Where is the logic in 3rd gen pricing?

Are they just trying to punish people who want less?

(Same powertrain, everything else standard.)

 

Pricing... the demand is there... I remember when full size 4x4 pickups went over $10k and many said they'd never buy another...

 

Everything is worth what will purchase or pay for it i guess. but yes you are right

 

apparently i have heard they give more discounts to lower trims, but not much more from what I have gathered

 

The point is, if you want a V6 you might as well spend an extra 2-3k and get the TRD. They punish you for wanting a base V6.

 

That SR must have a lot of options ?

 

I love the look of no fender flares on 3rd gens. The body lines are great.

 

None. Just added V6 and 4wd.

 

How exactly are they "punishing" you? It's 3k less if you don't want TRD. Less features = lower price. more features = higher price.

The bulk of the price increase from the SR to the TRD is moving from a 4 cylinder standard to a 6 cylinder standard. If you choose a 6 cylinder SR, it makes sense you are getting closer (but still 3k less), than the TRD price.

 

because it's supposed to be the "base" model that starts at 26k. Simply adding a V6 puts it in the middle of the pack in terms of pricing.

 

I edited above as you were replying, but yeah that makes sense from Toyota's perspective. If you move to a 6 cylinder, that is the bulk of the price increase from SR to TRD.

 

It used to be that buying higher end got you additional airbags and all the cool safety equipment. That's all standard now which means the price of the top end is barely impacted while the bottom end gets significantly more expensive.

All you get by adding the TRDOR package is some new seat trim, a rear locker, and some electronics. The actual cost of those upgrades is very little compared to the body, frame, transfer case, transmission, and all the other shared parts.

 

Doesn't change the fact that a SR V6 4x4 should be under 30k.

 

Indeed. Those crisp lines are reminiscent of the early toyota pickups. Why they would cover them up with something that hides that detail is beyond me.

 

Why? You are getting 95% of what a TRDOR or Pro are, why should it be cheap? Because you don't want to pay that much is a bullshit answer. If you really want to pay under $30K then go negotiate. They deal a lot more on an SR/SR5 than anything with TRD on the bedside.

Blame all the safety design that keeps people alive because that's 100% of why cheap new cars don't exist anymore. When you have the exact same equipment throughout a line, the differentiating factors are replacement parts which means their actual realized costs are lower. It's not like when you used to actually add a ton of stuff. There's no additional parts added to any Tacoma that don't involve removing a lesser part.

 

People buy Tacomas for the reliability, and Toyota knows that people will pay more to get that. Honestly, you might be better-served with a Nissan Frontier if you’re looking for an basic, no-frills pickup.

Safety and tech is another factor. That stuff isn’t cheap.

 

It’s been that way since I can remember. 1st gen tacomas considered expensive compared to everything else in that class.

 

It literally doesn't make sense. It's not an opinion. This has been done by other manufacturers before to push you up in the segment so that they can sell more expensive options, and eventually eliminate "spartan" offerings. The stuff you get on the TRD is easily worth $3k. You also get a much better resale value. The simple fact that adding a V6 increases the price by such a large margin that it doesn't even make sense in the trim lineup is telling.

 

Your post doesn't have anything to do with the OP. The SR has the same safety and "tech" minus some options. It actually agrees with my point.

 

The V6 is also alot more complex than the 4 Cylinder, dual injection, cleaning cycles, high pressure fuel pump, etc.