Wednesday 22nd July 2015

Silverado vs. F-150 repair costs: PH Ad Break

Aloominum against steel as the pick-up war gets personal!

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Never let it be said that Americans don't take pick-ups, and the advertising of pick-ups, very seriously indeed. Too seriously it might be said, given another of Chevy's new Silverado ads features grizzly bears and cages. Worth a watch, that one.

Anyway, the point Chevy is trying to make is that using 'aloominum' for your truck makes it more expensive and complex to repair. And wouldn't you know, that's proven to be true in Chevrolet's advert for the most dependable pick up in the US...

Cynicism aside for just one second, it goes to prove just how critical public perception of these vehicles is that the manufacturers will go to such lengths. Independent testing was conducted, "I'll bet" is said and the acting is as rigid as that high-strength steel. They've even got Howie Long involved. He did footballing in America and everything.

So next time you think undercutting a lease deal is an aggressive sale tactic, remember this Chevrolet ad. Or indeed the one with the bear, whichever is most memorable.

Watch the vid here.

[redroadster]

Is it not down to the insurance premium ? What's the difference to insure each model ?

[AudiWurst]

The "truck guy" adverts for the smaller Chevy Colorado are even more hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJBRpylC9-Q

I love how Yank TV adverts are so blunt and unsubtle.

[JaguarsportXJR]

I love the fact that they use the word "different" as a put down for the F150.

[spreadsheet monkey]

This Charger ad from a couple of years ago is also great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7k0JCzEusM

Makes our dreary UK adverts look so boring in comparison. Thanks, ASA.

[wemorgan]

It's perspective. Aluminium = expensive, or Aluminium = lightweight. Different markets will have different values.

ps. high strength steel has the same stiffness (rigidity) as mild steel.

[Goatboy]

What about the people who deliberately buy the Aloominum one because the advert makes them angry deep inside. The other add with truck guy vs generic car guy is also hilarious. This is why I watch everything on demand so I can fly through dangerous mind bending adds such as these!

[renaultgeek]

all that certainly makes me think twice about technology from after 1930!

[skyrover]

Ford went the Aloominum route for fuel economy reasons.

Land rover managed for years with aluminium panels on the Defender.

However most land rover owners never bother to get them repaired

[anonymous-user]

It does highlight the demographic of the typical truck buyer. The sort of person who is swayed by this type of advertising is not someone I'd go for a drink with. Not that they'd be allowed in to a bar with a baseball cap on.

One thing I'll never forget about watching TV when in the States was how attrocious the TV adverts were, whether it was for pizza ('Six different coloured cheeses!') or trucks or insurance. A lot of their culture seems to be offensive (as in opposite of defensive); instilling a sense of fear through 'this might happen to you so get in there first' tactics.

I appreciate we aren't immune from similar happenings in the UK but I'm glad we're more cynical about... pretty much everything.

Ironically one of the best car ads in my opinion was the the American VW Passat 'Force' ad from a few years ago. it was close to perfect.

[David87]

AudiWurst said:

The "truck guy" adverts for the smaller Chevy Colorado are even more hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJBRpylC9-Q

I love how Yank TV adverts are so blunt and unsubtle.

That is amazing. Everyone's better with a truck, no doubt about it.

[DevonPaul]

skyrover said:

Ford went the Aloominum route for fuel economy reasons.

Land rover managed for years with aluminium panels on the Defender.

However most land rover owners never bother to get them repaired

Maybe Ford should make a few deep scratches in the 2 trucks then leave them parked somewhere wet and salty for a few months. "Trucks get battle scars, but here's what happens when you ignore them".

[mariscalcus]

One of life's great mysteries, as someone, a Brit, who spends a lot of time in the southern US, is the American obsession with these monstrosities. I believe the F150 is the biggest selling "car" in the US. When in Houston recently a colleague gave me a ride in his 1 year old F250. Despite being on excellent road surfaces, it was the most uncomfortable ride of my life - it seemed to bounce rather than cruise. As someone who had lived in Europe (the owner) I told him what I thought. He agreed instantly but said that to be cool you had to have the biggest truck you could afford. In Europe it is a sports or GT car - Audi, BMW, Porsche et al but here - big trucks. Strangely, north of the Virginia line in NE US or on the west coast you will rarely see a pick-up truck since they are deemed hick.

[Burwood]

In other words the alloy Ford is a better vehicle lol

[Rhod]

The beauty of living in Canada means I see this sort of "infomercial" all the time.

Ford need to comeback with an "Aloominum doesn't rust to 5h1t after a single salty winter"

[Burwood]

Rhod said:

The beauty of living in Canada means I see this sort of "infomercial" all the time.

Ford need to comeback with an "Aloominum doesn't rust to 5h1t after a single salty winter"

It's interesting in the land of the free they are allowed to 'get away' with this sort of misleading garbage. In the EU one could not compare something as left field as repair costs when the elephant in the room is

crumple zones
fuel economy
rust

[spreadsheet monkey]

mariscalcus said:

I believe the F150 is the biggest selling "car" in the US.

...to be cool you had to have the biggest truck you could afford. In Europe it is a sports or GT car - Audi, BMW, Porsche et al but here - big trucks.

I think the Chevy Silverado (and GMC Sierra) may have overtaken the F150 this year because of supply problems with the new aloominum F150. But yes, truck sales massively dwarf car sales.

There is a school of thought that many Americans just want a "real" body-on-frame full size car with a V8 up front, like an old school Cadillac or Lincoln. With many new American cars (even the big ones) downsizing to smaller V6 and turbo four cylinder engines, a crew cab truck is the nearest thing they can get. They just think of it as a Cadillac without a boot lid.

How much is petrol in the US these days? Still under $3 a gallon? In a land where petrol is cheap and roads are badly surfaced, I can see why people aspire to one of these rather than some teeny tiny coupe from "Yerp" with low profile tyres and hard suspension.

[Theophany]

AudiWurst said:

The "truck guy" adverts for the smaller Chevy Colorado are even more hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJBRpylC9-Q

I love how Yank TV adverts are so blunt and unsubtle.

I love how the top rated comment on that video is "Trucks. The vehicle of choice for white men who question their own sexuality and have to pay for sex."

[MadDog1962]

redroadster said:

Is it not down to the insurance premium ? What's the difference to insure each model ?

A lot of the people buying pick ups don't buy fully comprehensive insurance, and probably won't worry all that much about a few scratches and dents. The average pickup over in the U.S. has a long and hard life and is often bodged up after its out of warranty.

Corrosion resistance would be a big selling point (in some states at least), but at the moment fuel prices are so low a lot of people won't be swayed much by the better economy of the Ford. They're more likely to buy a new F-150 because they'll get a better trade in on their old F-150.

Generally speaking, most folks think Ford builds a better product than GM these days. However, there are stories in the press of big discounts on the new F-150.

[skyrover]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Aluminium still corrodes unfortunately. Just about anywhere a fastener passes through unless properly isolated.

[unsprung]

AudiWurst said:

I love how Yank TV adverts are so blunt and unsubtle.

The obverse of your statement is that you love how the Yank market tends not to be dominated by an oligarchy of brands -- as one finds in many product categories in most parts of the world.