucks bed is well used.

Who is this Joe you mention?

If a guy needs a truck he needs a truck, I guess I just can't understand why guys who don't need a truck CHOOSE to daily drive a truck. Anyone who owns a dirt bike MUST own a truck.....no argument there

[aigel]

12 mpg city and 17 interstate is pretty terrible. That's the official rating. You can easily be 8-10 mpg around town. It's a huge truck but those are numbers from 15 years ago. And yes, that's a good buy, if you wanted a big gas truck anyway.

George

[BlueSideUp]

We have an '05 Titan and it gets 16mpg in mixed driving. The best highway mileage I've seen was going to Vegas and it eeked out 19mpg. The worst I've seen was towing an RX7 on a trailer and it only managed 12mpg. Ours is a 4x4 Off Road model so yours should do a little better.

We use the truck primarily for our business hauling fitness equipment so it normally has 500lbs of stuff in the bed. I bought an Advanced folding cover for the bed when the truck was new so the equipment isn't exposed. Not everyone with a big truck is driving it for the style, I will agree that a majority of people do though.

[Jim Sims]

"MSRP $ 28,645

purchased today at Puenta Hills Nissan with 10 miles on the odometer for
$ 17,942"


This further confirms my assessment that due to the fashion of driving full-size pickup trucks and their technical brothers, truck frame SUVs, the prices were excessive on the order of $10,000 to $25,000 per vehicle. Many people slaved away significant portions of their lives to over pay the manufacturers and dealers for these rigs.

It is really unfortunate that these excess profits didn't show up in significant technical improvements in the trucks. The poor fuel economy demonstrated by these vehicles is inexcusable.


The way this year is developing reminds me of the Paul Volcker times when what the country needed was for people to buy a new vehicle and not drive it.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I am sure that they can't understand why I have so many old german cars I guess it all cames down to what you like, but I still don't get it.

Just ask my wife - I'm sure she'll be happy to tell you it's a direct result of irrationality and male silliness.

[aigel]

It is tough to make something fuel efficient that has a lot of weight and drag. The only thing that would save us is a decent diesel engine with a bunch less power for these mid size rigs, IMHO.

Cheers,

George

[chapo]

these fuel economy ratings aren't much different than some of the hot rod offerings from BMW, Audi, or the worst of the bunch, Mercedes. Maybe 22 mpg out of the big v-8s.

[Jim Sims]

"It is tough to make something fuel efficient that has a lot of weight and drag. The only thing that would save us is a decent diesel engine with a bunch less power for these mid size rigs, IMHO."

Pick-up truck technology is just plain archaic; my departed rancher great grandfathers and grandfather would recognize the workings of a pick-up on today's dealer's lots.

Much weight can be saved and drag reduced: current pick-up structural and form design is abysmal. In this day and age of improved materials and magnetics there is little sense in belt-driven engine accessories - everything from the power steering pump to the A/C compressor could be electrically powered and only run when needed and modulated to run at the power level needed. There is a whole list of basic engine improvements that could be implemented starting with the fuel and induction systems.

Instead we get big blunt, aggressive looking front grills (do we really require such compensation for our souls) and fuel-thirsty high horsepower ratings (mostly from getting out the "boring bar") beyond most people's needs - should you really be "rat racing" pickups while towing trailers up steep grades?

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by aigel

It is tough to make something fuel efficient that has a lot of weight and drag. The only thing that would save us is a decent diesel engine with a bunch less power for these mid size rigs, IMHO.

Cheers,

George

Along those lines, I often wonder why anyone would want the monster high performance engines in the first place. I mean it is a pick-up truck, not a sports car. Other than the few who need to pull VERY heavy loads, why the huge engines? Hell, my four banger 4 X 4 four banger Tacoma has always been capable of pulling/hauling everything I have ever hooked onto or loaded into it.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

The thought of millions of stupid teenagers with cell phones in one hand and IPods in the other while driving these ridiculous 6,000-pound, high-center-of-gravity junkers sharing the roadways with me is enough to seriously make me consider surrendering my license and walking everywhere.

I used to own a pickup, but personally, I'd never buy another one living here. They're about the least practical vehicle I can think of for living here in SoCal. They are terrible on gas, handle poorly, and are damn near impossible to park. I suppose if I had a business hauling stuff or doing roofing or whatever then maybe. . . but I don't.

So you're not a truck person and you hate SUVs. What does that have to do with the rest of us?

[MRM]

They buy such huge vehicles with massive engines in them so they can try to race us with 25 year old 911s at stop signs and run us off the road when we try to speed up to merge into traffic.

I've had more huge pickups and SUVs try to beat me off the line or literally run me off the road when I try to merge into traffic than all other types of car or demographic of driver put together. I never race at stoplights and I always follow the speed limit. That plus a balky 915 that needs second gear synchros keeps me from launching at stoplights even if I wanted to. It is incredible how many middle age suburban cowboys floor it when they are next to me and seem to take some freakish pleasure in keeping pace with me to the speed limit, and then, when I level off, disapearing in a cloud of smoke. I just smile and hold my breath until they're gone.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by dmoolenaar

So you're not a truck person and you hate SUVs. What does that have to do with the rest of us?

Good question...I live in pickup country, with the majority of them 4X4's...
After I did a bit of rebuilding, had paint & bodywork done, I got far more local thumbs ups...
with this...




Than this: