I agree with you 100% but least it is better now than what it was two year almost no one was selling lower trim or lower option vehicles. So it is getting better slowly. The situation is what it is.
Affordable vehicles unavailable but dealership lots are full!
- Thread starter dogememe
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RAM thinks their pickups are worth 10grand more than anybody else's as well. There are real issues over at that company.
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This isn't anything new. I was not able to find a modestly-equipped Jetta, Altima, Corolla or Camy when new-car shopping in 2011 and 2018, and there was not one Yaris to be found anywhere.
When I inquired at about the Yaris at multiple Toyota dealerships, they all acted as though they only existed on paper--and all of them flat refused to get one on the lot for me.
Trying to buy a manual-transmission Focus or Ranger in the 2000s was a similarly futile exercise. The dealers claimed that Ford only built a few stick-shift vehicles at the beginning of the model year, and when those sold out, that was it for the year. You couldn't even order one.
I imagine the local Nissan and Toyota dealers would sell more cars if they weren't such haughty PITAs to do business with. Buying a Nissan or Toyota around here is apparently a special privilege, reserved only for those whom they deem worthy, using metrics known only to them.
When I inquired at about the Yaris at multiple Toyota dealerships, they all acted as though they only existed on paper--and all of them flat refused to get one on the lot for me.
Trying to buy a manual-transmission Focus or Ranger in the 2000s was a similarly futile exercise. The dealers claimed that Ford only built a few stick-shift vehicles at the beginning of the model year, and when those sold out, that was it for the year. You couldn't even order one.
I imagine the local Nissan and Toyota dealers would sell more cars if they weren't such haughty PITAs to do business with. Buying a Nissan or Toyota around here is apparently a special privilege, reserved only for those whom they deem worthy, using metrics known only to them.
As the saying goes “let them rot!”.
i just bought a base model, there were plenty of comparable vehicles in stock at other dealers. tahoe LS, 60k. has an awful lot of features for a base model though...
it does seem like there are plenty of work trucks available too. but i dunno about cars or crossovers, OP is probably right.
it does seem like there are plenty of work trucks available too. but i dunno about cars or crossovers, OP is probably right.
Affordable vehicles unavailable but dealership lots are full!
You aren't allowed to have anything affordable anymore.
You aren't allowed to have anything affordable anymore.
I drive a used base Model 15 Pilot LX in fleet and family dislikes except daughter driving it.
The main issue is missing minor amenity like heated seats , outside temp and fabric light grey seats that stain with a drop of water on them. It just looks yucky. Also feel of plastics especially steering wheel (no leather wrap) is just yuck.
Not interested in base models like majority of car buyers.
The main issue is missing minor amenity like heated seats , outside temp and fabric light grey seats that stain with a drop of water on them. It just looks yucky. Also feel of plastics especially steering wheel (no leather wrap) is just yuck.
Not interested in base models like majority of car buyers.
Canada seems to get lower end vehicles more often. Buying our sienna in 2005 a lot of lower end CE models for sale here. They are often slightly better equiped than the CE in the US, so not quite a stripper. In our fleet, the Sienna is the lowest CE model, Ranger is LX single cab 2.3 with manual transmission, the CX-5 is a "sport" base model with FWD/manual and the truck is an XLT. Can't discuss the Macan as it's a mid level Porsche that comes with a mad amount of features standard. It could be the amount of time people spend driving in the US is significantly higher and therefore people are looking for greater comfort.
This. a number of people can afford the payment but owe vastly more than it's worth. Only a few makes and models have very low depreciation making it feasible to trade in.
EV depreciation is especially nasty. Despite that, we decided to purchase the Equinox EV instead of lease it like we did the Prologue. I'm fully aware we're going to be upside-down on this thing for a while. But, the cost savings over the life of the vehicle will be worth it in the end. The primary driver of the Equinox EV gets free L2 charging at both his jobs and does drive quite a bit of miles overall. A $200/mo fuel savings adds up and makes up for the depreciation. And eventually once it's paid off, when he's ready for something new,, it's probably going to stay in the family. It'll probably go to my mom. Her 95 Accord won't last forever and I originally intended to give her the Bolt but I just didn't have the space and money to have a spare car floating around for the next few years until that happened lol.
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Reminds me of 2007, shopping and narrowed it down to the Frontier or Tacoma.
Nissan dealer took me on a test drive and said we don’t have the exact truck you want (extended cab, V6, 2WD, and MT) but we’ve got one in Orlando I can bring it. Pricing was within a few hundred of my target.
Drove down the street to Toyota, sales manager and salesman are standing on the steps like they’re looking over their uninhabited kingdom because nobody else was there . I told them what I want, they talked amongst themselves in a language I didn’t recognize; and the salesman walked me over to a 4door automatic fully loaded 4x4. I left him standing there, went back to the manager up front who seemed annoyed when he told me I could walk around the lot out back and maybe I’d find what I wanted, mind you it was dark and staring to rain.
Not surprisingly I ended up with a Frontier, salesman got me what I wanted and made it easy. Coincidentally and through no networking, two of my coworkers bought Nissan’s from the exact same salesman within a year. The guy knew how to make car buying easy and it worked.
Nissan dealer took me on a test drive and said we don’t have the exact truck you want (extended cab, V6, 2WD, and MT) but we’ve got one in Orlando I can bring it. Pricing was within a few hundred of my target.
Drove down the street to Toyota, sales manager and salesman are standing on the steps like they’re looking over their uninhabited kingdom because nobody else was there . I told them what I want, they talked amongst themselves in a language I didn’t recognize; and the salesman walked me over to a 4door automatic fully loaded 4x4. I left him standing there, went back to the manager up front who seemed annoyed when he told me I could walk around the lot out back and maybe I’d find what I wanted, mind you it was dark and staring to rain.
Not surprisingly I ended up with a Frontier, salesman got me what I wanted and made it easy. Coincidentally and through no networking, two of my coworkers bought Nissan’s from the exact same salesman within a year. The guy knew how to make car buying easy and it worked.
If enough folks expect prices to be lower tomorrow or next week or next yr, then they are today, they buy less. Doesn't matter if it's cars, bananas or potting soil.
Also, how many people really understand what stagflation is?
Also, how many people really understand what stagflation is?
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Most all the newer Frontiers I've looked at in the last few years have been the loaded SV/SL/Pro4X models. Rarely did I come across a base model and all were 4wd versions.
Recently, I looked at the first 2025 Tacoma 2door Xtra cab model in my area. It was equipped with 4wd (and around $40K). Told the salesman I was only interested in 2wd. He informed me the 2wd models cost the same as a 4wd versions! I knew that was bs as I've priced countless trucks in the past few years and the 2wd's are always several grand less. Besides, I have a 2wd 4Runner and I know danged well its was priced much cheaper than the 4wd models.
Recently, I looked at the first 2025 Tacoma 2door Xtra cab model in my area. It was equipped with 4wd (and around $40K). Told the salesman I was only interested in 2wd. He informed me the 2wd models cost the same as a 4wd versions! I knew that was bs as I've priced countless trucks in the past few years and the 2wd's are always several grand less. Besides, I have a 2wd 4Runner and I know danged well its was priced much cheaper than the 4wd models.
I find the Nissan SV models (and other manufacturers equivalents-LX, LS, LE, etc.) have the options most people expect. No one (except those on this forum) want to drive "strippers". Not when you have to live with it for 7plus years-or so.
The American brands will sell you 2WD configured vehicles. The are rare coming from the other manufacturers, and that reflects what the market demands. You might do better shopping in the South, or taking the best deal you can find on the 4WD. One thing about this thread is that when you want the absolute best deal, sometimes you have to "pay" by taking an on the lot vehicle which doesn't exactly line up with what you want. For example, I have no problem believing that you don't save much real world in 2025 by choosing the 2WD version of anything.
I think back to a couple of years ago when a relative went to purchase a Rav4 from a large Toyota dealer. Think of the circumstances, Toyota dealers do not order specific trims and colors, rather they get allocations from the manufacturer based on who knows what. Circumstances at the time were such that the most desirable higher trims were not in large supply, and while dealer market adjustments were fading they were not completely gone for the most desirable higher trims.
Getting back to the story, the relative wanted a base model. The dealer could not have been more accommodating and pleasant to the relative making the buying process as easy as it could with no up sells or market adjustments. My cynical view is that they were happy to unload a base model because everyone and their sister only wanted the higher costing trims and they probably had more base trims on the lot than they could easily sell at the time.
Things have changed, that is for sure.
Getting back to the story, the relative wanted a base model. The dealer could not have been more accommodating and pleasant to the relative making the buying process as easy as it could with no up sells or market adjustments. My cynical view is that they were happy to unload a base model because everyone and their sister only wanted the higher costing trims and they probably had more base trims on the lot than they could easily sell at the time.
Things have changed, that is for sure.
I do agree they are absolutely bottom feeders. That was one (of several reasons) that the Titan failed in the market place. You can't treat someone who can finance 50 large for a truck the same way you treat a "payment buyer" for a Sentra.
That's Nissan and Stellantis.
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