How To Turn a $40k Truck Into a $50k Truck

I had to take the wife's Prius to the dealership for service, so to kill time I took a stroll over to the showroom floor. They had a 2023 TRD Sport 4x4 in Barcelona red on the floor. The only option it had was the advance tech package. Then I looked at the sticker. It would almost be funny if it wasn't downright obscene. Welcome to the land of Southeast Toyota Mafia. Oh, and this is before their $899 dealer fee.

 

Yikes! +10%, + the $1700 running boards.

 

yeah what scumbags , also if you look closely it does not include local taxes, licenses , fees etc etc

 

Don't forget the $100 finance placement fee (if you get your loan through their F&I guy), and the $899 dealer fee

 

Does it come with a high priced escort in the passenger seat and plane tickets to Singapore?

 

The sales guy that sold me my truck in May of 2021 (for $2,500 below MSRP, just for the record lol) walked over to say hello, so I asked why $1,700 for running boards I can get for about $500? He just shrugged.

 

If it did I wouldn't have complained

 

Last year found a SV Frontier listed on line for around 32k or something it was priced lower than the S every where I looked, and it didn't have parking sensors in the rear bumper. Only one I have ever seen with out th rd sensors. Anyway I contacted the dealer after they said they didn't have the truck, and then magically found it, and couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want some dumb rear sensors. They had some paint protection can't recall the price, $200 or $2,000. What ever the price was I asked can that be removed? They tell me they put that on all of the vehicles they sell because when they resell the vehicle, the paint protection is already applied to vehicle. I had to laugh, and say, so you want me to pay for something I don't want so you can more easily resell the vehicle at a later date assuming it will be traded back to your dealership?

 

4th gen is going to be way more money. The distributor accessories still need R&D.

 

I mean. I'll take and and deal with it only because they're throwing in that power train warranty

 

This is why I am thinking long and hard about the gen4. Toyota is absolutely letting the dealers rape their customers with no repercussions. Those floor mat toyoguard and interior led “accessories” are abysmal as well.

 

Everybody loves the free market until the free market happens to them

 

It’s a total racket and don’t get me started about the dirty distributors, but…

…these insane markups will always persist because too many people (many expressing their unbridled Gen4 enthusiasm on threads here), who just can’t wait to to be the first Tacoma owner w a power tailgate, will happily run into their local Toyota dealer, bend over, and finance $5000 of pinstripes over 96mo. Who’s the greater fool then?

 

Someone will pay it or they wouldn't bother to ask.

 

America is the land of, "but what can you get my payment down to?"

 

I wonder what the demographic break down is of people who pay mark ups on new vehicle purchases? Are men more likely to pay above MSRP or Women? Is the difference about the same?

You know the old urban legend and how they get taken for a ride at the dealership. Whether or not that's true IDK? Men are much more likely to jump at that new 4x4 truck price be dammed, than women. Most of the women that I have ever talked about vehicle purchases have always mentioned getting a good price.

If it's a joint purchase between a couple, what impact does that have on paying an ADM price if any? Who choses to do what in that situation, and why do they decide to make that decision?

This information has to be out there somewhere.

 

Severe markups have been a thing for the past few years. Ever since COVID hit and the “chip shortage.” It varies per vehicle based on value and demand.

Nothing new and you as the consumer have the choice to walk away and find another deal if you choose.

That’s the thing about the free market. Demand drives the value and adjustments are made accordingly.

 

Car dealers lobbying Congress to serve as a mandatory middle man between the manufacturer and consumer is not “free market.”

 

I don't remember you guys complaining when car manufacturers were lobbying congress to keep EV competition out of the market. And create some actual choices outside of fossil fuels

Nobody complains when our taxpayer funded military occupies the middle east to keep oil prices low.

Big companies lobbying congress to help keep profitability up is not new. It's just interesting to see how selective you guys are about complaining

 

I got my TRD OR last year for 39,455, oh why?