High car payment? No problem…

[seanmclean]

Car payments are nuts these days. I was in the "I'll have a car payment forever, might as well upgrade" mindset for a while, but finally snapped out of it. Paid off both our vehicles and the boat in the last fifteen months, and it feels friggin fantastic. Only note left over our head is our mortgage at 1.8%, which I have precisely zero interest in paying off early, and whatever the monthly credit card bill is.

I still daydream about getting an F150 Raptor or Tremor, but then I try to ask myself what they do that mine doesn't for the fifty grand out of pocket it would cost me to upgrade? The answer is always absolutely nothing, so I'll keep rocking my 2017 Lariat.

 

[TimW451]

I was notified that My reservation for a Ford Lightening is coming up and that I need to get with the dealer shortly, etc. Unfortunately I am going to have to pass on it.

Me too. I've 95% decided to pass also, I was very on board, but the $6-8k price increase has me soured. @ $90k for what I want I can keep my RAM, buy a Mustang GT and have enough money left to pay for gas for a decade. I drive to FL at least once every year, and it is possible, but impractical to do so in the Lightning.

My dealer has one on the lot and I may go test drive it this weekend.

 

[2kwik4u]

My dealer has one on the lot and I may go test drive it this weekend.

I've been considering going to do a test drive just to see if it's really worth all the hype.

I've driven a couple Teslas and as a car goes, they do car things just fine. My nitpicks are with interface, and preferential stuff, not the car things. I suspect the Lightning will do truck stuff just the same, and my nitpicks will be largely the same.

 

[TimW451]

I've been considering going to do a test drive just to see if it's really worth all the hype.

I've driven a couple Teslas and as a car goes, they do car things just fine. My nitpicks are with interface, and preferential stuff, not the car things. I suspect the Lightning will do truck stuff just the same, and my nitpicks will be largely the same.

Agreed. I believe you've test drove an F150 this year, so anything you don't like will be the same. That is a challenge for me too. I didn't like the F150 interior. The RAM was much better. I may need to wait until they re-do that. They did a nice job in the 2024 Mustang.

 

[zpaul]

I've been considering going to do a test drive just to see if it's really worth all the hype.

I've driven a couple Teslas and as a car goes, they do car things just fine. My nitpicks are with interface, and preferential stuff, not the car things. I suspect the Lightning will do truck stuff just the same, and my nitpicks will be largely the same.

The Lightning is not worth what they are asking for it. It also has a bunch of issues with battery packs and technology. If you read Lightening forums and Mach E forums you will see how many issues they have. Tesla learned a lot over 12 years. Ford is a noob on Electric and way less efficient than Tesla. But again Tesla yet to show their truck.

But worst part is towing with Electric vehicle.
Watch the video below. they maxed out at 95 miles. Real people report 60 miles towing boat.
Lightning truck is absolutely useless for the price and milage.
Gas trucks are here to stay for a while.

 

[TimW451]

The Lightning is not worth what they are asking for it. It also has a bunch of issues with battery packs and technology. If you read Lightening forums and Mach E forums you will see how many issues they have. Tesla learned a lot over 12 years. Ford is a noob on Electric and way less efficient than Tesla. But again Tesla yet to show their truck.

But worst part is towing with Electric vehicle.
Watch the video below. they maxed out at 95 miles. Real people report 60 miles towing boat.
Lightning truck is absolutely useless for the price and milage.
Gas trucks are here to stay for a while.

Towing with an EV truck is a gimmick. The truck must be able to do it, or no one would buy it. But it can’t do it long haul effectively. Plenty big enough of a market for the Lightning, so many people with full size trucks that don’t use them for towing and other “truck” purposes. The more people that buy EVs the better the market is for people who need gas or diesel vehicles (at least until they’re outlawed).

 

[zpaul]

Towing with an EV truck is a gimmick. The truck must be able to do it, or no one would buy it. But it can’t do it long haul effectively. Plenty big enough of a market for the Lightning, so many people with full size trucks that don’t use them for towing and other “truck” purposes. The more people that buy EVs the better the market is for people who need gas or diesel vehicles (at least until they’re outlawed).

Agreed, had 3 trucks. Towed once.
Was a weekend Home Depot warrior and driving 99% of the time alone.

But since it is boating forum I would assume at least 80% of truck owners here tow their boats.

I wouldn’t buy Lightning for just one reason - they are new to it, it is their first attempt, and their batteries are not there yet.

 

[2kwik4u]

I can't read the shirts.....is this the same dealership or a new one?

At least there are some reasonable numbers in this one (and some absurd ones)

2.7M views · 20K likes | Ford Ocala & Villages on Instagram: "How much is your car payment?💰🔥 #car #ford #carpayment #fordbronco #fordmaverick #fordraptor #fordgt #fordf150 #fordlightning #goyeomans #ocala #villages #howmuch"

21K likes, 6,332 comments - fordocalavillages on September 9, 2022: "How much is your car payment?💰🔥 #car #ford #carpayment #fordbronco #fordmaverick #fordraptor #fordgt #fordf150 #fordlightning #go..."

www.instagram.com

 

[TimW451]

I can't read the shirts.....is this the same dealership or a new one?

At least there are some reasonable numbers in this one (and some absurd ones)

2.7M views · 20K likes | Ford Ocala & Villages on Instagram: "How much is your car payment?💰🔥 #car #ford #carpayment #fordbronco #fordmaverick #fordraptor #fordgt #fordf150 #fordlightning #goyeomans #ocala #villages #howmuch"

21K likes, 6,332 comments - fordocalavillages on September 9, 2022: "How much is your car payment?💰🔥 #car #ford #carpayment #fordbronco #fordmaverick #fordraptor #fordgt #fordf150 #fordlightning #go..."

www.instagram.com

Note the job titles on the name tags as they go through. Managers and sales people are the ones with the high payments, the service guys are the ones with low payments. Maybe representative of income, but I’d say more like realists vs optimists. I’d say the service guys are buying to own and the sales people are renters.

 

[BlkGS]

Towing with an EV truck is a gimmick. The truck must be able to do it, or no one would buy it. But it can’t do it long haul effectively. Plenty big enough of a market for the Lightning, so many people with full size trucks that don’t use them for towing and other “truck” purposes. The more people that buy EVs the better the market is for people who need gas or diesel vehicles (at least until they’re outlawed).

Ford s CEO essentially said the same thing at the Mustang launch. He said that as other companies exit ICE markets there's opportunity for them to stay in and expand and capture market share (muscle cars), and that some segments would likely never switch to electric (big trucks). He also said that he doesn't think the future is purely battery electric, and that it's going to be a mixture of vehicles sold.

I kinda thought he was an idiot when he said that current explorer owners probably wouldn't like their EV explorer, but taking these ends in as well, he might be on to something. Ford split themselves up into the ev and standard businesses earlier, and is allowing dealers to not go EV. I think he sees that BEVs might just be a VC acid trip, and is setting the compa y up to capitalize on mistakes of other companies going full BEV, and spin off BEV losses if need be.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Well I got the email finally today. Probably going to pass.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Meh rather have a bigger boat.

 

[adrianp89]

56k for the base is disappointing

 

[HangOutdoors]

Modestly configured. ROFL. Admiral would shoot me. Not withstanding I could not afford it.......

 

[HangOutdoors]

320 mile range with the extended battery.

 

[adrianp89]

320 mile range with the extended battery.

View attachment 196677

That’s a brutal financing situation.

 

[zpaul]

That’s a brutal financing situation.

And I don't think they will let you finance it for 15 years like Yamaha boat.

 

[2kwik4u]

And I don't think they will let you finance it for 15 years like Yamaha boat.

I've seen a couple local credit unions offer 120mo on a car. WHOLE-LEEE-CRAAAAP that seems absurd to me.

@adrianp89 @HangOutdoors
Tax credit and energy cost savings only knock ~$290/mo off that payment too. Makes it closer to $873 or so if you amortize the savings. That's working on some generous assumptions as well (like 20k mi/yr, and that cheap cheap midwest electricity from coal). NPV calcs make it worse

 

[adrianp89]

Looks like someone is making the evidence to present to the wife lol

 

[HangOutdoors]

I've seen a couple local credit unions offer 120mo on a car. WHOLE-LEEE-CRAAAAP that seems absurd to me.

@adrianp89 @HangOutdoors
Tax credit and energy cost savings only knock ~$290/mo off that payment too. Makes it closer to $873 or so if you amortize the savings. That's working on some generous assumptions as well (like 20k mi/yr, and that cheap cheap midwest electricity from coal). NPV calcs make it worse

View attachment 196680

And If I want to tow the boat to Florida with it, it will take 4 fricken days LOL