Cadillac EXT owners make serious coin, spend lots of it on truck
Not surprisingly, owners of the most expensive pickup truck in America tend to have lots of money themselves. According to SEMA, 71% of Cadillac Escalade EXT owners make over $100,000 per year, and they also dole out plenty of coin for aftermarket improvements. While that little nugget of knowledge doesn't come as a shocker, the fact is that the average Cadillac Escalade EXT owner spends a whopping $5,814 to customize their wreath-and-crested blingmobile, which is twice as much as the next truck on the list, the Chevy Avalanche at $2,652.
Owners of the Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra and Dodge Ram all add between $819 and $1,040 on accessories for their trucks, which might indicate that these purchases were often made to do real work. Of the compact and midsize pickup segment, owners of the Honda Ridgeline spent the most on their trucks at $1,441 on average per vehicle. Somewhat predictably, the inexpensive and long-running Ford Ranger brings up the rear with just $565 spent on improvements.
[Source: SEMA via PickupTrucks.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
why not the LS2LS7? 1:02PM (3/19/2009)
Now we can see why Ford tried twice to compete with the EXT.
It's weird to me that all 3 of the vehicles listed as most customized are midgate trucks.
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:03PM (3/19/2009)
I take that back, the Ridgeline doesn't have a midgate, it's just built like a midgate truck. My mistake.
UltimoDragon 3:59PM (3/19/2009)
My thing is, why hasn't Ford ever tried to counter Chevy's Avalanche? Consumer Reports (ducks shoes) loves its versatility enough to make it their recommended full-size truck, over the Silverado and the F-Series.
Ford probably won't ever try one now, and Chevy/GM probably won't give us the smaller, more fuel efficient one that I'd love to own.
JN 1:30PM (3/19/2009)
Not surprised to see such a small dollar figure on Ranger mods. Around here, most people buy 'em and drive 'em as they are. We've had several in my family, all four-cylinder models, and every one has clocked in excess of 200K before needing any major work. That's dependability.
The Ranger, my friends, is worth the money. The EXT is a ridiculous waste of money.
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Taglane 1:07PM (3/19/2009)
Saying the Ranger is worth the Money is like saying Chrysler's Sebring should have been car of the year. It just ain't right.
Ken 1:33PM (3/19/2009)
The Ranger is worth the money, if you need a truck the Ranger can haul about 90% of what most people demand of a truck and does it for cheaper than the competition. You get less comfort and features, but the value of the work it can do is worth the money, the EXT on the other hand has a lot more doo-dads, but serves the exact same function as a Ford Ranger as far as trucks go.
I want to see what the money is typically spent on. For the Ranger I'm betting it's simple, functional things like an in-bed tool-box, maybe a better radio, seat covers, etc. while the more luxurious offerings like a complete stereo system, appearance upgrades, etc.
JN 1:41PM (3/19/2009)
@Taglane
How is that not right? The Ranger doesn't promise more than it can deliver, and even though you might think it's outdated, it's really not. It handles nicely, rides well, and gets exceptional gas mileage. And that four-cylinder they're putting in 'em now is one sweet little motor, even though I admit that I miss the old twin-plug 2.3L my '92 had.
PJ 5:18PM (3/19/2009)
The Ranger might be old, but it's an exceedingly functional little package--the bed is probably longer than the bobtail EXT's--with agile-for-a-truck handling, a nice Mazda Four (the same one in the 3 and base 6) and a smooth 5-speed. At $8-9K for that equipment level, it's definitely worth the money if you just need a light cargo hauler (read: 90% of pickup owners).
MikeofLA 1:07PM (3/19/2009)
Money =/= Brains
What a waste.
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2004m3driver 1:20PM (3/19/2009)
you mean money =/= your taste.
Some people just like useless expensive bling mobiles. But they like it , just like how we like top performing sports cars. To normal people we are just wasting gas just to get no where fast and have higher insurance rates and increasing our chances of getting speeding tickets.
Mental Issues 1:27PM (3/19/2009)
I'd like to say that taste is subjective and there's nothing wrong with buying an EXT. But damn, there's a lot of cool cars available for $70k. I don't understand why anyone would pay that much for an Avalanche with fake chrome.
MikeofLA 2:22PM (3/19/2009)
Touche M3 Driver... However, spending money on a larger 24"+ wheels, a huge sound system that sounds worse then the stock, custom ultrawhite leather interior and ground effects in no way is the same as spending money on intake, exhaust, suspension, tuning etc that I would associate with my taste, and by the car you drive, your too.
But, to each their own, right?
By the way, I make over $100,000K a year, and I can't afford an Escalade EXT, let alone ~$5700 to modify it to a great extent... oh, wait, that's because I pay my mortgage before I play with my car... Must be why I don't have any debt.
2004m3driver 2:33PM (3/19/2009)
@mike
Yeah I feel ya man. I was going to buy parts for my car, but I just said screw it when I tallied up the expenses. I couldn't justify spending 8k on new wheels/tires so I just bought my motorcycle cash. It goes much faster than an extra 30hp in my car. I also get to dress up as a power ranger on weekends.
Nathan 2:48PM (3/19/2009)
@ MikeofLA:
"oh, wait, that's because I pay my mortgage before I play with my car... Must be why I don't have any debt."
Am I missing something here? Last I checked mortgage = debt.
MikeofLA 3:15PM (3/19/2009)
@ Nathan
Mortgage = Investment. My house is still worth more then I paid for it. It's also a triplex so I rent out the other two units.
@M3Driver
I used to love doing that. I had an '01 330Ci and an '06 CBR600RR - All Black Gear, Definitly felt the Power Ranger effect...
fobunited 1:21PM (3/19/2009)
This article reminds me of a Chris Rock skit where he talks about wealth.... That's as much as I dare to say!
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Aprime 1:23PM (3/19/2009)
Okay.
I guess my step-dad's rich even though he drives a beat up 99 Montana.
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Ben 1:26PM (3/19/2009)
You better be making WELL OVER $100,000 if you're spending over $65k on a vehicle. and we wonder why people are in such horrible financial trouble...
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Mike 1:30PM (3/19/2009)
totally agree, $100k is not enough to justify $65k+ vehicle, especially if you tack on mods. $100k barely keeps you in a house here.
Jake B 2:17PM (3/19/2009)
I know plenty of people that make near 200k and they think getting a 35k Acura TL is kinda risky financially haha.