Thinking the unthinkable

[aville65]

Yes. Downsizing to a 2-door Wrangler has crossed my mind!

Aldo, you of all people, stick with what you know, go to 2, you won’t regret it.

Sponsored

 

[Old Jeeper]

Demographics have real influence on the market.

This is the most recent Age Pyramid for the United States I was able to find; it is from 2020. You can see how Boomer and Millennial generations flare out by several million.

Baby Boomers were the most numerous group of buyers for many decades. As such, they were the engine of auto sales for the last forty years. Automakers, banks, etc., catered their products and services to them.

As Boomers are past their peak earning years, are retiring --and getting sick or dying, Millennials are now the most numerous group of buyers on the market. So companies now have to cater their products and services to them.

The median age of new-vehicle buyers has been, and still is, 40. Which means Millennials entered the car market a decade ago, just as we came out of the 2009-2010 Great Recession, and are now entering their prime buying years.

Generational shifts like this usually bring with them significant changes to the market. I believe this is why we are seeing with growth in popularity of Korean brands, the fading of Boomer brands like Honda, the demise of the car, and even the explosion of Wrangler 4Xe sales.

But I digress...

I toured the Steel plant for KiA and then the Auto plant...in 1978.

I lived over there and think VERY HIGHLY of the Korean people. In fact there were 2 of us. A LtCol at HQ and myself in the Western Corridor. The HQ LtCol dealt with the Korean Army andI dealt with the Civilian populace.

Both of us represented the Commander, a MG (2 star).

Dealing with the Korean people was a joy and I go to meet many leaders of the business. Like the guy who was the largest mfg of luggage in the world. GREAT folks and hard working! Korea has come a LONG way since '78 good on them, they make great products!

 

[yokramer]

I agree.

Several external factors are currently at play:

1. Millennials are replacing Baby Boomers as the main buying group of automobiles. Many of them are first-time buyers, with everything that comes with that
2. Lingering effects from COVID, Fed actions and ensuing supply line issues, hindering production and distribution
3. The return to a world order of West vs East has cut manufacturers’ market in half pretty much overnight
4. Higher inflation and interest rates

But eventually new supply lines will be in place, production and demand will find equilibrium and prices will stabilize, and even drop. Millennials will have learned that 84-month loans and leasing are not all they are cocked up to be. And automakers and dealers will have to fight to earn our business, like they had to do for the prior 100 years.

Demographics have real influence on the market.

This is the most recent Age Pyramid for the United States I was able to find; it is from 2020. You can see how Boomer and Millennial generations flare out by several million.

Baby Boomers were the most numerous group of buyers for many decades. As such, they were the engine of auto sales for the last forty years. Automakers, banks, etc., catered their products and services to them.

As Boomers are past their peak earning years, are retiring --and getting sick or dying, Millennials are now the most numerous group of buyers on the market. So companies now have to cater their products and services to them.

The median age of new-vehicle buyers has been, and still is, 40. Which means Millennials entered the car market a decade ago, just as we came out of the 2009-2010 Great Recession, and are now entering their prime buying years.

Generational shifts like this usually bring with them significant changes to the market. I believe this is why we are finally seeing such acceptance of Korean brands, the fading of Boomer brands like Honda, the demise of the car, and even the explosion in Wrangler 4Xe sales.

But I digress...

You cant forget in all this runaway profits and corporate greed. Add the fact that Millennials are higher educated and dont make appreciably more and sometimes less for the same work than Boomers did, all the while prices just keep going up for everything.

Source


There is going to come a crash pretty soon between insanely rising prices, corporations buying housing while pricing out young buyers and the ageing population that was able to purchase with less debt just no longer needing to buy anything.

 

[jeepingib]

Adjustable control arms, or at least geometry correction brackets. The Mopar control arms are not long enough to correct your caster after 3.5" of lift.

 

[yokramer]

Adjustable control arms, or at least geometry correction brackets. The Mopar control arms are not long enough to correct your caster after 3.5" of lift.

Metalcloak ones all the way. How they keep the bushings square to the mounts is vastly superior to anyone elses.

 

[Old Jeeper]

You cant forget in all this runaway profits and corporate greed. Add the fact that Millennials are higher educated and dont make appreciably more and sometimes less for the same work than Boomers did, all the while prices just keep going up for everything.

Source


There is going to come a crash pretty soon between insanely rising prices, corporations buying housing while pricing out young buyers and the ageing population that was able to purchase with less debt just no longer needing to buy anything.

Looking at the charts the fact is they are not better educated. Sure more grad from HS and more have a degree, but. It's near impossible to flunk out of HS today.

Straight from college profs and HS teachers about the only way you can fail is to not show up for the 1st exam and the makeup exam. That is the point at which they get a nogo. My X wife was a HS teacher, she hated that she had to pass every that showed for the test.

Most of them are going to school on GOVT money, mom and dad don't pay the tab or in my case was the case of MANY of my friends in college you worked you way thru college.

 

[TheBirdie72]

You cant forget in all this runaway profits and corporate greed. Add the fact that Millennials are higher educated and dont make appreciably more and sometimes less for the same work than Boomers did, all the while prices just keep going up for everything.

Source


There is going to come a crash pretty soon between insanely rising prices, corporations buying housing while pricing out young buyers and the ageing population that was able to purchase with less debt just no longer needing to buy anything.

This post only proves what I’ve been thinking this entire time. That a Jeep now costs more than a lot of hard-working people earn in a year. ?

 

[Deleted member 59498]

This post only proves what I’ve been thinking this entire time. That a Jeep now costs more than a lot of hard-working people earn in a year. ?

This was my only take away from all the stats, old stories, assumptions and opinions.

Then you make the 20th Anniversary SO EXPENSIVE not even a responsible decently paid middle class person can afford it.

 

[aldo98229]

You cant forget in all this runaway profits and corporate greed. Add the fact that Millennials are higher educated and dont make appreciably more and sometimes less for the same work than Boomers did, all the while prices just keep going up for everything.

Source


There is going to come a crash pretty soon between insanely rising prices, corporations buying housing while pricing out young buyers and the ageing population that was able to purchase with less debt just no longer needing to buy anything.

Completely agree on corporate greed. It is out of control.

Millennials are also more indebted. Coming out of college with a huge student debt is now part of the plan.

Boomers were raised with the mindset that cash was good and debt was bad; even if they didn’t always adhere to those principles. Millennials grew up in the era of 30-year mortgages, 84-month loans, and monthly “subscriptions” for everything.

 

[Old Jeeper]

This was my only take away from all the stats, old stories, assumptions and opinions.

Then you make the 20th Anniversary SO EXPENSIVE not even a responsible decently paid middle class person can afford it.

IMO, WORSE! There is not a 20th Annv Rubicon 2 door, the original Rubicon Jeep.

My thought was they tout the 2dr and surround it with 4 doors on the website. The 2 dr is the KING, NOT some 4 door, when you come late to the party you don't get cake IMO.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

Agree whoever at Jeep that decided they couldn't decal up the 2dr is a moron. Not like they did anything major to it.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Another thing I've noticed over the past year or so is how the number of new users/owners have dwindled quite a bit. This likely suggests a drop in sales.

I can also see a decrease in the amount of new take off parts for sale locally, which probably reflects not only a drop in sales but a drop in aftermarket modifications on new Jeep. When was the last time you saw someone proudly boast that it was fully built on day one, because they couldn't stand to be seen in a stock Wrangler?

Not only is the price of just buying one getting out of control, but the cost of the accessories are rising too. Combine that with cost of ownership expenses such as registration, maintenance and insurance, and it's a perfect storm. Some states rake you over the coals every year for registration, and insurance has risen so much in the last year that many don't have it.

 

[Nitehawk92]

As much as I LOVED the looks and driving a 2022 Mini Clubman JCW, I did notice the suspension creaks and noises, and the interior chirps and squeaks when I drove over bad roads. It just didn’t give me the impression that the interior would hold up squeak-free and rattle-free over time.

One thing I can say about my soon-to-be four-year-old, Mazda-built Fiat 124 Spider: the entire car, the interior, the exterior, the suspension, everything is holding up very well.

If you are hearing all those noises, your radio isn't load enough...

 

[yokramer]

Completely agree on corporate greed. It is out of control.

Millennials are also more indebted. Coming out of college with a huge student debt is now part of the plan.

Boomers were raised with the mindset that cash was good and debt was bad; even if they didn’t always adhere to those principles. Millennials grew up in the era of 30-year mortgages, 84-month loans, and monthly “subscriptions” for everything.

Dont disagree but we cant forget the reasons for that last paragraph and who set them in motion. Boomers were able to save due to higher wages versus costs than Millennials and a large part of those same Boomers told them from an early age to go to school to get a better paying job and don't worry about that debt you will easily be able to pay it off.

And I feel ya on those subscriptions, I was a hard core pirate from the Usenet days and always said that once paying for stuff I want became reasonable and easy I would change my ways. Along came Spotify and Netflix and I hung my hat and eye patch up. But now that streaming has just become cable with more bills I dusted them off and am sailing along nicely again.

 

[yokramer]

This was my only take away from all the stats, old stories, assumptions and opinions.

Then you make the 20th Anniversary SO EXPENSIVE not even a responsible decently paid middle class person can afford it.

Yep it was a cash grab plain and simple. There will be a few "influencers" that will buy one and pay it off over 20 videos or so, and the rest will go to either people that want it as a status symbol or a few more people that put it away as "an investment". Damn shame all around.

Sponsored