If banking regulations banned the “upside down” loan totally and actually limited the financing of vehicles to 80% of the sale price with a 2 year limit on the contracts the vast majority of vehicles sold would be priced much closer to what the buyer could afford. Loose money in the banking industry allows for long term financing of vehicles and the public doesn’t pay attention to the bottom line cost of a new vehicle, only the monthly payment seems important.
Hey Dag,I want one-can you get Ford to build it?-Kevin
The Isuzu pickups with the 2.2L 5 speed were more than adequate for the day in day out commuting and light hauling that suburban owners bought them for and they were relatively economical and very reliable. With state of the art engine controls that truck would be expected to deliver 30+ mpg and sell below $20,000. But GM doesn’t want to lose a sale on the full sized model priced at $35,000 so they no longer offer the low end option, just as Ford and Dodge(Ram). The manufacturers see profits in top of the line models and that’s what they all push. If offered a small, economical alternative the public would likely buy them.
@Rod_Knox, don’t the Colorado/Canyon count in the small pickup class? If just being a size down from the Silverado is not enough, we need to define the class a little better.
What ever happened to saving up for car instead of buying something you can’t afford. My wife and I don’t buy until we have enough saved to pay cash, then wait for low to no interest loans and reinvest the money we save with an auto withdrawal from that account to make payments on the loan. Doesn’t everyone do that ? If we can’t find a new car loaner that will do it, we buy used with cash and just “get by” till times change.
Some people can and do save for the vehicle before buying it. Doing that keeps me from buying exotic cars that I can’t really afford, but might think I can if I only look at the monthly payment. But many people don’t look at it that way. In 1998 I bought a Buick Regal. I got a great deal, but didn’t have all the money in my bank account. In order to seal the deal, I had to pretend I was going to finance it. That offered the dealer an alternative if I didn’t show up with the check in a few days. While I sat in the finance center waiting room, I listened to a guy that had a well-equipped Silverado that he “had” to trade in. He was upside down, and wanted to finance another well-equipped Silverado. He just didn’t know what else to do. Really!
The GM offerings are in the same spiral as Ford’s Ranger and Mopar’s Dakota, JTS. The only trucks on dealers lots are the top of the line, fully loaded models with fuel mileage equal to the full size models, most are extended cab and as expensive as the full size standard cab. Could GM keep up with the demand for $15,500 bare bones Canyons and Colorados? That is the market that I am speaking of. And that is the market that the manufacturers wish to push into the full sized models using financing deals.
The base Colorado/Canyon work trucks have an MSRP of about $17,500. If they aren’t on the lot, the dealer can order them. I suppose that there would be a lot of them on dealer’s lots if people asked for them. I’m not a truck guy, so I don’t know if anyone buys them.
Sorry, U.S. drivers, not for you…
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/08/2013-vw-amarok-pickup-truck-benefits.html
A VW Sport Trac?
well Caddyman,thanks I guess-this thing probaly has around 300 lbs ft of torque? When everybody sees what we could have(howcome we cant have this thing?) maybe the car companys will wake up,if its not availiable it wont be purchased.I remember why the wagons died(they werent for sale-thats why you see so many surburbans) you can kill a market if you try.Maybe Banks and carmakers could try to be a little more public friendly(please stop suckering people with what they dont need-give a good alternative) I realize this post is a little disjointed right now,but I dont feel like rewriting it.If VW keeps up stuff like this,it might make a believer out of me.These vehicles could really fill a niche-Kevin
The American truck market has always been “bigger is better”. Yet, on this board there is a lot of sentiment in favor of a small PU and perhaps there still is a market in the US for such a truck. Likely a small, perhaps Chinese made, truck will come on the market.
There is still a huge demand for small trucks in much of the world. They are being made, just not being imported into the US anymore. If Ford doesn’t see a market for an updated “Ranger” sized truck, then someone else will fill the demand.
It seems a Ford Transit would be a solid platform on which to build a small PU. It would be easy for Ford to tap into this market if they saw it as viable enough to sell 10K new vehicles a year. So Ford, why not?!
see a lot of transits around,seem to be a solid well, made vehicle. Maybe this would be a good platform for something of this nature-Kevin
How about this one?
It is ready, it is a Ford, it is efficient, they should just start selling it here…
What a nice vehicle-Kevin
Too nice a vehicle to take sales from the f150 in America. In Europe where the f150 is a non factor, this truck has a place.
Yep, the 150 is a icon,used to be a Ford man , then one day it hit me,I owe them nothing(the 2000 Focus was the icing on the cake)-Kevin
I searched the offerings from a local General Motors dealership for new trucks below $50,000 and this is what I found
The link won’t let me get back to edit and if you open the link it will be at the dealerships search page, requiring you to enter make, model, etc., sorry… I searched the local Ford dealer’s truck inventory and $33,000 was the cheapest model on the lot, similar to the Chevrolet dealer. And these dealerships are in the poorest state in the nation in a town of less than 35,000 with average annual income of $24,000. Who are they selling these trucks to?
http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2012/01/2012-midsize-shootout-results.html
Not saying that this assessment is completely valid, but it does reflect most independent testing and reviews I have read.
Canyon and Colorado would be at the bottom of the pack if it weren’t for the Ranger. The next in line is a rebadged GM midsize. It’s pretty simple, the biggest selling and one of the best midsize is the Tacoma which takes sales away from the Tundra. The biggest selling f150 has no in house competition to speak of and is highest in sales on all Catagories. GM tries to have it both ways but has always stuggled offering truck motors that compete in the small to intermediate. Like the Isuzu for their big truck, they should just buy the 4 and 6 cylinder from Toyota. IMHO, they would outsell them in short order.