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No One Wants a New Car Now. Here’s Why.
Wall Street Journal ^ | June 6, 2024 | Dan Neil

Posted on 06/07/2024 11:36:29 AM PDT by karpov

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To: karpov

“The average transaction price of a new vehicle is currently hovering around $47,000”

That’s completely ridiculous. I hate to see young families being priced out of homes, and now cars.

Thank Biden, who wants us all walking around our 15 minute cities.


41 posted on 06/07/2024 12:13:23 PM PDT by CottonBall (Every one of the Founding Fathers was a felon. Some went to jail, some executed, some died penniles)
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To: Owen

Those Lexus sedans last forever.

My next door neighbor has one of the earliest ones, a V-8. He drives it every day.

Once I drove a S class Mercedes to Ohio for a friend. He gave me his Lexus to take back to hIs family.

The Lexus was a far better car even though it didn’t cost nearly as much.


42 posted on 06/07/2024 12:13:29 PM PDT by packagingguy
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To: dynachrome

“stop/start cycling systems”

“These suck.”

yes, they could make them much better.

I was on a metered downhill freeway onramp during rush hour.

the volvo in front of me stopped and started 47 times after I decided to start counting.

I turned my car off once and just lowered the ebrake everytime I had to move forward a car length


43 posted on 06/07/2024 12:14:16 PM PDT by algore
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To: woodbutcher1963

You are right...they only offer 4 cylinder starting in 2024.

From what I understand Tow capacity of 6500 lbs still hasn’t changed form its 6 Cylinder brethren of years past, but who knows?


44 posted on 06/07/2024 12:15:16 PM PDT by suasponte137
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To: Owen

I had a 1999 Lexus SC400. This was the model they called the Soarer in Japan. This car was completely made in Japan. Except they put the steering wheel on the left side. It was a great car. I kinda wish I never sold it. The Great recession hit and I needed the money.

I am considering buying a 2010-2015 Lexus IS350C hard top convertible. They made this model for five years to compete with the BMW & Infinity hard top convertibles. This is a naturally aspirated V6 engine that produces about 305 HP.
The problem is that they did not make very many of them. So, the low mileage ones still left around are worth $25-30K used.


45 posted on 06/07/2024 12:15:21 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: John Milner

“The whole thing is nuts.”

It certainly is. Just like you, we knew exactly what we wanted down to the color and package. We ended up having to fly my husband to Delaware to get it, then he drove home. The local Lexus dealers couldn’t seem to care less. We did find one in Knoxville and one in North Carolina, but they sold before we could get a deposit on them to hold it. Although car lot seem to be filling back up, there’s no where near the inventory that there used to be.

Luckily we keep our cars for close to 20 years. Won’t have to go through this for a long time, if ever. I am in my sixties now.


46 posted on 06/07/2024 12:16:16 PM PDT by CottonBall (Every one of the Founding Fathers was a felon. Some went to jail, some executed, some died penniles)
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To: karpov

Newer cars stink on ice.


47 posted on 06/07/2024 12:16:42 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (Are you ready for Black Lives MAGA? It's coming.)
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To: AZJeep

On a related side note, we’ve been collectively driving fossil fueled vehicles for decades in this nation and around the globe. Contrary to the climate change frauds and their scare tactics the environment has survived quite nicely despite their doomsday predictions. Well designed vehicles can be produced with a reasonable price point and manufacturer profitability but insane govt regulations coupled with some corporate/Unionized greed has ruined the industry.


48 posted on 06/07/2024 12:20:09 PM PDT by tflabo (Truth or tyranny)
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To: suasponte137

I still would rather have a naturally aspirated V6 than a Turbo Charged 4 Cylinder. Unless it is the exact same 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine that they put in the 1980s Toyota pickups. Those are the engines/trucks that run forever. They were very popular with people overseas, like the Taliban.

I had a 1988 Toyota pickup($8800 brand new). Sold it in 1999 when I bought a Tacoma extended cab(the ones the frames rusted out on $19K brand new).


49 posted on 06/07/2024 12:20:26 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: karpov

I’ve been driving for nearly 40 years. For 19 of them I drove a used Toyota Tacoma. I’m now on my second used Tacoma I’ve been driving for 4 years. I fully intend to drive it another 15 years if possible. People that buy new cars are financial idiots. My wife and I combined make over $300k a year. She drives a 14 year-old Honda Pilot that we bought used. My teenage kids drive an 8 year-old Camry that we bought used.

Save your money, buy used, fly coach, and live within your means. It’s not rocket science.


50 posted on 06/07/2024 12:23:44 PM PDT by strider44
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To: karpov

LOL...the brave new world of 60 mpg cars and EVs our overlords are pushing on us are not wanted. Whoever would have guessed?

The user interfaces on modern cars are just AWFUL. I mean horrendously bad, larded down with incomprehensible electronic junk. It take 30 minutes in the rental car lot to figure out how to operate the car before you can drive off.

My ten year old Expedition with a V8 is going great at 100k on the clock and I’ll probably die with it (I’m turning 73 next month).

People are scared to death that a small failure in one of the 1,000 to 3,000 semiconductor chips in a new car will cost you $3,000 in repairs.

FOUR YEARS AGO, Car & Driver wrote “Electronics are responsible for 40 percent of a new car’s total cost, according to a Deloitte analysis. That’s up from 18 percent in 2000.”

Most of this SH!T is foisted on us by Fedzilla in its great white whale quest to improve fuel economy. They say it’s to “save us money,” but the real reason is they are captured by the greeniacs who want to stop or reduce CO2 emissions. The result of the greeniacs is impossible to meet CAFE standards that require cars to shut off every time you stop and air-doors to shut off airflow to the radiator when the engine is cold. All of this crap adds huge amounts of cost and high failure rate.


51 posted on 06/07/2024 12:23:58 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“When exposing a crime is treated like a crime, you are being ruled by criminals” – Edward Snowden)
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To: dynachrome

My wife’s ten year old Mercedes has a button to turn it off. It’s the very first thing I do when I start her car.


52 posted on 06/07/2024 12:24:32 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“When exposing a crime is treated like a crime, you are being ruled by criminals” – Edward Snowden)
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To: pburgh01

Mine is a 2014 White Convertible..................


53 posted on 06/07/2024 12:25:30 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: suasponte137

The fact that I think my 2012 Tacoma is better than the current model is why I want to keep this one forever.

Hence, I am looking at buying the Lexus IS350C hard top convertible I already posted about. That way I could drive the car in the summer and the truck in the winter(NH). Thereby, lowering the yearly mileage on the Tacoma.


54 posted on 06/07/2024 12:26:56 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: karpov
Some fear that new, digitally connected vehicles could expose their personal information to the Chinese—or worse, to their insurance agencies.

Or worse still, Biden and Obama operatives.

55 posted on 06/07/2024 12:27:50 PM PDT by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that almost all of big media is AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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To: suasponte137

We’ve bought used cars for a long time. In 2016, I bought my 2014 Ford Expedition with 24k on the clock. Saved a bundle. It was the last year they put V8s in Expeditions (the V6 feels anemic and always struggling).

My wife bought her 2014 Mercedes GLK in 2015 from the dealer. It was a dealer demonstrator with about 6k on the clock.

They’ve both been good, reliable cars. The only problem (that we knew about going in) is the regular maintenance costs on the Mercedes. Yikes! But it really isn’t much worse than the Expedition. A recent major service interval on the Expedition at 100k was about $3,000. But I skipped the 60k service and this one took the place of the 60k and 90k services.


56 posted on 06/07/2024 12:28:50 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“When exposing a crime is treated like a crime, you are being ruled by criminals” – Edward Snowden)
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To: Gaffer

im shy of 65 have a 20 year old tundra truck last vehicle i will ever have still runs crank windows help keep me active


57 posted on 06/07/2024 12:29:05 PM PDT by al baby (I know sarcasm )
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To: karpov
Far too complex to be reliable. Most of the stuff that is on them is just to gain markup in price. None of the new gadgets are necessary. NONE. Most are not even practical, useful or desirable. More of a nuisance than a luxury or even benefit.

If I could buy a new Buick Roadmaster, Park Avenue or Lucerne or Grand Marquis for their cost new plus normal inflation I'd do it today. As it is, I'll keep figuring out how to extend the life of the vehicles I have.

58 posted on 06/07/2024 12:29:14 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (The Government that got us in this mess is not the Government that can get us out of it.)
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To: karpov

Too much planned obsolescence built into the latest models. Doesn’t make sense to do anything but lease which is all part of the “you will own nothing and like it” corporate credo.


59 posted on 06/07/2024 12:30:10 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: pburgh01

SWEET


60 posted on 06/07/2024 12:30:34 PM PDT by Skooz (Gabba Gabba accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us )
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