But car buyers’ preferences have also shifted dramatically to larger trucks and SUVs in the past 10 years or so, and even more towards high-tech and comfort amenities in the form of cameras, sensors, radars and large infotainment screens," he said.
You can’t buy a smaller truck because the manufacturers lobbied that large trucks are exempt from stricter emissions and thus they don’t have to engineer a smaller, more efficient truck.
Ford’s only car on offer is the Mustang, everything else is some kind of compact SUV, full size SUV, or truck. Other automakers are similar (some offer more sedans and hatches still). Guess I won’t be buying a Ford when I need a new car.
I really liked my focus. And when I went to buy a new one they tried to sell me a hideous SUV. I’m not bringing any kids to soccer, I don’t want your gas guzzler. I bought a Subaru because they still make cars. Tall vehicles suck ass to drive and I wish more people realized it.
I kind of doubt that. Mustangs exist in part to bring buyers into the dealers. They actually buy a new Edge or Explorer, because there’s now a link in the buyer’s mind between Mustang performance and Edge performance. Same with Corvettes and Chevrolet dealers, for example. Halo cars.
Had an 84 Toyota pickup, can confirm that thing would be classified as a compact car nowadays. Funny thing, it had a longer bed than many current full size truck.
I have this weird little vehicle from the 1980’s. I can best describe it as a Japanese Jeep. It wasn’t ever a “big” vehicle, but seeing it next to a modern truck is jarring.
The best part is, I know from direct repeated personal experience that the 60 horsepower 4wd can go more places than a typical 4wd truck.
EDIT: Also, the truck in this picture is a 2004-2008, a 2023 is even bigger…
And you can’t buy a new car without those high tech things. And also this shit isn’t “high tech” anymore. Large screens are dirt cheap. Aftermarket rear view cameras are going out to eat money. Idk about radar and sensors but as technology matures and becomes cheap it finds its way into every car. A budget car should be nicer now than 20 years ago because nice things have been around longer.
And they are. $30k today is about $18k 20 years ago. You get a ton of safety features and whatnot in even base model cars these days. A base 2004 Camry was ~$18k new, and a base Camry today is ~$30k. Prices really haven’t changed much relative to inflation.
2003: $42,381.00 - inflation adjusted to 2023: $68,953.12
2023: $74,202
So the average American (i.e. 50% earned more, 50% earned less) earned more in 2023 than in 2003, even accounting for inflation. There are a ton of ways to calculate “relative to wages” (i.e. are we talking minimum wage, median, average?), but it looks like people are better off today than 20 years ago, and prices for cars are about the same.
Some of that is due the chicken tax (post WW2 tax on imported trucks passed in retaliation to a tax on chickens…) Thankfully “small” trucks are having a resurgence. The Ford Maverick has sold extremely well and rumors are other brands are planing to re-enter the small truck market.
The kicker is that that engineering has already been done because small trucks exist in other countries. Several Japanese automakers sell kei trucks in their domestic market. They could sell them in the US with minimal modification.
Crash certified bumpers to 5mph
Engineered crumple zones
Re-enforced A and B pillars
Re-enforced doors
Air bags
And I’m quite sure I’ve forgotten more than one other thing they would need to add Kei style trucks to make them roadworthy in many states. And once you make those upgrades, plus the cost of all the federal testing that would be needed, how much do you think one of those little trucks would cost?
There is also the trifle that they’d need to be redesigned to place the driver controls on the left. And then of course nobody would buy them even if they were exempt from most of that, because they were made to do 25km/h through Japanese villages and are not well suited for American freeway use.
A 2024 Maverick has a wheelbase of 120" and curb weight of 3600 pounds. In 1991, Ford’s compact pickup, the Ranger, had a wheelbase of just 108" and curb weight of 2800 pounds. “Small” trucks have gained a foot and half a ton. The Ranger itself is now a 5000 pound behemoth that outweighs the 1990 F-150 by 1000 pounds.
You can’t buy a smaller truck because the manufacturers lobbied that large trucks are exempt from stricter emissions and thus they don’t have to engineer a smaller, more efficient truck.
Ford’s only car on offer is the Mustang, everything else is some kind of compact SUV, full size SUV, or truck. Other automakers are similar (some offer more sedans and hatches still). Guess I won’t be buying a Ford when I need a new car.
I really liked my focus. And when I went to buy a new one they tried to sell me a hideous SUV. I’m not bringing any kids to soccer, I don’t want your gas guzzler. I bought a Subaru because they still make cars. Tall vehicles suck ass to drive and I wish more people realized it.
Did they drop the Focus and Fiesta?
Yea, ‘22 or ‘23 was the last year for those. Mustang is all that’s left and its time is limited imo.
I’ll be keeping my Fusion hybrid for a decade at least. Maybe it’ll become a collector’s item xD
I kind of doubt that. Mustangs exist in part to bring buyers into the dealers. They actually buy a new Edge or Explorer, because there’s now a link in the buyer’s mind between Mustang performance and Edge performance. Same with Corvettes and Chevrolet dealers, for example. Halo cars.
The Mustang Mach E is also an SUV. The writing is on the wall.
Right? The mid size truck is now the size of a full size from 15 years ago.
Had an 84 Toyota pickup, can confirm that thing would be classified as a compact car nowadays. Funny thing, it had a longer bed than many current full size truck.
I have this weird little vehicle from the 1980’s. I can best describe it as a Japanese Jeep. It wasn’t ever a “big” vehicle, but seeing it next to a modern truck is jarring.
The best part is, I know from direct repeated personal experience that the 60 horsepower 4wd can go more places than a typical 4wd truck.
EDIT: Also, the truck in this picture is a 2004-2008, a 2023 is even bigger…
That’s super cute
That thing is cool AF.
And you can’t buy a new car without those high tech things. And also this shit isn’t “high tech” anymore. Large screens are dirt cheap. Aftermarket rear view cameras are going out to eat money. Idk about radar and sensors but as technology matures and becomes cheap it finds its way into every car. A budget car should be nicer now than 20 years ago because nice things have been around longer.
And they are. $30k today is about $18k 20 years ago. You get a ton of safety features and whatnot in even base model cars these days. A base 2004 Camry was ~$18k new, and a base Camry today is ~$30k. Prices really haven’t changed much relative to inflation.
What about relative to wages?
Median individual income:
Median household income:
So the average American (i.e. 50% earned more, 50% earned less) earned more in 2023 than in 2003, even accounting for inflation. There are a ton of ways to calculate “relative to wages” (i.e. are we talking minimum wage, median, average?), but it looks like people are better off today than 20 years ago, and prices for cars are about the same.
Median seems a much better metric than average.
The census.gov data for 2021 has median individual income at about $35k - much smaller than your sources for 23.
Did it really increase nearly 50% in 2 years?
Source
I’m not sure where that data is coming from, here’s what I found (source). This data set in particular (Excel file) shows the following:
That’s for 2021 and 2022, and the median seems to be $49k in 2021 and $48k in 2022. $50k in 2023 seems plausible.
Some of that is due the chicken tax (post WW2 tax on imported trucks passed in retaliation to a tax on chickens…) Thankfully “small” trucks are having a resurgence. The Ford Maverick has sold extremely well and rumors are other brands are planing to re-enter the small truck market.
I just wish they made a body on frame small truck.
The kicker is that that engineering has already been done because small trucks exist in other countries. Several Japanese automakers sell kei trucks in their domestic market. They could sell them in the US with minimal modification.
Need to add:
Crash certified bumpers to 5mph Engineered crumple zones Re-enforced A and B pillars Re-enforced doors Air bags
And I’m quite sure I’ve forgotten more than one other thing they would need to add Kei style trucks to make them roadworthy in many states. And once you make those upgrades, plus the cost of all the federal testing that would be needed, how much do you think one of those little trucks would cost?
There is also the trifle that they’d need to be redesigned to place the driver controls on the left. And then of course nobody would buy them even if they were exempt from most of that, because they were made to do 25km/h through Japanese villages and are not well suited for American freeway use.
Are the smaller trucks like the Maverick not available in your area? Or do you mean something like a Kei truck maybe
A 2024 Maverick has a wheelbase of 120" and curb weight of 3600 pounds. In 1991, Ford’s compact pickup, the Ranger, had a wheelbase of just 108" and curb weight of 2800 pounds. “Small” trucks have gained a foot and half a ton. The Ranger itself is now a 5000 pound behemoth that outweighs the 1990 F-150 by 1000 pounds.
To be fair, there’s a lot more safety equipment in cars now than there was in 91
Hell, a civic weighs 3000lb.
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The Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick would like a word with you.
Have you tried to buy a Maverick?
No, I went with the Santa Cruz instead.