Debating the Rising Cost of Ford Trucks
Forget about V6 vs V8 or aluminum vs steel. For fans of Ford Trucks, it’s all about the dollar signs.
As much as Ford trucks have changed over the years, one thing remains constant. And that is the fact that prices continue to rise. These days, it’s tough (but possible) to buy a new F-150 for less than $30,000. Heck, if you really want to, you can option one up into the $80,000 range. That’s the kind of territory once reserved for super cars and luxury rigs.
But times, as they say, are a changin’. Yesterday’s luxury car owners want trucks, not cars. That demand, coupled with incredible technological and safety advancements, has driven the price of new Ford trucks into the stratosphere. And the subject of truck pricing is one of the hottest debates on the Internet, not to mention the F-150 Online Forums.
We recently highlighted the role inflation has played in truck pricing over the years, and that post has led to a very interesting forum discussion. Basically, there are two schools of thought here. Those that think truck pricing is out of control, and those who feel like they’re worth every penny.
Count Roadie in the former camp. As we pointed out before, it’s really hard to do an apples to apples comparison between an old Ford and a new one. They’re just two totally different kinds of vehicles.
“Yes, but compare the options and capabilities of the old trucks versus the new ones and it’s night and day difference. If you bought a basic truck equipped like the older ones the comparison would be more fair. The fuel savings over the life of the truck should be a consideration in the comparison. Those old 351 engine 4x4s got about 9 mpg all around.”
“I’m 73 and I wouldn’t accept an old truck if it was free. I know what it’s like to drive one and live with one. In my opinion, the new trucks are better in every way. The new trucks have ratings and if you don’t exceed those ratings they do great and get much better fuel economy in the process while providing seating comfort and temp control. If you need a heavy duty truck they are available.”
And as fordmantpw points out, despite our affinity for old trucks, they just didn’t run as long before major work is needed.
“Don’t forget that if you got 100k miles out of one of those old trucks, you were doing good! Today, 200k is pretty common. So, expect twice the lifetime of a vehicle, which makes it worth twice as much, no?”
After which crazynip makes some excellent points about just how far we’ve come in the last decade or two.
“The trucks up through the 1997 refresh had very little electronics, even on the top trim levels. They had Electronic Fuel Injection starting in 1987 (was optional in ’85 and ’86 for the 302 only), and other than the electronic distributor and “brain box” in the 70’s there was very little technology in the trucks.
Hell, air conditioning was not even an option until the late 60’s, and it was not a standard feature until the 2004 refresh. Power steering and power brakes were not standard until the ’87 refresh.
Also, look at the interiors of the trucks, metal interior roofs (standard until the ’80 refresh), steel floor, rubber mats in the 70’s.”
Regardless of these advancements, there are still a lot of folks out there clamoring for basic, cheap pickups. Like KLSU.
“I’ll take a 1982 style truck with the same options just a a crew cab to it and I would be fine!”
Labnerd disagrees with pretty much everyone touting the benefits of new trucks, and even believes that they shouldn’t be called trucks.
“The new trucks are fragile at best. The skin is so thin that you can’t hardly lean on one without body damage. My 74 has metal inner fenders. The new ones don’t have rear inner fenders at all.
You say they won’t go as far. Don’t tell that to my 278,000 mile F100. The current power system is at 162,000 miles and will blow the doors off of most anything on the road that’s new. Obviously, it’s not stock. I get 15 mpg town driving. Can load the truck with 2500lb of material and while it is a heavy load, it does it day in and day out. I can put 700lb in the back of the new one and it balks.
If I pull a trailer, the 74 walks off with anything I can put on the hitch, no issues. The new one strains at 3500lbs by comparison and drinks gas like a drunken sailor. I’ve had as much as 14,000 lbs on the trailer behind the 74. The new one I doubt will even move it. The absolute worst gas mileage pulling a heavy trailer from the 74 was 11 mpgs. The new ones are nice, no doubt, but they’re not a truck anymore. They are an open air trunk car.”
One thing’s for sure – no matter which side of the fence you’re on, this topic always brings up some passionate responses. And we’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject of truck pricing. So head on over here and chime in! And if you aren’t already a forum member, what are you waiting for? Signing up is quick, easy and most importantly, free!
