Should I buy this 2006 Regular Cab 4x4?

Yeah, registration is going to be complicated, actually. The truck is titled and registered in Maryland (military family, recently came out here). And I'm moving to Montana June 1 (reason I'm getting a 4x4). I'm going to see about registering it in Montana even before I move there, but I don't know if it will be possible without being there in person. But considering it is probably not California-emissions-acceptable, it will probably be a real pain to register in CA just for one month of residency.

 

Before I wasted 4 hours on the round trip, I'd have a frank discussion with the guy. Tell him I'd researched it and kbb.com says $18.5k and edmunds.com says $18.2k. If he is willing to sell in that range, then we can talk.

The top is worth something to you, so figure out what you are willing to pay for that.

Another factor. That truck is about $24k invoice price. Toyota is offering financing at 0% for 3 years, 1.9% for 4 eyars, and 2.9% for 5 years (assuming you have good credit).

If you're not paying cash, then you need to figure out what the financing will cost you over the life of your loan. A new truck isn't going to be cheaper, but it might not really be that much more. You would have to do the calculations to know.

 

Hmmm......I live in so cal and bought an a/c Tacoma. It was on the lot for 23,000.00..It had 23k on it, and used certified. It was purchased in Irvine and ended up @ Hammer Toyota in Mission Hills. It was off a lease, so I was told. After 4 days or so of going back and forth on the price I got it for 19,000.00 out the door. Coming from a 2000 reg cab prerunner I would never go back to such a small truck!..If its what you want and suits your needs by all means buy a reg cab. Have you driven the a/c Tacoma?..Look around if you have not all ready bought a truck. Look at the internet deals at various dealerships. Bottom line,buy what you want and as long as it is in your financial means.

 

I am now a Tacoma owner.




<------That's my truck right there.


I gave up on the idea of a regular cab. While I don't need the extra space of the access cab, I also don't mind it, and, who knows, maybe I'll be glad for it one day. And the regular cab 4x4 search was difficult and tiresome. Except for the heavily modded one I checked out, there literally aren't any for sale -- new or used -- within 200 miles. The short-term savings just weren't worth the bother of hopping on a plane to do a test drive.

So I decided to go with a somewhat local, low-mileage access cab 4x4, preferably 4 cyl manual. Anyone in the market now may find the numbers useful, so I thought I'd report the highlights of my search here...

My reference points:

New 2008 Access Cab 4x4 I4 SR5
Local dealership
List: $25,000
Quote: $23,000 plus tax and fees (about 10%)
Likely best: $25,000 out the door

New 2008 Access Cab 4x4 V6 SR5
Local dealership
List: $27,000
Quote: $24,500 plus tax and fees
Likely best: $27,000 out the door

These used ones were sold when I called:

2006 Access Cab 4x4 V6 TRD
21,500 miles
Private Party
Bluebook: $19,905
Sold for the asking price: $24,000
Price vs. Bluebook: +$4,095

2005 Access Cab 4x4 V6 TRD
36,816
Private Party
Bluebook: $18,600
Sold for the asking price: $21,000
Price vs. Bluebook: +$2,400

Access Cabs generally seemed to be going for well above Bluebook. Even 300 miles outside the SoCal area, the deals looked like this. And 4-cyl access cabs (my preference) are hard to find locally. Just outside the SoCal area, they still list at dealers used for $24,000, which would put their likely out-the-door price (after haggling, but plus tax and fees) at around that or a bit less. When listed at something like $22,500, they tend not to have the SR5 package. Deals as low as list $21,000 tended to be 2000 miles away from SoCal.

I really wanted to end up with a late-model, low-mileage Tacoma 4x4 with a 4 cyl and manual transmission (and, ultimately, a shell). I was flexible a bit on each attribute because I had to be. It eventually came down to these choices:

2007 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 Access Cab V6 TRD
22,000 miles
Private Party
Bluebook: $20,615
Absolutely firm price: $23,000
(Refused to take my phone number in case he changed his mind.)
Price vs. Bluebook: +$2,385

Used 2008 Access Cab 4x4 V6 TRD
860 miles
Dealer
Asking: $28,500, then $25,000
Bluebook: None yet, too new.
Quote after haggling: $24,000 plus tax and fees
Likely best: $26,000 out the door

2007 Access Cab 4x4 I4 SR5 w/Shell
9,500 miles
Private Party
Asking: $20,000
Bluebook: $20,970
After haggling: $20,000
Price vs. Bluebook: -$970

After I checked out that last one and found it in excellent condition, I bought it for $20,000. During negotiations, the seller and I went on kbb.com together and discovered that it was actually priced under Bluebook. (I made a mistake in a post above by accidentally entering 2006 and not selecting all the options it actually has.) After that discovery, there was no lowering the price even more. And it was a fair price, so I paid it happily.

I got everything I wanted (including the camper shell, which was going to be my first upgrade). And if I want I can pick up decent-condition 2001 TRD 16" rims with near-new Rugged Trail tires down the street for about $400 from a guy who just lifted his 2001 Tacoma and doesn't need his 16" wheels anymore. So I'll have the truck I wanted from the start for $20,400 total.

And that's the story of MarkMG Buys A Tacoma.

The next story: MarkMG Drives His Tacoma To Montana And Lives In A Cabin For A Year.

I have to say, I'm looking forward to the next one a lot more. Buying a vehicle in a hot market like this is not fun.