There's a lot of reviews and comparisons between the Slate and the Ford Ranchero offering for the 2028 model year. The major internet reviewers seem to be down on Slate when comparing it to the Ranchero, almost like they were paid by Ford to sneer at it online.
So, here's some food for thought:
Slate will sell you a bare bones base model truck for the price they are advertising, $25K. Assume this will creep up a little in the next couple years. There are no dealer fees to be tacked onto that, just whatever your states sales tax is and the destination fee of $1500.
All of Slate options are ala carte. You are not forced to buy things you don't want and pay for a "package".
Plus, unlike other manufactures, Slate has designed most options to be DIY for later addition if desired. So, you don't have to "buy once, cry once" unless you want to.
Ford is advertising the Ranchero at $30K. This is a hook to get you in the showroom. You will never see a Ranchero on the showroom floor with a $30K sticker price.
Two reasons for this.
#1 The Ranchero is expected to be a 2028 model. So at least a year away unless Ford does a midyear release ala the 1984 Corvette. So, the base price will almost certainly creep up between now and then.
#2 The bigger reason is that dealers never ever order bare bones examples unless you specifically order it that way. They will always add the most popular options that appeal to most buyers. And the big three haven't done ala carte options in decades, everything is a "package" to sell you extras whether you want them or not. You want power windows, but don't care about power seats? Sorry, you have to order the "Convenience Package" which includes power seats, windows, mirrors, and door locks.
So, a mid optioned Ranchero is probably going to land at $38K-$40K by the time you add in tax, dealer prep, destination fee, ceramic coating and whatever other upcharges they can think of. Probably $48K-$50K fully optioned.
Now go on the Slate website and build your truck with the options you want. I did, and with optional alloy wheels, a single-color wrap, stripe, a center console, telematics module, and the speaker options, it came in at $28K. It seems a fully optioned Slate is about $40K. I could probably add the hard tonneau cover and inch it closer to $30K if I wanted. Add another $5K if you want the SUV option, which the Ranchero doesn't offer, and you are still way below what you will actually be able to buy a Ranchero for.
And don't forget that Slate doesn't spy on your driving habits. Ford does and sells the data to brokers, who in turn sell it to the insurance companies. Do a Google search on how many peeps had insurance increases because of "hard braking" and speeding data.
No, I am not in the market for a Slate or any other EV at this time. At best, I will take another look when Slate is in their third year of full production and see where they're at and assuming the company still has a strong pulse.
So, here's some food for thought:
Slate will sell you a bare bones base model truck for the price they are advertising, $25K. Assume this will creep up a little in the next couple years. There are no dealer fees to be tacked onto that, just whatever your states sales tax is and the destination fee of $1500.
All of Slate options are ala carte. You are not forced to buy things you don't want and pay for a "package".
Plus, unlike other manufactures, Slate has designed most options to be DIY for later addition if desired. So, you don't have to "buy once, cry once" unless you want to.
Ford is advertising the Ranchero at $30K. This is a hook to get you in the showroom. You will never see a Ranchero on the showroom floor with a $30K sticker price.
Two reasons for this.
#1 The Ranchero is expected to be a 2028 model. So at least a year away unless Ford does a midyear release ala the 1984 Corvette. So, the base price will almost certainly creep up between now and then.
#2 The bigger reason is that dealers never ever order bare bones examples unless you specifically order it that way. They will always add the most popular options that appeal to most buyers. And the big three haven't done ala carte options in decades, everything is a "package" to sell you extras whether you want them or not. You want power windows, but don't care about power seats? Sorry, you have to order the "Convenience Package" which includes power seats, windows, mirrors, and door locks.
So, a mid optioned Ranchero is probably going to land at $38K-$40K by the time you add in tax, dealer prep, destination fee, ceramic coating and whatever other upcharges they can think of. Probably $48K-$50K fully optioned.
Now go on the Slate website and build your truck with the options you want. I did, and with optional alloy wheels, a single-color wrap, stripe, a center console, telematics module, and the speaker options, it came in at $28K. It seems a fully optioned Slate is about $40K. I could probably add the hard tonneau cover and inch it closer to $30K if I wanted. Add another $5K if you want the SUV option, which the Ranchero doesn't offer, and you are still way below what you will actually be able to buy a Ranchero for.
And don't forget that Slate doesn't spy on your driving habits. Ford does and sells the data to brokers, who in turn sell it to the insurance companies. Do a Google search on how many peeps had insurance increases because of "hard braking" and speeding data.
No, I am not in the market for a Slate or any other EV at this time. At best, I will take another look when Slate is in their third year of full production and see where they're at and assuming the company still has a strong pulse.
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