Ram sales down

[DEG]

It's not the monthly difference that is a huge issue, it is paying an extra $7200 over the life of the loan. Your 65k truck cost you 77k.

No, that's not what is stopping people from buying Ram trucks. Also, when nearly every person finances something they focus exclusively on the monthly payment; not the total interest paid over the life of the loan.

 

[Darksteel165]

The same people buying EVs now but want something that doesn't look like an oversized easter egg on wheels.

Supras have a 6, M's have a 6, I've seen lots of 2JZ swaps into mustangs and camaros; make fun of and laugh at them at your own peril especially if you're lined up with one.

That said, why are you crying about the hurricane engine in every thread? It's here, get over it

I'm not crying about it, and if you looked at the other threads people complain more about ordering an HO and never getting it and going to different brands then anything else.
A 6 cylinder with a turbo is not a muscle car. Are you saying challengers are not muscle cars? Using the original model name and changing the core of the vehicle is in-genuine at best and outright malicious at worst. It's essentially review swapping on Amazon but for cars.

 

[PetePA]

Who would buy an EV charger? And anyone who buys a 6 cylinder muscle car is going to get made fun of (rightfully so).
How good is the Mustang EV doing?

No more muscle, all import from Stellantis.
Way better imports to buy on the market.

Because more is always better, right? 8 is better than 6? I love the simplicity of your logic.

 

[JerryBsizzle]

No, that's not what is stopping people from buying Ram trucks. Also, when nearly every person finances something they focus exclusively on the monthly payment; not the total interest paid over the life of the loan.

So what is stopping them?

 

[dammitbobby]

So what is stopping them?

The issue is it’s not just ram trucks it’s jeep too. I won’t even count dodge or Chrysler because they aren’t volume sellers like they used to be. Jeep and Ram have a crazy number vehicles on their lots that they can’t sell but are still getting new models. The issue has to be incentives, there are none. When you look at GM and Ford the incentives are much better.

 

[Cueva del Osos]

Really? Auto loan interest rates averaged above 17% in the early 80s during an actual recession that lasted more than a year. The fed has left interest rates way too low for far too long. It caused a housing market crash and it's caused massive inflation.

Yep…when we were in college (1980), mortgages were around 14% and we groused that we’d never be able to own a home. At some point in a person’s life, they have to choose between stepping up & doing what it takes to get where they want to be or stay in their lane and ‘hope’. Both sides can/will gripe about it, but the game is stacked against most and you shouldn’t look beyond the mirror if you don’t have all you think you deserve in life. I came from a rust belt upbringing (2 gen prior in automotive from age 17 to retirement) so there was no silver spoon. I floundered until my mid-30’s, then I worked full time while also doing side gigs and ultimately starting 2 businesses. I didn’t buy a house until I was 40… I worked 14-16 hr/day for 20+ yr and retired at 56. I still run a small business from home, not for the $ but because that’s the way I’m ’built’. We live by a budget and haven’t been in a sit-down restaurant in years unless it was a special occasion. I recall carrying my own coffee to work so I could save up and get my first iPad. I stopped smoking so I could afford a new car. Inflation, recession…these (and worse) are always a fact in this world. The only variable YOU control is how you react to them. Don’t expect a politician or party to ‘fix’ your life. Look to the Guy in the mirror.

 

[mikeru82]

If current interest rates are preventing someone from buying a new truck they should not be buying a new truck.

True for some degree but it’s not as simple as that. I won’t finance any vehicle with interest rates as high as they are now. The payment isn't the issue. I just won’t pay that much interest. Our current truck is nearly paid off. We have a 0% loan on it so financing at the time made sense. Paying over time meant we could use the money we would have paid for the truck for other things. So we put nothing down other than what we got on the trade.

We were talking about looking at a new truck recently but decided to keep what we have because of current prices and interest rates. Truck prices are already high enough now. With current interest rates, even for people with outstanding credit, financing something right now essentially raises that price by several thousand dollars. There are definitely lots of people who purchase things they can't afford. They extend a loan out as far as they can to keep the payment in the neighborhood of something they think they can afford. It's unfortunate but a lot of people are more about instant gratification than economic stability. But interest rates are certainly a concern for anyone who has any financial savvy. And throwing out the blanket statement like you did is a bit naive.

 

[WXman]

I don't agree. ALL brands of trucks are expensive and financing sucks. Yet, Ram is the ONLY brand showing huge decreases in sales quarter after quarter.

 

[SD Rebel]

Who would buy an EV charger? And anyone who buys a 6 cylinder muscle car is going to get made fun of (rightfully so).
How good is the Mustang EV doing?

No more muscle, all import from Stellantis.
Way better imports to buy on the market.

I don't actually disagree, however my point to RedFred is they are actually going to continue to make those products, that they haven't disappeared and they are actually moving with the times.

Do I want a Hurricane muscle car? No, but it's better than an EV only option right? I wish Stellantis had the will or money like Ford that insisted the last gen Mustang Coupe would stay a V8, but they don't. Also, the Mustang EV, the Mach-E isn't really a Mustang, it's an crossover using the Mustang name for marketing. But one day there probably will be a full EV Mustang, just not yet.

 

[SD Rebel]

I don't agree. ALL brands of trucks are expensive and financing sucks. Yet, Ram is the ONLY brand showing huge decreases in sales quarter after quarter.

Agree, however besides all those things it shares with the competition, it's also a truck that hasn't been update since 2019.

 

[DEG]

True for some degree but it’s not as simple as that. I won’t finance any vehicle with interest rates as high as they are now. The payment isn't the issue. I just won’t pay that much interest. Our current truck is nearly paid off. We have a 0% loan on it so financing at the time made sense. Paying over time meant we could use the money we would have paid for the truck for other things. So we put nothing down other than what we got on the trade.

We were talking about looking at a new truck recently but decided to keep what we have because of current prices and interest rates. Truck prices are already high enough now. With current interest rates, even for people with outstanding credit, financing something right now essentially raises that price by several thousand dollars. There are definitely lots of people who purchase things they can't afford. They extend a loan out as far as they can to keep the payment in the neighborhood of something they think they can afford. It's unfortunate but a lot of people are more about instant gratification than economic stability. But interest rates are certainly a concern for anyone who has any financial savvy. And throwing out the blanket statement like you did is a bit naive.

Except the tiny minority of people who feel like you do is not what's hurting Ram sales since the interest on a loan for a Ram truck will be exactly the same as the interest rate on a GM truck or Toyota truck and their sales are not declining.

 

[JerryBsizzle]

I don't agree. ALL brands of trucks are expensive and financing sucks. Yet, Ram is the ONLY brand showing huge decreases in sales quarter after quarter.

Agree 1000%. You can't celebrate passing Chevy to be number 2 while at the same time discrediting decreasing sales numbers using every excuse in the book. And if the people that say it's because of the same truck since 2019, well you got your refresh so in a year or so let's revisit.

I think a lot of it is engine choices. The F150 has like 5 engine choices, the GMs have like 4. Toyota and Nissan have had only one choice and yes they are at the bottom, so now add Ram with 2 (one of them is pathetic) and no v8. I don't think GM and Ford are the competition any longer, it's Toyota. The race for 3rd

 

[dammitbobby]

Agree, however besides all those things it shares with the competition, it's also a truck that hasn't been update since 2019.

Hasn’t been updated since 2019 yet still feels the most luxurious and has great utility. Fords interior besides the big screen reminds me of a 2010 truck. GM yes they just refreshed the interior and although I prefer the horizontal screen over the vertical in the ram, the GM interior still lacks in comparison to Ram. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. What else could Ram do to their interior besides minor things.

 

[DEG]

So what is stopping them?

Poor quality. Many potential first time Ram owners will scour the internet to determine quality before purchasing a particular vehicle. I stupidly didn't because my previous 3 vehicles were hemi Rams that were outstanding. However, if I had read this forum before pulling the trigger I would have purchased the GMC Denali I was looking at instead of the Ram. My current Ram is the glitchiest vehicle I have ever owned and just a little research would have revealed that.

 

[SD Rebel]

Hasn’t been updated since 2019 yet still feels the most luxurious and has great utility. Fords interior besides the big screen reminds me of a 2010 truck. GM yes they just refreshed the interior and although I prefer the horizontal screen over the vertical in the ram, the GM interior still lacks in comparison to Ram. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. What else could Ram do to their interior besides minor things.

I agree RAM got it right in 2019, but you can't make a truck relatively unchanged for six years and expect sales to improve?

 

[dammitbobby]

Poor quality. Many potential first time Ram owners will scour the internet to determine quality before purchasing a particular vehicle. I stupidly didn't because my previous 3 vehicles were hemi Rams that were outstanding. However, if I had read this forum before pulling the trigger I would have purchased the GMC Denali I was looking at instead of the Ram. My current Ram is the glitchiest vehicle I have ever owned and just a little research would have revealed that.

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s the brand it’s the model year. All “Covid vehicles” seem to be having MAJOR quality issues. If you go look into GM forums there are so many issues with MY 2023 and 2024 trucks. My 2024 Denali was lemon lawed after a blown head gasket with 196 miles on it. When I went to get my check from the local GMC dealer the GM said they’re doing warranty work on so many of these new vehicles and GM is buying them back due to lemon law at record rates. I don’t have any knowledge of ford but I’d assume the same is true. During Covid quality went down and prices went up across the board. Let’s just hope since then things have changed.

 

[SD Rebel]

Agree 1000%. You can't celebrate passing Chevy to be number 2 while at the same time discrediting decreasing sales numbers using every excuse in the book. And if the people that say it's because of the same truck since 2019, well you got your refresh so in a year or so let's revisit.

I think a lot of it is engine choices. The F150 has like 5 engine choices, the GMs have like 4. Toyota and Nissan have had only one choice and yes they are at the bottom, so now add Ram with 2 (one of them is pathetic) and no v8. I don't think GM and Ford are the competition any longer, it's Toyota. The race for 3rd

The two times RAM beat Chevrolet was due to RAM throwing tons of incentives to make that happen while Chevy was having production issues. It's never going to be RAM beating Ford or GM in sales regularly, it's always going to be 3rd place.

3rd place not necessarily due to the quality of the trucks, but due to factors such as production capabilities, marketing, fan base, commercial sales, whatever it is that gives GM and Ford such production advantage.

 

[SD Rebel]

Poor quality. Many potential first time Ram owners will scour the internet to determine quality before purchasing a particular vehicle. I stupidly didn't because my previous 3 vehicles were hemi Rams that were outstanding. However, if I had read this forum before pulling the trigger I would have purchased the GMC Denali I was looking at instead of the Ram. My current Ram is the glitchiest vehicle I have ever owned and just a little research would have revealed that.

I also think is how the dealership network handles it. RAM is the only dealership service network that made me DIY my oil changes for a new vehicle because I don't trust them. They seem to turn small issues that should be easy fixes into drawn out headaches due to a lack of communication, long waiting periods, etc.

 

[mikeru82]

Except the tiny minority of people who feel like you do

Your passive aggressiveness is showing

is not what's hurting Ram sales since the interest on a loan for a Ram truck will be exactly the same as the interest rate on a GM truck or Toyota truck and their sales are not declining.

For sure. This thread is about Ram sales. My comment was a little off topic I'll admit. I just took exception to your statement that people who are worried about interest rates should be buying a new truck.

My take on this has already been voiced by others. And this thread is getting a little stale. But I'll play along. I switched from GM to Ram just under 10 years ago. I was not happy with GM's offerings at the time and Ford wasn't even on my radar. My girlfriend was driving a 2009 Dodge 1500 Laramie (yes, it was still Dodge then even though 2009 is a 4th gen), and I liked how it drove. I also liked the interiors, and at the time Laramie was the top trim level. After checking prices I was amazed at how much more truck I could get from Ram so I traded my 2006 GMC 2500 in for a new Ram 1500. Fast forward to now and there is no longer much if any difference in ride, interior design, or price. In fact, I priced out a Silverado with everything I wanted for less than a comparably equipped Ram 1500. I know I'm not the only one who has noticed that based on other comments in this thread.

 

[BowDown]

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s the brand it’s the model year. All “Covid vehicles” seem to be having MAJOR quality issues. If you go look into GM forums there are so many issues with MY 2023 and 2024 trucks. My 2024 Denali was lemon lawed after a blown head gasket with 196 miles on it. When I went to get my check from the local GMC dealer the GM said they’re doing warranty work on so many of these new vehicles and GM is buying them back due to lemon law at record rates. I don’t have any knowledge of ford but I’d assume the same is true. During Covid quality went down and prices went up across the board. Let’s just hope since then things have changed.

I agree and have been saying that since summer of 2020.
That's exactly why I stopped shopping/waiting in July of 20 and bought a pre-covid 2020 truck.

I've seen stories from every brand so you're absolutely correct there as well.