Ordering my Taco on Monday

Super stoked to be ordering my first Tacoma next week... my first time ordering a new vehicle period in fact!

I have been lurking here at Tacoma World for months now preparing to order this truck and I couldn't be more excited. My new bride and I are avid hikers and campers but driving an old Kia Optima for the past 7 years is less than optimal for those hobbies and her Ford Fusion doesn't help either... We needed something a bit different, a bit more useful and to be honest a hell of a lot more fun! Manual Taco here we come!

I have made my way through used car after used car over the years but never bought new one and certainly never ordered anything. Is there anything I should be looking at, aware of or know prior to heading to the dealership this coming Monday?

I am planning to order a TRDOR with a manual transmission, advanced tech package and if we can swing it, I would like to get the leather, sunroof stereo etc... as well. This truck is going to be used as a daily driver / commuter for me most of the time so it needs to be plenty comfortable. We get to have some fun though as we are going to be heading to her home in north AZ then into UT and CO this year as well as a trip planned to Big Bend and some quick weekend excursions, so hopefully this city truck will see its fair share of of trails as well!

Excited to be here and seeing what is going on in the Tacoma Community! Thanks for the help and looing forward to sharing the journey of my soon to be new Tacoma!

 

Hello Robert
Welcome to TacomaWorld
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/so-you-want-to-buy-a-tacoma.475482/

 

Welcome to TW.

The only knowledge you really need to know is the general dealership negotiation (fuckery) tacts. If you know and are prepared for those, you're golden. (a.k.a keep them talking about the OTD price when they will want to keep you focused on your monthly payment, the real negotiation doesn't begin until you're sitting at the finance desk, know well ahead of time what interest rate you qualify for...that sort of stuff.)


Good luck on your big purchase.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Got some reading to do! Thank you.

 

Thanks for the tips. The financing part is always the most frustrating, ordering one seems a bit more so as I think I am going to have to get them to agree on the deal in writing prior to giving over that deposit. The wife ordered her car prior to meeting me and they tried to adjust pricing and options and all that up until the car arrived.

Either way, I couldn't me more stoked and looking forward to getting the process started.

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

I ordered my TRD OR DCSB manual truck new in 2016, they held the order position with a $500 deposit. It took 5 months to to get to dealer, as others have said get the purchase price in writing & hit your Credit Union up for finance rates & pre approval prior to the closing. Don’t let the dealer know you have cash or alternate financing until the out the door price has been negotiated. They will try to bait you for the monthly payment route. Be prepared for the dealership to try hard to get you to purchase a extended warranty & costly extras at the last minute. Have your mind made up what you need before entering the signing office when the truck arrives. Good Luck !

 

Welcome! Very exciting to get that totally new truck, you two will have years of fun with it for sure!

As others have said get your financing in order w/your bank or credit union.
Negotiate that best price and when you drop your $500/deposit remember it IS REFUNDABLE no matter what the dealer may say!!! When you take delivery you will be entitled to whatever promotions are happening at the time e.g. Rebates or maybe 0% financing or free truck washes, whatever is happening at the time so don't fail to bring it to their attention if they say nothing about them!
When your truck arrives, check it out well, take an extended road test to make sure it is as it should be and meeting your expectations and note anything you don't feel is correct and say something/ask.

Last thought and this is just one old guys opinion and nothing more...before you order w/that upgraded sound system check out a couple after market mobile sound shops w/good reputations and see what the cost would be for something even better than the JBL system. You might be surprised with a similar cost for a better sounding system....again IMHO

ENJOY and we look forward to photos when you get her!

 

Thanks Whammo. That stereo part makes a good sense and I was wondering the same thing. My question is if you can order the leather etc without that stereo?

I cant wait to pick her up and just hope the kia lasts long enough to make it to delivery date.

 

yer welcome Robert, I'm not sure...good question! Might find an answer on the Toyota.com (build your truck) site or call a couple different dealers and ask them. The packages change periodically (what is included) but would be good to confirm.
here's to your Kia's life!

 

Yeah, I was curious and the "packages" w/leather heated seats (which living in the North East) I'd like come w/the JBL upgrade...so maybe a 'speaker upgrade' down the road might be cool...

 

I would test drive one first

 

Went for a coupel of test drives, loved the truck was meh about the automatic transmission. Can't find a manual to test but I am having a hard time finding many bad things about that transmission other than the 2 OD gears are pretty close to each other in ratio. The manual is the reason I was looking at the Tacoma and the Gladiator in the first place so I feel comfortable making the leap without testing one... I think...

That being said, I did secure a deal on the Tacoma I want and I am going to sign get the ordering process done tonight!

 

cool...congratulations! You'll like the MT just fine, I have no doubt. But, if you don't you do not have to buy and I'm sure they'll sell it in a week!
Looking forward to you photos when you take delivery

 

Awesome that you are pulling the trigger on the purchase. There seems to be plenty of demand in my neck of the woods.

I put down a deposit almost a month ago on a 2021 Silver TRD-OR DCLB, leather and premium sound. They came down from MSRP, but were really firm on their price. I should have it by mid February.

 

Had the a very similar experience. I agreed to $1000 below MSRP, it seemed like most dealerships were saying MSRP only and there was no wiggle room for ordered vehicles with them. I went through a variation of the ordering your Tacoma thread posted above and it worked well, after contacting what seemed like at least 80% of the dealers in DFW area I got one to give me the discount I was comfortable with and then took that to my dealer of choice and they honored that price as well with no deposit. The no deposit thing honestly makes me a bit nervous, but I had such a great experience with this dealership in particular that I feel comfortable with the situation up to this point, though in my life I have never had a great experience with a dealership so I am waiting on the next shoe to drop somewhere...

now comes the waiting...

 

Welcome to TW.
I ordered (allocated) my Tacoma about this time last year. Went through 4 Dealerships looking for an Army Green Pro.
None would budge off of MSRP. The 5th Dealer paid off. Agreed to $3,500 off MSRP in writing. Paid my $500 down and received the
truck about 2 months later. Just hang in there and be persistent.
If one dealer doesn't give you a reasonable deal. Move on to another.
Enjoy your new truck when it arrives!