Do trucks make sense economically anymore?

If anybody still made a regular cab midsize there would still be a lower cost version of a small truck available. Regular cab 2024 F-150 XL 4x4 with a V8 is going to be at least 45k if not 50k.

 

I need a truck and can get by with a 5ft bed

 

IL definitely pays, my base as a new grad was $38/hr and I make way more than the typical RN here in the south as I'm federal and different how they pay, etc. My NP wife is $57/hr and I match/surpass her after my diff, etc. Again you are suggesting the few people that work 24/7 and probably on contracts as RNs that maybe make $300k. I've done nursing and have friends in a few places, including CA. Also a soon to be NP and have those working throughout country too. The amount of money your suggesting is for CRNA, etc. not an RN or even NP and even so working in the bay area, my $52+ an hour trumps their spending potential exponentially here in AL. We carry no debt besides our mortgage (and didnt go into house poor terrority) and still wont let myself buy a new 4th gen. I'm willing to bet people are in debt to their eyeballs these days.

 

Sounds like you both offroad and tow, so this comment isn't really directed at you. (At least I'm equating winter driving in Wyoming to off-roading)

 

They never have (ish).

I just had this conversation with my wife the other day, we're looking at moving and, economically, it makes ZERO sense to do what we want to do. We're sitting on a 2.6% mortgage, etc. And I drew the relationship to me buying this truck. I work in an office, and bought a truck. That's a TERRIBLE financial decision, in 2019, 2009, 1989, or 2024. Trucks are expensive, they've NEVER made sense as an A to B machine, period. For the actual work this truck has done, I could have hooked up a utility trailer to my old Mazda 3 hatchback and done just as much without skipping a beat.

I'd do it again, but don't kid yourself in that it's EVER been a good financial decision.

 

I don't off road, and you equating daily driving to off road doesn't invalidate the info. I also avoid towing if possible. I don't like it, but I have the option to tow when necessary without having to rent or borrow a vehicle. The question I quoted in my post was directed to those who do not tow or off road, and that is me.

 

Here is the pay scale.. + more for nights + double time OT etc... $52 is shit pay for here.

 

Those are valid points, though in terms of furniture, I don’t know how important that is for the average person when a Uhaul is 20 some bucks and most people may haul furniture once or twice every few yrs at the most.

I will admit though driving around in a truck looks much better than driving a minivan or perhaps even an SUV.

on towing and off-roading, certainly would be a reason to buy a truck.

 

Your point that many truck users could do without one is also valid. Thing is, vehicle purchases are frequently emotional ones. Both can be true at once.

 

Someone else hit it on the head , oems realized they could turn a truck into a Mercedes and make way more profit. The death of the normal pickup truck was the crew cab half ton imo. Once they started doing that ,all the fancy trims followed everyone started using them as family haulers and then they became status symbols, i.e. ford raptor and the like .

There are still inexpensive cars , people just don't WANT those as much. My daughter bought a brand new 2020 nissan versa for 20k during covid. There's numerous 36k mile corollas in great shape floating around for 15k in my area. Trucks never made "economical sense" as a daily for most people. They still don't. Lol

 

On your second paragraph: EXACTLY. Nobody wants to buy the simple cheap car with no frills that they pretend to want on the internet. Same with trucks. Aside from fleet buyers, almost nobody chooses an SR Tacoma. Non-fleet sales of f-150XLs are DWARFED by XLT and lariat sales. We are getting exactly what we want and complain the whole time despite cheaper options being available

 

I always knew CA was stupid pay, wont find that anywhere else, also stupid competive job market wise as well, still less after cost of living adjustment, lol. I may do a contract out there if wife lets me when I'm done with school here in May before I take boards.

 

I know I don't think back to my childhood and go "man i wish I had a stripped down civic dx hatchback like my mom's." I can still feel my burnt thigh bottoms peeling off the cheap scalding vinyl now...... and my foot bottoms burning hot from lack of floor insulation........

 

Also OP lives in california bay area. With 5 plus dollar a gallon gas , trucks NEVER made sense in Cali lol

 

I'm sure plenty in that demographic aren't buying new cars anyway with CA's high cost of living. Everything is overpriced, food, gas, housing, cars. Sign of the times.

 

I'm through Cali about twice a week for work (cdl) and I can tell you I see way more 20 plus year old vehicles on the road there than anywhere else in the country.

 

Before 2020, my car purchase rule was under 40k buy it, over 40k lease it. Now with inflation it doesn't make sense to buy unless you really need to.

 

You just perfectly summarized almost every automotive forum nowadays. Everyone harkens back to the "good ole days" when things cost X and you could buy a bare bones Y. I'm in my mid-40s and can definitely vouch that the standard of living has improved remarkably since the first car I can remember as a kid - my mom's then new '85 Plymouth Reliant station wagon (look it up, ours was baby blue with woodgrain style contact paper on the sides) was considered a normal middle class family car. I remember more than a few of my friends in grade school had family cars that didn't have air conditioning or a radio and that was "normal". For better or worse, customers demand all of the latest tech and safety features; power and sky high fuel economy; etc. I've been in the automotive business for over 2 decades now and the buying public, generally speaking, demands every luxury they can get in a new vehicle. Some of that is entitlement, sure. Some of it is lifestyle creep as every generation wants nicer/more things than the past. And manufacturers are here to smile and charge a hefty sum for it. *If* Toyota brought back the Camry CE base base trim with no keyless entry, hubcaps, no power windows or mirrors, no massive screen, no cruise control but it cost $18,999 MSRP, most of them would sit on the lot and collect dust despite the internet world claiming they would buy a million of them.

 

That’s literally all I buy… at least for myself.

 

The ability to put my tools, greasy parts, motorcycles, fuel cans, fishing gear, fishy clothing, sandy shit, surfboards, etc in a place without fear of damaging or soiling the interior of my vehicle.

among countless other uses.