Originally Posted by
catatonic
Pickup trucks rarely depreciate like that though...unlike SUVs, more people buy trucks to use them rather than to poke around in a titanic vehicle. This helps keep any truck that's a proven brand (Ford especially, then Chevy/GMC, then the rest) in a decent resale bracket.
Anyways, if it can't be paid off in 4 years, it shouldn't be bought....if it depreciates so much in 2-3 years that you're upside down, you bought a really horrible vehicle. Nissan Titan comes to mind (no offense to those that own them, they look nice, have good power, but the drivetrain just can't handle what a equally powered American Truck can...it just isn't competitive in it's price/performance bracket, thus not on the list for those that want a work truck, which is the people most likely to pay top dollar, as it's a write-off anyways).
Hyundai and Kia depreciate very quickly and are often "upside down" loans but they are some of the best cars on American roads. They are more reliable than American and European cars and almost as much so as Japanese brands. I dont think they are "horrible" vehicles. Depreciation is based on "precieved" loss of value not actual loss of function or usefullness.
While what you said about Trucks Vs. SUVs is true trucks still depreciate much faster than most cars. Also, being from a rural town I knew LOTS of people who owned trucks who did jack and squat with them and their "towing capacity." They just liked the looks or it made them feel rugged or whatever, I cant pretend I understand why they drove them.
Why pay any amount of money for a new car that will be worth such a small fraction of its original price after just a few years, be it a truck, SUV, or car? To me it makes sense ONLY if you plan on keeping the vehicle till the wheels fall off in which case reliability and economy should be high on your list of features. Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Toyota. If I remember right the most reliable vehicle according to Consumer Reports for the last two years was the Hyundai Sonata but I have not been a CR member for a while now so maybe thats changed.