Sorry if this is an old topic, but:

I have been looking around for a new truck for a while. I'm not in any rush, just curious. I really want/need something like the one i have now (F-150) but newer and 4x4. My mechanic friend told me that getting a new truck would be a waste since they depreciate so much off the lot. He told me that his dealership sold "program trucks" that have less then 20k miles on them but are sometimes almost half the price of brand new trucks and they're the last year model. He also said that even though these trucks are given a bad rap for being "demos" or "rentals" they can't have any major wear and tear with less than 20k miles.

Is this true with most dealers?

9/4/2006 11:55:23 PM

I don't think they would go for half the sticker price.

9/5/2006 12:02:12 AM

i agree - they are heavily discounted - but half is very atypical

9/5/2006 12:07:51 AM

My dad got an 04 Cadillac Deville at the end of 04 that was a program car. It had a shitload of options, like seat heaters/air conditioners and XM and tinted windows and seriously, every option i think a cadillac can have. The sticker was $49,8something and he paid $27somethingk, I believe, and it had like 22k miles on it. He just rolled it over to 50,000 miles ad he hasn't had one problem with it yet. The only thing changed on the car was that it had metallic brake pads to lessen the brake dust on the rims, and the squeaked too much, so he had them replaced with normal ones.
Nice old man car, though. I'd go with a program car - I don't think I would ever buy a totally brand new car, just because they depreciate so much in value.

[Edited on September 5, 2006 at 12:30 AM. Reason : ]

[Edited on September 5, 2006 at 12:33 AM. Reason : ]

9/5/2006 12:29:20 AM

my dad bought a 89 dodge spirit back in 90 that was a program vehicle with about 8900 miles on it

shit ran fine for 11 years until some woman hit me after some fucktard turned a stop sign 90 degrees

only problem was the a/c clutch that failed at 80,000 miles or so

[/anecdotal]

9/5/2006 12:43:24 AM

Quote :

"He also said that even though these trucks are given a bad rap for being "demos" or "rentals" they can't have any major wear and tear with less than 20k miles."

Ever driven a rental/loaner/etc? All the little things that you would care about on your own vehicle are forgotten. Basically people get in the 'drive it like you stole it' mentality since it doesn't belong to them.

9/5/2006 1:20:39 AM

i ragged the fuck out of the cars when i worked at vw as did every other person. redline on cold engine with like under 50 miles on them.

9/5/2006 2:04:29 AM

which is why i would never want to own a program vehicle but then again, what's the difference in buying something used? i don't know if the engine was broke in properly, ragged out in its short life, etc.

9/5/2006 11:46:31 AM

yeh, new or used, some greasy fuckhead has probably already wrung it out a few times.

9/5/2006 1:39:09 PM

even buying it brand new off the lot, what is to say someone hasn't done that on a test drive. Granted a test drive would be just a few times maybe and not consistently for a long period of time. But it still isn't the best thing for it.

9/5/2006 5:12:15 PM

I work at a local dealership and see program cars daily- IMO they're great and usually still under factory warranty. The main thing on buying any used car is to physically look at everything- from the front bumper- look at mis-matched paint, broken/cracked lights, overspray on the radiator or condenser..to the rear- pop up the spare tire cover to see if anything looks bent or reshaped, overspray on mufflers,etc. Good Luck!

9/5/2006 7:19:15 PM

a program vehicle isnt any worse than any used vehicle. i mean your used vehicle might have been pampered, but it could have been wrong the hell out... you dont know

at least with a program vehicle you have dealer maintenance

9/5/2006 7:21:01 PM

Quote :

"wrong the hell out"

9/5/2006 8:45:35 PM

Quote :

"yeh, new or used, some greasy fuckhead has probably already wrung it out a few times. "

9/5/2006 9:30:13 PM