Okay, here’s the rub. I need some advice about our favorite tool-our trucks. Has the popular advice of buy used after a vehicle has depreciated much of its value over new vehicle with warranty changed? I’m wondering if all of the manufacturer incentives, rebates, etc and low refinacing rates have changed the math much. I’d love some hard data from some economist etc or just some great opinions.
My Tacoma is one of the extended warranty frame/rust and will be crushed sometime soon. I’m starting to shop for a replacement and have been surprised at used truck prices. I bought this 1999 Tacoma not quite 3 yrs ago with 120,000 some odd miles on it and have been pleased with it. An equivilant 2002 Tacoma is running thousands more than what I paid. I like Toyota and intend to drive this one until it dies with regular maintainence of course.
Replies
Buying new has gotten a little more attractive in the last year but is still, financially speaking, a bad option. The exceptions are few, made slightly less few with the cash for clunkers earlier this year. Your best ticket is to see if you can get a certified used because it will carry with it a likely, and potentially substantial, increase of the *manufacturer's* warranty.
Thanks I just found a nice article on Edmunds really spelling out the costs of new/leased/used. I haven't found the article date but it still seems to hold true becuase of insurance rates etc.
I can't give you exact numbers BUT
with thousands of good used trucks off the road due to the clunker program (my buddy has thousands of good f150's that he has no room for at his pull a part yard) yes thousands of them most he said are better than most of the trucks he's driven most of his life... but they were worth 1k more as a trade in vs a sale... so they are now off the market
that said and few 2009's left on lots... the used prices have gone way up... so
new vs used?
around here (we are a rust free area) I can still find a low mileage 4-7 y/o truck for less than half the price of new from a private seller 10 years old one owner low miles is in my comfort zone that can be had for less than 1/3 maybe 1/5 of new ... if you know what you want and are willing to wait and watch and jump at a deal (which you will know as a deal because you have been watching) then $$$ wise I believe used is the better value...
It's not what it costs but what do you have to earn to pay for it... if you can operate out of a nice 5k truck vs a new 25k truck... that is 20k.... which given a modest tax rate that is 27 to 30k that you won't have to earn and I'm not counting interest expense...
it's all about what you are comfortable with...
new or used.... it's still new to you :)
p
Was told that a couple who had traded in during the cash for clunkers program discovered they will have to pay tax on the difference in the money saved.
She was saying ' No one told us'.
Taxes definitely need to be considered!
Each year when we pay registration on the car we bought new and see how much excise tax...I almost faint and swoon.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
pony
I thought the clunkers had to be crushed after the motor was seized up. Sounds like these are still availible for parts. And you could drop a motor in em and drive em.
Is your buddy crushing them or parting them out?
I think they are crushed after a certain time period, during which their parts can be sold off. Could be wrong, though.Rebeccah
Picknpull in the SF bay area is parting them out. The only part that is off limits is the engine. They tag it with spray paint to indicate it is nfs.I have a tailgate latch handle off a toyota "cash for clunker" from pick n pull.I don't know much about economic stimuli but it seems a waste to take early 90's toyota pu that is nicer than mine and part it out/crush it. I am counting on another 100K miles out of mine minimumKarl
In Vermont and other parts of New England that I know o,f the extended warranty that Toyota made available 2 years ago for the 1995-2000 style Tacomas has led to hundreds of them being crushed after they failed a frame test. Basically a series of whacks from a ball peen hammer with a 10-12" swing. If the hammer goes through the frame then Toyota buys it back. Toyota thinks there was some defect in the frame manufacturing and they give you 1 1/2 times trade in value. I've got friends in Western NC who have all so had their's bought back. My frame seems to be on its way out and I'm starting to think about what's next.
the only part you are not allowed to sell is the engine... as i understand it... the titles are removed from the system so they can not be titled again... he has always been in the metal business... and planned onopening a "pull a part" yard for awhile... so he has been stock pile'n cars from his scrap business... the "clunkers" deal just made it happen faster... so no they can not be titled again and put back on the road...he's 200 miles from me... and keeps telling me... "finish those damn condos and open one of these yards you'll have a ball" so maybe next year I might... already looking for an existing yard to convert to a "pull-a-part" yard... like i need to create another job for ME...
oh well :)
p
I purchased a 2006 dodge ram in nov 06. Quad cab, short bed, 4x2, with the small V8-4.6 liter motor. I paid $17,500(I paid $500 more for my old '96 ten years ago).
When I was looking , I was finding used trucks for almost the same as the new at dealers. the private party peole were wanting as much as the dealer. So at that point, new was better in the long run.
This is the time of the year to start looking for the 2009 clearance trucks.
Check your paper for the lost leader dealer ads. When I bought mine,they had 4 available. It wasn't a stripped down model. Only regret was I didn't get the 5.9, V8, but the price was great. (they has a semi basic 6 cylinder for $15,900)
BTW, the adds usually come out on Friday, some on Thurs. Be ready to hit them first thing
jwcamelshump,
I've been going through this for several months as I must replace my present truck by the end of the year. It won't be possible to licence it again. Too much wrong with it.
The used trucks on the market here in Eastern Canada were bought at full price without all the incentives manufactueres and dealers are offering now. The owners are trying to recover some of their investment. Meanwhile, the incentives on new vehicles take around 30% off the list price.
The used machines can't compete. A lot of people are either going to lose some money or simply not be able to sell.
I went into a dealer last week and specified the truck I want in detail and, the price he gave me was so good he left me nothing to haggle over. I shook his hand and put my money down. I had looked at numerous used trucks which weren't quite what I wanted for more money.
Between the manufacturer's incentives, very favourable pricing by the dealer and a cash for clunkers program that makes my present truck worth over $3000 as a trade in against a new one where it wouldn't bring $1000 on the market, I would have to be a fool to go for used. So they are going to build me a truck and I'll get it in December.
We all know where these incentives come from. GM especially pocketed billions of dollars from the US and Canadian governments so they have a few bucks to toss around. The slow US economy helps us here, too. The salesman told me that deakers' lots in the US are awash with 2009 trucks despite the incentives. GM's response is to close down the factories and crank up the incentives, which has led to a shortage of new trucks in Canada, but no price increases here. Trucks built for the US will not be sold in Canada.
Ron
For me, it depends on how close the used and new prices are.
In the current market, lots of people *aren't* buying, so that leaves a shortage of used vehicles and a surplus of new vehicles.
Incentives lower the value of your trade in faster than the retail of your used vehicle when it ends up on the lot.
I wouldn't automatically rule out shopping new. If the spread between the 2002 prices and the 2009 prices isn't too large, it might be a good deal when things like warranties are considered.
Cannot conceive of buying new as long as there are plenty folks willing to buy new so I have something to buy in the future <G> 5-10 years from now there will likely be a glut of used trucks on the market unless inflation really takes off, but dont want to go into that aspect.
Have you considered other than Toyota?? Used Toyota trucks have always been WAY oiverpriced compared to other used trucks.
I'm in my 60's and have never bought a new vehicle.
Can do all my own work though, never worked on anything newer yet than DIL's 2004 Honda though, so maybe need to buy more tools in 10 years??.
Here in metro areas of WA state, we need to do a pollution check to be able to get tabs. The test is a PIA.
> 25 YO vehicles are exempt, so guess what I drive? My trucks are a fully rebuilt '63 GMC 4x4 1T dump, '71 Datsun PU, and '86 GMC 4x4 PU (plus spares). Have a good '92 van in storage waiting for it to be 25 YO! (my storage costs are near zero, may not be your case) Probably drive each less than 5K mi per year.
Right now am looking for a mid '90s car to replace DWs 'newest car' ('84 Chrysler)sometime in 2014 or 2015.
The BIG trick on buying used vehicles is to buy when you see a deal, NOT when you find you need a vehicle - plan ahead, way ahead. I also generally buy an extra of the same used vehicle for parts.
Econ 101: Le's see $30K vs. $1K for old truck. $1k in parts to fully rebuild, plus 4 or 5 weekends at $100/hr tax free. Say $22K difference in $$ for similar future mileage expectancy. New truck say gets 25 mpg, old one only 15 mpg. Still can get 2.5% on savings, so $550 per year income from the $22K. At $3/ga., you get to drive 'free' the first 2750 miles, or drive before the mpg makes a difference. At 6700 miles you reach the break even point on gas - but then the calcs get more than I can do in my head, cause you dont have the $30 truck that long if you drive it 20k mi per year, etc....
I like your style junkhound. Unfortunatly, everything I do with a wrench is a failure.
The only way to get away with my type style is if your wife is even more frugal than you are <G>
What happened to your bus project?
Joe H
The bus is sitting in the parking lot of Likkitys. Likkitys is the frozen custard shop that my daughter and sil opened. The bus is an eyecatcher. The kids also draw on it with chalk. It was painted red with chalkboard paint. Handicap regs won't allow anyone entry LOL.
Well, I've had my 98 Dodge since it was about 2-3 years old (new to me at the time...)Had 50K miles when I bought it, has about 144K now.Has the 5.9 engine, so at very most, maybe when the stars align, I get 10mpg, usually a bit lower whether I'm towing the trailer (5x10 WellsCargo) or not.Knock on wood this truck will still be with me for another year or so at least. Had some rust on the doors start showing this year, so I custom cut some alum diamond plate and plated the entire bottom of each side of the truck. Looks great - very custom looking. I didn't even try to fix the rust as I figured the doors are basically shot, so what's the point.Last year I had some computer issues with it and got a new one installed, but I'm getting funky stuff like guages dying - then coming back, trouble lights, etc.Not sure if that can be corrected with a proper cpu flashing - haven't felt like dealing with it yet.Last year, I bought an old Toyota based Uhaul box truck. 7x10x10 alum box, Toy 1 ton dually chassis, V6 3.0.Plan was to fix it up and make it my new work truck. Didn't touch it all year, and now I'm anxious to get it done before the weather turns crappy so I can have a backup lest my Dodge does something not worth fixing.Got the whole cab stripped, cut out the rusted out drvs floorboard and welded a new one in, bought new doors, fenders, hood, bumper, valance, etc. doing a bit of fiberglass repair and I'll have the whole thing painted a medium gray. Also stripped and painted the wheels.Everyone of these I've seen goes between 210K - 250K miles - mine has 158K on it, so I figure it's got a good 60K left on it.Paid $1450 for the truck, between parts and paint, I'll have another $1500 into it, maybe a tad more.But it'll be the perfect work truck and get about 15-17mpg.Figure at $4K a year on gas now, getting 50% better milage will save me close to $2K a year.JTEdited 10/26/2009 8:42 pm ET by JulianTracy <!-- JTRCY -->
Edited 10/26/2009 8:43 pm ET by JulianTracy
The diamond plates looks very sharp. When the bottom of my 99 dodge doors rusted out (thank you MI salt), I had it bondoed or welded or whatever and they sprayed the bottom panels with black truck liner. It looks good but not as good as yours.
The BIG trick on buying used vehicles is to buy when you see a deal, NOT when you find you need a vehicle - plan ahead, way ahead.
So true. Old timers I've known, people who grew up under the influence of the Great Depression, could often be found reading the classified section of the newspaper, first thing every morning.
I enjoy checking http://www.autotrader.com for cars and trucks in the SoCal area. There are so many used cars on sale here that bargains show up pretty regularly. It's also a rust free area so any auto/truck body from here is good for years. If I'm looking for a used vehicle in the future, I'll consider flying out here to make a purchase, if airfares are reasonable and I'm due for a vacation.
Where do you look for cars and trucks?
You mentioned looking for a 90's car. What kind of mileage would you consider as a limit? My concern with higher mileage, relatively cheap cars would the the automatic transmission and the cost of a potential overhaul. I've only owned one car with an automatic, partly because of that concern.
How do you deal with that? Do you do your own overhauls on automatics or do you junk 'em and get another one from a salvage yard?
Edited 10/25/2009 12:25 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
Where do you look for cars and trucks? Last 2 I bought were from Craigslist. Bought one off ebay a few years ago. Best deal was the '84 Chrysler a few years ago for $3700, only had 14,000 mi on it, truly a 'grandma's car', got it at a garage sale, did not even try to bargain as the guy said 4 other folks were coming back with a mechanic to check it out - see the deal snap it up!
mileage would you consider as a limit? Most $ for Highest miles was $300 for 287K on OD for a '87 blazer (still 'in storage and partially rebuilt) but with 4 almost new tires on relatively fancy aluminum rims and a 4x4 with no play in the front drive shaft (= almost never was driven in 4WD, so xfer case like new.
do your own overhauls on automatics .. of course, only takes a $70 kit and 3 or 4 hours after it's out of the car. One of the Big repair myths is that auto trannies are hard to fix, actually pretty easy. For instance, to compress the clutch packs, I just use my floor drill press!
Cars with bad auto trannies are sometimes the best deal 'cause for some reason folks are afraid of trying to work on them. Will e-mail a craigslist ad who wants, say $800, for a truck with a bad tranny. Tell then I pay up to $286 for that type vehicle, if they want to sell it for that in a month or so after not being able to sell it for $800 or even $300.. Have a '92 GMC extended cab with 4.3 engine and sunroof in storage waiting for year 2017, no rust, 3rd youngest grandkid will be 16 then. Those 4.3 engines like to shear the sun gear off 4L60 trannies when teens drive them though....... Etc........<G>
You have me intrigued with the statement"One of the Big repair myths is that auto trannies are hard to fix, actually pretty easy."I have more or less bought into that myth with my ford E4OD but the only basis for my belief in it is the fact that scores of people pay aroung $3k to get these transmissions overhauled.It does seem once the transmission is out of the vehicle and on the bench that the rebuild is done in a day.I also hear stories about short lived transmission rebuilds if not done by an experienced reputable rebuilder.What have you found to be the best resource for info on DIY auto transmission repair?I put a temp gauge, a cooler, and an external filter (with a press gauge to indicate excessive restriction) on my E4OD after finding it would start burping trans fluid out the front of the transmission if I ran it any length of time in low range with a heavy load. I saw this as a sign it might be on its last legs but I only drive it when I need its ability to haul a large or heavy load so I am hoping to get a few more trouble free years out of it.
When it does fail I am open to the idea of tearing it apart.I would prefer to convert it to a manual transmission if the auto trans failed but a transmission shop once tried to talk me out of it saying the trucks with automatics didn't have the clutch pedal hanger among other obstacles.It probably wouldn't be difficult to find a manual trans and xfer case at pick and pull while the cash for clunkers trucks are being parted out.The main reason I am partial to keeping this truck is it just turned 100k on the 460 cu in which was fleet maintained for the first 90k miles and I have a hydraulic dump on the flatbed.Thanks,
karl
best resource for info on DIY auto transmission repair
Most libraries have the mfg shop manual for the auto tranny in their reference section. You can always buy one for $$, but I take a digital camera in and copy what I need. (notes on paper in the old days)
First auto I did was probably a chrysler 727 back in the '70's, recall I paid $34 for a rebuild kit that included clutch disks, gaskets, etc.
Only problem I had on the first one was compressing the springs for reassembly of the clutch packs. Finally figured out that a drill press is an adequate press to compress the springs, after welding up a couple of tools. (in the days before I had a hyrdraulic press)
Also, don't drop any of the balls in the valve body, they are hard to find on the floor, and heck to figure out where they go by the wear pattern on the plate if you dont have a diagram.
I start by pressure washing off the outside of the tranny, then dissassemble on newspapers or butcher paper on a clean 4x8 workbench.
The best source for me for small parts and rebuild kits is Macko bulkparts. Larger parts I've also had good luck with ebay. Surprisingly, have had local tranny repair shops GIVE me a small part occasionally if I buy a rebuilt torque converter from them.
I have cut apart a few torque converters thinking to rebuild them, but for $50 to $100 it is much easier to buy one already rebuilt (lots of special tooing, balance machines, etc. needed. ) and you need a fairly large lathe to cut them apart easily.
BTW, another BIG myth is that heat pumps and air conditioners are beyond DIY capabilities. Not so there also. In fact, with R22 getting phased out and R410A the norm, you do not even need a freon license for DIY. Less than $500 (used price) of equipment needed to install or service HVAC - gauges, vacuum pump, N2, O2, acetylene bottles and brazing setup, plus a few multimeters and temp gauges.
A co-worker asked me once what was beyond DIY capabilities - I did not do the surgery to repair my torn rotator cuff <G>
I did not do the surgery to repair my torn rotator cuff
You're slacking off there, Art. With a bone saw and some cable ties (on sale at Harbor Freight) you could have fixed that right up. And you wouldn't need a license to work on yourself..........copper p0rn
You're slacking off there, Art. With a bone saw and some cable ties (on sale at Harbor Freight) you could have fixed that right up. And you wouldn't need a license to work on yourself..........
ROFLOL. I was tuning up to take a shot at that rotator cuff line but I'm glad to seeyou beat me to it. Hahaha.
Edited 10/26/2009 9:40 am by Hudson Valley Carpenter
With a bone saw and some cable ties (on sale at Harbor Freight) you could have fixed that right up. And you wouldn't need a license to work on yourself
Yeah, but was afraid I'd pass out or come out of it with 2 left arms... <G>
And to top it all off, DW wont let me do her dental work DIY either!!!!!!
You're right about auto trannies and part time mechanics, like me. I'm not likely to rebuild one but it's nice to know that it's not beyond my capabilities. I'm going to have a look at one of my shop manuals, now that you've given me some hope, and see how it looks. I'll have a look on Craig's list for cars and trucks too, see how those deals compare with what I usually see on http://www.autotrader.com
Edited 10/26/2009 12:57 am by Hudson Valley Carpenter
I just recently bought a (new to me) used Chevy.
I looked pretty hard for a Toyota or Datsun but they were not to be found in my price range.
The Chevy is fine. People put to much into brands and models.
By the way, it's the first Chevy I've ever owned.
Find a good deal on something you can live with. That should be first. "There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
The Chevy is fine. People put to much into brands and models.
By the way, it's the first Chevy I've ever owned.
I'll wait until you've owned that Chevy for a year or two before asking you to repeat that first line. :-)
Seems to me that most people here base their opinions on personal experience. Brands are just one way to identify a level of quality...or lack thereof.
To me a truck is a truck. Brand perceptions is a huge subject though.
Some brands have a better overall quality but you end up paying more up front.
Like Toyota. I initially looked for a Toyota or Nissan But didn't find any I liked in my price range.
One thing I didn't like about the newer Toyota Trucks is they have gotten so much bigger and taller.
So much for keeping things affordable and small.
I remember when Honda cars were making a big push into the US market. Thier jingle was," Honda, we make it simple". Not any more. Simple also meant affordable.
I wanted a small low to the ground truck with a small 4 cylinder and a manual tranny.
The Chevy has all of those. It has low mileage. It was owned by a widowed woman so I felt good about giving her my hard earned money.
I realize it is a GM product and there might be some problems with it.
From what I've learned over time is that there are usually ways to fix problems with anything. It's like buying an old house. There will be problems. So fix them.
Consumers have gotten so they don't want any problems and will pay a lot more up front for it. But that is because they don't want to get their hands dirty or even get to know a mechanic.
One other issue is that I bought a relatively simple GM product. It's a small 4 cylinder with a manual tranny. It doesn't have power windows, air conditioning, or cruise control.
I realize that there is issues with quality control with some US brand autos. But it usually around all the gismos they come with. I didn't get any of those.
I think some other so called high quality brands have issues around their gadgets as well. But people tend to get rid of their cars before they show up. And when the gadgets do fail, and they will, it will cost a lot to fix them.
People also have a selective memory as well. They tend not to remember the problems with some brands while they will remember another brands failing forever.
Maybe the failings of one brand is re-enforced by others around you so your fears are confirmed while other brands failings are dismissed out of hand.
The same principles apply to houses. People want to buy brand new trouble free homes. So they don't have to deal with problems or the contractors to fix them.
But most of them end up in new developments far out in the suburbs in cooky cutter homes. It's a trade off. But one I won't make. ; ^ )
"There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
Edited 11/2/2009 12:58 pm by popawheelie
Grin -- u shud run yur sentences together more, dat whey folks cin reed it awl. <G>
just in a mood?
Or put bullets on it liek appt presentation?
Edited 11/2/2009 3:06 pm ET by junkhound
I was told by someone to spread it out more so it is easier to read. Now you're saying scrunch it up?"There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
Looked fine to me.
dinja see the <G>??
Yes i did! I'm not upset in the slightest. Sometimes I get in a hurry and forget my manners. ( G )"There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
JW
I new it was time for a new truck my 97 F150 super cab was getting ready to turn 225,000 mi and was making more noises then my next door neighbor. So I started some serious internet research and not rush into a deal. I think it paid off as I knew I still had some drive time on the F 150.
After about a month of looking I came across a 2007 Toyota Tundra Quad cab that had only 17,000 mi on it at a new car dealers.
The truck is 4x4 auto trans, air, front & rear Sonar pkg, tow pkg, adjustable elec.braking for towing, and a hydraulic lift cover for the bed pretty much power everything anyway they were asking $28,500. I went round & round with them and after talking with the sales mgr. they agreed to take my truck in trade (we know how that numbers game all works) anyway the bottom line was $23,000 +Taxes they did the regitration transfer plus the remainder of all the Toyota warranties and gave me 5 free oil changes.
So my advice is if you think your ready do the research know the numbers there are plenty of sites to give you tradein values and fair market retail on what you're looking for I knew from my research that that truck just as I bought it would have been $36,000 + so I felt pretty good after making the deal I just had the 1st oil change so far it's been a great ride.
Good luck in your search
Zeeya
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You're going to do what you wanna do. It's doubtfull anyone can change your mind..
The most profit for seling trucks is in selling used.
Depreciation doesn't mean you're getting more for your money, it means that you're buying less truck..
I drive a 1997 chevy with 300,000 nearly trouble free miles on it.. Only routine maintinace and it never once failed me..
I purchased it new, broke it in carefully, maintained it as it should be and even today I get compliments on how nice it looks.. So I paid $20,000 for a 4x4 with all the stuff and drove it for 12 years that's about $1700 a year or $138 a month . About 6 & 3/4 cents per mile. (costs should be lowered by it's trade in value)
Do the same math to the one you bought used and add in both maintinance and time lost due to break downs.
You do have it partially right.. the trick to value is to drive it untill it needs to go to the scrap yard.. If you figure it right the engine blows up and the tires fall off as you pull into the drive of the scrap yard..
As usual, you're wrong or insane. Haven't decided entirely yet.
Cash is King, payments are stupid, and if you make one, well, so are you. Debtor is slave to the lendor.
Bought my utterly clean Ford PU, 2004, 30,000 miles, wholesale Blue Book 14,000, for 8,000 CASH. Take it or leave it. They took it.
Obama took no part in the deal.
What is the difference from paying 0 interest and paying cash by saving for years to buy?
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Andy. If you read some of those 0% interest rate deals they give you the choice of 0% interest or a discount equal to the zero percent.
However since I'm of the opinion that inflation is coming ,.... hard! I'd take the discount and pay the interest rate because I believe that I'd be paying it back wuith cheaper dollars..
I agree with your economic forecast. The government has to trivialize the debt, so inflation is coming - with 100% certainty. Heck, they've already started "printing the money". It's now a matter of time before everyone realizes their savings were instantly devalued by that printing. Everyone will want higher prices for their various goods and services. Interest rates will have to rise.
The key is to benefit, or at least not get hurt by, the coming inflation. Remember when you could get CD's with a 10% rate and everyone said they were trash because there were better deals out there.
Mike You're correct.. they didn't take gold out of Fort Knox for the bank stimulus nor did they for the general stimulus. In fact they are using the printing press as we speak now to pay a whole lot of bills and have been doing so for at least 8 years now..
If you go back to 2000 the value of the dollar was about 25-30% more than that of a Euro. Now the value of the dollar is 30-35% less than a Euro that roughly 50% turn around was the value of the dollar deflating..
Compare the American dollar with any other currency during that period.. and we have taken a major hit!
With more to come..
To a degree that's why so much was made by banks of the run up in home values.. The American dollar was getting worth less and less. At least home values had beaten traditional investments until the market was over invested in some time around 2000.
Is there more to come?
Absolutely! As you say America needs to trivialize it's debt in order to get back to business as usual.. Expect to see more and more printing press legislation in order to get employment back to the level it needs to be at for America to recover economically..
What the french one said and with 0% you get the truck now. Saving up and paying cash, you get the truck later.copper p0rn
We have usually found that buying new is the better way to go, due to manufacturer's incentives, rebates, etc.
When we bought our last truck, we paid about 20% below wholesale book price for a used truck two years old by buying new.
If you shop carefully and negotiate hard, it's tough to beat new truck pricing. I know I can buy a new F150 under $10K today - and that's just advertised price. It would be hard to find a seller willing to sell a two or three year old truck for that.
If you are looking for a 5 year old or older truck, might be different, but in the one to three year range, new is usually cheaper in my experience.