Not trying to argue but I do question how the corporate drama really impacts customers. Using myself as example, we have a 2020 1500. Truck has been great and pretty much trouble free. Based on this ownership I would definitely consider another. Also needed a super large SUV for our family beach vacation with three dogs so rented Suburban class suv and got a Grand Wagoneer with the new HO hurricane straight six. Fantastic vehicle, fantastic motor. Quiet comfortable roomy, powerful, handles well, and fantastic 600 mile plus cruising range. Drove it almost 2k miles. No one will miss the hemi after driving the hurricane. So I understand that the corporate level concerns are real - the dealers don’t publicize grievance letters if everything is hunky dory - but at the same time if you want a truck and have money or financing in hand, I would be really shocked if any of this actually impacts the customer.
Now I appreciate the points being made about price increases. But two observations: first the price of everything has gotten shockingly expensive. I don’t want to get into politics but the argument that inflation is now controlled is not what I am seeing, particularly with machinery, repairs to machinery and cars, etc. Second, price increases on Stellantis vehicles have been significant, but does anyone remember what some of their cars were like 10-20 years ago? Take the Jeep Wranglers. These were always capable off road but they had Fisher Price interiors. Now the fit and finish (we had a rental several years ago during an escape the Covid lockdowns trip) is comparable to high end vehicles, the motors are far more sophisticated - no more big straight six (wonderful motor) but now you get turbo fours for the most part that are more efficient, more refined, etc., and the technology in the truck is on par with a luxury car. Now we can in good faith argue about the role government efficiency regs played here (I would argue a material portion of the inflation we have seen is driven by excessive regulation,
particulalry environmental regulation) but the reality is that Jeeps (not the JGC) were once were fairly crude vehicles that had a niche audience. Now they are refined enough that moms who don’t want a minivan or a crossover can daily drive one without much in the way of compromise. That has a cost.
All this is a long way of saying that while mistakes have been made, the decision to move these products up market will, in time, in my judgment pay dividends as competing in the lower price rungs of the market is not something you can credibly do (or want to do) when much of your manufacturing base is located in countries with high degrees of government regulation and high labor costs.
Now I appreciate the points being made about price increases. But two observations: first the price of everything has gotten shockingly expensive. I don’t want to get into politics but the argument that inflation is now controlled is not what I am seeing, particularly with machinery, repairs to machinery and cars, etc. Second, price increases on Stellantis vehicles have been significant, but does anyone remember what some of their cars were like 10-20 years ago? Take the Jeep Wranglers. These were always capable off road but they had Fisher Price interiors. Now the fit and finish (we had a rental several years ago during an escape the Covid lockdowns trip) is comparable to high end vehicles, the motors are far more sophisticated - no more big straight six (wonderful motor) but now you get turbo fours for the most part that are more efficient, more refined, etc., and the technology in the truck is on par with a luxury car. Now we can in good faith argue about the role government efficiency regs played here (I would argue a material portion of the inflation we have seen is driven by excessive regulation,
particulalry environmental regulation) but the reality is that Jeeps (not the JGC) were once were fairly crude vehicles that had a niche audience. Now they are refined enough that moms who don’t want a minivan or a crossover can daily drive one without much in the way of compromise. That has a cost.
All this is a long way of saying that while mistakes have been made, the decision to move these products up market will, in time, in my judgment pay dividends as competing in the lower price rungs of the market is not something you can credibly do (or want to do) when much of your manufacturing base is located in countries with high degrees of government regulation and high labor costs.
. Still FCA sold 2 trucks due to a great product at a very fair price.
). His deal was about like a 2024 Tradesman price would have been but he got a Big Horn type trim, whatever Chevy’s equivalent model is (Custom).
