Buying used vs new

[Satchamo]

Hey guys - you all have sold me on a ram.

But now the dilemma has come up of used vs new. I’ll give you the specs of what I want to help paint the picture.

Must haves:
19 or newer
Crew cab
5.7 with or without E torque - don’t really care.
4wd
Led lights
Center console (no fold down seat)
Less than 30k miles

Nice to have:
20 in wheels
Sport package
Off road package

Trim is likely gonna have to be big horn but if a screaming deal came up I’d absolutely go for a Laramie. But no tradesman.

I’ve admittedly always been a hater of new vehicle purchases until we got my wife’s suv last summer new and got a good deal vs used. I drive my vehicles for a long time so new for me makes more sense now than it might have in the past because you get a lot of maintenance free years out of it and a warranty.

My budget used is 35k. I plan to sell my current truck privately and bring 15k for a down payment. - or least it has been up until now. I’m seeing plenty of options on cars.com. Might have to use car Max or drive a bit but they’re out there. I’d ultimately like my monthly payment less than $450 for a term of hopefully 60 months which I wouldn’t have issues with. I have great credit.

Now if someone was to tell me I could get this same truck new at around 40k-45k - I’d be more apt to try for new. I average 15k a year so even a used vehicle at 30k is 2 years of what I’d assume is a few years with low cost of ownership. So it has its appeal to me in that regard. Also - new means a few years away from the 2019 new model year which means working out some kinks. Obviously this will increase my payments and possibly my term. I can afford it but just because I can doesn’t mean I should....

I don’t see much talk around here of buying used. Curious if you guys were in my shoes - what would you do? Used? New? Is getting a new with my must haves in that price an impossibility?

Thanks!

 

[UnloosedChewtoy]

I also was a "why waste money buying new?" type of guy until the past year or so, and bought my current truck new, last year. The used market right now is really jacked up. Some guys that got really good deals on new trucks in 2019-ish are getting the same money for selling them used!

While my deal wasn't perfect and not one of those "miracle" deals you read about here and elsewhere, we ended up not wanting to travel. My best guess is that I spent about $5k-$10k more over buying a 1-2 year old (15k-25k miles) used truck. To me, that was a no brainer.

If you're willing to travel, I bet you could find what you want, new, in that price range you listed.

 

[Rexx]

You don’t see many used vs new threads because this is a 5th generation forum and the 5th generation have only been out 3 years now. Most people who bought new 2019s in 2018 still have their truck or have only recently considered selling them which means there isn’t that many 5th gens on the used market (at least compared to 4th gens).

That said, the used truck market is really hot right now. You’ll probably be able to get almost as good of deal on a new truck than a used one, especially since you say you have great credit. You might try and find a new 2020 that’s still on a lot with the features you want as the dealer might be willing to give you a better deal than a new 2021.

 

[mikeru82]

You don’t see many used vs new threads because this is a 5th generation forum and the 5th generation have only been out 3 years now. Most people who bought new 2019s in 2018 still have their truck or have only recently considered selling them which means there isn’t that many 5th gens on the used market (at least compared to 4th gens).

That said, the used truck market is really hot right now. You’ll probably be able to get almost as good of deal on a new truck than a used one, especially since you say you have great credit. You might try and find a new 2020 that’s still on a lot with the features you want as the dealer might be willing to give you a better deal than a new 2021.

Great advice!

 

[Amerinamese]

Hey guys - you all have sold me on a ram.

But now the dilemma has come up of used vs new. I’ll give you the specs of what I want to help paint the picture.

Must haves:
19 or newer
Crew cab
5.7 with or without E torque - don’t really care.
4wd
Led lights
Center console (no fold down seat)
Less than 30k miles

Nice to have:
20 in wheels
Sport package
Off road package


Now if someone was to tell me I could get this same truck new at around 40k-45k - I’d be more apt to try for new.

I have all your must haves and paid $45.6K out the door for mine brand new. MSRP was $55, 840.

 

[Jim N]

I was in the same boat. I found a '19 used but for $4,000 more I was able to get a new '20. So went that route.

 

[19 North]

I bought a new 19 north edition on 12/29/20 for $41k. The dealer still has another 19 north edition listed for $43,500. Westlake CJD Wake Forest Nc.

 

[Neil McCauley]

I went through the same thing buying mine last month. Used or new might not matter much...as long as you know what you want and at what out the door prices. I found it was important to learn as much as possible about every package and option that could be on one truck to the next. Decide where you stand even on things like etorque, axle ratio, gas tank size, etc. If you don't have reasons to care old threads on this forum can give you plenty.

 

[hoodac78]

Hey guys - you all have sold me on a ram.

But now the dilemma has come up of used vs new. I’ll give you the specs of what I want to help paint the picture.

Must haves:
19 or newer
Crew cab
5.7 with or without E torque - don’t really care.
4wd
Led lights
Center console (no fold down seat)
Less than 30k miles

Nice to have:
20 in wheels
Sport package
Off road package

Trim is likely gonna have to be big horn but if a screaming deal came up I’d absolutely go for a Laramie. But no tradesman.

I’ve admittedly always been a hater of new vehicle purchases until we got my wife’s suv last summer new and got a good deal vs used. I drive my vehicles for a long time so new for me makes more sense now than it might have in the past because you get a lot of maintenance free years out of it and a warranty.

My budget used is 35k. I plan to sell my current truck privately and bring 15k for a down payment. - or least it has been up until now. I’m seeing plenty of options on cars.com. Might have to use car Max or drive a bit but they’re out there. I’d ultimately like my monthly payment less than $450 for a term of hopefully 60 months which I wouldn’t have issues with. I have great credit.

Now if someone was to tell me I could get this same truck new at around 40k-45k - I’d be more apt to try for new. I average 15k a year so even a used vehicle at 30k is 2 years of what I’d assume is a few years with low cost of ownership. So it has its appeal to me in that regard. Also - new means a few years away from the 2019 new model year which means working out some kinks. Obviously this will increase my payments and possibly my term. I can afford it but just because I can doesn’t mean I should....

I don’t see much talk around here of buying used. Curious if you guys were in my shoes - what would you do? Used? New? Is getting a new with my must haves in that price an impossibility?

Thanks!

I bought my 2019 Limited used for $62,000 CDN (about $49,000 US) this past summer. It had about 28,000km (about 17,000 miles) when I bought it. The guy who had it before decided he wanted a truck with etorque, so I was the beneficiary of his decision. I think I got a pretty good deal on it, and the truck has been great since I bought it. There is no way I was going to pay new prices for a Limited (the window sticker on my truck indicates a touch over $85,000 CDN.....which is absolutely crazy money....for a truck!!). Looking at things, I saved over $23,000 CDN buying used over buying new on a truck that was barely over a year old when I got it. You can't argue with those numbers in my estimation. What I'm trying to get at here is that there are deals to be had out there.....just have to be patient and maybe willing to bend on a few things.
I saw one post above that mentions some dealers may be want to clear some room for new stock and have good incentives on a new 2020....that is an excellent suggestion. Good luck in your search!

 

[brian42]

I bought mine new and have all that and more (minus the 20" wheels) on my 2019 Big Horn and paid $44K +TTL with 41 miles on the odometer.

You should be able to find a good deal on a new 2021 and a really good deal for a new 2020 still sitting on a dealership's lot.

 

[Condor757]

Buy new dude. The prices are good and like everyone else says, the used car market is so jacked up that the prices are within a couple grand or so from new.

Bought my 2019 Big Horn brand new in October 2019 for $38,700... off of a $52,900 MSRP. It’s loaded with everything except pano sunroof and 12in screen... got everything else (LED, Nav, heated seats/wheel, level 2 package, etc.) Today my truck is worth right around $37,000, coming up on 1.5 years old and it has 16,000 miles. See the difference?

I do see tons of well optioned brand new Big Horns on cars.com and carguru.com for right around $39,000.

I‘d totally go for new if you can swing it... with this pandemic, now is the time to go new. Good luck!

 

[brian42]

Plus you can get a better financing deal when buying new.

 

[armymp1130]

Hey guys - you all have sold me on a ram.

But now the dilemma has come up of used vs new. I’ll give you the specs of what I want to help paint the picture.

Must haves:
19 or newer
Crew cab
5.7 with or without E torque - don’t really care.
4wd
Led lights
Center console (no fold down seat)
Less than 30k miles

Nice to have:
20 in wheels
Sport package
Off road package

Trim is likely gonna have to be big horn but if a screaming deal came up I’d absolutely go for a Laramie. But no tradesman.

I’ve admittedly always been a hater of new vehicle purchases until we got my wife’s suv last summer new and got a good deal vs used. I drive my vehicles for a long time so new for me makes more sense now than it might have in the past because you get a lot of maintenance free years out of it and a warranty.

My budget used is 35k. I plan to sell my current truck privately and bring 15k for a down payment. - or least it has been up until now. I’m seeing plenty of options on cars.com. Might have to use car Max or drive a bit but they’re out there. I’d ultimately like my monthly payment less than $450 for a term of hopefully 60 months which I wouldn’t have issues with. I have great credit.

Now if someone was to tell me I could get this same truck new at around 40k-45k - I’d be more apt to try for new. I average 15k a year so even a used vehicle at 30k is 2 years of what I’d assume is a few years with low cost of ownership. So it has its appeal to me in that regard. Also - new means a few years away from the 2019 new model year which means working out some kinks. Obviously this will increase my payments and possibly my term. I can afford it but just because I can doesn’t mean I should....

I don’t see much talk around here of buying used. Curious if you guys were in my shoes - what would you do? Used? New? Is getting a new with my must haves in that price an impossibility?

Thanks!

Ill say you mine for 42k it has 10000 miles on it.

 

[Rexx]

(the window sticker on my truck indicates a touch over $85,000 CDN.....which is absolutely crazy money....for a truck!!). Looking at things, I saved over $23,000 CDN buying used over buying new on a truck that was barely over a year old when I got it.

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal but saying you saved 23 grand isn’t quite accurate. Very few people (anyone?) pay msrp for a new truck which is what the 85k would be.
I’m Canadian as well and the msrp on my truck was 90.5k. I paid 73k for it after manufacture rebates and negotiation at the dealer.

 

[Boston]

New only. Used prices are very very high

 

[broken_vet]

Now that dealers know that people are willing to travel to get the best deal, it's typically not to difficult to get local dealers to match or try to beat a deal that may be 2000 miles away. I bought my 21 local, but it was actually more enjoyable when I bought my 20, 1000 miles away in Missouri, and got to spend 2 days in the new truck driving it to Colorado. Anyway, my vote is also for new. My used 20 is on the dealer lot and priced higher than I paid for it new. The dealers are jonesin for used vehicles, especially trucks.

 

[Satchamo]

2021 RAM 1500 Big Horn 4x4 Crew Cab 5'7" Box in Evansville, IN | Evansvile RAM 1500 | Expressway Dodge Inc

Research the 2021 RAM 1500 Big Horn 4x4 Crew Cab 5'7" Box in Evansville, IN at Expressway Dodge Inc. View pictures, specs, and pricing & schedule a test drive today.

www.expresswaydodge.net

An example from my local dealer - I know this is the bait and switch online price - but even if I could get that price- that’s well below MSRP. Using this as an example - how crazy is it to wak in as that my goal price? Or do I go more aggressive?

Also - do all dealers accept the tread lightly discount or should I ask ahead of time?

 

[sppb32]

I bought my 2020 Laramie for 36k it had 8000 miles on it, I was looking for low mile less than a year old for a few month, they are hard to find but they pop up once in a while, you might not get all the bells and weasels you want but I like to customize my vehicles anyway.

Sent from my SM-G977U using Tapatalk

 

[86grand]

Now may be a decent time to find a good used deal if you are not in a rush...just do your research before you go on prices. Lots of people traded in to get the 2021s so the used car prices that went really high a few months ago are starting to level out. My trade in value was around 45,500 a few months ago and today when i checked its back down to around 41,500 with almost no additional mileage. If you get a CPO vehicle it also adds 100k power train and brings the bumper to bumper to 39k miles. Lots of good advise here on the forum if you are looking for new.

 

[BNeal]

With all the tech in these 5th gen trucks, I would be very reluctant to buy used. I would always be thinking "why would anyone trade in a 1 or 2 year old truck? Were they having problems?" I know some people trade frequently, but I just don't trust it. Besides, you said you keep your vehicles for a long time, and as others have pointed out, used truck prices are at an all time high right now.

I would definitely go with new.