I am one that wants a uncomplicated vehicle A truck that is a truck a long lasting car same with an SUV.do we really need any of these to all the fancy things that they put in them, I say no its just all bells and whistles the bodies dont last the cost to fix them is way out there and they have far to much going on in them.All that just makes them hard for any average person to buy and the cost of what I call high mileage cars is crazy too. Time to bring back quality in all these reduce cost take out all that junk that we dont need.What do ya think?

Government and insurance companies are the reason most of that unwanted stuff is on them.

You can go online and spec out a jeep. After you do you have to go through a dealer to get it. Most of them won’t do it. They want you buy off the lot cause they make more money. Took about 2 months to get mine after I found a dealer. Had to make a down payment with a credit card. I am not sure why a credit card but that is what the dealer wanted before they would order it. Price is set when you spec it out. They can’t add anything. I got what I wanted though. No packages. What I wanted and not what I didn’t. Window sticker said made for Danny Clifton. I thought that was cool and kept it.

You can do that with Ford as well. All I want is vinyl seats and floors. A radio, AC, heat, with electric locks and windows. And must be 4x4. The only issue was half down and about a 2-3 month wait.

The majority of buyers want that stuff, which is why manufacturers build their vehicles that way. They're not going to build vehicles to suit a minority. It's as simple as that.

Exactly why I own a 1981 j10 pickup and a 1995 Jeep yj no bells and whistles but I can work on them

What's the average person?

might be true, however we'll never know as you can't buy one without all sorts of unnecessary stuff.

Danny mentions a Jeep, wranglers MSRP for a jeep with no options is $34,000.
Can't buy one without A/C, and host of other unnecessary stuff.
Without all that stuff what would the price be? $25,000?

I'd look at buying new but everything comes with lots and lots of stuff I don't want or need.
I'd like a bare bones vehicle similar to what you could buy in the 60's or '70's.
I'm not paying $50K for a vehicle that is loaded with stuff I'll never use or need.
I'm going to buy used, 20 years old or more. I can sink 10K into a used vehicle and still be at less than 1/2 the price of new.

Now with everyone being squeezed for money you'd think a auto maker would look at making such a thing and selling for around 15-20K

There is something like 275 different models of vehicles available and yet only 9 are 25K or less. Average price for a new vehicle is 49K.
pickup trucks are 66K.

Automakers won't drop the price. They will just make fewer vehicle to sell because there will always be buyers.

If you lived in KS you would want AC

This. If there was a market for bare bones vehicles they would build them.

I disagree. I think they come with all those options because for every option upgrade the manufactures and the dealers make thousands of dollars. Not nearly as much money to be made in bare bones trucks.

You may be right, Lugnut. But people buy those fancy ones without hesitation so they're going to keep doing it.

Yep

I agree with Lugnut. A fully optioned top of the line model can make as much as $20k to $30k in profit for the manafactuer. A stripped out base model makes $1k to $1.5k. You need to make lots more units to get as much profit as the loaded unit.

Remember when the chip shortage was a thing ?
Manafactuers made sure the few chips they had went into the more profitable loaded models.


With that said , base economy cars have always targeted the young , first time new car buyers. But a lot of that demographic now wants a minimum level of upscale options in their cars , like high end electronics. Young buyers do not want a totally stripped bare bones car.

No they wouldn't. They don't give you a choice. They don't care. They just want your money.

Well, they are in business to make money.

I have special ordered a 78 Bronco and an Olds Diesel station wagon. Some items were deleted.
The Bronco deleted bucket seats and console as well as carpeted floors. The Oldswas ordered with black wall tires and simple hubcaps that were not standard.

How long did your Olds diesel last?

Again how many people can reach over the side of a pickup truck and grab something how fast do the new trucks rust you need a step to get in the box do you really need every creature comfort in a car or SUV to drive a 100 miles. had my wifes car at Chevy for service saw a new 24 Suv in the show room just short of 50k. What would be the payments? Dont care for all the bells and whistles, I once asked a salesman while looking at a new truck listed was the wheel and tire option had 2 listed on the window sticker and the price of the vehicle,Simple question do I get both listed and he could not answer that, both listed are you not buying both? ya new tech and fully loaded is what they sell do older people really want all that stuff I dont, air tilt cruise and a good radio comfy seats good on gas. Do you need all that tech to work around the farm pull a stock trailer 8 cameras to look around with?