I'm thinking of trading my '07 F-150 in on an '08. Why?

Well...it's mostly stupid reasoning but here it goes.

first I didn't completly get screwed on my F350 trade in. I got what I owed on it. Yes I lost because of depreciation and such but overall I was happy with the price I got for it.

Now on to my current truck. You saw it, it is nice and I like it BUT with a couple of big trips under it's belt and the fact it was the managers demo model at less then 1 year old it has almost 22000 miles on it. Couple of things I want. One is 4 wheel drive and second is the built in nav unit. After having 4wheel drive in my psd I want it back. I do enuf training and stuff with my dogs that it was/is worth having. As for the nav I like the clean look of the built in unit.

Now it's not my first trip to the dealership. I know exactly what I want to do and if they can do it then great, if not I will stick with what I have. I am gonna have enuf money to pay my truck off towards the end of this month (bout $30,000 I owe on it). If I can get within $1000 or so of what I owe on it on the trade in (at this point that looks unlikely) then I will put what I would have spent on paying off towards a new truck Ford is dealing pretty good on new trucks right now as sales are down. (I am seeing prices for what I want listed between $35,000-$38,000) Plus I will be paying cash in full if they can make the right deal that may help me.

It is just something I am throwing around. Depeneds on how the numbers fall out, because that is the deciding factor. If the numbers work it's a go, if not I'll pay mine off, keep it, add the nav, exhaust, intake and a lift.

Either way it's a win.

Well I know you're a smart dude and I know you wouldn't do it if it weren't financially feasible. Hopefully you can work it out in the end.

Question though... Why not buy one that is a couple years old? It would save you a buttload of money over a new one. Better yet, buy a ninth gen Want a Centurion?

CaFordDude said:

If the numbers work it's a go, if not I'll pay mine off, keep it, add the nav, exhaust, intake and a lift.

Either way it's a win.

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You'd win better in the fall, and trade in for an 08 demo or used unit to save even more.

Hmmm. Aaron, I think we need to talk on the phone a bit about the current truck market. I will say DO NOT WAIT UNTIL FALL. Sorry for shouting, but that's the worst... not the best time to buy. Why? Your current truck becomes another year older, and it's late model enough to make many thousands of $$$'s difference on the trade-in. Second, the good current inventory is picked over because the best manufacturers incentives are 1) spring/early summer and 2) Between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The big $$$ push is on now. Next model year, my take is they build less and give out fewer incentives.

I wouldn't stick my nose up at a yr old used either. Still in warranty, and trucks are taking some giant hits right now. That'd be one way to take the sting out of the trade-in- and there will be a sting. Count your blessings, though, that you traded the 350 when you did. Better lucky than good, I always say.

I'm also one of those guys that tosses the keys to the shop. I can do it, but I'd rather work in the yard or play in my (very scarce) free time.

polarbear said:

Better lucky than good, I always say.

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And I have been blessed to be pretty danged lucky lately.

Well, I defer to Ernie.

I spend way too much time living on the way things used to be, and since he knows the business and I DON'T, well
There you have it.

mrfixit said:

Well, I defer to Ernie.

I spend way too much time living on the way things used to be, and since he knows the business and I DON'T, well
There you have it.

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Things have changed in the last few years. Once upon a time, dealers got big kickers for carryover inventory when the model year changed. Like many things, them day's is gone, so the whole metric's changed as well. Actually, the manufacturers have gotten smarter- throw out the best incentives during peak selling times. Makes sense- if you're trying to move product, do it when seasonality is in your favor.

I split this off from the "what did you do to your truck" thread, since it's kind of going it's own direction...

Don't laugh.

I'm not laughing...Not if those things are as impressive as my buddy's '07 Tahoe.

The demi-bed/midgate thing does confuse me though- I'd rather a Tahoe and trailer, if I didn't want to drive a pickup around all the time.

About 2 weeks ago I went to trade my 06 6.0 in on an 08 6.4 4 door lariat. I have 21K on my truck and it is a loaded Lariat 4 door crew. Dealers offer was 17,500-18K! I have had the truck for 3 years and have no problems with it but thought it would be nice to get an 08 after looking at some of the newer features. I ended up keeping my 06 and decided against losing my arse.

Truck trade in prices are terrible now because of the cost of gas/diesel. A lot of new car buyers are buying the compact cars and there is no interest in a truck.

And those of us who keep ours are going to be a bit busier on weekends as time goes on, since the half-breed owners will still want help moving or getting mulch for their ficus trees.

As long as your throwin out a chevy pic there Ernie. Being that you have been intimatley familiar with both makes. How do YOU think they stack up. Say F150 Lariat VS Silverado 1500 Lariat equivalant VS Alvalanche Lariat equivalant

CaFordDude said:

As long as your throwin out a chevy pic there Ernie. Being that you have been intimatley familiar with both makes. How do YOU think they stack up. Say F150 Lariat VS Silverado 1500 Lariat equivalant VS Alvalanche Lariat equivalant

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Hmmm.

First off, we need to separate the Avalanche from the pickup conversation, because it falls into a different catatagory. The Avalanche is a Tahoe pickup, and by the fact is much more a luxury car than a truck. It'll still tow and haul, but some capacities have been sacrificed for ride and comfort. The Avalanche addresses the need for families that really need a SUV, but haul dirty or odd-shaped stuff that won't fit into the Tahoe, or is too tedious to clean up after. It's also about $4,000 cheaper than a comparably equipped Tahoe, which often factors into the decision. Finally, it's quite a bit shorter than a 1500 Crew Cab, so it comfortably fits into a garage and is easier to maneuver and park running around town.

In the generic Ford vs. Chevy comparison, the main factors that pop up daily are 1) gas mileage (Chevy's better because of the variable displacement V8), 2) comfort (GM trucks always ride better on paved roads), and styling, which is really a taste issue. Bottom line- Ford's superior off-road, the Chebbie will out-drive it on-pavement with the new gen Silverado.

Interestingly enough, Chevy has outsold Ford in the 1/2T class since the latest gen F150 came out, but has taken a back seat in the 2500/3500's. I suspect that's why GM truck sales are holding up better right now- the 1/2T's play a bigger part of the market than they did a year or two ago.

My suggestion is drive the two (three, actually, if you add the Avalanche into the mix). My own take is I like the Ford's looks better, but a Silverado will out-drive it. They're about even on power, although the Ford will feel "sluggish" off of the line compared to the Chev. That has to do with transmission gearing and the power curve in the 5.4 vs. the 5.3. The chevy will get about 3-4 mpg better, FWIW.

In SUV's, it's a different story. GM outsells Ford by about 7 to one in large SUV's- they own that market segment (65% market share). In this horrific truck market, GM still managed to kick about 50,000 Silverado/Sierra's out the door last month and 26,000 Tahoe's/Suburban's/Yukons. That's big numbers for a dead segment. Ford did 38,000 F-Series and 3,600 Expeditions in the same timeframe.

As alluded to above... A friend of mine bought a used '07 Tahoe earlier this year, close to 50k on it when he bought it.

I'm not a Chevy fan, nor do I have much use for big squishy SUVs. But, I like the thing. Great power, good mileage (for what it is), comfortable, and what I continue to think is one of the best automatic transmissions I've ever driven.