2013 Tacoma at Ft. Bragg (**Time Sensitive Advice Sought**)

Hey all, just moved to Bragg and am looking at Tacos to get a small, capable truck to explore the backroads and launch my kayak/haul my wife's craigslist finds...

When I'm not in uniform I wield a camera much of the time - Alex Jansen Photography It's in serious need of an update, but that should give you an idea of who I am through my lens.

Also, the reason behind the registration is simply that I need your sage wisdom. Here goes...

I am test drove a vehicle today and fell in love with it, but want to know if it's a smart move financially or just my personal lust with the vehicle talking.

2013 Tacoma, V6, TRD Sport, 6-speed Manual Transmission, Double Cab, Tow Package, 4x4, 5-ft bed. Only other option is back-up camera. Silver exterior (honestly don't remember what the interior color was lol). 11,500 miles, and the 10k service was just completed at the dealer.

I tested the 4WD and it is smooth - no issues and engages/releases as designed. The shifting is also smooth - none of the issues regarding being a very stiff/jerky shifter that I have read about and I went up and down all 6 gears (except reverse now that I think about it ).

Essentially, the vehicle is brand new broken in with no issues - the guy that owns it doesn't have a need for it (purchased new from dealer) and the commute is pretty long for him on a daily basis. I did the KBB check and it's about 32,500 in perfect condition from a private party, 34k from a dealer, and 35-36k from a dealer certified pre-owned, which this vehicle would absolutely qualify for. He's asking 29k for it, and I think I can get 28,500.

Here's where the dilemma sits in - I've never purchased a new car before, much less at 30 grand. I want to make sure this is a good investment (I realize that the truck value will depreciate - that's not what I mean by "investment").

Right now it's just myself, my wife, and my sister (because of family issues, I will be taking custody of her and having her live with us on base). My wife and I don't have kids, but we are in the midst of trying eek. My intent is simply this - have a truck that can be relied upon for launching my kayak, exploring some backroads, and transporting my wife's craigslist finds and imminent household moves without needing to ask a friend to use his truck/trailer. Also, while the winters aren't too terrible here, if I'm sent north or if we have another winterpocalypse, I'll be much more confident when I leave the driveway. Right now we just have a tiny Nissan Versa, and while it's fantastic on gas - can't exactly do much for loading a sofa or a bunch of military gear But also with the crewcab, I've got the ability to transport kids should that be needed as well (unless we hit triplets - the sister or one of the kids will have to be thrown on the market ).

Would it be unrealistic to assume that if I take extremely good care of it, get it to 150k miles in 10-15 years, I should be able to sell it for about 18-20k? I've been looking around and the market seems to favor used Tacomas in excellent condition, even well after 100k, sometimes 200k miles and 10+ years old. I feel like this wouldn't be a bad purchase, especially since I'd be getting it so far under market value to begin with.

I know this was long, but I wouldn't take the time to make an account, write all this out, and ask if I didn't feel this was important - I've been losing sleep at night because I want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing, financially, and not just trying to be the next kid with a cool truck.

Many Thanks,
Heie

 

Get a good alarm if you get it. My car got broken into and had a few buddies who's cars got stolen when we were at Bragg. Granted we were over in Coscom.
If you do not buy that particular truck, go away from the base, atleast Raleigh, if you go to a dealer.

 

its prolly lust, but that's fine, we understand!

only you know your finances, and no one really knows what the resale value will be that far in the future, but it will likely preserve more of the value than buying something else would.

but a decade of fun and memories (and I assume awesome pictures) with your taco in the meantime? im not sure you can put a price on that!

 

I'd say get it if you can afford it. The Tacoma is the number 2 vehicle for maintaining value. If you plan on taking good care or it, you won't want to give it up at 150k miles unless its to trade in on a brand new one in 10-15 years. Just my .02. My Tacoma is the ONLY vehicle I havn't had any regrets buying.

 

^^^This. When I embarked on my Taco purchase journey I found it was more cost effective to get a brand spanking new one built to spec and what I wanted, versus paying a few grand less for something else. These things hold their value like you wouldn't believe - for shits and giggles I KBB'd my rig's value - it's worth more today than what I paid for it a year ago, and that's not considering all the mods. So just something to keep in mind. Keep us posted on our decision, OP and good luck.

 

Thank you all, I very much appreciate the feedback.

I'll look into an alarm, but I'm not *too* worried about it, especially since where I live is extremely, extremely quiet, and off-post.

Regarding finances, it would be paid in cash. I've done my part in saving responsibly over the past few years, and having deployed for 12 months to Afghanistan helps out What I couldn't cover my grandmother has agreed to loan me the rest, as she knows full well that my word is good to pay her back. Ultimately, I just wanted to avoid a bank loan and paying any interest.

And now this makes me scratch my head...

Not questioning your knowledge or experience at all, but I must ask (with all due respect) - did you look at the specs I posted? I find it hard to believe that a 2014 with V6, 4x4, TRD Sport, Tow Package, and Crew Cab would be anywhere near under $34k...especially from a dealer. All my searches have them between $34-36k. Am I missing something that would make what I think is a great value in fact not one? Especially considering the KBB of $32,500 for private party? (See here for kbb appraisal)

Again, no offense was intended - I'm just merely trying to understand and consider everything from all angles. I'm a deliberate researcher in everything I purchase Like I said in the original post, I've never even come close to buying a vehicle this expensive before, and it's not a decision I take lightly.

Thank you all very much - I truly do appreciate all your assistance.

-Heie

 

People are snagging the TRDs for right around 30k frequently. There is a thread called, "What did you pay for your 2014?", or something like that. Search for it and see what people are paying. Go to a dealer not in Fayetteville and you should be able to talk them down quite a bit.

Like previously mentioned. Bragg is filled with scum. As in the base itself. Whatever truck you get, buy a tonneau cover or camper shell that locks. Don't ever leave your doors unlocked. If you ride a motorcycle, store it in a garage somewhere. In my short stay there (about two years) I saw multiple items come missing from backs of trucks and inside of cars. Also multiple motorcycle thefts. At least 5 from the small area I always parked my bike in.

 

If you're eligible for the USAA car buying service, check with them first. The prices they get are the lowest I've seen on new Tacomas, and might really make you think twice about buying used.

Also, prices on used Tacoma's vary depending on the market, and if you end up in Chevy & Ford country, you will take a hit on resale. If you end up in CA or CO, resale is really strong.

And if you're feeling tense about dropping 28.5 on a truck, really consider a used Tacoma, or 1st gen Tundra (?? through 06). Either will go to 300k if well cared for, and sometimes it's nice to have an extra 10k in your pocket, especially if kids are on the way.

 

If your gonna have kids in the back you want a tundra. Lots of dads on here and they don't really like the car seat back there, i have seen a few threads where they had to get rid of the truck when kids came. And i think gas is hardly worth considering bc tacomas get bad mileage for their size. Honestly i would have got a 1st gen tundra with v8 if i knew my taco would get under 20mpg.

 

I have two boys 8 and 6, I used to have a 2007 Tundra double cab, then I bought a 2010 Tacoma double cab. Just wanted to throw out there I like my Tacoma better than my Tundra. The Tundra was nice and all, but I like my Tacoma way more, and for us I feel like its plenty of room. Just saying

 

I don't think the value will hold that well. 15 years and 150K miles to retain 60% of its new price is asking quite a bit.

For what it is worth I just bought my Tacoma from my brother. 2008 Access Cab V6 6-Speed 4x4 TRD Off-Road. Bluebook was 18,400 for good condition. I know they are selling above bluebook right now where I am located so maybe true value was a bit higher. 80K miles almost on the dot when I bought it. 29K sticker on the truck.

So, if my truck were to hold value like the one you are looking at, it basically can't depreciate much more despite 70K more miles and another 9 years of age. Not going to happen...

That said, it'll be an incredibly reliable truck.

 

Oh no offense taken, it's all good!

Yes, buying a brand new 2014 rig for $30K is definitely within the realm. I purchased my truck last summer through the Costco vehicle purchase program and saved quite a bit. Out the door for a 2013 MGM TRD DC OR w/ manual trans and $2K in add-ons (TRD exhaust, short throw, etc, etc) I paid a smidge over $32K ($32,200 or so). So if you subtract the add-ons I opted for during the build process, my brand new 2013 would have been right at $30K out the door. When I was shopping used rigs, there were 4 and 5 year old trucks with 60K+ miles going for $26-$28K!

Just for curiosity, hit the Costco site and spec your truck http://www.costcoauto.com/. It will give you a price at the end, and you don't need a membership to build/spec/price a vehicle. If nothing else, you could print off this price and use it as leverage when working with the stealership.

Good luck!

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld, Heie. It's an honor to have you here from the Pentax forum.

When I try the CostCo site, I do not get the pricing:

 

For what it's worth, I just bought a new 2014 Tacoma DC TRD off road. It's my first new car - ever. I'm the kind of guy who never buys new cars (you can save a lot of $$ getting a 1 or 2 yo with a clean title).

I spent the better part of a month debating which way to go, and came to this conclusion:
- I can get exactly what I want, and not settle for 'close enough'.
- on a truck that will last for a very long time. ( My extended family has owned at least 6 toyotas, and all of them have easily made it 15+ years, 200k+ miles.)
- for a few grand more than a used.

Best of luck.

 

Your KBB values seem pretty high to me, considering you can buy a brand new one with almost 0 miles for the same or less than that perfect condition quote of 32,500 from private seller and 34,000 from a dealer.

I bought my 2013 DC TRD OR 4x4, fully loaded with the exception of Nav/Entune, but had all weather flooring option, all weather mats, front skid plate, and bed mat for 31k. I did have to call 5 or 6 different dealers before I was able to get that price though.

I say if your already spending 28k+, just spend a couple extra thousand and get a brand new one in the exact configuration you want.

 

I went to truecar.com to find out a fair price. I then sent an email to the internet sales person at 3 different dealerships. I told them what I wanted, color, SR5 etc. and gave them the true car price. I told them the first person to call me back that can meet my price gets the sale. I got a call in about 30 min. Went to the dealer and gave them $500. They shipped the truck in from about 200 miles away and I had it the next day. I dealt with the internet salesman because most of them get paid for selling a car not a commission on the price of the car. Paid 29,400. for my 2013. I might have been able to get it cheaper but it was a fair deal and I didn't have to deal with all the crap.You might try that route. Good Luck!

 

I think that's a little high. Last June, I bought my SR5 4X4 DCSB, 6sp, w/tow package and floor mats for $28,047 plus tax/reg. The best pricing I could find was with Consumer Reports pricing service. I know you're looking at a TRD sport so that'll add a bit to the price. Keep in mind that in a few months 2015's will be rolling out. You may get a decent deal on a brand new 2014 for about the same cash.

 

If you have that much cash saved up, I'd pay the extra $1-3K more to get a brand new one. Like others have said, it's not unheard of to get a brand new one for right around $30k. That way you get the full warranty and piece of mind that the previous owner didn't do any sort of damage to the truck.

 

You could also get a military discount on a new Tacoma to help offset that minor amount of money you are saving by buying new...then they would basically be the same price...I would also go auto due to the stories I hear about the 6speed if you aren't attached to the idea of a 6speed.

 

You're considering a great truck. I haven't done anything too harsh to mine but just from being active in this forum I can tell you that it's the most dependable truck. As for MPG, I still say it's good on gas. You just can't compare a 4x4 Tacoma on 33"s to a stock truck though. I have no mods and get 22-23 MPG if I am really trying. One guy here got his truck to 30 or 40 MPG. (I wouldn't do the things he did but kudos to him)

As far as resale, I don't know about that goal you asked about but I do know Tacomas are GREAT resale. It is not surprising to see people sell them for more than they paid soon enough after... We did.

As for your adventures, I say Tacoma is the best truck. Reliable like I said and quite a beauty for your pictures And yes the new ones ride so smooth, I love it.

Good luck, I would consider doing what others said and seeing your options on buying new. Most trucks have the problems they are known for (Cough dodge cough) but Tacoma has none that I know of besides frame rust depending on location. Easily preventable though.