Don't let the Scout become a status symbol; why $60k misses the point of the Revival

[strider]

@strider, I understand the macroeconomic reality of inflation perfectly well. But you can't accuse people of "anchoring" when Scout is the one who set the anchor.

When pre-orders opened, Scout was actively advertising a starting price of "under $50k." Last time I checked the fine print on their site, that number was still buried in an asterisk somewhere. Yes, that original marketing factored in the now-defunct $7,500 EV tax credit. But even if we back that credit out entirely, the baseline math puts the starting target at $57,500.

Now, the expectation being floated is $60k as a baseline, easily scaling to $80k. That $2,500+ minimum discrepancy isn't inflation—it is corporate price creep.

And that leads right into @Jrgunn5150's point, which honestly nails exactly what is actually driving that creep.

Jrgunn5150 reserved a capable, utilitarian truck, but is already seeing the writing on the wall: the project is drifting toward "white leather, 20-inch wheels" and luxury feature-creep to absorb that $1.2B CapEx overrun.

That is exactly what Tommy from TFL meant when he called it a "luxury off-roader." And as others have pointed out above, people are now actively comparing this platform to an $80k BMW IX3 or an $86k Model X.

If Scout's actual brief was to build an $80k luxury SUV positioned against BMWs, they should have just revived a luxury badge. If everyone here is comfortable accepting that this revival has morphed into a luxury mall-crawler, that's fine. But we can't pretend that a "white leather" pivot won't price out the exact mass market that a brand-new platform needs to survive.

I'm really getting tired of having the same argument with you. You keep saying that you understand the macroeconomics then you completely ignore them and expect Scout to defy reality. When I speak of anchoring, I am talking about your belief that trucks in 2026 should still cost $40k. Your view of what a dollar is worth is anchored in the 1980-2020 disinflationary period and you have not accepted the post-2020 change to an inflationary regime.

The fact that the trucks are delayed by a year instantly adds 9% to the cost (based on actual government money printing). You ask where that $2,500 dollars is and it is literally inflation. Even if you use the USG's completely bogus 3.3% CPI number on $57,500, that is $59,497.50 after ONE YEAR. After 2 years that rises to $61,357.62. Do you really still not understand how this works?

As for "Jrgunn5150 reserved a capable, utilitarian truck," that is an intentionally false (or ignorant) statement. The new Scout Motors has been absolutely consistent in exactly what they are building. They have never "pivoted" (the cost creep is completely attributable to cost inflation). From the drawings to the concepts they have always shown off-road capable luxury vehicles. You and others may wish that were otherwise but it is what it is. If that is not what you want to buy, then you should look elsewhere.

 

[robothero]

My Model X comparison was really just to show how big the Scout is (and inexpensive by comparison)