Ballooning Inventory- sales slowing?

[BAT]

Not only are the options terrible on most Ive seen, but the ratio of trim levels seems off too. For most people that actually need a truck over a JL it seems like the Max Tow Sport S or the Rubicon are the only way to go for reasonable towing and payload. Some dealers here who have 25 on the lot have 12-15 Overlands, a bunch of regular Sports and a couple Rubicons. The max tow package is pretty much nonexistent here, and I would think it would be the volume seller if it was readily available. Not to offend anyone who bought them but the Overland model almost seems silly on the JT imo. On the JL I understand the Sahara- ppl who want luxury- leather etc... but dont hardcore offroad. On the JT where you also lose truck capability it seems less desireable-doesnt seem like many people would choose an Overland for 52k or so over a much more capable Rubicon ( both off-road and just as a truck)for the same or slightly more money.

I would think something like the Overland would sell well in a City like Houston and surrounding since there are not a lot of mountains and trails. Lots of people use jeeps as their daily driver and just want comfort and the ability to take the top off. The roads are full of regular jeeps but the jump to JT I just haven't seen it. I am considering a Overland since I don't do a lot of towing, etc currently and its a daily driver for me. Hauling my kayak and gear around would not put much burden on it but I keep thinking what if I do decided to get a trailer again or a boat again then need the towing, etc. I would be kicking myself if I didn't get something like the Sport S Max Tow for future possibilities. I plan on keeping the truck long time

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[aj8544]

I would think something like the Overland would sell well in a City like Houston and surrounding since there are not a lot of mountains and trails. Lots of people use jeeps as their daily driver and just want comfort and the ability to take the top off. The roads are full of regular jeeps but the jump to JT I just haven't seen it. I am considering a Overland since I don't do a lot of towing, etc currently and its a daily driver for me. Hauling my kayak and gear around would not put much burden on it but I keep thinking what if I do decided to get a trailer again or a boat again then need the towing, etc. I would be kicking myself if I didn't get something like the Sport S Max Tow for future possibilities. I plan on keeping the truck long time

I get the comfort and for sure the top off thing- but why buy the JT instead of the JL if the “truck” capability is so limited... Not saying there is no good use for the overland, but seems like it would be a very limited customer base compared to the percentage of inventory at alot of dealers currently.

My theory with trucks is like garages- buy bigger/ more capable than you think you currently need...I know I sure had alot less truck stuff to do before I bought my first truck- funny how that happens

 

[Rickv100De]

I nearly forgot - I have had a Jeep truck for years.............

I have the blue AAA tow truck version so I guess I qualify as well

 

[5JeepsAz]

Exactly, I know some folks that would buy a JT if the price was lower but they are not going to jump out of a loaded 1500 that drives like a dream and is a very good all around truck for the JT at a crazy high price point. What I get next year will I guess depend where they are on the pricing at that time. I am hoping to be in one before May but guess will have to wait and see. The Diesel will add gas mileage but its going to drive the cost up even more than it is now.

Agree totally. I'm almost back in the market. Still baffling how they could screw this up, to the point i remain convinced this is intentional bloating. They are flooding the market, obviously. Or, the market is flooded. So in a flooded marketplace, you decrease production to maintain price.

Unless it is your intention to steal market share by giving these things away.

 

[5JeepsAz]

I have the blue AAA tow truck version so I guess I qualify as well

 

[5JeepsAz]

Alright. Here's my 2c. The plan is to steal market share by giving JTs away after the initial pent up demand is exhausted. How? You give dealerships all over the nation too many. They are forced to steeply discount to individuals and to sell in bulk to fleets. By 2022, JTs are everywhere and the replacement market, that is new units in 2023, for sale back at the higher price is the end game. By 2023 JT is established in the marketplace. Maybe.

 

[Insert_Clever_Name_Here]

Good luck.Should be able to get at least %5 below invoice without too much effort. I bought my JKU from a No.Va. dealer. They are high volume, high pressure. It will be a fun experience if you stay one step ahead of them.

Do you have a trade? Problem with those fellows is they don't seem to give a reasonable price for trades.I ended up buying my JT from a dealer in South Central Pa because they had good discounts, and, after a lot of negotiation, gave me top dollar for my trade.

I ended up pulling the trigger on the very optioned out stingray gray rubicon. I got $4k off MSRP and a STRONG trade in number. Especially since my truck had bald tires and pinstriping. I'm happy with the deal and got the color I wanted.

 

[Klutch]

Alright. Here's my 2c. The plan is to steal market share by giving JTs away after the initial pent up demand is exhausted. How? You give dealerships all over the nation too many. They are forced to steeply discount to individuals and to sell in bulk to fleets. By 2022, JTs are everywhere and the replacement market, that is new units in 2023, for sale back at the higher price is the end game. By 2023 JT is established in the marketplace. Maybe.

Shoot, anything is possible with FCA. A friend of mine is a retired Ford engineer. A few years ago he was telling me he didn't expect Chrysler to be around much longer. He said they don't sell nearly enough cars to make it worth their while and he thought it was likely someone would buy Chrysler, sell off Jeep and Ram and shut down the Dodge/Chrysler brand altogether. No kidding, not long after that conversation, I read a Chinese company was trying to buy Chrysler.

It is kind of a weird situation. When the Jeep pickup prototype appeared at the Detroit Auto Show, people were foaming at the mouth for that truck. Well, it took FCA ten years to get such a truck on the lot and now people may be over it. Also, I think a large percentage of the guys who would like to buy a Gladiator are guys who can't afford to buy any new truck. I own a 1970 Mustang and I see a similar situation with classic cars. A lot of guys will talk about how much they'd like to buy a classic car, but complain about how high the prices are. "No way would I pay that!" is a common quote. The translation is, "No way could I afford to pay that!".

Some people are just detached from reality and think they should be able to by a 1968 GT Fastback for $3,500. And some people think they should be able to buy a new Jeep pickup for $12,500. Like classic car fans, many Jeep and pickup enthusiasts tend to be rural guys who work hard, but sadly make little money. They would really like to buy a new truck, but are shocked to learn the sticker price is more than their annual salary. Major bummer here in the 21st century. The guys who can afford to buy a new truck tend to be suburban dudes who would be perfectly happy with a Honda Ridgeline or Toyota Tacoma to be their mall-crawler. They want something with a pickup bed only so when they buy a new appliance or furniture, they can haul it home rather than waiting for sketchy delivery. (Gotta keep "Karen" happy.)

It would sure be nice if FCA starts offering rebates on the Gladiator soon! Time will tell.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Not only are the options terrible on most Ive seen, but the ratio of trim levels seems off too. For most people that actually need a truck over a JL it seems like the Max Tow Sport S or the Rubicon are the only way to go for reasonable towing and payload. Some dealers here who have 25 on the lot have 12-15 Overlands, a bunch of regular Sports and a couple Rubicons. The max tow package is pretty much nonexistent here, and I would think it would be the volume seller if it was readily available. Not to offend anyone who bought them but the Overland model almost seems silly on the JT imo. On the JL I understand the Sahara- ppl who want luxury- leather etc... but dont hardcore offroad. On the JT where you also lose truck capability it seems less desireable-doesnt seem like many people would choose an Overland for 52k or so over a much more capable Rubicon ( both off-road and just as a truck)for the same or slightly more money.

The exact opposite here. Almost half were Rubicon. No kidding. Then of the rest, the remaining were split 2/3 sport to 1/3 Overland.
The dealer I went through may have had 3 Overland on the lot, but you had to dig and search for them, walk the whole lot to find them buried. The Rubicon sat proudly out front and around the side, a couple Sport S with max tow mixed in. overland - in the back, go find one.

My only reason for Rubicon would have been the payload (slightly more than Overland) or towing (only 1,000 over Overland) because you don't off-road in Iowa. No reason for a Rubicon other than the maco cool whiz-bang wow effect. What are you going to do with it here? Show it off, wow, that's cool. That's it. You'd never use the sway bar disconnect, can't think of a reason for the lockers unless you hit the river areas that aren't owned by farmers or the government.
People here buy trucks for work - farming, construction, hauling heavy loads. So they won't look at a JT.
The rest buy for daily transportation, occasional use at Lowest for getting a BBQ grill home, maybe pull a small boat to Saylorville or RedRock. For them, I can see Overland or Sport - mostly Sport S max tow. But I suspect the lack of certain options will stop a few of those sales here in Iowa. Even Hummers are used as grocery getters here. You never see any with any dirt on them but you sure see them at the grocery store. Not exaggerating.

 

[BAT]

I get the comfort and for sure the top off thing- but why buy the JT instead of the JL if the “truck” capability is so limited... Not saying there is no good use for the overland, but seems like it would be a very limited customer base compared to the percentage of inventory at alot of dealers currently.

My theory with trucks is like garages- buy bigger/ more capable than you think you currently need...I know I sure had alot less truck stuff to do before I bought my first truck- funny how that happens

Lots of folks want and use a general purpose truck around here but don't necessarily need it to be able to tow a ton, etc. Many are daily drivers on long commutes. Would think that having a functional mid size truck with the cool factor of it being a jeep also seems like it would be a no brainer but that isn't the case. When prices come down think more might start moving off the lot.

 

[Rex3rd]

The best thing they could do is add the auto as standard and Manuel as option. If they knock 2k off the price it would help. Or have The hardtop standard and soft top option. thats why it was so confusing for me when I first started scoping out a jt on the build tool. Want auto tranny 2k added. Want a roof for your truck another 1200 please. Oh we see you want led lights which should be standard now on a 50k truck add another chunk of money . Some of the options should be standard

 

[ZTMAN]

I ended up pulling the trigger on the very optioned out stingray gray rubicon. I got $4k off MSRP and a STRONG trade in number. Especially since my truck had bald tires and pinstriping. I'm happy with the deal and got the color I wanted.

Sounds like you did ok. Post up a pic when you get a chance

 

[eaglerugby04]

The best thing they could do is add the auto as standard and Manuel as option. If they knock 2k off the price it would help. Or have The hardtop standard and soft top option. thats why it was so confusing for me when I first started scoping out a jt on the build tool. Want auto tranny 2k added. Want a roof for your truck another 1200 please. Oh we see you want led lights which should be standard now on a 50k truck add another chunk of money . Some of the options should be standard

Yes! The lights is the biggest rip off ever. For the price of the truck they should not be able to get away with the garbage headlights on that thing. I refused to pay 1100 for led lights since I could care less about turn signals, DRLs, and tailghts. But to include headlights that can’t even light up a driveway on an off road vehicle is just crazy.

 

[5JeepsAz]

Shoot, anything is possible with FCA. A friend of mine is a retired Ford engineer. A few years ago he was telling me he didn't expect Chrysler to be around much longer. He said they don't sell nearly enough cars to make it worth their while and he thought it was likely someone would buy Chrysler, sell off Jeep and Ram and shut down the Dodge/Chrysler brand altogether. No kidding, not long after that conversation, I read a Chinese company was trying to buy Chrysler.

It is kind of a weird situation. When the Jeep pickup prototype appeared at the Detroit Auto Show, people were foaming at the mouth for that truck. Well, it took FCA ten years to get such a truck on the lot and now people may be over it. Also, I think a large percentage of the guys who would like to buy a Gladiator are guys who can't afford to buy any new truck. I own a 1970 Mustang and I see a similar situation with classic cars. A lot of guys will talk about how much they'd like to buy a classic car, but complain about how high the prices are. "No way would I pay that!" is a common quote. The translation is, "No way could I afford to pay that!".

Some people are just detached from reality and think they should be able to by a 1968 GT Fastback for $3,500. And some people think they should be able to buy a new Jeep pickup for $12,500. Like classic car fans, many Jeep and pickup enthusiasts tend to be rural guys who work hard, but sadly make little money. They would really like to buy a new truck, but are shocked to learn the sticker price is more than their annual salary. Major bummer here in the 21st century. The guys who can afford to buy a new truck tend to be suburban dudes who would be perfectly happy with a Honda Ridgeline or Toyota Tacoma to be their mall-crawler. They want something with a pickup bed only so when they buy a new appliance or furniture, they can haul it home rather than waiting for sketchy delivery. (Gotta keep "Karen" happy.)

It would sure be nice if FCA starts offering rebates on the Gladiator soon! Time will tell.

Well said. And, they did get it built and they do have to sell them. Are there enough dazzling suburbanites to buy all the JT's?

 

[futzin']

I've questioned for months the pricing and value of the vehicle. Been called a troll because of it (but not lately!).

I still want one, but between the high price, lack of torque and several "Jeep thing" issues I've just about decided to go with a different vehicle for now, albeit still an FCA one. I will see what the Bronco has to offer, then re-evaluate my options in a couple of years. At least that's the plan as of today!

Looks like I'll be contacting Travis about a Durango SRT . . .

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