Posted on 10/03/2019 10:59:03 AM PDT by Red Badger
Robert Loehr’s dealership is hanging in just fine, much like Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s sales did last quarter. But just as investors doubt the U.S. car market can sustain near-record results for much longer, the Georgia retailer is apprehensive about a key issue: sticker shock.
“Prices are crazy on cars nowadays -- all of them,” said Loehr, who sells Jeeps, Rams and other Fiat Chrysler models from a showroom northwest of Atlanta and has been in the business for 35 years. “They’re crazy to me, and I do it every single day, all day long.”
New Jeep Gladiators -- the truck version of the rugged Wrangler model -- can easily fetch $50,000 and are emblematic of a trend toward eye-popping prices carmakers are commanding for the pickups and sport utility vehicles making up an ever-greater share of their sales. Even as manufacturers and lenders increasingly stretch out auto loan terms to more than seven years and subsidize interest rates with incentives, average monthly payments keep climbing.
Affordability could become more of a risk if the mounting concern that the American economy is headed for recession ends up panning out. Those fears drove the benchmark S&P 500 down more than 2% on Wednesday, to the lowest since August. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. shares slumped by even more.
The U.S. car market has probably reached the end of a great run, according to Brian Irwin, who leads the automotive and industrial practice for consulting firm Accenture. “It’s a step down from where we thought we would be a few months ago,” Irwin said in a phone interview. “I expect to see stronger incentives coming out.”
For more on U.S. auto sales, click here for Bloomberg’s TOPLive blog
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Regarding the “new” car, I’ve heard that sometimes new cars will be damaged in shipping (body dent) and the dealership will use bondo and repaint.
i.e. it’s possible that it IS a new car that has had a dent repaired.
BTW, the guy I said that I know that deals in these got a really sweatheart deal a year or so ago. He bought a package of brand new GM trucks that had been declared salvage when the insurance company paid off for a whole parking lot full of trucks that had flood damage from a hurricane.
However, with the exception of one truck, they had all only been in standing water about three inches deep. One of them had been in about three feet of water. They used that one as a parts truck because the drivetrain was basically toast due to sitting in, and taking in standing water.
His dad took one and he kept one.
**i.e. it’s possible that it IS a new car that has had a dent repaired.***
It would have had to be a major dent to take in the trunk and quarter panel. We believe it may have been one of the crash test cars in which it is slammed from the rear.
“Jeep and reliability never really went in the same sentence.”
250K plus on an ‘06 with almost no unscheduled maintenance.
Keep wrangler and derivatives are insanely over priced, but people are paying for them so kudos to Chrysler I guess.
Base model 2 door starts at something like 28 which is ludicrous, but as I said people are paying for them so can’t blame Chrysler for getting what thr can.
Realistically, relative to other vehicle base 2 door wrangler should be retailing in low 20s. It’s a small SUV with 4wd and a true frame.
The 4x4 and beefier things make it worth more than a similar sized car platform SUV, but not 10k more
Ha. Well done.
A neighbor across the street buys old Jeeps cheap, fixes them up, puts on all kinds of after-market stuff, wheels, big tires, suspension kits and other goodies, then sells them for a profit........................
Jeep has improved.
Jeep Wagoneers are the same way. There’s an outfit in Texas that sells “new” units.
I would love to see a basic, no frills small pick up truck on the market.
Roll up windows even. Only luxury would be air conditioning.
I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Someone deserves a really good azz kicking.
I put lockouts on the Dodge when I changed the crummy plastic cage unit bearings. It is an expensive conversion but I wanted the lockouts. Yes, they are a PITA but wouel rather have them than not.
Our 2004 Toyota van has about 225,000 miles. We have had two transmission rebuilds, presumably due to all our towing over the years. We thought with some work on the front end and steering pump we'd be good for a bit longer, but sadly we might be bidding our trusty van farewell sooner than expected. The transmission starting acting up on our drive to close up our summer place and we limped in last night. It's at the shop for diagnosis and hubby is online starting to get quotes on the next tow vehicle. Sniff. Like you, we run our cars as long as possible and hubby does a lot of work himself with parts ordered online for added savings.
Trump’s fault!
.
Front clutch.
‘Otas can’t handle climbing or heavy towing. Built to haul people economically.
The wife had been looking at the new Grand Cherokees for a while. Not many in stock at the local dealer, just a handful of lower end and mid range models, mid 30s to low 40s. They had a loaded High Altitude on the showroom floor we settled on. Sticker was 52, they came down to 46. She loves the thing.
I’ve had lots of Wranglers over the years. Great, fun transportation toys.
I watched a show on TV about China and all the options the common tradesmen have in work trucks and was amazed. Some of the cheaper options were priced in the hundreds, not thousands!
Can you imagine buying a new 20 ton diesel dump truck for under 10K!
We were talking about liability only.
Going to just keep my 1989 Jeep Wrangler ... couldn’t locate $50,000 in my old jeans!!!
Yeah, at 61 I’m not investing in a new work truck or even a used. I’ll stick with the 02 F350 super duty I have. But you don’t get out of spending money: I want to put a whole new bed on it. The old one has had a 2700lb compressor bolted to it for 17 years and I think it’s time.
Compact pickups traditionally were a young, single man's first vehicle and were priced about $500 above the cost of the ceapest compact car that the automaker offered. Ford Rangers, Toyota SR-5s, Mazda B2000s, Datsun 720s, Dodge Ram 50s, Chevy S-10s... These were the small trucks that young men bought after they graduated high school and landed their first decent job. They were affordable.
Try $1,000 for a new Ford Truck with 10% down, financed over 5 years.
$60,000+
My first house cost $80,000.
......what year do you think it is....?
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