“These are the times that try men's souls.” | I think you answered your own question. Only going to knock 7,000 dollars off a used truck you just as well by new and get a warr. with it. I've never found a used desiel p/u truck that was priced right, at least under the 75-100,000 mile mark. Every time I've looked I was better off buying new. I like to have at least one good truck you can trust to go on long trips, etc. But I do buy used trucks as well for the farm.
I just sold my 97' Dodge x-cab 4x4 desiel for $10,000 w/ 175,000 miles on it. I bought it new, took good care of it, no dents, etc. I could have got more for it, but sold it to a buddy's kid. I paided $30,500 cash for it. So it cost me 12 cents a mile just in depreciation. Now look at the last used truck I bought, a 93' Chevy gas 4x4 w/74,000 miles on it. I've drove it for 46,000 miles, and the truck cost me $6,000. Now I realize I'm not junking the Chevy out today, But if I was going to it would have cost me 13 cents a mile depreciation. But there is salvage value in the Chevy, so if I keep driving it it will lower my mileage costs.
I've not fiqured in my repair costs on the Chevy, but I've had quite a few. Not my fault, just problems built into that year of truck, and GM.
I've never traded with dealers, I always sell mine out right, but run it thru the dealer as to only pay sales tax on trade price. I always wait until I need a new or want a new truck( at least 4 years). The big reason for keeping one fairly new truck, is because I can't aford to be afoot, and I need the horsepower to pull trailers. I like to shop around, and find one on a dealers lot they can't get rid of.
In 93' I made a deal on a 6.5 turbo desiel 4x4 GMC w/auto trans. The dealer couldn't sell it, because it was purple( radar blue ). Man he had it decked it out with lots of chrome, pinstriping, wild paint splashes. He made me a offer of $20,500 if I would take it, no trade. I told him I would think about it, that next Monday morning GM came out with 2.9 % finacing. He did the deal. I drove it for 4 years put 75,000 miles on it. I had a offer to sell it for $16,500. I dumped it as fast as I could. Best deal I ever made. I had to pay capital gains tax on it. The guy that bought it is still using it, over 300,000 miles on it. He thought it was a good buy for him as well.
The best thing is to never get upside down in a vehicle, I always have it planed to pay one off in 3 years or less. And I always repair them right, never have put a engine in anything( knock on wood). I can honestly say I've never had a lemon. We always drive our cars to over 230,000 miles min. from new. But they are hiway miles not off road miles like our trucks get.
Also as I see it, my wife and I are always working, and we never seems to be able to get a way for vacations, with the kids and all their events we take them too. It's nice to have something that is new once and a while. It's one of the few perks we get. It's 40 miles to town one way for parts or food store, so we do a lot of driving in a year,and our ranch is spread out over a 150 mile radius. |
Time to update pick-up. New or Used?
