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KYGlad

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You haven't dealt with some of the crazy "costumers" I've seen...
I have no doubt that you've had to deal with some difficult people that act in ridiculous ways. Keeping your cool in those situations is impressive. I'm just getting tired of the word "heroic" being thrown around so easily just to create dramatic effect.
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SuburbanGP88

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I have no doubt that you've had to deal with some difficult people that act in ridiculous ways. I'm just getting tired of the word heroic being thrown around so easily just to create dramatic effect.
Very true. Nowadays the word heroic gets tossed around so much that true heroes don't even want to be called heroes anymore because it's meaningless.
 

Caraholic

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Exactly. Someone was a bit too optimistic in their planning.

When JL launched, FCA executives wouldn't shut up about all the export opportunity there was for Wrangler overseas. Three years later, 80% of all JLs are still being sold here. You don't hear them talk about it any more.

My guess is FCA would like to be producing 250,000 JLs and 150,000 JTs. But it's been tough getting sales to the levels they are at now.
I cannot imagine FCA is very happy with those numbers. That plant was producing 200,000 to 240,000 JKs per year before retooling.

Now FCA is sitting on a combined plant capacity of 500,000 units (300,000 JLs + 200,000 JTs) that barely produce 287,000 units.
Except for supplier and plant closures- Covid wreaked havoc on the system and when I look around lots are almost empty!
The biggest dealers I know of with thousands of cars are sitting with dozens instead!
 

SquirrelNuts

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I find the "heroic" efforts by the dealers mentioned in the article kinda funny. I think what really happened is a lot of people who wanted a Gladiator walked away after dealers refused to eliminate ridiculous markups or offer a reasonable discount. When Pandemicland broke out, dealers were forced to eliminate markups and offer discounts. Then, surprise, people started buying Gladiators.
That's me! I've had a JKU for the last 5 years, and oogled at the JT's when they were announced. Then saw the price when they were released and said... well... guess I won't be getting one of those for about 5 years when used prices are more reasonable.

Fast forward to July 2020... noticed that you could get a semi-basic Sport S with Max Tow for just under $40k... thought that was a little more reasonable...but due to an inventory screw up by the dealer that deal fell though. Wait a bit more... walked out with a better equipped 2021 Sport S with Max Tow for $38,500 in December! Loving it!
 

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Except for supplier and plant closures- Covid wreaked havoc on the system and when I look around lots are almost empty!
The biggest dealers I know of with thousands of cars are sitting with dozens instead!
You opened the door for what I was thinking of commenting...........
Most people buy off the lot. Nothing on the lot, they won't buy. For over 30 years my wife and I have always gone to dealers, looked, found what we wanted at a dealer we found "acceptable" and we bought.
I've heard from several dealers that lots that normally have hundreds maybe had a few dozen. The biggest Chevy dealer in Iowa covering acres of ground with a lot PACKED tight with cars and trucks, almost hard to drive around and look at them, had to re-arrange them to make the lot look full. He's got less than half his normal inventory.
A lot of folks resisted going out and looking, and those that looked found nothing.
I searched and searched for Grand Cherokee for my wife - nothing even going through the entire state and surrounding areas. We ended up ordering. If it hadn't been for Spencer, I have a feeling we'd not have bought at all.
This year has been weird for all sorts of businesses, cars/trucks have to be among the top on the list. Transportation, logistics, staffing, manufacturing, heck, the dealer we go to for shop work now is CLOSED on Fridays! HUH? You can find plenty of places to park and their inventory is down - not from what it was 2 months ago, but way down. So there go the impulse buyers looking to find something today and buy it today.

People sitting here can speculate all day, night and week - but other than comparing the actual numbers, that's all it is. Who went up, who went down, who needed what to do well, etc. - if you are on the board, you know, otherwise it's speculation.
 

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BAT

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The shutdown earlier this year does not explain these sales numbers. The entire industry had one of its strongest second halves ever, but FCA didn't gain from it to the same extent as its competitors.

JT 's natural sales level appears to be 80,000/year. Steep pricing is obviously part of the constraint. Perhaps that explains why most JT models have been on "Employee Pricing" through much of Q4.
I know a couple people who were thinking hard about buying one but the price was just to much for them based on what they thought they should be getting for that price. They opted to go with full size trucks loaded. For them it wasn't about being able to climb rocks just a jeep truck. Same for me but I got the truck I wanted in what I could afford
 

BAT

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I find the "heroic" efforts by the dealers mentioned in the article kinda funny. I think what really happened is a lot of people who wanted a Gladiator walked away after dealers refused to eliminate ridiculous markups or offer a reasonable discount. When Pandemicland broke out, dealers were forced to eliminate markups and offer discounts. Then, surprise, people started buying Gladiators.
This was me exactly
 

zamboniman

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Fundamentally I think it's just priced a bit too premium for what you are actually getting. I'm on the fence likely will buy anyway. If it was 5K or so less across the board MSRP I don't think I'd blink. The price of a loaded out Rubicon, Mojave, Diesel whatever buys you a LOT of vehicle elsewhere. It truly needs to fall into the "this is what I want and I don't care" category.
 

futzin'

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I have made offers recently on two Rubicons (2020s). Both reasonable offers, both turned down. They're not in too much of a hurry to sell. $1000 and $1700 apart on them. Frustrating.

Pretty much cements my thinking of going with something else, especially with the recent price increases.
 

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BAT

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Fundamentally I think it's just priced a bit too premium for what you are actually getting. I'm on the fence likely will buy anyway. If it was 5K or so less across the board MSRP I don't think I'd blink. The price of a loaded out Rubicon, Mojave, Diesel whatever buys you a LOT of vehicle elsewhere. It truly needs to fall into the "this is what I want and I don't care" category.
There is just a lot of things that should have been standard for the price
 

SuburbanGP88

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I don't need the JT to be my premium everyday car or super off road rig. It just has to be fun and capable for what I need which is a light duty truck that'll get me out of dodge if SHTF while still be able to be an acceptable everyday driver.
 

JerseyMike

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numbers look good to me, (over 1/3 the sales of the wrangler without canabalizing wrangler sales). I too had a 2016 taco (it was nice but a bit dated and no more fun than a full size), traded it for an F150, then back to Wrangler, then back to Wrangler with F150 and finally switched to Gladiator (I didn't like the stock look of them or the price but once they started discounting and I threw a lift and 35s on I can't see driving anything else for now). It is leaps and bounds better than Taco and a Sport S with discount is pretty comparable, even a little less price wise than a TRD OFF road. Modifying the gladiator is a breeze compared to taco and with lift and tires it is just an awesome vehicle
 

BAT

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I have made offers recently on two Rubicons (2020s). Both reasonable offers, both turned down. They're not in too much of a hurry to sell. $1000 and $1700 apart on them. Frustrating.

Pretty much cements my thinking of going with something else, especially with the recent price increases.
IF you were just $1000 difference on making a deal and its the vehicle you been wanting that is kind of a no brainer. Would take the deal and just call it a day. That is pocket change in the big picture of the total cost of the vehicle. I am by no means a rich person but I had a budget on my JT purchase. Much like you they would not get to that point and I had been waiting and talking for a year but just said screw it its $1500 and I got them to throw in some other things which they were good with doing. I been happily driving my JT since then and haven't really even thought about it cause I ended up dropping another $5K in it within a month of getting it
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