Justification of truck payment.....

[StinkyHotChocolate]

Here is the one for 32

Around here that is a beautiful...$25k truck.

 

[Kap1]

It's a very good thing that you're doing your research and asking for advice on this forum. As you know, dealer has lots of tricks to rip you off, especially they'll try to take advantage of your credit score. Don't let them do that. They can get you a better rate, but they want to start high as they're getting commissions from the bank. Here's a good post to read: http://www.ramforum.com/f38/financing_issues_throwing_red_flags-111593/

Do as much research and reading as you can on buying a new truck, what it should cost and what are all the tricks the dealer can use to trick you.

 

[Cmsharp]

That dealer is smoking crack. Look online for awhile, cars.com, cargurus, autotrader. You negotiate the price online and usually get the best price. You can get a bighorn/cc/4wd/hemi for about 33k in my area.

 

[H1Chester]

True Car for me has been a good measure of what I should expect to pay for a vehicle in my area.

 

[Philip]

I'm paying $479 for 84 months which would be roughly $40,000. The truck cost $29,500+Tax. I will NOT take that long to pay it off LOL I'll pay it off in about half the time.

I just wanted the cushion of a longer payment, this truck costs like $33,000 after tax, there's no way I would take 84 months just to pay it off including the interest for 84 months.

The previous car I owned had $12,000 NEGATIVE EQUITY rolled into the lease, was paying $600 month for a 2016 Ford Fusion! Screw that. I'll never "roll-in" negative equity ever again.

I personally love my truck, it's a **** compared to most trucks here, but it's everything I wanted. Comfortable, can tow a small tear drop sleep in trailer, decent gas mileage, quiet also. This truck will be with me for the foreseeable future, it's my 2nd home lol.

 

[Wahrsuul]

Maybe trip south to find a nice low mileage use one? I'm with you, I couldn't handle the payments on a newer one, but at least here they don't rust out much if at all, so a good used one was withing reach.

Do you have a Carmax nearby? They'll transfer a vehicle for a price.

 

[shadowhawk]

I wanted a truck for a while. I had a photo of a '13 Express blacked out as my laptop wallpaper for 2 yrs. I have a decent job/paycheck, and it was time to replace my POS Chevy Malibu. I found the truck I have now. No justification needed.

 

[Lesnocker]

Way to much for that truck.

Exactly what I thought! Why I always hated Dodge. Two and a half hours of managers and pressure. Dude I’m not paying “600” a month for that. Started out at window of $35 minus down payment and the incentives got to $29 then taxes and fees got to $32. Tried selling me the 3.9 then the hideously white 3.9 for $28. Chevy was $33 and I will not own a Ford.......Ford dealer in town “orders standard cabs” Used well I don’t want the damn quad cab. All the budget lots only offer them. May go to an auction with my dealer neighbor. Can’t believe a standard cab long bed is suddenly very rare? Manager basically laughed and said with the gas wells he would sell all 4 trucks for sticker in the next 10 days. I was special and got a smoking deal and I offended him for walking. Really? People that dumb?

 

[Lesnocker]

Maybe trip south to find a nice low mileage use one? I'm with you, I couldn't handle the payments on a newer one, but at least here they don't rust out much if at all, so a good used one was withing reach.

Do you have a Carmax nearby? They'll transfer a vehicle for a price.

My Parents bought a place to retire in Hertferd NC. We use it for vacation right now. My wife was saying getting a used one next summer. It’s inland about an hour from kitty hawk. I heard living by the ocean was worse than living here with Pittsburgh salt. But thanks for the idea. Gotta calm down and water down the fire in my pocket.

 

[chrism1367]

I lived by the gulf of Mexico for years and never had a problem, don't think that should be a concern. I live in Ohio now and rust is way worse.

 

[chrisbh17]

Rule #1: never talk in monthly payments. Too many variables....APR, how many months, what was the down payment, are they quoting just principle, etc.

Ive had dealers pull the "how much do you want to pay per month" bs....all that does is give them the number they need to back into. Sure! You can get your brand new truck for 200/month. It will just be a 10 year long loan at a high APR with a high down payment. But hey, we made it do 200/month!

Always negotiate only the price of the vehicle. I like to keep it crystal clear and negotiate literally just the vehicle first. No add-ons. No trade-ins. No tax/title/reg/doc fee. That stuff (if necessary) comes AFTER I get a price I like on the vehicle itself.

And honestly, prices on the internet are going to be all over the place. And just like asking about monthly payments, you will probably not be comparing apples to apples. Is it the EXACT same truck as yours? Or missing an option here or there. On top of the fact that maybe some dealers were literally just dumping trucks (my '17 Big Horn locally sold for 4K less than other dealers starting prices....and those dealers were 100+ miles away)

 

[tones2SS]

If you really want the truck and can afford it,....go for it!! Life is short and might as well enjoy yourself. "IF" you can afford it only.

As for the longer payments?!?! That's killer! I always finance for the longest amount of time available. I always pay off my vehicles early too, so that's a win-win for me. Lower payment = earlier payoff. Send in 2 payments at a time, sometimes 3 payments. I use it in my favor.
Good luck OP!!

 

[Jeepwalker]

Can’t believe a standard cab long bed is suddenly very rare?

They are!! Other than work trucks, not many guys buying them. If you look in the 2018 sales brochure, which is essentially a 68 page bound book, there isn't a SINGLE partial page picture of a regular cab pickup. Just two small 2" graphics in the back pages showing regular cab trucks are still available and their base features. I suspect FCA makes a lot more on more doors, people like them as family haulers. Most urban owners don't haul much so a short box works. I looked around for a long time for a regular cab short box 4x4 with all the nice options (GM or RAM). They're as rare as passenger pigeons. The small number you see are stripped down 2wd work trucks, or beat up, really high mileage, or the good ones they're asking too much for so you might as well buy new. Or, the rare 4x4 candidate in a good price range gets sold right away.

What I did when I found a good reg cab 4x4 decent deal was buy it. More miles than I wanted 100k+ miles (for cash), but really nice condition, runs great, low insurance cost. Low cost all the way around. I didn't dawdle when I found one. I couldn't be happier. If mechanical issues pop up, I can deal with them. But I gave serious consideration of buying NEW ...just that I don't need a really low mile truck right now. 4x4 adds 4,500 or so to a truck so when guy post their good deals, I've noticed a lot of them are 2wd trucks. I would check out other dealers, keep looking on craigslist and the dealers. They do come up from time to time. I don't think you have to go too far S. until you find a used, older, 4x4. Too far south and things switch over to a lot more 2wd.

If you plan to keep your next truck till 200+k miles, maybe buying new and getting the extended warranty is a smarter way to go. Sure it'll cost you more up front, but you won't have as many unexpceted costs as you own it, at least initially. Maybe go over towards Philly and see what the dealers over there tell ya.

Or, the other option is to continue to save your $$ and wait till the next oil shock comes and truck prices will plummet and then you'll be poised to strike!

 

[bryan28]

At least check out TrueCar.com. If you find a price you're comfortable with they will find a dealer nearby that is willing to sell at that price. Got a good deal in 2012 on a new Titan that way. Crazy thing is the nearby local dealer wouldn't match the price so they found me one 50 miles away that would. When I went to pick up the truck this dealer was removing the local dealers sticker. They had transfered the truck from the local dealer to this one. The local dealer lost a sell and I would've used them for all warranty work if needed. Worth a shot.

 

[Jeepwalker]

At least check out TrueCar.com. If you find a price you're comfortable with they will find a dealer nearby that is willing to sell at that price. Got a good deal in 2012 on a new Titan that way. Crazy thing is the nearby local dealer wouldn't match the price so they found me one 50 miles away that would. When I went to pick up the truck this dealer was removing the local dealers sticker. They had transfered the truck from the local dealer to this one. The local dealer lost a sell and I would've used them for all warranty work if needed. Worth a shot.

Somebody at the dealership found a way to make money and went for it. You gotta love that!!

 

[chrisbh17]

Agreed to a price once with a local dealer on an Accord coupe. Go in that night to sign the papers "oh we dont have it here but we can get it. all we can tell you is that we found it within 250 miles of here, we'll be driving it back this weekend". Killed the deal right there...no way I want some 16 yr old oil change kid driving my brand new car up to 250 miles.

I went home, pissed off, and sent an email to every Honda dealer in CT. Told them what car I wanted (color, options, etc), how much I wanted to pay (exact same price I had already agreed to) and whoever had the exact car on their lot wins my sale.

Long story short, the one the first dealer located was 12 miles away. The dealer 12 miles away emailed me back first. Car had 8 miles on it when I test drove it and I bought it from that dealer instead.

 

[Ravjay12]

We never buy new. Bought my 2012 in 2015. Just paid it off 2 months ago. There’s mechanically no difference between an 09 and a 17, so I couldn’t justify the price difference.

 

[cpotts13]

I sometimes ask myself wtf I am doing paying so much for a truck, but in retrospec it really isnt that muxh for what I am getting...

2017 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 with sticker price of $52k (almost every option)
got for $41k OTD
put down $3k
Financed for 72 months
~$550/m

 

[Baill]

I would also suggest having a look at used trucks. Just picked up my first Ram, well first truck actually and have never bought used but now would never buy new again. I’m in Ontario Canada so keep in mind we have 13% sales tax and I’ll convert to freedom units for you guys, but drove away with a 2014 solid colour outdoorsman, 4x4, Hemi, crew cab, 6.5’ box with Ram boxes, decently equipped (I think it just is missing leather seats, sunroof, and dual climate controls), with 28000Miles for just shy of $25000 USD out the door. So deals are out there for sure, saved quite a bit vs buying new and still have quite a bit of factory warranty left. And I think if I ever have to replace the engine I would still be ahead.

As for the truck only lasting 4-5 years I think these new ones are doing much better, mine is an early 2014 build and only has some very minor surface rust between the bed and the cab, maybe in total less than An area of 1/4” worth made up of a couple tiny dots, not even bubbles, it looks like what I had on my Jeep where I got some metal filings embedded in the clear coat and they rusted not the sheet metal. It has been in the heavy snow belt all its life. It has always been Krown treated which I have never used but believe in now, I don’t know if you have anything similar down south but for $140 CAD per year I’m going to stick with the regiment.

If I can keep finding deals like this I don’t think I will ever go back to buying new. I’ll take the gamble on used as long as the worst case scenario for repairs comes in under the price of new. Also keep in mind trucks seem to be a good 15-20% more expensive as a rule up here in the north. I priced out the same truck new and it came out to $57000 CAD (44000 USD) after the 8k or so rebates and before tax, so some negotiating room to go down but still quite a bit more than a lot of the straight advertised prices I see south of the boarder. Can’t imagine what kind of deals you guys could find on used trucks down there. And now thinking about it with your truck prices and gas being almost half the price in the south it’s making me really jealous.

 

[troutspinner]

I was at the dealership last week getting some maintenance done on my 14 Big Horn and was surprised to see my exact model and optioned truck is now stickered 10k higher just 3 model years later, that is a joke!

It's not like they've added anything significant the last 3 years to warrant that number. I just think they are getting people use to a 7-10 year financing term and that enables them to increase the price to ride out the $600ish payment people are use to when they use to pay it for 5 years.