1. Welcome to Tundras.com!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tundra discussion topics
    • Transfer over your build thread from a different forum to this one
    • Communicate privately with other Tundra owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

So you want to buy a Tundra?

Discussion in 'General Tundra Discussion' started by ramonortiz55, Feb 15, 2017.

  1. Sep 18, 2018 at 4:31 PM
    #61
    ramonortiz55

    ramonortiz55 [OP] I don't Even Own A Tundra

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2015
    Member:
    #2053
    Messages:
    1,803
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ramon
    Vehicle:
    2001 4runner, 2015 tacoma
    Rakso[QUOTED] likes this.
  2. Sep 18, 2018 at 4:34 PM
    #62
    ramonortiz55

    ramonortiz55 [OP] I don't Even Own A Tundra

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2015
    Member:
    #2053
    Messages:
    1,803
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ramon
    Vehicle:
    2001 4runner, 2015 tacoma
    @Bob can you see in the thread history if i deleted by accident a post between posts #2 and #3 ?
     
  3. Sep 18, 2018 at 5:15 PM
    #63
    Bob

    Bob Member Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2014
    Member:
    #1
    Messages:
    4,040
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bob
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    07 Tacoma PreRunner Black
    None
     
  4. Sep 18, 2018 at 5:16 PM
    #64
    ramonortiz55

    ramonortiz55 [OP] I don't Even Own A Tundra

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2015
    Member:
    #2053
    Messages:
    1,803
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ramon
    Vehicle:
    2001 4runner, 2015 tacoma
    Bob[QUOTED] likes this.
  5. Sep 18, 2018 at 7:22 PM
    #65
    Rakso

    Rakso Tundra + Tacoma=Winner

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2018
    Member:
    #16087
    Messages:
    637
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Oskar
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    18 CM Super White 4X4
    TRD sway bar, TRD filter
  6. Oct 17, 2018 at 2:57 PM
    #66
    Moon Puppy

    Moon Puppy I'm not new!

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2018
    Member:
    #19065
    Messages:
    3,229
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bob
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2020 Tundra Limited
    Really good strategy, thanks for sharing this.

    I had to LOL about the tint "upsale".

    I used Carguru to get my deal working, not as extensive as your method but I felt good about it.

    Did the negotiating online, my SR5 Crew Max had the base steel wheels on it when they sent me a picture.

    Went on Labor Day to pick it up, they slipped on some XD 20s and said it would be 3k more.
    "Nope, take them off, I don't need them." I said
    "We'll do it or 2k." said the sales manager.
    "Nope, take them off, I don't need them. "
    "We'll do it for 1.5k"
    About that time my email dinged me on my phone, it was another Toyota dealer wanting to know where I was. I showed it to them and said. "Whacha gonna do?".
    They took the wheels off the invoice. :yay:
     
  7. Oct 17, 2018 at 6:10 PM
    #67
    Rakso

    Rakso Tundra + Tacoma=Winner

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2018
    Member:
    #16087
    Messages:
    637
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Oskar
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    18 CM Super White 4X4
    TRD sway bar, TRD filter
    18 or 19?
     
  8. Oct 17, 2018 at 6:17 PM
    #68
    Moon Puppy

    Moon Puppy I'm not new!

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2018
    Member:
    #19065
    Messages:
    3,229
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bob
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2020 Tundra Limited
    '18

    XD Series Buck 25 20" with Michelin defenders, I don't think, are close to 3 grand.
     
  9. Nov 27, 2018 at 10:44 PM
    #69
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    Member:
    #22273
    Messages:
    275
    Gender:
    Male
    PNW
    Vehicle:
    2019 Platinum CM 4x4 5.7L 1G3
  10. Nov 28, 2018 at 12:05 AM
    #70
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    Member:
    #22273
    Messages:
    275
    Gender:
    Male
    PNW
    Vehicle:
    2019 Platinum CM 4x4 5.7L 1G3
    If you don't mind, what method did you use to determine your out the door price? Or was USAA instrumental in pinning that down as well? Thanks
     
  11. Nov 29, 2018 at 3:11 PM
    #71
    Patriot

    Patriot Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2014
    Member:
    #662
    Messages:
    2,436
    Gender:
    Male
    Western NC, “Boondocks”
    USAA car buying service. :thumbsup:
     
  12. Nov 29, 2018 at 9:25 PM
    #72
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    Member:
    #22273
    Messages:
    275
    Gender:
    Male
    PNW
    Vehicle:
    2019 Platinum CM 4x4 5.7L 1G3
    Thanks
     
  13. Mar 28, 2019 at 7:24 AM
    #73
    glowblue

    glowblue From time to time

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2019
    Member:
    #28267
    Messages:
    1,941
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    VA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Tundra SR5 —> 2021 F-250 XLT
    New Tundra owner and member here. I recently did a slimmed down version of this to get my deal on my 2019 Tundra DC and thought I'd offer an important lesson I learned. I've bought many new cars over the past 30 or so years and encountered yet another way dealers try to trick you. In my area dealers really don’t negotiate so this time I ruled them out completely. Found the exact Tundra I wanted and a dealer with a really great price over the internet about 250 miles away. Saved probably $3-4k from what I’d pay locally.

    Here is the lesson leaned. When you finally have a deal at the price you want - get the dealer to put it in writing (email, etc) and include the Out the Door price - not just the sales price. Confirm what final all-in out the door price you will pay PRIOR to setting foot in the dealer ship or signing ANYTHING.

    Turns out with my deal there was a twist that had I not been on my game I would have been burned. The price I thought I was paying included freight. The price the dealer offered me may or may not have included freight. Turns out they did a switcheroo. Working off the MSRP (which includes freight) they offered a really amazing low price (but they didn’t disclose the freight charge) and tried to “add in” the freight charge of $1495 on the back end of the deal. I didn’t see this until the sales manager had the “buy sheet” in front of me ready to sign. I did not confirm the out the door price prior to stepping foot in the dealership....which was my error. Thankfully, the internet price quote I received indicated that freight was included. I won’t speculate whether the dealer made an honest mistake or tried to slip one past me - but it was very subtle.

    They finally relented and took the freight charge off the deal - giving me the correct, lower price I negotiated.

    Take away lesson? Dealers do a lot of “funny math” when working up a buyers order - you really need to be on your game. In my case, there was a $2,000 cash rebate from Toyota. You don’t see that applied until the sales tax is calculated so the “sales price” was $2,000 higher and included the freight charge. That is why you really need to know the final, out the door price and why some dealers won’t tell you until they put the buy sheet in front of you.

    When you are negotiating price - negotiate on the final out the door price - including all incentives, tax, title, license, rebates, etc. everything. If you just negotiate a “sales price” it leaves room for dealers to add back-in extra charges.
     
    whodini12 and RoujePN like this.
  14. Mar 28, 2019 at 8:23 AM
    #74
    Sas

    Sas Humor is everywhere

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2018
    Member:
    #17087
    Messages:
    4,410
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jason
    OKC, OK
    Vehicle:
    '17 SR5 CM TSS 4WD MGM 5.7 FF
    Lost track after #1.
    This. 25/8/366 this. Your number will go to all the places in all the universe once a dealership gets a hold of it. I had to change my number because of it and have always given out a fake phone number since.
     
  15. Mar 29, 2019 at 7:33 PM
    #75
    woodcan

    woodcan New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2019
    Member:
    #27739
    Messages:
    12
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    D
    TX
    Vehicle:
    Shopping for a Tundra
    I kind of got screwed with this one. USAA requires the use of Truecar to get their best finance rate and their Truecar link auto-fills the phone number. I tried putting a few different bogus numbers in there but it kept telling me it was invalid. Speaking of, I don't know if it is Truecar or just the USAA linked Truecar but that site really blows (very limited specifications on what you want that gets auto-forwarded to a handful of local dealerships who then immediately spam you with all sorts of vehicles nowhere near what you are interested in via a Truecar email that you cannot respond to). Literally 2 minutes after I hit submit my phone was ringing off the hook and I had a bunch of less than useful emails.
     
    RoujePN and glowblue like this.
  16. Mar 30, 2019 at 6:45 AM
    #76
    Sas

    Sas Humor is everywhere

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2018
    Member:
    #17087
    Messages:
    4,410
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jason
    OKC, OK
    Vehicle:
    '17 SR5 CM TSS 4WD MGM 5.7 FF
    Lost track after #1.
    Yeah, sometimes the phone number validator has some sophistication to it and you have to fiddle with multiple numbers to find one that works. Often that means entering in a number that might actually be someone else's number. Oopsie.
     
    woodcan[QUOTED] and RoujePN like this.
  17. Mar 30, 2019 at 7:33 PM
    #77
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    Member:
    #22273
    Messages:
    275
    Gender:
    Male
    PNW
    Vehicle:
    2019 Platinum CM 4x4 5.7L 1G3
    Kudos all for the lessons and experience learned and shared. I agree with each of you and I will chime in on the same issue ...in hindsight that is. I also played the auto buying services game and almost went with USAA/Trucar but ended up improvising since already invested the $250 for checkbook (dot org)'s service b/c they worked out well for me before. This time around however not so well, and c/b doesn't appear to give a damn anymore that their service doesn't compete or work as it did in the past. The dealer contacts they provided to me either did not respond or when some did 3 or so just flat out refused to play ball (i.e. most of the provided contacts advised CB they would provide an offer of invoice minus "$") with car-buying service customers. As noted on the provided dealer workbook sheet products, the promised numbers were generally in the range of $600 above to $1000 below invoice. One thing I noticed this time around, none of the contacts who responded to me agreed to provide me their invoice. No problem because I already had invoice numbers, add on options and prices. So I accepted the updated game knowing chances I was going to get the desired deal was slim and none. I decided to follow additional advice from this forum and began negotiating OTD prices with each of the remaining contacts by different emails. Only when I had and agreed to the better inv mgr's OTD commitment, (add on options and color) did I make an email appointment to drop by, put a deposit down and place an order. He also agreed (since I hate marketing and robocalls) no release of my personal info for marketing or TFS purposes. Ended up tax, title and rebate included at approx 2K below invoice OTD and they also sent me a $400 check for overpaid taxes. On delivery day, I had to sit and listen to finance's attempt to get me to purchase extended warranty and treatment services (pretty ballsy costs) all which I declined since I learned another recommend warranty service on this forum. Toyota plays harder ball than the other dealers, but fwiw was well worth the time and effort. This is a good forum and worth time time reading up on these threads.
     
  18. Mar 31, 2019 at 3:44 PM
    #78
    woodcan

    woodcan New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2019
    Member:
    #27739
    Messages:
    12
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    D
    TX
    Vehicle:
    Shopping for a Tundra
    FWIW, the TrueCar experience outside of the TrueCar part for the one guy from the one dealership that actually contacted me with his own dealership email as opposed to via TrueCar has been positive. Overall though it has not been.

    Also, can you clue me into this "another recommend warranty service on this forum"? I might want to look into that.
     
  19. Apr 1, 2019 at 4:34 AM
    #79
    glowblue

    glowblue From time to time

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2019
    Member:
    #28267
    Messages:
    1,941
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    VA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Tundra SR5 —> 2021 F-250 XLT
    The method the OP describes is pretty solid. I’m somewhat of a skeptic with car buying services and prefer the DIY route. The idea of negotiating on “invoice” price is out-dated. It was popular and effective 20 years ago, but times have changed. I figure out what I want to pay and stick to that. If I can’t get a dealer to meet my price - move on. Sometimes I have to reach out to dozens of dealers and it takes weeks.

    If no luck? Pick a different car to buy or realize I’m not going to find the car I want for the price I want to pay. That’s the “No deal” result which is an option. I always know that I may not get the deal I’m looking for after all it’s MY money... why should I part with it on someone else’s terms?
     
    Henry1jg and Ironsights like this.
  20. Apr 1, 2019 at 2:08 PM
    #80
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    Member:
    #22273
    Messages:
    275
    Gender:
    Male
    PNW
    Vehicle:
    2019 Platinum CM 4x4 5.7L 1G3
    PM Sent
     
  21. Jun 30, 2019 at 5:44 PM
    #81
    FireFlyGuy

    FireFlyGuy New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2019
    Member:
    #32639
    Messages:
    1
    Gender:
    Male
    Great post, thank you!

    In finding the lowest price, you must start with a general idea of the vehicle's cost to weigh the various dealership offers. Would the MSRP be the best reference point for this?

     
  22. Jul 1, 2019 at 11:09 AM
    #82
    ramonortiz55

    ramonortiz55 [OP] I don't Even Own A Tundra

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2015
    Member:
    #2053
    Messages:
    1,803
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ramon
    Vehicle:
    2001 4runner, 2015 tacoma
    As long as you have an advertised price you can use to start the bidding.

    Dont just say "This dealer said $29k" without any proof.
     
  23. Sep 28, 2019 at 7:40 AM
    #83
    Cpl_Punishment

    Cpl_Punishment Young men never die.

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2019
    Member:
    #25048
    Messages:
    14,221
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Rosy
    Alberta, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM SR5 CM 4X4
    Boost Auto mirrors, RSB, Leer Legend canopy, Line-X bed liner
    Sorry to revive an old thread but I had a few questions about your fantastic write up.

    Does it matter when in the month you start this? I know dealers will push harder to make a sale at the end of the month to meet their quotas but then is there a risk of them saying "sorry, that was last month's price" if it's the 1st and you haven't closed the deal?

    Also, is there any advantage in checking out a dealer's inventory on their website before emailing them? Like if you look and they definitely don't have what you want, does it still make sense to email them and see what they say? Or does that just end up being a waste of time?

    In kind of a similar vein, I'm thinking about the hypothetical scenario where I could be looking for a very unique truck and if there are not many in my area, the dealers could all end up trying to get their hands on the one truck I want. In that case, am I stuck buying from the dealer that has that one truck on their lot? Or should I still email around and see who's willing to bring in or factory order what I want? In my experience last time I tried this, there was one truck with the features I wanted left on this side of the country. The dealer who had it wouldn't trade to anyone else and the other dealers couldn't even "see" that they had this truck. I don't think this is as much of an issue if I buy a Tundra but if I decide GM is the way to go for my first truck, I know their max trailering package is very hard to find.

    Also, do you email the original dealership you visited with a picture of their truck and a link to their website? Do they get upset about you "using" them like that and difficult to work with? The reason I ask is because the closest Toyota dealership to me where it would be most convenient for me to do that research is also the largest volume dealer in western Canada (or so they claim) and thus I would think they would most likely be one of the ones to offer one of the lowest prices. Or do they value making a sale over feeling offended?

    I agree with some of the other posters about negotiating on the out the door price. After visiting 3 different dealerships recently, I've noticed that every salesman will tell you his dealer offers the lowest document fees in the country but obviously only one of them can be telling the truth.
     
  24. Sep 30, 2019 at 9:12 AM
    #84
    ramonortiz55

    ramonortiz55 [OP] I don't Even Own A Tundra

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2015
    Member:
    #2053
    Messages:
    1,803
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ramon
    Vehicle:
    2001 4runner, 2015 tacoma
    1. I don't think it should matter if its the 1st of the last day of the month. There are usually 0% financing sales, this is when I recommend doing this technique to prevent the dealership from trying to offer you a low price then kill you with the high financing.

    2. To me it's not a waste of time. Usually they send an offer lower than what's shown on the website, then you can use that lower price to negotiate with other dealers.

    3. You are not stuck with that particular dealer. A lot of dealers have partnerships with each other to where they share trucks. That being said, when I was looking for my Tacoma TRD offroad, I specified the year, color, and package. They didn't have it, but where able to "swap" trucks with another dealer to get what I wanted. It was then shipped from the other side of the state to the dealer I had made the deal with. If the dealer is hiding it from other dealers, then that might be an issue. If you find it on the website, send the competing dealers a link to it and ask them: "can you get something like this?". If they still can't see it, try to get the VIN number. Once you obtain it they can punch into the computer and see all the specs and location. I usually don't send links, I just send "pictures" or "screenshots" of the truck and pricing. I crop out all identifying information as much as possible. Sometimes the dealers want a VIN to see what vehicle your getting for what offer price, if that's the case - there is no problem with sending them the VIN numbers.
     
  25. Sep 30, 2019 at 12:25 PM
    #85
    Cpl_Punishment

    Cpl_Punishment Young men never die.

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2019
    Member:
    #25048
    Messages:
    14,221
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Rosy
    Alberta, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM SR5 CM 4X4
    Boost Auto mirrors, RSB, Leer Legend canopy, Line-X bed liner
    Thanks! I also thought of a few more questions after I posted that.

    1. You kind of touched on it in your answer but you go for financing? I haven't looked into the numbers enough to know if it's better to pay cash and get the discounts that go with that but then pay 6% to the bank or to pay MSRP and get 0% (or 0.99% if buying from Toyota). I know a lot of guys in the U.S. recommend getting the cash price but they seem to get the same interest rates from the dealers as from credit unions, if not higher, while here in Canada most dealers offer 0% at some point during the year.

    2. Have you found that there is an optimal time of year to buy? If you buy too early, can't get as good of a deal or 0% financing as discussed above but if you buy too late, you may be hard pressed to find the exact model you want. I bought my current car, a 2012, in May 2012 and it was one of maybe 4 or 6 left in the city with the features I wanted. I'm thinking from your answer that it would probably make sense to start looking at soon as the dealers are offering 0% financing (or as low as they're going to go) but figured I would double check.

    3. What if I'm open to a few different colours, for example, or if there are options I want that could be added afterwards? Does mentioning these make you look indecisive and make the process harder? Or would you recommend including things like add ons (bed liner, locking tailgate, trailering mirrors) and see who's willing to give you the best deal on the whole package? The challenge being that add ons are generally cheaper from third parties but then there's extra time involved to seek those out and get your hands on them.
     
  26. Oct 1, 2019 at 8:46 PM
    #86
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2018
    Member:
    #22273
    Messages:
    275
    Gender:
    Male
    PNW
    Vehicle:
    2019 Platinum CM 4x4 5.7L 1G3
    All valid questions and good research. Also remember #1 goal at most dealerships is to remove the on-hand inventory off their lots. If you haven't yet entered into formal relationship with a sales person, I share with you what worked for me. I began my truck purchase process in April and ended up with the truck new year. I recommend you completely spec out your truck in your mind. Also you should know what options your dealership is able to apply or add "locally" for example the liner. You may favor line-x over factory. Oddly enough, I was unable to locate a tunny without a sunroof. I unsuccessfully searched and called dealerships in many states (including TX) to find one and would have driven to pick it up if I could locate it. Once you have the color and options in pocket, establish a relationship exclusively with the inventory manager at the dealerships. I am uncertain about CA, but I found through experience that each of these IM's has a particular contact in Texas I forgot what they are called, but the willing IM will pick up the phone and request the spec'd vehicle off the line. Toyota doesn't advertise this, and sales force plays hard ball so always refer back up to every dealership's #1 goal. While I agree with others that timing isn't always a factor, my previous sales experience worked for me and I have always followed the end of month, quarter, year principle and it worked for me. So in November, I found the IM willing to work with me, and since I mentioned I wasn't interested in financing and I gave him a good faith deposit, he also agreed to work out as many offers he was legally allowed to do. He was up front, and told me I would need to wait, called me the next morning confirming response from TX. Within a couple weeks his TX contact called back with the VIN number and the actual date it was scheduled to come off the line minus the roof (only 6 produced each production) and factory liner by the way. Once it rolled off, we were also provided confirmation and only date it was scheduled to be put on the train. I can't recall exactly, but I think the total wait was approx 6 weeks at most including the additional options done locally. Well worth the wait for me. GLWYP!!
     
    Cpl_Punishment likes this.
  27. Oct 18, 2019 at 2:51 AM
    #87
    Big Red 1969

    Big Red 1969 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2019
    Member:
    #35962
    Messages:
    45
    Gender:
    Male
    Thanks for the post!
     
  28. Oct 27, 2019 at 9:58 PM
    #88
    Badger Co-Op

    Badger Co-Op Blood sausage, cheese, and lutefisk; hit me!

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2019
    Member:
    #37847
    Messages:
    237
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Kenny
    WISCO
    So noob question # 259: I like the Limiteds for the htd lather seats and the sunroof, like the TRDs as well, just saw a 2014 LTD/TRD Off-Road listed FS online; SWEET TRD style leather, sunroof, etc....was that combo only available in 2014 trucks?
     
  29. Oct 28, 2019 at 6:06 AM
    #89
    Badger Co-Op

    Badger Co-Op Blood sausage, cheese, and lutefisk; hit me!

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2019
    Member:
    #37847
    Messages:
    237
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Kenny
    WISCO
    OK, thank you for the clarification, I thought the TRDs were a stand alone sort of package only to themselves.

    The seats are more of a racing bucket (contoured butt/back hug), instead of the regular flat style of seat build. Thank You Panda!
     
  30. Dec 15, 2019 at 5:35 PM
    #90
    rons23

    rons23 Get The Led Out!!!

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2014
    Member:
    #625
    Messages:
    8,527
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ron
    Kill Devil Hills
    Vehicle:
    2008 Nautical Blue TRD
    Sabm (Gtek-Fab), Blake Carbon Diamond Plate door sil protecters, and Air Dam mod, Black Rivited Grill, Devil Horns- Black Anodized(Diaz Fabrication), Hid's in Low Beams and Fogs -6000k, Piaa Extreme for High Beams. Black Rhino Step Tubes, Razir Led interior Lights (white), Low Profile Black Diamond Plate Tool Box, Trd accesories, Weather Tech Mats, Carbon Fiber Shorty Antenna, Drl's, Plasta Dipped Badges + Front Grill Surround

Products Discussed in

To Top