Tacoma Trim Levels/Options

Am I the only one who finds it ridiculous you can't get a manual tranny in anything but the TRD Off Road and TRD Sport?

Why would I want to pay for the TRD package, if i'm going to strip those parts and replacement them like 99% of us?

Also, you can't get the JBL subwoofer package with the manual tranny in any configuration. WTF?

I think Toyota is really going to lose some sales because of this nonsense.

https://www.cars.com/research/toyota-tacoma-2017/trims/

 

I made this situation apparent when I purchased my Tacoma. I wanted a Manual SR5 4X4. That doesnt exist, so I had the dealership cut me a great deal on a TRD OR Manual 4x4. Lemons --> Lemonade

 

tell me about this "deal"?

 

33 OTD

 

holy smokes, including tax/title/destination, etc...????

 

Yessir... it was a lot of going back and forth. Added Military discount, and they also ordered the wrong truck so i had to get one that was ordered for someone else so that kinda worked in my favor. Youre not going to be able to get this type of deal on a truck they have to order in or they have to reallocate. The best deals are made on vehicles they have on hand in the lot.

 

you didn't point a gun at them did you?

 

Tacoma manual sales account for around 7% of total Tacoma sales. The manual trucks sit on the lot on average of around 40% longer. This are statistics I have read, not saved.

Very few other manufacturers even offer a manual option, much less a manual 4WD with some options.

99% of us do not mod their vehicles to any extent beyond floor mats and maybe wheels and mudflaps. It's the 1%, who some are here, who mod extensively.

Toyota would probably make more money if they didn't offer a manual option. That way they could streamline manufacturing, buy even more in bulk and eliminate many optional parts. Sure, they might lose a few customers but they would more than make up for it in manufacturing and purchasing.

 

i'll bet they'd see a 7% dip in sales if they did that....

if it weren't profitable, they wouldn't sell 'em and neither would jeep or Nissan!

 

I didn't know Jeep had a truck yet.
And no, they wouldn't lose 7% sales. Maybe a quarter of that, if any. Toyota buyers are some of the most loyal out there. Not very many people buy a truck based strictly on the transmission.
Yes, they are profitable. However, it would also be profitable (through savings) to not have to offer another transmission.

 

Understanding the trim levels and "variants" is enough to make your head spin.

I want to wear out my OEM stuff before I upgrade.

The used car market on these Taco's are full of land mines and pitfalls. I have seen places like CarMax claim their SR's are SR5's. Then because of debadging and vinyl sticker mods, it makes it more difficult to know what your getting.

It's like you have to become an expert to keep it straight.

When you buy new and you have pre-selected requirements, this can help wade through all of this.

The requirements I had was base model SR anything. SR's sell fast in my area so there weren't any available. So I got an SR5 4 cylinder engine. I wanted it under $30k because that's serious cashola for me at least. I didn't initially want 4x4, but I'm kind of glad I have it. Though I probably really don't need it and could live without it.

It's all about what you want, what you really really want.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-yl248UpN0s