Posted on 02/25/2023 7:26:39 AM PST by LouAvul
Inventory is increasing but a long way from pre panic levels. Plus, they don't seem to be interested in negotiating price.
Before, I'd contact (via email) a half dozen dealers with my criteria, they'd respond with a price, and I'd go to the lowest offer and negotiate from there.
No more, it seems.
No trades. No financing. Cash only.
What's the FR braintrust think about how to approach new vehicle purchase these days?
Drove one recently. I wouldn’t buy one.
I found hauling lumber was better in a 4runner than a Tacoma. I put the passenger seat all the way forward and had a hitch mount cargo carrier and could haul 10-foot lumber without it extending past the end of the carrier. Not sure you could do that in a Tacoma. Also, an older used 4runner is a lot cheaper than a comparable Tacoma. The Tacoma could haul bulk goods such as gravel however.
Agreed. Unless I was independently wealthy and swimming in cash I wouldn’t even consider a new vehicle.
What city or state are you in?
4 door trucks are an SUV with a birth defect.
Personally, I know NO ONE who has ever blown the extra 30-40 grand and can sport the same statement...with two exceptions:
Business, and those with too much money (and ego).
And the lie of that statement is those who regretted it later.
That stated, I concede it’s a class thing. But even IF I had the cash, I wouldn’t drive around advertising it in a shiny new vehicle (though there are PLENTY of examples of it in my area as well).
‘Different strokes’
Your name fits your comment.
I’ll keep driving my old 96 Dodge, 3/4 ton V-10. It likes fuel but keeps on going after 400,000 miles. Sales tax alone on a new PU will pay my gas bill a long time.
Buy a good used truck and maintain it properly and it will be cheaper than a $60,000=$80,000 new one. Even if you have to put in a new engine and tranny.
Well good for you.
I very much dislike the 4 door, short bed trucks. I want a 8 ft bed on a king cab chassis.
Why are you looking?
Tacomas demand top price on the used truck market, but they have such a tiny bed that I can’t justify it.
Anyone in the Austin, TX area need a brand new set of regular Monroe shocks (not for lifted) 1995-2000 Toyota Tacoma? Mine is factory listed, so couldn’t use them. PM me with a phone number. Very reasonable.
My Electra-Glide is longer than 6 feet.
That's good advice if you work from home, or have a typical daily commute to and from the same office. If you have a car problem you can get a loaner or rental or carpool for a few days while the vehicle is in the shop.
Some peoples' livelihoods depend on extensive, regular travel to different locations every day, and reliable transportation is a non-negotiable. Having a new or very low mileage certified pre-owned is a must. Breaking down out of town on business means not only some immediate expensive repairs, but probably some added hotel expenses while losing business until the car is repaired.
My wife’s Sienna is better at hauling 8 foot lumber than my Frontier was.
A new truck is $50K. All of the stuff you listed, other than bad rust can be fixed for a fraction of that. Maintain what you have. Save your money for more motorcycles.
“Not to mention worn out interior, seats, dash, carpet, floorboard, headliner etc”
For under 2 grand, it can all look better than new.
Or spend 75 thousand, plus tax and license fees and get “new” that will look like crap in 4 years.
Everything in new vehicles is plastic and quickly goes to ratty.
Use True Car as a reference to see availability and prices.
Check Carvana and CarMax for whatever model you’re looking at. You can specify year(s) and mileage and narrow things down. Used prices are high, but so are new prices, and they seem to actually have vehicles available vs new car dealers who frequently had no new vehicles on the lot.
CarMax website will give you an offer on your vehicle, which will let you know the real trade-in value (not the retail value). Wife and I found the offer to be accurate and we didn’t get spammed afterwards by CarMax.
Keep plugging away. We were looking at SUVs, not pickups, but we finally hit one dealer that actually had several new 2023 Honda CRVs in stock.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.