Full size hard times

[surfsupl]

I live out here in so cal and just heard a story about dealers offering full size trucks at way under invoice or blue book because they are having such a hard time selling them. All due to gas prices of course. All you out their in the midwest or east coast have any blow out deals going on w/full sized trucks?.....I'm hoping that when the 2009 comes out I can get rid of my 2005 (paid off) and get into a 2009 for a good deal. Gas today at union 76 gas station was 401 for low grade and 421 for high! OUCH!

[rs6654]

Originally Posted by surfsupl

I live out here in so cal and just heard a story about dealers offering full size trucks at way under invoice or blue book because they are having such a hard time selling them. All due to gas prices of course. All you out their in the midwest or east coast have any blow out deals going on w/full sized trucks?.....I'm hoping that when the 2009 comes out I can get rid of my 2005 (paid off) and get into a 2009 for a good deal. Gas today at union 76 gas station was 401 for low grade and 421 for high! OUCH!

Not sure what kind of deals there are for new ones but they have been moving them to the back of the lot.

There are a lot of used ones in peoples yards with "For Sale" signs on them. So far I haven't seen any of them gone.

If you really want a full size I say just wait. If gas prices keep going up like they have you'll be able to have your pick for salvage value.

I sure as heck wouldn't want to be stuck with a 10mpg H2 right now.

[lelandstanford]

Yes, even down here in Texas where gas is slightly cheaper than rest of the country.

Massive incentives on Double Cab. There's a $150 on each Tundra move out of lot for sales department directly from Toyota/Gulf State even if the vehicle is sold at loss.

[HSrider]

In my area in Maryland I've been looking at the Tundra's now for 2 months and have to say not much has changed. The only deals going is what Toyota has to offer and they don't seem to be making any deals other then that, but maybe if you set down and negotiated they would.

I like the Tundra and currently have a V8 pickup that I would be replacing with the Tundra but gas prices have me seriously thinking about the Tacoma Double Cab. Even though mileage isn't much better.

[MrToyota2U]

Some times I love it when I can say "told ya so"... but I've been through this gas crisis thing one time too many. I was selling Chevrolets in 1973 when the first one hit, and nothing sold but Vegas and Toyotas and Datsuns... then it relaxed and everyone (including stupid me) bought big trucks again... then gas prices went up again and my new Silverado was worth NOTHING... so I bought my first Toyota (1978 Long bed SR5). What a cheap piece of crap... best mileage I could get was 25... didn't even keep it a year... bought an old 71 ElCamino which got over 20 MPG... and they're still my favorite trucks (I've owned 6 of them). In 1997 I bought a new GMC Z71... only because it was the same price as a Tacoma SR5 4X4, and seemed like a better deal. WOW... had to learn the lesson all over again. I'm now on Toyota small pickup #8, even though I could have bought a new Dodge Ram Quad Cab Hemi last year for the same price as my 4 banger Prerunner. I also drove the new Tundra before I bought this one, and the Tundra is a helluva truck and a helluva value, especially with all the rebates... but I think I finally realize that I don't need bulk and testosterone to haul my crap home from Home Depot

Now if we could just get Toyota to realize there's a market for small efficient trucks.

[tguil]

Yep. I think that I would to take a beating if I traded my 2007 Hemi Quad Cab and so will the folks who have Tundras -- at least for a while. I plan to hang on to my Ram for a while even at the high price of gas. I most certainly don't like paying $4.00+ per gallon, but I can afford to. There are lots of other folks like me. Heck, I bought an Olds 455 cubic inch monster in 1973 -- the year of the first energy crisis. I made it through that one and I'll make it through this one. I seem to have a thing about big a-- American V-8's. Nothing seems to match them.

I took a recent trip in my Ram and got about 16 mpg driving at 70-75 mph on the interstate. I usually get about 15 mpg for all-around driving. Not a heck of a lot different than a V-6 Tacoma. (My wife's 4 cylinder Tacoma 4X4 only gets 20-21 mpg.)

My Ram is paid for. I most certainly am not going to take a beating on trading now to save not a whole heck of a lot on gas.

The best way to save bucks -- drive less.

Tom

[rs6654]

There won't be any waiting this one out.

Peak oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I believe the big oil countries are making their reserves last by cutting production. As demand contines to increase so will prices until cost stabilizes demand.

I think the only way for people to maintain their stardard of living (and help the economy) is to drive vehicles that squeeze the most miles from a gallon of gas. The more money that gets spent at the pump the less there is for discretionary spending. IMHO The sooner the unnecessary gas hogs go the way of the Dodo the better off everyone will be.


A quote from Charles Darwin fit's the current situation quite well:
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

[KTMike]

Scary site and while I don't believe everything I see in wikipedia, a lot of it does make sense. I think that in the long term, people are going to have to come to grips with one of 2 scenarios:

- Lowered population through strict controls; higher standard of living

- Unabated reproductive rights; sinking standard of living

As the competition for resources becomes more intense and the scarcity becomes more apparent, people will either react thoughtfully and conserve or they'll try to 'get theirs' and hoard before it's all gone. I hope for the former.

-- mike

[Bakemono]

The biggest thing thats driving up the cost of gas is that the speculators are buying oil futures, which is driving up the value of oil. If it werent for the speculators, gas would probably still be $2.50 a gallon.
I currently drive a '99 Ford F-150, so Im feeling it every time I fill up too. I will be in the market for a new truck in the next couple years and had been considering buying either another F-150 or a Tundra. However, if gas is going to be $5 a gallon, I most definetly wont be buying a fullsize. Its to the point now where Im driving 250 miles a week and spending $70 in gas.
I see a regular cab 4x2 Tacoma in my future and Im also kicking around the idea of getting a motorcycle. Most small-displacement bikes get about 50 mpg and that would signifigantly cut down my fuel costs, not to mention the fact that bikes are just plain cool and a lot of fun.
In the past I wanted to get a bike, but my girlfriend always told me, "no". Well, she is now my ex-girlfriend, so Im free to do whatever the heck I want!

[Burger Steak & Eggs]

Those of us around in the '70s heard all the fear mongering before. We were supposed to be all pedaling bikes by 1980, but shortly thereafter, 15 second cars returned and engine sizes once again became respectable. I am also still waiting for Y2K.

The fellow who climbs the ladder at the gas station every other day is not some deity or law of physics that we accept like the sun rising every morning. The spikes come from greed, plain and simple. Nonetheless I agree there is a lot of wasteful nonsense going on today and a little tempering wouldn't hurt.

[Burger Steak & Eggs]

Originally Posted by Bakemono

I see a regular cab 4x2 Tacoma in my future

What good taste you have.

[MrToyota2U]

I've been downsizing for the last 10 years... for all the reasons I already stated. I'd downsize some more... but Toyota and the other manufacturers won't build anything smaller that I'd buy... mostly because they purposely only offer options I want on the vehicles they make the most profit on.

I just got back from Europe... and it's obvious what we'll all be driving SOON. Even motorcycles are being downsized. Europe is FULL of scooters now... and my friend in Chicago just told me last week, that's the latest craze there. They also have 3 wheel scooters in Italy with dump beds on the back that do most of the work that we use quad cab Hemis for here... LOL

When I was riding down the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and the scooters were buzzing around the tour bus... all I could think of, damn that looks FUN !!! Every time we got stopped, the scooters just oozed thru traffic and ran off and left us. Conversely, I had to laugh when a guy with a Harley got stuck in traffic in front of us, because his handlebars were too wide to get between 2 cars.

Oh, I have a Harley too... but as soon as I can find a reason to have one, I'll have a scooter as well.

[tguil]

MrToyota2U,

I need a "Twelve Step Program" to kick the addiction that I have to big a-- American V-8's. But at age 65, what the he--. My first bad a-- V-8 was 1956 Ford with a 1957 312 cu.in. V-8 and dual quad carbs -- 10 mpg max. But what a ride! I went through extreme withdrawal during the first energy crisis -- emasculated V-8's and 55 miles per hour.

However, I have liked my wife's three Toyota regular cab 4X4's although the four cylinder 2002 and 2005 were/are a bit "pokey". Her 1992 had a V-6. It was a darn nice ride.

I looked at a 2007 Tacoma Double Cab before I bought my 2007 Hemi Quad Cab. I even thought about the mileage factor. Shoot there wasn't all that much difference and the Hemi with rebates was less expensive. I put 94,000 miles on a 2003 Hemi with no problems so I wasn't that impressed, by Toyota reliability. For that matter my wife's Tacoma's have been in the shop more often than my Dodges.

Now about scooters. I too have a Harley. Two of them. I think that my 6'3"frame fits a Harley a lot better than it would fit a Vespa. Besides that what would I do with all my Harley t-shirts if I were to quit riding.

Now on a serious note. If push comes to shove, I can get by using as lot less fossil fuel and have just as much fun. The days of us "old dinosaurs" has pretty much run it's course. I'll probably buy one more big a-- American V-8. Maybe even a Vette and although it is darn selfish of me I'll think, "Damn, what a ride!"

Tom

[Bakemono]

Originally Posted by Burger Steak & Eggs

What good taste you have.

I didnt always drive Fords. The first vehicle I ever owned was an '85 Toyota 4Runner SR5. It had 245,000 miles on with a 22R-E under the hood and a 5-speed manual tranny and it had more rust than you would believe, but I loved that vehicle. After that I bought a '91 4Runner SR5 V6. Sweet ride too and it was waaaaay more comfortable and rode way better than the '85 did (coil springs vs leaf springs).
After that I wanted a truck and couldnt really get a deal I could afford on a Tacoma, so I ended up with a Ford Ranger. I liked the Ranger, but always wanted to get back into a Toyota.
I drove the Ranger for a few years and then wanted to move up to a fullsize truck and tried to get a deal on a Tundra, but could afford one, so I bought a used F-150. That brings us to today...
I really like the current Tacomas and I think a 4x2 reg cab would still give me the ability haul stuff, but would get decent fuel milage and be pretty affordable. I look foreward to the day when I trade my F-150 off on a Tacoma.

Originally Posted by MrToyota2U

I just got back from Europe... and it's obvious what we'll all be driving SOON. Even motorcycles are being downsized. Europe is FULL of scooters now... and my friend in Chicago just told me last week, that's the latest craze there. They also have 3 wheel scooters in Italy with dump beds on the back that do most of the work that we use quad cab Hemis for here... LOL

When I was riding down the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and the scooters were buzzing around the tour bus... all I could think of, damn that looks FUN !!! Every time we got stopped, the scooters just oozed thru traffic and ran off and left us. Conversely, I had to laugh when a guy with a Harley got stuck in traffic in front of us, because his handlebars were too wide to get between 2 cars.

Oh, I have a Harley too... but as soon as I can find a reason to have one, I'll have a scooter as well.

Ive been eyeing scooters lately too. Once I get some bills paid off, I just might look into getting a Yamaha Zuma. Its insane the kind of gas milage those things get. I was looking on Yamaha's webpage the other day and their smallest scooter, the Vino, gets something like 123 mpg. I was totally blown away by that...
The other day when I was getting ready for work I saw an ad on the tv from a local Ford dealer. They were selling new F-250s for $10,000 under MSRP. At $4.50 a gallon for diesel and $3.79 a gallon for 87 octane gas, Im not surprised.

[L R H]

[QUOTE.


Ive been eyeing scooters lately too. Once I get some bills paid off, I just might look into getting a Yamaha Zuma. Its insane the kind of gas milage those things get. I was looking on Yamaha's webpage the other day and their smallest scooter, the Vino, gets something like 123 mpg. I was totally blown away by that...
The other day when I was getting ready for work I saw an ad on the tv from a local Ford dealer. They were selling new F-250s for $10,000 under MSRP. At $4.50 a gallon for diesel and $3.79 a gallon for 87 octane gas, Im not surprised.[/quote]
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I rented a Zuma last year when I was down a my FL property, and that is the best looking of the small scooters, either most scooters look a little feminine, or the look like they came from outer space, but the Zuma has good rugged look without looking overdone. Just for kicks, I looked at some of the on line M/Cycle parts sites and was surprised how cheap replacement parts/body plastic were; I guess it is that way to keep the Yamaha brand competitive in the rental business.