First truck, how much do miles matter?

[ZookieRap]

Switching from sport luxury cars which have fulfilled the need for speed and fun most of my life. There's only one truck for me and this is it.

As everyone is probably aware, inventory is slim. And I'm chasing a basically decked out 802a 2019 with the moonroof and carbon fiber and preferably bead wheels and the right color for me. Or at least most of those.

The miles that I see on these trucks vary wildly and the price doesn't seem to reflect significantly more miles. On sport luxury cars there would be a huge price difference based on mileage. But on these Raptors I'll see a truck with virtually half the miles (17k vs 32k) for only $1,000 more and on a $60-63k truck that's not even 2% for half the miles. Multiple examples of this and a truck with half the mileage life on it costing less than 2% more just seems off.

To me its a no-brainer to spend a thousand bucks more to get a truck with half the miles but I thought I'd just ask if there's something I'm missing since I'm not familiar with the truck market, truck longevity, etc. Sure, I've heard of trucks with hundreds of thousands or even the million mile trucks or diesels lasting extreme amounts of miles but generally speaking do miles not depreciate these trucks as much as it seems like they should? Not at these low miles but the same stuff still wears out (expensive shocks, bearings, etc) and the truck with twice the miles is closer to that day than the lower mile one.

Or is it just another example of how ridiculous this market is right now and why it's probably not a good time for me to be buying this truck (though I'm going to do it anyway).

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

probably all of the above you mentioned. these trucks can go hundereds of thousands of miles even with offroad miles as long as you maintain it and fix what breaks. in my younger days, i spent a lot of money on maintenence and i dont think i ever had one hit 200k miles. my truck currently has 203k and still runs strong. i put on a few offroad events a year as well as attend many more. these trucks were built right. sports luxury cars dont hold their resale much. the maintenence alone is gonna kick your ass in costs. but they just arent as in demand as these trucks

 

[CoronaRaptor]

The market is hot for these trucks, the first Gen's held up really well, easy 200,000k with regular maintenance , the gen 2's are expected to be the same.

 

[tooloud10]

I bought my truck in very early December '20 and noticed the same thing--miles varied pretty wildly but the pricing did not. Just for a reference point, I got my '19 Performance Blue SCREW with 35k miles and every option except the bed graphics for $60,795. Original sticker was $76,275.

 

[970rap]

I think what you're seeing is a result of the limited Raptor inventory. It's widely known that inventory is limited so anyone with one for sale is trying to A) get top dollar (because they probably paid a bunch for it on trade/recent purchase) and B) probably isn't going to perfectly analyze the market to price theirs based on the miles/options/other inventory because there are just so few of them for sale. If there were more out there, any that happened to be overpriced would just naturally not sell until the price came down. Now, they're being priced hoping that there will be buyers who want to get into a Raptor no matter the cost.

That being said, all else being equal, I would certainly look for the lowest miles I can locate within my budget. Half the miles for $1-2K more would be a no brainer to me.

 

[Dustan]

It’s great if you find the “this truck isn’t for me low mile truck” but there’s also the “this truck should be a lemon low mile truck” if the dealer can give you the service records you should be good. It’s hard to hide the underside of a beat truck. The higher mileage trucks may just be traded in because people really value a warranty. I think I just answered why I get 3 calls a day to extend mine. Good luck with your search

 

[JefferyGT]

Depends on how often the truck was jumped.

You will love the Raptor.
Find the one that you like. That pulls on your heart strings. You'll know if it is talking to you. Your Jedi senses haven't failed you before.
And buy it.
Gotta pay to play.

 

[Braaaaptor]

The wildcard with these trucks is off-road abuse. If the truck with half the miles has been abused off-road then all of a sudden the pavement princess with higher mileage seems attractive.

From your experience with sports cars, would you rather have the clapped out C5 with bald ass Cup 2 tires or the ****** special? Only way to tell is through a thorough inspection beforehand, price alone will only tell you half the story. Inventory is crazy low and it's as bad a time as any to get one so be prepared to move quickly when you find goldilocks. Good luck!

 

[ZookieRap]

Thanks guys. Had a deal in motion today and was trying to learn if it was abused. Truck was exactly everything I wanted (but without recaro seats which is no big deal). Dealer even told me to hold it for $500, that it would be gone by Sat for sure, and like a fool I did not as we went through things. Then sales guy when dark on me and an hour later it was sold. Lesson learned.

 

[K223]

Thanks guys. Had a deal in motion today and was trying to learn if it was abused. Truck was exactly everything I wanted (but without recaro seats which is no big deal). Dealer even told me to hold it for $500, that it would be gone by Sat for sure, and like a fool I did not as we went through things. Then sales guy when dark on me and an hour later it was sold. Lesson learned.

Keep looking! While inventory is low and prices are high, there may be a decent new deal or a better used one. Raptor shopping even a year ago wasn’t totally straight forward. Then again this isn’t the average vehicle. Find another and let us know about it.

Good Luck.