Looking for the right dealer....

Bought mine at Koons Westminster.

 

If you can’t get what you want in Cockeysville, then you can’t get what you want anywhere.




Sorry, just wanted to use Cockeysville in a sentence, and now I’ve done it twice.

 

The bigger the always available discount, the more worthless the vehicle

 

I would seriously doubt that unless you over pay for the Jeep. Those things really hold their value. Especially the 4 door wrangler. jeep compass, that is another story...

 

OP, I hope you find a truck that suits for you needs. That really is one of the goals here, isn't it? To help people.

If you don't mind me asking but why do you need the bed? To be honest, and I am not really a deeply knowledgeable Tacoma person (I have owned two) but if I had to drive as much as you do I don't think I would be comfortable in my Tacoma (now a TRD OR 2020). Don't get me wrong. I love the truck. It is an absolute beast and very comfortable for me. But that said I don't drive it the long hours the way that you do. The seats, the radio and the road noise are totally fine but for that amount of driving probably not the best option.

One thing worth looking into ... get a really comfortable car ... and if you need the bed for occasional project runs you can get a small trailer for that. Just throwing that out there as something to consider.

I have a friend in roughly the same situation as you. He bought a used BMW X3 for long driving (very comfortable) and then pulls a small trailer when he has to go to the lumber yard, etc. Best of both worlds.

 

If the seats fit you well enough, the Tacoma isn't bad with a little weight in the bed. I would actually prefer it over our Corolla, but our 4Runner Limited would be my first choice if doing a lot of driving. Assuming the Gladiator rides like a Wrangler, the Tacoma is much smoother. Now that they've added a power driver's seat to the Tacoma, you are more likely to find a position you like. I have trust issues, so I only own Toyotas.

 

I have had 3 major back operations....the TRD Pro seats are like floating on a cloud......

 

You may get a little bit of a break ORDERING a TRD PRO but nothing like you will get with Jeep. Comparing discounting of the two is not really fair when it comes to percentage off etc. Ram/Chrys/Dodge/Jeep will trip over themselves discounting and most of the times you pay for this on the other end when your trade or sell. The only exception is the Wrangler, and that is shrinking since they have started laying discounts on the Wrangler more often. Toyota will give you discounts but you have to work for them, and they will come to a point where they will say..nope..not gonna make the deal...the other guys not so much...and they don't advertise discounts very often.

You mentioned Ram and being out of budget, I can't see how that is, they will discount all the way down to almost nothing on Rams, for the cost of the TRD PRO/ Gladiator your looking at, I can buy a few different rams in various packages 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton. I have had 2 rams and when I shop for Rams, it look at the price on the sticker and automatically discount 20% as a starting point.

Don't count on the Gladiator keeping that Wrangler like resale, I have seen them sit on lots a lot longer and they have layed advertised discounts on them more than once...I don't think they are moving like they expected them to...at the end of the day...its not a wrangler and doesn't perform like one. Just something to keep in mind. Toyota resale is what it is for a reason, and one of the reasons is their hesitancy to make any deal they can and they don't a car for 65K but actually sell it for 40.....Advertised discounting and lack of..has a lot to do with resale...and the big 3 are horrible at that.

 

Thanks!

 

I have a couple of large toolboxes (nothing heavy) some parts/junk that have taken up permanent residence, test kits, etc. I have the option of taking a company car, which is an Equinox and who the hell wants that, or a monthly allowance. I opted for the allowance (obviously). I had an Audi S5 I would drive when I didn't need the toolboxes, but that wasn't very often and my truck is really on it's way out. I did think about a Volvo V90 or Audi wagon, but really when I see the other reps who have SUVs and such their cars are just trashed inside. I mean, headliner ripped from shoving stuff in it, plastic side panels all broken, etc. Plus I am kind of a "handy" guy and I do need a truck for loads of lumber, fill, etc. Basically I'm looking for something that fills that truck role but also has the potential to be kinda nice and kinda fun.

 

Have you looked at the Outback? It’s like a middle ground.

 

Rubicon. MSRP like, $57k but out the door more like $48. TRD Pro I speced out on the website came out at $47K before any discounts (which it sounds like there won't be any).

 

I have no idea if they will deal on a new TRD Pro that you will order or not. But they just gave me a deal on a new Quicksand TRD Off Road which is very hard to find, Olathe Toyota, salesman name is Brice, might be worth a call if you will travel to the Kansas City.

 

Toyota of Scranton, Scranton, PA has 2 Pros on the lot.

 

Good luck with your dealer search. Some are way better than others. Look at reviews. However, at the end of the day, they are all there to make money and have some form of lower than life scum working there who wants to bleed every dollar and cent out of you. Just the way it goes in that industry. It’s always fun toying with them when I do go in and buy. Maybe because I’ve done it way to many times and know all the behind the scenes tricks and scam techniques. Good luck OP.

 

Got it. That makes perfect sense. Thanks for the background. The Tacoma is probably your best bet. Or, frankly a Tundra might be worth at least looking at. Have you considered the Tundra at all ? Notice I did not say "gee, you sound like the perfect candidate for a Ridgeline!"

I am with you ... I would have taken the allowance as well ... why not?

To answer your original question the dealer worlds are very different. Jeep ... tends to have a high MSRP ... and then lots of discounts ... and employee pricing every month or some other such promotion. Toyota seems to manage inventory a bit more (especially with 4Runners). It seems like they control the market a lot more than Jeep does. So you won't typically find the Tacoma sellers in these forums talking about hitting a price point to get you in the door.

One strategy and that worked for me is I went to Dealer Rater and picked the top / award winning dealers in three states (NY, NJ and CT). I used that to narrow my list and ended up buying at nice dealer in CT since the dealers in NY kind of stunk.

Good luck ... and definitely report back on how it went. I have a TRD OR and didn't feel like I needed the Pro but that's just me. I looked at the Gladiator and it was more and wasn't as comfortable. Don't get me wrong -- I get the jeep thing. They are cool to look at but not so much to drive. In the end, for me it came down to which company makes better cars overall -- Jeep or Toyota.

 

That's about 20 minutes from me. However, I'm still not holding my breath that an on-the-lot truck will have everything I want, and nothing extra I don't want to pay for. Also, I'm kinda liking both Army Green AND Lunar Rock.

 

Get ready to pay that astronomical dealer markup......chances are though, they aren’t even there.

 

Not going to lie, apples to apples an unwillingness to deal is enough to push me in the opposite direction, even to my own peril. I'm kind of a jerk like that.

 

Car sites like cars.com, cargurus, Auto tempest, auto trader, etc will all have new cars as well. Toyotas are in demand right now and the resale values are insane. Plus, you can get a TRD Pro for cheaper than that Gladiator Rubicon and still have money left over for upgrades AND it'll be more reliable.