Any Toyota Employees on TGO?

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

Double Cab TRD Off Road Long Bed. Black. With a moon roof of all things. 

The long bed model 7568 was the tough part. Apparently almost all of those get allocated out west where someone might actually put something in the back or something. 

I like the fuel economy of that new Atkinson cycle 6 cylinder they're putting in them. With the tow package, I'll barely strain it to pull my boat.  While I don't expect to use that crawl control that they're putting on them that much, I'm in sand enough that it might come in handy. 

My niece has a 4 door, long bed Tacoma. I've no idea where she got it, but it's the only one I've seen in person.

[Raoul]

19 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

My niece has a 4 door, long bed Tacoma. I've no idea where she got it, but it's the only one I've seen in person.

I've got a Frontier 4x4 4 door long bed. Only one I've seen.

[btq96r]

I know the pay cash option is nice, but too many just don't have enough saved up to do that, and need a reliable vehicle.  Plus, if the interest rate is low enough, a car loan isn't that bad, and can help people save up for an emergency, or keep funds flexible for things like moving, or other need money now to make it happen, but it's not an emergency kind of financial events.

 

3 hours ago, MacGyver said:

This is why if you're planning on financing a car, you should always bring your own financing with you.  You might later agree to go with their captive for some incentive, but at least you'll have a floor on what your loan should cost. 

Congrats on the truck, and thanks for sharing your experience on the board for others to draw from.

I can't ever see a scenario where I'll use dealer financing again.  For my only car purchase, I was a 20yr old Joe in the Army with only a few years of credit history, so I was kind of stuck for options.  Today, with a better understanding of how things work and a credit score over 800, I know I have the leverage.  Most likely, I'll use my bank and their car buying service, which would get me a very low rate (provided I have a good job to back it up), so I like that option.

[MacGyver]

1 hour ago, btq96r said:

I know the pay cash option is nice, but too many just don't have enough saved up to do that, and need a reliable vehicle.  Plus, if the interest rate is low enough, a car loan isn't that bad, and can help people save up for an emergency, or keep funds flexible for things like moving, or other need money now to make it happen, but it's not an emergency kind of financial events.

 

Congrats on the truck, and thanks for sharing your experience on the board for others to draw from.

I can't ever see a scenario where I'll use dealer financing again.  For my only car purchase, I was a 20yr old Joe in the Army with only a few years of credit history, so I was kind of stuck for options.  Today, with a better understanding of how things work and a credit score over 800, I know I have the leverage.  Most likely, I'll use my bank and their car buying service, which would get me a very low rate (provided I have a good job to back it up), so I like that option.

Truthfully, I'm 41 and this is the first new car I've ever bought.  

There's definitely some truth to the saying that for most people, their car is the reason they're poor. Add in multiple cars and being upside down in vehicles, and you dig a hole that's hard to get out of.  

For all of my adult life, I've driven sub $10000 cars that I've paid cash for.  And, man have I gotten my money's worth.  

A reliable car is really a necessity in today's suburban America. I've only lived two places where I really didn't need a car -  Manhattan and Seattle.  Both have excellent mass transit, and I was single in both cases.  

Seems like for most of us these days, the line between wants and needs is really blurred.  In this case, I bought a new truck because my financial advisor showed me that the money was leaving my account one way or another - either to the Feds in taxes or to Toyota. Basically, it's the one benefit you get as a small business owner. 

I used my bank to get a simple loan when we bought my wife's truck when we had our third kid.  We bought it right when cash for clunkers was going on, and there just wasn't much available in the range we wanted to spend.  We had the cash, but decided to hold onto some of it to keep the emergency fund a bit higher.  I think it was a 2.5% loan for 2 years.  The dealership was appalled that we would qualify for so much but didn't want it. 

It's going to take a while, but the current model is going to change.  Either the Teslas and Apples of the world will just start selling direct, or the Ubers and Lyfts will just start supplying their own cars.  It may take a generation, but what we've got now isn't going to last.   

[MacGyver]

I heard a lot of good things about Costco's car buying service.  Basically, if the car you want it on the lot, you can use Costco to arrange a no haggle price.  You end up paying invoice for the car, and the dealership actually pays Costco a few hundred bucks for the referral. 

If anyone here has used it, I'd love to hear about it.  

[gregintenn]

2 hours ago, btq96r said:

I know the pay cash option is nice, but too many just don't have enough saved up to do that, and need a reliable vehicle.  Plus, if the interest rate is low enough, a car loan isn't that bad, and can help people save up for an emergency, or keep funds flexible for things like moving, or other need money now to make it happen, but it's not an emergency kind of financial events.

 

Congrats on the truck, and thanks for sharing your experience on the board for others to draw from.

I can't ever see a scenario where I'll use dealer financing again.  For my only car purchase, I was a 20yr old Joe in the Army with only a few years of credit history, so I was kind of stuck for options.  Today, with a better understanding of how things work and a credit score over 800, I know I have the leverage.  Most likely, I'll use my bank and their car buying service, which would get me a very low rate (provided I have a good job to back it up), so I like that option.

I'd guess a car payment is the most likely thing that keeps broke people broke.

[gregintenn]

45 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

Truthfully, I'm 41 and this is the first new car I've ever bought.  

There's definitely some truth to the saying that for most people, their car is the reason they're poor. Add in multiple cars and being upside down in vehicles, and you dig a hole that's hard to get out of.  

For all of my adult life, I've driven sub $10000 cars that I've paid cash for.  And, man have I gotten my money's worth.  

A reliable car is really a necessity in today's suburban America. I've only lived two places where I really didn't need a car -  Manhattan and Seattle.  Both have excellent mass transit, and I was single in both cases.  

Seems like for most of us these days, the line between wants and needs is really blurred.  In this case, I bought a new truck because my financial advisor showed me that the money was leaving my account one way or another - either to the Feds in taxes or to Toyota. Basically, it's the one benefit you get as a small business owner. 

I used my bank to get a simple loan when we bought my wife's truck when we had our third kid.  We bought it right when cash for clunkers was going on, and there just wasn't much available in the range we wanted to spend.  We had the cash, but decided to hold onto some of it to keep the emergency fund a bit higher.  I think it was a 2.5% loan for 2 years.  The dealership was appalled that we would qualify for so much but didn't want it. 

It's going to take a while, but the current model is going to change.  Either the Teslas and Apples of the world will just start selling direct, or the Ubers and Lyfts will just start supplying their own cars.  It may take a generation, but what we've got now isn't going to last.   

No way! You're only a year behind me?!!? I'd have never guessed it.

[btq96r]

5 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

I'd guess a car payment is the most likely thing that keeps broke people broke.

It's probably one of the top reasons.  The cost of housing is probably worse. 

MacGyver is right, the current sales practices aren't sustainable for the economy we have today.  I think once the first major manufacturer to cut out the dealership as we know it today, and sell directly to the public, will change automobile sales as we know it.

[gregintenn]

1 minute ago, btq96r said:

It's probably one of the top reasons.  The cost of housing is probably worse. 

MacGyver is right, the current sales practices aren't sustainable for the economy we have today.  I think once the first major manufacturer to cut out the dealership as we know it today, and sell directly to the public, will change automobile sales as we know it.

That's probably quite likely, and I, for one, will be glad to see it. I rank a car dealership right up there with court, a doctor's office, and the DMV in places I despise to go.

[btq96r]

Just now, gregintenn said:

That's probably quite likely, and I, for one, will be glad to see it. I rank a car dealership right up there with court, a doctor's office, and the DMV in places I despise to go.

I can honestly say the car buying experience is the main reason why I've kept my beat up 2002 Ford Ranger for so long, despite having the ability to buy a new, or better used vehicle.  It's just not worth dealing with the salesman and the industry practices as a whole to me.

[MacGyver]

6 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

No way! You're only a year behind me?!!? I'd have never guessed it.

You're kind.  My kids are younger than yours, so I expect my gray hasn't had quite the same time to show through.  

I got married when I was almost 30. While I wouldn't trade it, I really respect my friends who got married and had kids younger.  I was more financially secure when I got married and we had kids, but it's neat to see some of my friends from school who have kids going to college in the fall. 

[nightrunner]

1 hour ago, btq96r said:

It's probably one of the top reasons.  The cost of housing is probably worse. 

MacGyver is right, the current sales practices aren't sustainable for the economy we have today.  I think once the first major manufacturer to cut out the dealership as we know it today, and sell directly to the public, will change automobile sales as we know it.

It's already happening, Cadillac just recently stole Infiniti's CEO to make some big changes. One of those big changes is a "virtual" dealership, no inventory, just information about models then you order what you want. Granted, it is a luxury brand but I think it is a sign of things to come.

[DaveTN]

15 hours ago, btq96r said:

I can't ever see a scenario where I'll use dealer financing again.  For my only car purchase, I was a 20yr old Joe in the Army with only a few years of credit history, so I was kind of stuck for options.  Today, with a better understanding of how things work and a credit score over 800, I know I have the leverage.  Most likely, I'll use my bank and their car buying service, which would get me a very low rate (provided I have a good job to back it up), so I like that option.

If your credit score is high enough you can qualify for 0%. That’s real money. Of course it isn’t 0%; it’s a discount, but your bank isn’t going to touch it. (Although you should always check.) I could have paid cash; but pulling $40K from my investments when I didn’t need to would not have been smart.

[btq96r]

3 hours ago, DaveTN said:

 I could have paid cash; but pulling $40K from my investments when I didn’t need to would not have been smart.

That's pretty much the scenario I'd be in when it's new car time.  Paying cash would be great, but in the long run, it's probably better for me to leave my money where it is and take on a low interest payment plan.

[tercel89]

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 0:38 PM, MacGyver said:

So, I'm buying a new truck.  I want a specific model Tacoma that will likely need to be shipped in as most of the allocation of this specific model goes out West.

I'm not overly impressed with our dealers in middle Tennessee thus far, as most of them appear to be opposed to doing actual work to find a truck - though all of them want to sell me one they've already got on the lot.

Anyway, if any of our members work for Toyota, let me know.  I'm happy to provide details and let someone here earn the commission on the sale.

I am a HUGE Tacoma fan and have a 2003 Tacoma 4wd with the 2.7 liter . It is pure HEAVEN . I love it .

[peejman]

19 hours ago, MacGyver said:

I heard a lot of good things about Costco's car buying service.  Basically, if the car you want it on the lot, you can use Costco to arrange a no haggle price.  You end up paying invoice for the car, and the dealership actually pays Costco a few hundred bucks for the referral. 

If anyone here has used it, I'd love to hear about it.  

USAA has a similar service. I think it's something like $150 with participating dealers. Dad used it when they bought Mom's Subaru and said it worked fine. The price seemed to be about what you could negotiate to anyway, especially on a cash sale, the service just saved the aggravation. As I recall they had to order the car, but it didn't take long to get. 

[Patton]

7 hours ago, tercel89 said:

I am a HUGE Tacoma fan and have a 2003 Tacoma 4wd with the 2.7 liter . It is pure HEAVEN . I love it .

Never, I mean never, let that truck go. They don't make them like that anymore. That truck will outlive all of us if you keep the rust away.

[willis68]

I am very interested in the 2017 TRD Pro Tocoma that is coming out, I'm giving serious thought to buying one when they do 

[TripleGGG]

Toyota Crawl Control.  Interesting. 

 

[MacGyver]

1 hour ago, willis68 said:

I am very interested in the 2017 TRD Pro Tocoma that is coming out, I'm giving serious thought to buying one when they do 

Those are great looking trucks. I was kind of tempted to wait until September myself. 

 

[Lumber_Jack]

The crawl control is a really nice feature, I have it on my FJ.  It works in more than just sand... mud, snow, slick rocks, it's pretty impressive, but not a deal breaker as far as a buying option.  I would, however, buy one with the rear locking diff and A-Trac.  A-Trac to me is more useful for more situations and is equally as impressive.  Basically, it works in 4 low and distributes power to non-slipping wheels by using the ABS.  They key is to keep about 1500rpms of throttle and the truck will work itself up the terrain.  Crawl works similarly but gives throttle automatically according to the dial setting you have selected.  

[quietguy]

On 6/11/2016 at 8:56 PM, MacGyver said:

I heard a lot of good things about Costco's car buying service.  Basically, if the car you want it on the lot, you can use Costco to arrange a no haggle price.  You end up paying invoice for the car, and the dealership actually pays Costco a few hundred bucks for the referral. 

If anyone here has used it, I'd love to hear about it.  

We tried to use it a couple of years ago, but found a better deal on a slightly used car.  

The process is pretty simple, but only certain dealers participate.  In our case, we were buying a Lexus, and the closest dealer was in Atlanta.  

[tercel89]

17 hours ago, Patton said:

Never, I mean never, let that truck go. They don't make them like that anymore. That truck will outlive all of us if you keep the rust away.

Thanks buddy ! It may have a 4 cylinder and all but it works for me. I have pulled stumps out of the ground and other stuff and I love it. My granddaddy was in the Battle Of The Buldge , he told me to never buy a "Jap" truck or car and would hate it but this truck WORKS ! I am sure he would understand if he knew how much money it saved us on unwanted repairs and all so that money would go to feed his great grand daughters and great grandson.

 

[Patton]

5 minutes ago, tercel89 said:

Thanks buddy ! It may have a 4 cylinder and all but it works for me. I have pulled stumps out of the ground and other stuff and I love it. My granddaddy was in the Battle Of The Buldge , he told me to never buy a "Jap" truck or car and would hate it but this truck WORKS ! I am sure he would understand if he knew how much money it saved us on unwanted repairs and all so that money would go to feed his great grand daughters and great grandson.

 

My family and I have worked 4cyl Tacomas more than most 1 tons get worked. I am a believer in the 2.7. My father had a 95 that I believe we would still have today if it had not gotten t boned. It had 600k miles and was still as strong as the day it drive off the lot. I pulled a boat with my 2.7 for a friend that I found out nearly exceeded the towing capacity by double. I didn't find out until afterwards what it weighed.  Don't know how many stuck vehicles and farm equipment our 2.7's have retrieved, but the funniest one was a F600 dump truck that was stuck while trying to recover a 1 ton Dodge.

[KahrMan]

If anybody needs a Toyota with surface to air missiles, I know where one is....

 

Forgot to mention, it also has a train horn.

Edited June 14, 2016 by KahrMan