Lots of new Ram trucks rotting on dealer lots it seems

[slo town]

As an aside, when Sue and I drove from Denver to Indianapolis to see the Indy 500, it seemed that 3/4s of the standard sized pickups on I-70 through eastern Colorado and all of Kansas were Ram 1500s. By no mean a scientific assessment on our part, but Sue and I noticed it to the point we mentioned it to each other.

FWIW,

Scott

 

[Kira]

'Planned for' outings over the terms of a leased truck.
They had a beater at home.
No shame in planning ahead.

 

[GON]

Are we talking about kids with bad credit buying V6 Challengers or are we talking about RAM trucks (this thread) and your tangent about Jeep being "in decline", the metric by which you determined that wholly unprovocative and totally innocuous factoid, seemingly also applying to Honda and Toyota?

Because I am quite skeptical of the demographic shopping RAM 1500's being any different than the one shopping Silverado/Sierra and F-150. This is evidenced by the alignment of a decline in Q1 sales figures for both F-series and RAM.

I am not so sure.

RAM prices its 1/2 ton trucks $2k USD less than Ford's 1/2 tons. There is a reason RAM has a $2k less price than Ford, and it's not because Stellantis is being kind.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-comparisons/ford-f-150-vs-ram-1500/

 

[andrew_j]

Are we talking about kids with bad credit buying V6 Challengers or are we talking about RAM trucks (this thread) and your tangent about Jeep being "in decline", the metric by which you determined that wholly unprovocative and totally innocuous factoid, seemingly also applying to Honda and Toyota?

Because I am quite skeptical of the demographic shopping RAM 1500's being any different than the one shopping Silverado/Sierra and F-150. This is evidenced by the alignment of a decline in Q1 sales figures for both F-series and RAM.

Stellanis has good appeal for younger (under 35) who they target however they tend to lack disposable income and interest rates impact them.

 

[OVERKILL]

I am not so sure.

RAM prices its 1/2 ton trucks $2k USD less than Ford's 1/2 tons. There is a reason RAM has a $2k less price than Ford, and it's not because Stellantis is being kind.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-comparisons/ford-f-150-vs-ram-1500/

You are not so sure what? that people cross-shop them? Because I can assure you, we do.

 

[slo town]

https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
$43k inflates to $53k, 2019 to 2024.

Not saying I like it, but if “everything” inflated 23%, then it matches everything else.

The problem is that wage increases have lagged far behind.

Scott

 

[demarpaint]

You are not so sure what? that people cross-shop them? Because I can assure you, we do.

+1 And given a choice between the Ford PU or a Ram. I'll take the Ram, and that's coming from a former Ford Fan Boy.

 

[IndyFan]

In CJDR's case, the following idiom applies: the chickens come home to roost

Like every other manufacturer, they tried to artificially create demand, to keep prices high. Out west, there are mall parking lots full of brand new pickup trucks and other vehicles rotting away.

One of my local CJDR dealers increased their prices for all their vehicles this month, even though no one is buying. The other CJDR dealer never lowered them.

Yes, they're in trouble. They're doing worse than Ford and GM.

I say this: unless you find a very good deal that works in your favor, let 'em rot. They fully deserve what they got, and then some.

Funny, I see Ford and Chevy dealers around here every bit as stocked.

They are all overpriced and facing an economy that is turning south. Not to mention, as others have....high interest rates. A perfect storm is brewing.

 

[OVERKILL]

Stellanis has good appeal for younger (under 35) who they target however they tend to lack disposable income and interest rates impact them.

I don't disagree. Lots of folks fitting that description buying Challengers, Chargers, Darts (when they existed, we had a guy on this site who fit that description and owned 2x) and now probably the Hornet. To some degree the Mustang and Camaro are popular with this crowd too, but I doubt as much. The same folks are really into the recent H/K offerings, likely for the same reasons.

But this thread is about RAM trucks apparently sitting on the lot, and the truck demographic is pretty common across the board with the big 3, and from what I can see with the sales stats, while RAM and Ford are both down YoY, it's not a big decline.

 

[OVERKILL]

Funny, I see Ford and Chevy dealers around here every bit as stocked.

They are all overpriced and facing an economy that is turning south. Not to mention, as others have....high interest rates. A perfect storm is brewing.

Yeah, wife and I went and looked at a Lightning on Friday. It's below MSRP (which is new), but it's almost $90K and it's not loaded:

 

[390pcode]

On the west coast, $10k off was common at high volume dealers on 1500 & 2500's pre covid. Until that happens again, I'm not buying, and I'm a coveted demographic...

 

[Rmay635703]

Overwhelming there is a large majority that wants normal cars, even 2 door and stick shift economy cars.

This demographic is cheap and has been stuck buying used for 20 years.

Nobody wants overpriced SUVS and pickups, very similar to 2009 when I picked up a newish 40,000 mile half ton for $5000.

The big 3 half their pants down again with nothing anyone will buy banking on only one small part of the market to carry them.

 

[supton]

The problem is that wage increases have lagged far behind.

Scott.

Fair enough, but my point was, the inflation supposedly is inline with other goods.

Overwhelming there is a large majority that wants normal cars, even 2 door and stick shift economy cars.

Bring back station wagons! small, medium and large sized please.

Will say, for all the hate, CUV does have a few things going for them.

 

[OVERKILL]

Overwhelming there is a large majority that wants normal cars, even 2 door and stick shift economy cars.

This demographic is cheap and has been stuck buying used for 20 years.

Nobody wants overpriced SUVS and pickups, very similar to 2009 when I picked up a newish 40,000 mile half ton for $5000.

The big 3 half their pants down again with nothing anyone will buy banking on only one small part of the market to carry them.

Ummm, the top 3 selling vehicles in the USA are trucks: F-series, Silverado and RAM, in that order. Combined, they sold 1.74 million trucks last year. GMC Sierra was #7, which pushes the number up to over 2 million.

Of the 15.61 million vehicles sold in the US in 2023, 12.38 million; 79.3% were trucks and SUV's, only 3.23 million were passenger cars. That is not a large majority.

 

[andrew_j]

I don't disagree. Lots of folks fitting that description buying Challengers, Chargers, Darts (when they existed, we had a guy on this site who fit that description and owned 2x) and now probably the Hornet. To some degree the Mustang and Camaro are popular with this crowd too, but I doubt as much. The same folks are really into the recent H/K offerings, likely for the same reasons.

But this thread is about RAM trucks apparently sitting on the lot, and the truck demographic is pretty common across the board with the big 3, and from what I can see with the sales stats, while RAM and Ford are both down YoY, it's not a big decline.

RAM is relatively rare with wealthy crowd in my locale. They buy F150s guessing cash.

 

[CKN]

Fair enough, but my point was, the inflation supposedly is inline with other goods.


Bring back station wagons! small, medium and large sized please.

Will say, for all the hate, CUV does have a few things going for them.

They tried bringing back station wagons-it didn't work. Even minivans which are better at utility than station wagons will ever be struggle to maintain decent production numbers.

BTW-to address another comment above-nobody wants to drive around in a penalty box for 10-12 years unless one absolutely has too.
Look at the Nissan Versa sales-
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/nissan-versa-sales-figures/

Isn't this one of the cheapest you can buy? It's not setting the world on fire.

 

[OVERKILL]

RAM is relatively rare with wealthy crowd in my locale. They buy F150s guessing cash.

May be regional. My boss drives a RAM 1500 Laramie Long Horn, previous truck was a RAM 1500 Laramie Long Horn, previous to that was an F-150 Platinum. Parking lot for our cottage area in Muskoka (island properties) is a pretty good cross-section of everything from old Subarus to Bentleys and Rolls. See a decent variety of all three trucks represented there, no one brand really stands out.

 

[Elkins45]

When I bought my Titan king cab 4x4 in December of 2017 I seriously debated spending that much money on a new truck. I had just retired so my income was not exactly on the upswing. I found a dealer in TN selling an S trim with the towing package, spray bedliner, and nothing else for <$27K. That was the most I had ever paid for a new vehicle.

I feel like a #*&@ genius now.

 

[KCJeep]

One of the managers at work buys a new Ram every two to three years like clockwork. Doesn’t even look at anything else. Puts quite a few miles on them for that length of ownership but doesn’t have them long enough to have any problems with them, not that I would expect any for something that new. I used it once for a work related job and thought it drove really well.

All the rest of the truck guys have Fords but they keep them a lot longer.

 

[GON]

You are not so sure what? that people cross-shop them? Because I can assure you, we do.

If RAM 1/2 tons were considered on a MACRO level the same as a Ford or Chevy 1/2 tons, RAM would not have a base sticker price $2k USD lower than Ford.