Jump to content
Create New...
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Welcome to the Era of Expensive, Luxury Trucks

      And automakers don't know where the breaking point is

    The State Fair of Texas began last week and truck manufacturers were out in force with new models to tempt consumers in the largest truck market in the U.S. Both Ford and Ram Trucks rolled out new luxury trims of their pickups - Ford with the Limited and Ram with the Longhorn Southfork. Both trims can easily reach $100,000 which to some is pushing it. But marketers at the truck manufacturers tell Automotive News they don't know where the ceiling is on how much consumers are willing to spend.

    "It's hard to guess how big the market is. I don't think trucks have found a ceiling yet. You get customers who want every bell and whistle," said Todd Eckert, Ford's truck group marketing manager.

    "For us, it is not about the dollar amount. It's about meeting the needs of the customers. We see an opportunity in the marketplace to bring the Limited trim to Super Duty. We know customers will demand it."

    Luxury models are in demand and truck manufacturers are having a difficult time keeping them in stock. For example, more than half of Ford's F-Series Super Duty trucks sold are the high-end models - Lariat, King Ranch, and Limited.

    As there is no ceiling yet, manufacturers are considering going even further. Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet truck marketing director said they have found a group of customers that are willing to pay "for a bigger, more luxurious and more capable truck."

    Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    1 minute ago, William Maley said:

    Are we really arguing about heavy-duty trucks and S-Classes... again?

    What kind of planes are we talking about? Boeing Dreamliner? Airbus A380?

    I really don't want a Cadillac truck, and this is coming from someone who likes the EXT. I get it would bring in piles of cash, but I don't want a Mercedes X-Class situation. It would dilute the brand a bit too much and make me wonder what they're trying to be aside from following every single move from luxury automakers.

    I do want a Cadillac truck, but only if it is something like the EXT which can't be found anywhere else in the GM lineup.  I would not want a rebadged Denali in the Cadillac lineup. 

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    2 minutes ago, William Maley said:

    Are we really arguing about heavy-duty trucks and S-Classes... again?

    What kind of planes are we talking about? Boeing Dreamliner? Airbus A380?

    I really don't want a Cadillac truck, and this is coming from someone who likes the EXT. I get it would bring in piles of cash, but I don't want a Mercedes X-Class situation. It would dilute the brand a bit too much and make me wonder what they're trying to be aside from following every single move from luxury automakers.

    I see the point you are wanting to make but have to disagree that the EXT diluted Cadillac. I agree that the HD line of luxury in Cadillac is not needed, but a Half Ton luxury like the EXT is fine.

    I like the CT6 but will never buy it as it is not roomy enough for me and I do not like being on the floor when driving. For me Luxury SUV and Pickups from Cadillac in the manner of the EXT is what I want and believe can help Cadillac. 

    Want Luxury HD, I will happily point you to GMC.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    2 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

    I do want a Cadillac truck, but only if it is something like the EXT which can't be found anywhere else in the GM lineup.  I would not want a rebadged Denali in the Cadillac lineup. 

    I wouldn't mind that so much, but then I would be wishing for the return of the Chevrolet Avalanche.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    2 minutes ago, William Maley said:

    I wouldn't mind that so much, but then I would be wishing for the return of the Chevrolet Avalanche.

    And that is fine, having two distinct different levels of the Avalanche works. One in Chevy and one in Cadillac.

    We just do not want what started this in 1999 with the GMC denali Yukon and then a rebadge Escalade. They truly need to be distinct and different.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    2 minutes ago, William Maley said:

    I wouldn't mind that so much, but then I would be wishing for the return of the Chevrolet Avalanche.

    Me too... but only if the avalanche was a relatively exclusive vehicle.... no LS trims... LT or High Country only.

    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites




    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



  • Community Hive Community Hive

    Community Hive allows you to follow your favorite communities all in one place.

    Follow on Community Hive
  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • Plastic cladding = off road.  Instead of killing the Sonata, they should just put plastic body cladding down the side and raise the price by $10k and call it the Sonata HD Overlander X.  Instant hit.
    • Considering a planet with 8 Billion and he sold almost 2 million cars, then he is covering .025% of the population compared to other auto companies. I think 2024 going into 2025 we will see other auto companies top Tesla. You and I are two peas in a pod as I also was up on a hill watching the implosion and thinking what a waste as it was a great building. I love the Kingdome and hate the new stadium.  Agree it was surreal to see the ship hit the support pillar and the whole building just collapse. Be interesting to see what replaces it as today bridges built like that are not allowed due to the exact nature of how it collapsed.  Yes, Tesla is a love or hate and the minimalist approach is not for everyone. I honestly have to agree with the comment @smk4565 I believe made that the touch screen only will be the future of cheap autos and switches and buttons will be the higher end autos. Interesting times we live in for sure.
    • Decent upgrade to the aging 2024 model. Nice to see they are reducing costs of the curved screen in the EVs by pushing it out across the Hyundai Family and into Kia. The one thing I do not like is all the Chrome. 🤢 🤮
    • Today at the New York International Auto Show, Hyundai unveiled an update to its little truck, the Hyundai Santa Cruz. The refresh to the exterior is relatively mild, though it features a more menacing grille with bolder verticle lines.  Updated running lights and new wheel designs add to the fresher look. Inside, there is a new steering wheel, infotainment system, and instrument panel. on upper trims, an optional panoramic curved display houses dual 12.3-inch displays for driver and entertainment. The plenty-capable powertrains carry over with either a 191-horsepower direct injected 2.5-liter 4-cylinder or a turbo-charged version of of the same engine with 281 horsepower.  The transmission for the entry-level engine is a traditional 8-speed automatic, while the turbo-charged model gets an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Santa Cruzes with the turbo engine gain a new tow mode for enhanced towing control.  Both powertrains are towing capable with a 3,500 lb rating for the entry engine and a stout 5,000 lb rating for the turbo models when equipped with all-wheel drive. New for 2025 is an XRT trim geared even more towards outdoor adventure. It features a trim-specific front fascia and grille, special 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, an increased approach angle, front tow hooks, and surround-view monitoring.    The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz goes on sale this summer. View full article
    • Regarding Tesla - it's either love or hate with these vehicles.  A college friend I'll be seeing when in SoCal next month has 2 of them, and I'll probably be riding in both of them - one is his sleeker S model and I forgot which the other one (that his wife drives) is.  In certain places, people have a lot of disposable income and having a Tesla goes with the landscape. Minimalist(ic) isn't necessarily bad.  We all remember the adage "less is more."  I'll vouch that the workmanship of the interior is good and I can also vouch that the overall look (including the centered everything on one display) is ugly.  I will say that EV motors are supposed to last a long time but the battery replacement is very expensive and the range is currently not that optimal. I did not like the model Y I had for less than 1 day.  Also, its exterior is mostly ugly.  That's my opinion. This isn't a discussion I want to get into.  I would much prefer a more user-friendly EV ... and not just yet. - - - - - What I was randomly going to say: I'm not sure whether I'm in shock or still feeling surreal as to what happened in Baltimore.  At first, I thought a ship just hit something on a bridge.  Then I saw the footage and that's the surreal part ... the domino-like collapse of the entire structure and the size of the ship.  I remember having to figure out the forces of either tension or compression on each member of a truss-like structure when I was in school.   A group of us sat there for about 3 or 4 hours one night - with some Mountain Dew - to work that out. I don't believe I've been on that bridge since it's on the outer beltway, but it's numbered as part of the U.S. interstate system.  From looking at the map, it is the major bridge on the entrance to/exit from Baltimore Harbor.  I hope they find the 6 individuals who were working on it fixing potholes in the middle of the night who fell down with the bridge.  The ship giving a mayday is what allowed them to shut down both approaches to the bridge just in time.   The weird thing is that it happened on March 26.  IIRC, the deliberate (domino-like) implosion of the reinforced concrete Kingdome in Seattle happened on March 26, 2000 (no rain that day) and people were sitting on slopes overlooking downtown to see that happen.  But that's how it is with planned implosions.  I went there that morning and have photos of the Kingdome's last day somewhere. https://www.seahawks.com/video/kingdome-implosion-hd It was indeed March 26, 2000.  I was one of the few who liked the Kingdome.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings