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Questions about Tacomas / Frontiers / Dakotas (4 Door)

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Yeah...... soooo reading through this one I will say it simple.....Every vehicle has issues of somekind, pricing I am seeing looks to be dealership pricing so I am asuming your looking to finance then?

Here is the breakdown on how it goes for shopping for a vehicle.... First off if your buying used ask for a record of its services to make sure it was taken care of, drive them, see if you like it.

Rules are simple,
Budget
how comfy when you drive it
needs
do you like it

Seriously there is no major difference anymore as long as you look to something that suits your budget and needs.

As for pricing..... If you can buy it private party do it... I picked up my expedition for 3500, its an 02, 5.4 122k on it with a perfect service record...... It is not all that hard to find a great used vehicle for half what a dealership wants to charge......
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
36 month, high interest rate financing is all my Credit Union is willing to do on older, high mileage vehicles, so I either got to look at newer ones that get low interest rate financing over longer terms or pay cash for a beater.

So this is how poor people wind up in fancy cars.
Find a reputable dealer with one that you want on their lot and see what kind of financing they can arrange. Depending on your credit worthiness a number of banks are doing vehicles 10 years old up to 100k with decent rates.

Or ask your credit union how much and at what rate they will give you an unsecured personal loan.
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I have an '07 Tacoma, Prerunner. Crew cab.
It really is a great truck. The lack of 4wd saved me a lot of money and 3-4 mpg. I end up putting chains on 1-2x per year. It's a great compromise if you don't "need" 4wd. It has all the suspension and clearance and tire size of a 4wd, but w/o the added weight and cost.

And yeah, I shopped used and bought new since it was actually cheaper with a little haggling.

There might be a better 2 vehicle solution. Beater $1000 truck, and a reliable car to put the miles on.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Find a reputable dealer with one that you want on their lot and see what kind of financing they can arrange. Depending on your credit worthiness a number of banks are doing vehicles 10 years old up to 100k with decent rates.

Or ask your credit union how much and at what rate they will give you an unsecured personal loan.
Yeah, I do our bank loans for State Farm Bank (all I do is punch in the numbers really), but we live by the same motto as my credit union. Dealer financing is going to be my last ditch effort it looks like. I've seen them doing silly low rates for our customers with less than sterling credit on older vehicles. Wanted to test my crediti unions "boundaries" since they're always the most down to earth to work with. ;)

I cannot begin to describe my loathing for New car dealerships sales staff in the used car department. It's like going to a magic show where they sneak Visine in your drink.
 
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bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Gotcha. I bought my '06 Tundra in '09, and I think everyone had a hard-on for the "NEW" Tundra at the time so mine was super reasonable, only $1500 moar than the dealer in your link is asking (and mine is better equipped, is a true crew cab, and had half the miles on it). I think when gas prices started getting ridonk, the demand for the 4.7L V8's went up, because they really are reasonable on gas for a full-size truck.

So I just did a CL search in your area for "2006 Tundra" and people want CRAZY money for these things! Dang... people selling theirs for more than I bought mine for 4 years ago.
I am convinced that the devil himself is in my internet. Just popped up today :banghead::

http://samanddavesauto.v12soft.com/inventory/view/6420825/2006-TOYOTA-TUNDRA DOUBLE CAB SR5
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,524

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,524
as nice as the toyota trucks are i'd take my brothers old 12V cummins dodge over a tacoma....
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
2004 Tundra FTW. I paid $10.5 for it with 95K. It has 150K on it and hasn't had one issue besides regular service. Only pic I could find but before and after with slightly bigger tires and the front lifted with Bilsteins. If anything ever happens to this one, I will go buy another 04-06 DC. Bigger than a small truck, but not a full size. The only thing that somewhat sucks is the mileage definitely took a hit with better tires, but I don't drive that much. It gets around 15 on road trips.

 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
Yeah, I do our bank loans for State Farm Bank (all I do is punch in the numbers really), but we live by the same motto as my credit union. Dealer financing is going to be my last ditch effort it looks like. I've seen them doing silly low rates for our customers with less than sterling credit on older vehicles. Wanted to test my crediti unions "boundaries" since they're always the most down to earth to work with. ;)

I cannot begin to describe my loathing for New car dealerships sales staff in the used car department. It's like going to a magic show where they sneak Visine in your drink.
If you go in there acting like a d--khead, how do you think you will end up getting treated? Believe it or not, if you go in there informed the salesperson can be your best friend. If you go in there acting like you know more than they do or an arse, they may go out of their way to hose you.
 

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
1,335
0
Boulder
There might be a better 2 vehicle solution. Beater $1000 truck, and a reliable car to put the miles on.
We went with something like this. But I could find nothing worth buying in the sub $3k range for trucks and SUVs at the time. So I spent a bit more for a Land Cruiser as the beater and my wife gets the nice reliable car.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Rob, do you also tell Ducks not to quack? Fish not to swim? ;)
Just cause I shoot you a bird the first time I've seen you in months, you assume so much. :sarcastic:

But seriously Rob, walking in the used car department is a deck of cards. Sure, there are aces and kings, but there's also Jokers and deuces, and all the cards facing down. I am a haggler by nature and I don't tend to haggle toward the middle ground, only the bottom.

For someone with my mindset, it takes a LOT of effort to wind up in the vehicle I'm willing to accept at the price the dealer really doesn't like to take. I am a dealer's worst nightmare, but only because I'll only take the bottom dollar price.

My last purchase, we walked in with a check from the credit union. Dealer said it was $4k less than they paid for it. They tried to move every number under the sun. I picked up their phone and called their competitor. He said "What color and can you be here in 30 minutes?"

That right there is all I need to know about the car biz. Smoke and mirrors. ;)
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
Just cause I shoot you a bird the first time I've seen you in months, you assume so much. :sarcastic:

But seriously Rob, walking in the used car department is a deck of cards. Sure, there are aces and kings, but there's also Jokers and deuces, and all the cards facing down. I am a haggler by nature and I don't tend to haggle toward the middle ground, only the bottom.

For someone with my mindset, it takes a LOT of effort to wind up in the vehicle I'm willing to accept at the price the dealer really doesn't like to take. I am a dealer's worst nightmare, but only because I'll only take the bottom dollar price.

My last purchase, we walked in with a check from the credit union. Dealer said it was $4k less than they paid for it. They tried to move every number under the sun. I picked up their phone and called their competitor. He said "What color and can you be here in 30 minutes?"

That right there is all I need to know about the car biz. Smoke and mirrors. ;)
Given your regular ramblings about lack of funds, and the 4 page thread you have created on something that happens about 55 million times a year I can only guess on how well your strategy has been working. :rofl:

What I am suggesting may work BETTER for you is to leverage the Salesperson and the Dealership in the process. There are 2 things:
1) I can almost GUARANTEE is that any salesperson you come across has managed MORE transactions than you have.
2) I bet almost ANY dealership, especially a decent one originates more car loans in a given month than State Farm or your Credit Union. Therefore who do you think has more leverage at getting a better rate for you? They do (and yes they will make money doing it, just like StateFarm makes money selling insurance), now it is just a matter of you getting that deal.

You can always say no, at the end of the day YOU may the decision.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Given your regular ramblings about lack of funds, and the 4 page thread you have created on something that happens about 55 million times a year I can only guess on how well your strategy has been working. :rofl:

What I am suggesting may work BETTER for you is to leverage the Salesperson and the Dealership in the process. There are 2 things:
1) I can almost GUARANTEE is that any salesperson you come across has managed MORE transactions than you have.
2) I bet almost ANY dealership, especially a decent one originates more car loans in a given month than State Farm or your Credit Union. Therefore who do you think has more leverage at getting a better rate for you? They do (and yes they will make money doing it, just like StateFarm makes money selling insurance), now it is just a matter of you getting that deal.

You can always say no, at the end of the day YOU may the decision.
The better rate will come from your own bank were you have your accounts at already..... Every vehicle i have purchased teh rates at dealerships are effin retarded...... The people at the dealership do not leverage ****, they look at the paper work and tell you how much you need to drive off, thats all.

My CU has ALWAYS come in less than what a dealership can offer, even when the dealership was going through what was offered by my own CU.... Last vehicle I purchased dealership was unwilling to get me below 10%, My cu cu me a check for the exact same money and terms but my rate is 3%

Do a little more homework
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,553
Mike, dealers sometimes have smoking interest rate/money factor deals via tha manufacturer's captive finance arm that banks can't touch. Examples would be 0% financing deals on domestics or the end of the year 2012 Nissan Leaf lease with a 0.00003 money factor.
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
The better rate will come from your own bank were you have your accounts at already..... Every vehicle i have purchased teh rates at dealerships are effin retarded...... The people at the dealership do not leverage ****, they look at the paper work and tell you how much you need to drive off, thats all.

My CU has ALWAYS come in less than what a dealership can offer, even when the dealership was going through what was offered by my own CU.... Last vehicle I purchased dealership was unwilling to get me below 10%, My cu cu me a check for the exact same money and terms but my rate is 3%

Do a little more homework
Sorry but you are just incorrect. And I am glad that you have had that experience, how many cars have you purchased? Let's just say 40 in your entire lifetime. Well then you have experience 1/10th of what I look at on a monthly basis. Not to mention my previous experience where I was an analyst for the "Retail Lending" component of the 3rd largest automotive retailer in the country. To say I have looked at a lot of automotive lending transactions would be an understatement Anyway, I digress....

A big bank, BofA, Wells Fargo, Chase, CapOne etc or a captive finance company (FMCC, the new GMAC, Toyota Financial) etc are bigger and have better cost of funds than CU's. Additionally their rates are often subsidized by the manufacturer themselves (on both new and certified pre-owned). So again you help make my point. The deals ARE THERE its just a matter of if you, or in this case Bizutch CAN GET THEM. You are more likely to get the best deal if you at least PRETEND to like the folks at a dealership.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
Wait... people are spending $18K on 6 year old pickups? :crazy:
thats just retarded.
any car with over 150k miles... even if the engine lasts for 400k miles... will have some really worn down seats/steering wheel, a lot of play in the suspension and will feel very loose/rattly.

the drivetrain is not the only thing to wear down in a car.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
if you get 0% financing... its more expensive to pay cash than to finance.
if you get a rate under inflation... then its still cheaper than cash,
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,379
12,533
In a van.... down by the river
Well that again depends on your understanding of finance. If you can have your money earn more than you are paying to borrow it, you should.
True - in today's (and since about 2007?) environment the only way to be sure of that is to get a rate of 0%. And then you're very likely paying too much for a vehicle. :D

But don't take it from me - I've only purchased 4 vehicles in the last 25 years and only one was financed for ~2 years.
 

Pegboy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2003
1,139
27
New Hamp-sha
I bought a new F150 2 yrs ago. At the time, Ford was offering an additional $1000 cash back if you financed through them. The sales guy told me straight up that I could get a better rate going through a credit union and that once I met the terms (payments for 3 months) that I should refinance with said credit union. No refinance fee, minimum of $25 in new savings account, a couple % lower rate...That was a good sales guy and doesn't seem to back your claim, but you are obviously in the buisiness so I'll take your word.
Sorry but you are just incorrect. And I am glad that you have had that experience, how many cars have you purchased? Let's just say 40 in your entire lifetime. Well then you have experience 1/10th of what I look at on a monthly basis. Not to mention my previous experience where I was an analyst for the "Retail Lending" component of the 3rd largest automotive retailer in the country. To say I have looked at a lot of automotive lending transactions would be an understatement Anyway, I digress....

A big bank, BofA, Wells Fargo, Chase, CapOne etc or a captive finance company (FMCC, the new GMAC, Toyota Financial) etc are bigger and have better cost of funds than CU's. Additionally their rates are often subsidized by the manufacturer themselves (on both new and certified pre-owned). So again you help make my point. The deals ARE THERE its just a matter of if you, or in this case Bizutch CAN GET THEM. You are more likely to get the best deal if you at least PRETEND to like the folks at a dealership.
 

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
1,335
0
Boulder
The better rate will come from your own bank were you have your accounts at already..... Every vehicle i have purchased teh rates at dealerships are effin retarded...... The people at the dealership do not leverage ****, they look at the paper work and tell you how much you need to drive off, thats all.

My CU has ALWAYS come in less than what a dealership can offer, even when the dealership was going through what was offered by my own CU.... Last vehicle I purchased dealership was unwilling to get me below 10%, My cu cu me a check for the exact same money and terms but my rate is 3%

Do a little more homework
That doesn't really make sense. The dealership makes money on loans, so it's in their interest to try to secure financing that's good enough that you'll go through them instead of a bank or credit union. They may start high, but I bet if you told or showed them better financing from elsewhere they'd come down in a hurry.

There's a variety of place that they can make money on the sale of a car - markup from purchase, financing, manufacturer hold backs (not applicable to used cars). If they can make a little more profit in one of those areas they'll give up some in another. So if you finance through them, they make some more money with that, and they'll be more likely to move on the price. That's all savings to you if they match your existing financing.

I don't have a huge amount of experience with this stuff. I've only been involved in a few purchases. But from what I've seen, if you treat them with respect, show that you have some understanding of the process (while remembering they do this multiple times every day and know the process better than you ever will) and negotiate firmly and respectfully, you can get a pretty good deal. I don't doubt that given the opportunity they'll pry every cent they can from you, but that's why you do your homework.
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
I bought a new F150 2 yrs ago. At the time, Ford was offering an additional $1000 cash back if you financed through them. The sales guy told me straight up that I could get a better rate going through a credit union and that once I met the terms (payments for 3 months) that I should refinance with said credit union. No refinance fee, minimum of $25 in new savings account, a couple % lower rate...That was a good sales guy and doesn't seem to back your claim, but you are obviously in the buisiness so I'll take your word.
I only worked for a Ford Dealer for 5 years, what he didnt tell you was your deal through Ford was probably
$1,000 cash back OR subvented rates. So he actually did hook you up. You probably could have gotten 0% for 60 or 72 months, but instead he RIGHTFULLY told you to take the cash and then get your own financing, so you got the best of both worlds.

Thanks for making my point.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
The better rate will come from your own bank were you have your accounts at already..... Every vehicle i have purchased teh rates at dealerships are effin retarded...... The people at the dealership do not leverage ****, they look at the paper work and tell you how much you need to drive off, thats all.

My CU has ALWAYS come in less than what a dealership can offer, even when the dealership was going through what was offered by my own CU.... Last vehicle I purchased dealership was unwilling to get me below 10%, My cu cu me a check for the exact same money and terms but my rate is 3%

Do a little more homework
Not always true. My CU pre-approved me when I bought my wife's car, good rate. When I was at the dealer, I negotiated to get the price on the car that I knew was about as good as I was going to get, even though they didn't have the one I wanted on the lot. When it came to close the deal, I was able to negotiate for a car they did have with a few extras to take it right there. Then, the dealership was able to beat my CU rate since I had the proof right there with me.

Most people's mistake is they go in there trying to hit a target payment. You shouldn't be negotiating on payment, it should be on the price of the car. Many times they will budge more on the actual 'price' of the car knowing they can make it up in financing. If you come in blabbing about pre-approvals, they tend to be more stickler on the vehicle cost.

I even called the my CU from the parking lot and they wouldn't budge on the rate even though I was ready to buy a car right there. Used the dealer financing. It also helps that when they run your credit it comes back at 800.

We also bought the car from a dealership where a friend has bought 5 cars from the same salesman. No BS, pretty much walked in, negotiated a bit on price and some other extras and made a deal. There will always be another dealership willing to cut $100 to make a sale....but what's your time worth?
 
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DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Well Maybe thats just me, but Arrowhead CU has Always come to have the best rate for anything I have financed, and never have I been offered better rates at the dealer..... But same story has gone for my brother, and the guys I work with as well.

Maybe its because I have been at my CU for as long as I have, and probably the fact My credit score is through the roof......

Oh and I never walk in and talk about payments, I always talk about price period..... My last statement is, Ok lets put it on paper and I will be here with a check tomorrow.....
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
Most people's mistake is they go in there trying to hit a target payment. You shouldn't be negotiating on payment, it should be on the price of the car.

Good advice there, if you have Prime or above Prime credit. Once you get into below, sub and deep subprime I wouldn't necessarily agree. If you have a 720+ FICO score:

1) Negotiate the price of the car
2) Negotiate the price for any ancillary products such as extended service plans or GAP insurance. Unless you live in the state of Florida, those prices are negotiable.
a) Yes some ancillary products are actually decent. Extended factory warranties are a good product if you tend to drive your car forever.
b) I would recommend GAP if you are buying a car with very little money down and are in a negative equity position out the door. Just remember to CANCEL it once your loan balance becomes less than the vehicle value. They are cheap usually $400 or less.
3) Negotiate your financing terms. Rate & Term are both negotiable unless you are buying an older vehicle in which case the term will probably be capped based on miles.
a) as many have stated getting pre-approved from your bank or CU BEFORE you shop is an excellent piece of leverage to have in your pocket.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Rob, my specific issue with dealer financing is that I'm a very black and white style person. It's why I like insurance. You pay what we can offer and I don't have any "wiggle" room.

In a perfect world, my ideal deal would be Jim Barkley Toyota and it would be brand new. They have a "No Haggle" price on all the new ones. The guy selling it to you cannot come down off the price period. And yes, they literally don't and are still massive.

Buying at and financing at a new dealer who haggles or a used dealer that does the same is confusing because in the end, you have NO idea if you actually got THE ABSOLUTE BEST deal. Sure, you might get a great rate, but they're moving money onto the price of the car that you don't see to get you the rate.

Example (and I know this isn't a hard and fast rule), but I'll use the rich guy who swapped out his '05 4Runner Limited at the Lexus dealer b/c it's a worst case scenario. He wanted that new Lexus. They offered him $10k his first visit for a vehicle they'll put on the lot at full pop of $15k b/c it was IMMACULATE w/ low miles.

He showed up. They had a waiting list to buy said Lexus and undercut him to $8k for his 4Runner. He TOOK IT! So if I show up and try to buy that vehicle, they could still sell it to me for $12, buy the rate down w/ $500 (NOT TELL ME) and walk away with $3500.

That is my gripe about a dealer is that I will never know what they truly have in a vehicle and if I got THE ABSOLUTE BEST deal. That's the smoke and mirrors part.

I do realize I can go in and get better rates on financing at a dealer b/c of the way they can move money around in the background, so that's going to be the route I go. Just not looking forward to the randomness. :thumb:

Oh, and I'm only a deek to my friends and e-buddies, not strangers or salespeople.
 

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
1,335
0
Boulder
Stores generally don't show what they paid next to the price so that you can check their profit margin and make sure you're getting the absolute lowest price possible.

Just look at the individual parts of the deal and decide whether you're happy with them. And as a whole to see if it still makes sense. Done.

Of course if you want the absolute lowest price you'll have to be looking at private party sales instead of dealers.
 
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