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HSKR R/T

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Tell me you've never had a car allowance or a company car without telling me that...

That's a very small percentage of total owners.
Not at all. It's all about making the best use of your money. Leases are typically 2-3 years for a reason.

If you don't consider resale value when you buy a $50,000+ vehicle, I sure hope you keep it until it's just about ran into the ground (which just about no one does these days).
I usually don't buy vehicles with plans to sell them in a couple years. I buy vehicles I like, customize them to make them mine, and have zero plans to "run it into the ground". If you take care of your vehicles they will last a very long time. I have a 1966 Dodge 100 that's in better shape than a lot of 4th gens. Have a 2000 Dakota R/T, I bought in 2002, that is in better shape than most Dakotas still being driven. Neither are even close to being "in the ground". I can literally count on one hand the number of vehicles I have bought with no intentions on keeping. Used or new. They were used, and I either broke even, or made money on them.

Theres probably the same number of people who have vehicle allowances as there are those who buy vehicles to keepkng term.
 

Phoon

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I'm sure this will offend some people, but if you are trading in a truck every 2-3 years, you have more money than sense. Wait, scratch that, you won't have much money either because you will never be far enough ahead to not have a loan.
The last 3 rams I've had did not depreciate...I bought them with fleet pricing and sold in 2 -3 years for withing 5% of what I paid and I'm always in a new truck with warranty.
 

Darksteel165

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Guys like that keep Detroit (and the economy running). Not to mention, keep the lots full of clean, late model trucks!
Guys like that are the reason why truck prices go through the roof because they spend stupid amounts of money and keep buying when prices go up. Manufacturers know some people will pay anything for something "new" and thus charge us all more. It doesn't cost 80k to manufacture a pickup truck or anywhere even remotely close, margins are likely higher then any other market.
 

Scram1500

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The last 3 rams I've had did not depreciate...I bought them with fleet pricing and sold in 2 -3 years for withing 5% of what I paid and I'm always in a new truck with warranty.
How would an average schmuck commence with fleet pricing? Asking for a friend
 

Phoon

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How would an average schmuck commence with fleet pricing? Asking for a friend
Talk to your dealer... in Canada you just need a business license and a certain number of vehicles registered to said business. ( maybe 5 as i recall). Pricing is one part, and ease of purchasing is another. If you know what you want you can just email the fleet manager and buy it...no BS with sales people or anything just a standard business transaction.
 

Pikeman_66

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So it is, thnx. Wonder if some of the pics out there are still pre production.
as near as I can tell there are a lot of misleading pictures of these 2025 trucks and the trims out on the web right now. it's hard to distinguish what is pre, testing and actual production models. even some of the written documentation is sketchy out there. hopefully this week we will see some real driving reports of production models and I also seen that my local dealers are getting close to receiving their first 2025 models as the lower trim level trucks are showing up on their web sites now as in transit or being built now. hopefully the first of march the higher trim levels will go into production.
 

HSKR R/T

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The last 3 rams I've had did not depreciate...I bought them with fleet pricing and sold in 2 -3 years for withing 5% of what I paid and I'm always in a new truck with warranty.
So you have a business and have multiple vehicles registered so you can get fleet pricing. Not sure how it works in Canada, hit in the US, that also means you can claim the vehicle purchase as a business expense deduction on taxes. That's not the average buyer, and a very small percentage of buyers
 

firecadet613

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So you have a business and have multiple vehicles registered so you can get fleet pricing. Not sure how it works in Canada, hit in the US, that also means you can claim the vehicle purchase as a business expense deduction on taxes. That's not the average buyer, and a very small percentage of buyers
You can typically negotiate down to that pricing. With the crazy rebates we've seen (not during covid), I was trading in two year old trucks, 60k miles for 10k less than I purchased them for.

I've never bought a new truck for less than $11,000 off MSRP. Back in 2014, when I was looking at a used '13 F150, the dealer was able to get me into a new '14 for the same price.

Buy them right, and you'll have no issues when you go to sell or trade, even without an allowance.

It took about 16-18 months for the loan payoff (0 down) to be less than the value of the truck...
 
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firecadet613

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Guys like that are the reason why truck prices go through the roof because they spend stupid amounts of money and keep buying when prices go up. Manufacturers know some people will pay anything for something "new" and thus charge us all more. It doesn't cost 80k to manufacture a pickup truck or anywhere even remotely close, margins are likely higher then any other market.
Nope. Per what you said earlier, guys like that are the exception, not the rule. Supply chain shortages, high demand, inflation, and the overall popularity of trucks is causing the pricing to go crazy. These are luxury vehicles that can haul and tow...
 

firecadet613

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That's a very small percentage of total owners.

I usually don't buy vehicles with plans to sell them in a couple years. I buy vehicles I like, customize them to make them mine, and have zero plans to "run it into the ground". If you take care of your vehicles they will last a very long time. I have a 1966 Dodge 100 that's in better shape than a lot of 4th gens. Have a 2000 Dakota R/T, I bought in 2002, that is in better shape than most Dakotas still being driven. Neither are even close to being "in the ground". I can literally count on one hand the number of vehicles I have bought with no intentions on keeping. Used or new. They were used, and I either broke even, or made money on them.

Theres probably the same number of people who have vehicle allowances as there are those who buy vehicles to keepkng term.

You must not drive much then. Driving as much as I do, it makes sense to turn them quick.

Since my better half works from home and the Ram is sitting more than being driven, this truck will likely break my every other year streak. Nothing new out there excites me and the new Ram is largely unchanged (aside from the Hurricane).
 

Darksteel165

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Nope. Per what you said earlier, guys like that are the exception, not the rule. Supply chain shortages, high demand, inflation, and the overall popularity of trucks is causing the pricing to go crazy. These are luxury vehicles that can haul and tow...
My 640 usable payload really can tow alright.
My father currently owns an 06 Yukon, before that he had a 97 Expedition.
He hasn't purchased a single vehicle new in his life.


The only reason I have a Ram is I traded in my 5 year old truck because it was starting to trigger expensive repairs and warranty would not cover it because the dealership network is garbage.

I've never bought a new truck for less than $11,000 off MSRP. Back in 2014, when I was looking at a used '13 F150, the dealer was able to get me into a new '14 for the same price.
Ram's MSRP is a scam, and has been for years. There's a reason why no one pays MSRP unless you go to a scummy dealership who lies about pricing.
 

Biga

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10K off is the minimum off on full size trucks, I wouldn't buy from a dealer that was any less. I usually have what I feel is a fair number in mind, if they can't meet the price I walk out.
 

firecadet613

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My 640 usable payload really can tow alright.
My father currently owns an 06 Yukon, before that he had a 97 Expedition.
He hasn't purchased a single vehicle new in his life.


The only reason I have a Ram is I traded in my 5 year old truck because it was starting to trigger expensive repairs and warranty would not cover it because the dealership network is garbage.


Ram's MSRP is a scam, and has been for years. There's a reason why no one pays MSRP unless you go to a scummy dealership who lies about pricing.

If you pay MSRP on anything you're a fool...
 

SD Rebel

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Prior to Covid, 15% to 25% off MSRP was the norm on full size American trucks. Has been that way for decades, something to do with the way farmers negotiated heavy equipment or however that legend goes.

When I bought my Rebel at the end of 2019, I paid $39K from a $55K MSRP. I got the deal without negotiating, it was normal for this dealer to do that right at the end of the quarter to move stock. Covid changed that and made MSRP the actual price due to demand, but I think the market is going back down to normal.
 

HSKR R/T

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You must not drive much then. Driving as much as I do, it makes sense to turn them quick.

Since my better half works from home and the Ram is sitting more than being driven, this truck will likely break my every other year streak. Nothing new out there excites me and the new Ram is largely unchanged (aside from the Hurricane).
Not sure how driving the truck makes a difference. I didn't buy it to sell in a couple years. I buy my vehicles to drive and enjoy for long times. I put 120k miles in less than three years on my 99 Dakota R/T I special orders from factory. I'd still have that truck if I didn't total it. Have had the replacement 2000 Dakota R/T for over 20 years and 120k miles.
 

PurpleRT

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Guess I haven’t found a bag of money like some of you guys. Trading trucks every 2-3 years, I don’t buy anything that I don’t plan on keeping 5-6 at a minimal unless situations change and I need or want something else but I’m not one to keep up with everybody else I do my own thing.


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Darksteel165

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Guess I haven’t found a bag of money like some of you guys. Trading trucks every 2-3 years, I don’t buy anything that I don’t plan on keeping 5-6 at a minimal unless situations change and I need or want something else but I’m not one to keep up with everybody else I do my own thing.


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I don't think trading truck in every 2-3 years it keeping up with anything it's not like a computer. If it has the right features that work for you there's no reason to buy another except to lose money.
 

SD Rebel

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Guess I haven’t found a bag of money like some of you guys. Trading trucks every 2-3 years, I don’t buy anything that I don’t plan on keeping 5-6 at a minimal unless situations change and I need or want something else but I’m not one to keep up with everybody else I do my own thing.


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In a normal market, it was actually quite easy to move between vehicles with little out of pocket every 3-4 years, especially with full size trucks. This is assuming at least 15% or more off MSPR of your previous purchase and strong credit rating.

Typically your trucks resale value is based on MSRP, so by the time you are on your 3rd year of the loan, your vehicle is already worth more than that you owe even with zero down. Then you get into another full size truck that has 15% or more off MSRP.

The Covid market screwed this up with higher prices and higher interest rates.
 

HSKR R/T

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In a normal market, it was actually quite easy to move between vehicles with little out of pocket every 3-4 years, especially with full size trucks. This is assuming at least 15% or more off MSPR of your previous purchase and strong credit rating.

Typically your trucks resale value is based on MSRP, so by the time you are on your 3rd year of the loan, your vehicle is already worth more than that you owe even with zero down. Then you get into another full size truck that has 15% or more off MSRP.

The Covid market screwed this up with higher prices and higher interest rates.
Unless you are paying cash, and not doing a loan or lease, you will always be paying out of pocket
 

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