Hey, Trucks Are Expensive

Trucks are capable, but that durability and capability comes at a steeper cost than ever.

According to a J.D. Power report, the average pickup truck buyer is now paying 61% MORE for their truck now than they did a decade ago. WILD! By comparison, the cost of other vehicles went up by less than half that over the same time period - 28%, which is still quite a bit in my book. Last year buyers paid an average of $44,000 for a full-sized pickup.

This price is still missing some options, although the new Ram 1500

is an excellent truck overall. Quite expensive!

For good measure, I priced a truck I like quite a bit online - a 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn Quad Cab V6. To get it exactly how I’d want it, it came out to $48,850. This, before adding the HEMI V8 for $2,645 or 20-inch rims for another $1,595. I did add a 3.55 Rear Axle Ratio, the Level 2 Equipment Group with heated seats and steering wheel, LED lighting, a sunroof, and other packages. So yes, you could very easily price one of these trucks into the $50,000 range. Did I mention you can’t get leather seats on the Big Horn? You need to move up to the Laramie trim for that.

While bad for consumer’s wallets, this is another example of why automakers are ditching cars for SUVs and trucks – it means higher profit margins for them. As long as consumers are willing to pay to play, this game will go on. This bubble will burst again eventually... Perhaps not because of gas prices rising like people predict, but maybe because of budgets going bust or over saturation of the marketplace instead.

Update 3/5/2019: Car sales for the year are off to their slowest start since early 2014, with the industry being down 2.9% vs. last year. Although the economy isn't in horrible shape, its not really growing either, and experts are predicting a slow down in the future. Also, my guess is that transaction prices for SUVs and trucks are simply becoming too high AND the market is becoming oversaturated with them. We will see how this develops as the months progress.
Source: https://www.autonews.com/sales/sales-weakest-start-5-years

Another article for reference: http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/02/capability-will-cost-you-trucks-cost-61-percent-more-compared-to-a-decade-ago/

Copyright © 2019 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.

How I Would Buy It: 2020 Kia Telluride

So, I'm starting another new segment: How I Would Buy It! I'll discuss various new cars in these posts and how I would equip them if I were personally in the market. The 2020 Toyota Corolla and Lincoln Aviator will come next. Let's dive in!

The 2020 Kia Telluride is Kia's largest SUV ever.

Revealed at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, the 2020 Kia Telluride is a large crossover and the spiritual follow-up to the Kia Borrego from a decade ago. Kia’s marketing for the vehicle so far has positioned it as a more “rugged” alternative to other three-row family SUVs. It’s largely related to the also-new Hyundai Palisade, and will use the same 3.8-liter V6 engine good for 291 HP and 262 lb.-ft. of torque.

Trim levels according to Kia for the Telluride begin with the LX for $31,690, S for $33,990, EX for $37,090, and SX for $41,490. Eight-passenger seating, push button start, and Smart Cruise Control w/Stop and Go is standard. Fuel economy is rated at 20 city/26 highway/23 combined for FWD models, and 19/24/21 for AWD models - on par with key rivals like the Chevy Traverse.

For My Money...

SX Trim shown.

If my money were on the line, I’d get an S trim Telluride with Ebony Black paint, the Grey or Brown leather interior, and AWD. AWD adds $2,000 to the price of any Telluride and is always a worthwhile add on if available I say. Ebony Black paint is a $395 upcharge. Additionally, this trim adds heated front seats, second row captain’s seats, a power sunroof, and 20-inch black alloy wheels. That combination of features is all I need personally to be happy! This would bring the base price to $35,990 before any options or accessories, making Telluride a solid value play at under $40k, in classic Kia fashion.

For those who want additional features such as heated/ventilated 1st and 2nd row seats, Harman/Kardon audio, dual sunroofs, a towing package, wireless phone charging and more, I suggest you check out the EX and SX trims above the S trim. Kia’s Telluride is arriving at dealers now, as production in Georgia has already begun.

Looking forward to driving one of these myself at some point!

UPDATE 3/4/2019:

Top: 2020 Kia Telluride S; Bottom: 2019 Chevrolet Traverse RS

You can now build the Telluride on Kia's website! This is what my personal Telluride S with accessories would look like - final price is $40,140. This isn't as steep as some rivals, such as the Chevrolet Traverse, which in its blacked-out RS trim, offers leather seats, but stickers for roughly $6,000 more.

Copyright © 2019 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.

The 2019 Chicago Auto Show

The 2019 Chicago Auto Show seems promising, with interesting reveals across all segments.

The 2019 Chicago Auto Show is kicking off and we’ve already seen some key reveals. The 2020 Subaru Legacy looks quite like the old model to me, so I’m not quite sure how to feel about it yet… But standard AWD is always a plus, and its new XT trim with its 2.4L turbo boxer four-cylinder and 260 HP is sure to be interesting.

In addition to this, Toyota is showing off new TRD models, including the TRD Pro Sequoia and RAV4 TRD Off Road. The Sequoia needs a redesign, no matter how many packages and refreshes you throw its way at this point, though I quite like the RAV4 TRD Off-Road. Its tires look quite capable. Volkswagen is showing off the Jetta GLI, which has a 2.0L turbo inline 4-cylinder from the GTI. Its good for 228 HP and 258 lb-ft. of torque, which I’m sure will make the otherwise tame Jetta into a quick, sporty and fun compact sedan. It looks good! In the right color at least - black I think will look best.

Kia is showing off the 2020 Forte GT Line and facelifted 2020 Sportage crossover, which includes new ADAS standard (i.e. lane-keep assist and more). Ram is showing off a new multifunction tailgate on their trucks, which is obviously a direct response to GMC’s MultiPro tailgate. If you couple this added functionality with Ram’s already class-leading interior, I think GMC may have some competition.

More and More Rides

Limited and special edition models also typically are unveiled in large

amounts in Chicago. This year is no exception.

Of course, there’s much more to see,  as Alfa Romeo debuted a special edition 4C and Chrysler is celebrating 35 years of minivan history. I encourage you to tune in and research, as always. Thus far, I think Chicago is shaping up to be more interesting and diverse than this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Perhaps 2020 will mark a return of relevance for Detroit on that front. Let me know what you’re interested in seeing or hearing more about from this year’s auto show season.

Copyright © 2019 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.

Show Me the Car Fact #FactFridays - Black History Month

Did You Know: C.R. Patterson, a born slave, was building cars before Henry Ford. He was assembling buggies in Ohio in the late 1800s, and later, C.R. Patterson & Sons made motor vehicles. This was the country’s only African-American-owned automobile manufacturing company. Patterson went into business with J.P. Lowe, a white carriage maker, after becoming a free man. He had learned blacksmithing skills in Virginia. When Lowe died, C.R. Patterson became the sole owner of the carriage company.

Make your own mark on history! #blackhistorymonth

Copyright © 2019 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.

Engine Stop/Start Fuctionality

Note- if you have a vehicle like this with stop/start, where if you stop the engine will cut off to save fuel, it won’t work if it gets too cold (and I ASSUME too hot) outside.

Usually, mine doesn’t kick in because the car isn’t warm yet or because a message saying “stop/start not ready, battery charging” comes up. I can believe that keeping accessories running and restarting the car puts quite a strain on the battery and starter. Especially in the winter.

You can usually turn this feature off if you dislike it.

Copyright © 2019 Adam's Autos, All Rights Reserved.