Purchasing soon, let me know what you think

19thhole,

If a salesman sets off your Bullshit alarm, do not be afraid of dismissing him and going to the Sales manager requesting a different salesman. This also tells the 2nd salesman to talk straight with you. I have done this when I caught a salesman blatently lying to me.

 

One highly recommended suggestion ... www.truecar.com. It'll save you a ton & it's free.

The best way to do it .. go to the dealer's website & find the truck you want. Then go to TrueCar.com and choose your truck & add the same options the dealer's truck has until they match. TrueCar will give you a range of prices .. dealer invoice, average paid, best price, etc. If the dealer is a TrueCar dealer, TrueCar will also spit out a price that dealer will honor if you print out & bring in the TrueCar pricing. If they're not a TrueCar participant, you can still use the info to negotiate. Seriously I wish I had known about TrueCar when I bought my Tacoma. But I did use it when helping my friend buy an FJ. We went into the dealer and haggled for well over an hour. We then went home to do some more research, and call around to other dealers. It was then that I discovered TrueCar online. We ran the specs, printed out the numbers, called the dealer & in our case, they even brought the car down from another dealer in Denver. And the best part ... TrueCar saved my friend another $2000 off the BEST price the dealer had given us earlier in the morning! My friend was so happy, he gave me a $300 commission.

 

Get the 4x4 with the 5spd. If you are even doing a little off roading (getting to some out of the way fishing spots) for the times you may need it, it will be worth it. I say always over prepare.

 

I was in a similar situation as yourself. I live in southwest MO and just bought a new Tacoma. After talking to most of the dealers in this region I bought a silver 6 cyl automatic 4x4 at Fayetteville Toyota. They were by far the most competitive on price. Most of the other dealers wanted to quote sticker and then knock a couple hundred bucks off to make you feel better.

I kinda agree with some of the other posters. It seems like you need an economy car and then an old tacoma as a toy. If you do decide to get one and it sounds like you will I would get the 4x4.

 

If as you say mpg is severely important then the 5-lug I4 stick is by far the best choice.

I've managed without issue in CO, IA, and WI where there is lots of snow with 3-4 bags of tube sand.

 

I have found that with every new car that I bought I could negotiate at least $3000 off on the first price they give me on a $30,000 range vehicle. That's about 10 % that they get you with if you don't know better. I learned through experience - on my first truck I paid sticker price because I did not even know I can negotiate, and of course the dealer will not offer a better price if you don't ask. Now I know better. My truck had a $26,700 sticker and I paid $19,000. My wife's minivan was a $34,800 sticker, I paid $28,000. - just to give you an idea.

Good luck. Car buying is (and should be) a fun experience.

 

Boersun,

It is definitely exciting, just kinda nerve racking. I am one of those guys that wants the best price, and if someone gets it cheaper it aggravates me. I am excited though. Just gotta wait a lil while before I can get that relocation bonus.

Anyone know if I can use my relocation bonus to be written off on IRS?

OzarkMK,

Good stuff! I live in Fayetteville right now. I love it around here, and I have taken quite a few looks at the Toyota dealership. I dont doubt they are competitive, that is one of the bigger dealerships I have seen.

Mountain earth,

Thanks for the advice! I will research Truecar.com soon. I like your name btw, it reminds me of my favorite band, Railroad Earth.


Thanks for all the advice guys!

 

I apologize for the double post but I will reiterate that MPG is important to me in the truck segment only. I just dont want a Nissan Titan that gets 12/14.

I currently own a Mazda protege economy car, it has been ok for a car that was given and I am thankful I have parents that could give me a car. But I have no plans whatsoever in buying one with my own money.

 

See if you can get a quote on www.TruCar.com, a new site that has agreements with dealers. But you may have to go to Little Rock or Springfield MO to find a participating dealer.

In KC you can get a dealer agreement from them on a 5 lug w/SR5 package access cab manual for right at $20. I think it listed for mid $22K range.

Good luck and congrats.

 

Best advice you will get.. If for any reason you might need 4 wheel drive, that reason alone will make it worth it.. Not to mention trade in value on the 4x4 4-banger single cab is absolutely AWESOME... Im awaiting my black 2012 single cab 4x4 right now. Should be here next week( I insisted on black)..

 

Not sure if you've bought yet.

If not, i bought a 2012 4x4 access cab 2.7L Spruce Mica on 10 DEC. Awesome truck. It's definitely not super quick, but i don't care. I love how it drives. I wish I would have offered to pay more for better tires, because the stock ones are evidently cheap... I'm already looking for new tires.

Overall, though, couldn't be happier with what I got.

 

Wpsemple

Do you have pics? Sounds like my exact truck I want.

I need something to keep me motivated for my last semester.

 

19thHole
I have an 09 AC I4 4x4 manual and love it. I am already looking at my next purchase and am disappointed. I am going to need a family truck and will miss this baby badly.
Anyway, i get on it a little hard and get about 21-22mpg. It is not real fast but it will get you a ticket if you want one. Don't really know what else to tell you other than I love this truck. I paid 24,000 with very little haggling. I was in a tough spot when purchasing.
Good Luck and pics when you get it.

 

I'll post them when I get better pics. The ones i have now were basically taken at night. I drove about 6 hours to get mine because I had to be in Baltimore to get it. I negotiated via phone for the price. It was already on sale and then got the 1000 dollar college grad rebate. You should definitely look into that before it expires. You have to finance, but its a pretty sweet deal.

Zero regrets so far.

 

Well, somethings went through and got a pretty decent deal on a 2012 AC Magnetic Gray Metallic SR5 Prerunner. I love it, it certainly isn't a speed racer, but I have been wowed on all the technology of the truck.

Any tips for the first time truck owner/ I4 tacoma owner?

I am such a fan of this forum and its a great joy to finally be apart of TW officially.

 

Awesome Dude! That is one sweet Taco right there. I like the color!

 

Good for you. Glad you made it happen. What tires came on it?

 

Congrats, its a looker.

 

Dunlops Grand Trek I believe. There was no negotiation on the tires whatsoever, but I got a pretty great price for the truck so I am not really worried about it. First thing up is some weathertech's that I found on here.

 

Awesome truck and great color...Grats..