New Tundra - Can I go wrong??

Personally, I don’t think resale value should even be a concern right now considering he/she hasn’t even bought the truck yet. No one even knows what the market/demand will be when the new truck comes out for a 3rd gen ( of any sort ) let alone when it comes time. Regardless, the truck holds value.... not like he’s buying a corolla or Camry. ( only an example of vehicles that are EVERYWHERE in my area )

 

Re-read my post. I have had 3 with cloth seats.

 

I think it should factor into the equation. If he got a 2021, he'd be underwater with old tech for a long time. Imagine all the people who got a 2006 Tundra right before the giant leap 2007?

 

I have a ‘21 and bought the truck knowing I needed certain things and didn’t care about other knowing I was going to “replace/update” my “old tech”. I also, know that the 3rd gen is damn near bulletproof. Can you say that with certainty about the new? The answer is no. What “new” tech is going to be available that I just can’t live without? I’m only saying (original post ) I would never buy 1st year of ANY new vehicle that had an overhaul. I had a ‘15 limited Tacoma that was the last year of the 2nd gen. People would damn near die for that truck when they knew what the “new” tech was on the 3rd gen OR bought one with regret. These are just my thoughts lol.

 

A lot of this argument is predicated on whether you need more payload or towing capability. As another poster stated, the Tundra is so so far behind the times when it comes to towing and PL it's insane. I agree, the current Tundra is bulletproof, and nice job on your 2021, but it's not for everyone.

The new Tundra, I'm sure will be bulletproof too, but will be able to tow far more, have way better payload, and get better mpg.

Outgoing models might be reminisced about, but no one is going to actively pay over current value for a used old style model.

 

More like 2 years. Once people started to complain about the new drive train, the older version started to be in high demand. My dealership offered me very good trade in on my 14 tacoma, just as the 17's were hitting the lot.
Maybe that wasn't the case where you are at, and I can only speak from my personal experience.

 

Sure... will it be bulletproof? Probably.... again, me PERSONALLY (not you or him ) am not going to buy the first year of a new transition. Thanks for the comment on the purchase of my truck. You are correct, it might not be for everyone. I just am not sure ( without speculation ) what the 3rd gen can’t do/offer/upgrade to aftermarket that will make them happy? Many times, going aftermarket will surpass what the factory offers. It’s all about you personally. Right? I personally didn’t buy the truck to worry about mpg or gas prices. What the sticker says and how you drive can completely contradict that. Just sayin.
As for paying over current value.... wrong!! Personal story here.
You have no idea what happens in the future ie covid/2020.
I was in the middle of buying a used 2019 TRD Sport in August. I knew my nu,bees of my taco. They knew the numbers as well and we agreed on the value. The dealer tried to undercut me 1K. I knew that my truck was worth more and trucks were getting scarce. I WALKED AND PISSED. Walked into a different dealer that 7 months earlier bought my wife a 2020 limited 4Runner in November ( sky high values on trucks/used vehicles ) and talked to the director himself and looked at what Mannheim was doing with my taco. Range was from low 21k-24500 high and I said I DEMAND $26,500 for my truck and I’ll buy a truck. Site unseen only pics.... he didn’t flinch. I now have my ‘21 tundra. They never opened the taco when I came back with it.
EVERYTHING is unknown.
Nice chatting... I’ll sit back and watch the thread from this point on.

 

I'm not fully following everything you stated, but yes-- COVID used prices are insane. They're already normalizing though. I got 44k trade in on my Tundra. I paid 46,500 for it. My friend just tried to do the same exact thing, and hot damn, not less than a month later, the book value went down another 2k.

I also would never get the first model year of any new vehicle, but if I had to bet, the new Toyota will be relatively sound. I don't worry about MPG or gas prices either, as it's a truck. But getting more MPG never hurt anyone.

 

Good choice. If I was made of money, I'd have a TRD Sport instead of an SR5.

 

I’ll just get a 2022 in 2040 when my 2019 finally quits on me.

 

Just giving some feedback on this since I just purchased my 3rd new tundra within a 2 year period and had similar thoughts like mentioned here. The first thing I would say is the new gen tundra that should be coming soon is not guaranteed to be a home run, I think for that reason purchasing a current tundra is a wise decision. A lot of people don’t care about the tech and comfort that some other brands offer, people want reliability and great resale many years down the road. To give an example the Tacoma had many issues when it first came out, the same thing could happen with the new tundra or it could be an amazing truck. I also read on here that the value will go down once the new gen tundras come out, I actually believe it’s the opposite. I know a few GM’s of Toyota dealerships and they all have mentioned how the value of the previous gen Tacoma’s has gone up much higher since the new gen came out, they actually have a hard time financing since companies won’t finance over a specific Ltv. A quick search online will show a handful of previous gen Tacoma’s for sale compared to the hundreds of current gen. Again these are a few things to think about when making the decision but if I was to spend 50k on a truck I wouldn’t hesitate on getting another tundra.

 

Welcome from So Cal.

Don't sweat the stains, my mobile car wash guy gets my grandkids assorted stains out of my fabric anytime, do not know what he uses but the stains are gone.
So I presume that is not rocket science.

Agree with waiting till 2022 , on the fence for limited but not too inclined to be the first one to try 2021.

 

OP—that truck awesome, and you will love it. I just bought a 21 Tundra. I absolutely love it. I love the “old-school-ness” of the truck. Lots of other half-tons get better mpg and are rated to tow and haul more. Big deal. I bought this truck to take my family dispersed camping. I trust it to get us back home over every other half-ton on the market. And this truck with this old 5.7L is still the cheapest to own over 5 years.

Regarding resale value before the new Tundra comes out: Remember, Gen 2 Tacomas had what is the current 4Runner drivetrain: an ancient 4.0L V6 & 5-speed automatic transmission. Gen 3 got a 3.5L and 6-speed. Towing went from 5k to 6800; mpg went from 17 to 23. Yet, the Gen 2 Tacomas’ resale values are still strong. I’m not sure the idea that our Tundras values will fall as soon as the new better mpg/towing/payload Tundra drops is based in reality.

Also, my cloth seats are great. I don’t know what substances TundraLaw is spilling all over his, but everything my kids drop in the back—I’ve found bits of fruit, veggies, peanut butter pretzels, gummy snacks, discarded lollipop sticks so far—comes right out of my seats with minimal effort and a Norwex cloth. Leather is easier to keep clean, sure. But I have no regrets going cloth.

 

Minimal effort and a cloth is the key point. Why mess with that headache when you can just take a napkin or some water and clean the leather up.

Toyota leather will last a lifetime, and had a much better resale value. Don’t make the mistake of going cloth. I did, and then got a limited two years later. Buy once, cry once.

 

In what world is minimal effort a headache?

I don’t use any more elbow grease with a dry (or damp, depending on the spill) Norwex cloth on the cloth seats in my Tundra than I do on the leather in our Yukon XL.

Lots of messes and spills thanks to our three young kids, but nothing that hasn’t come right out in either vehicle.

OP — If you spring for leather, buy whatever trim gets you heated/ventilated seats. That’s the only way to go with leather, in my opinion.

 

If you can wait until November you’re going to be able to get this same truck for a lot less $$$.

 

I can’t predict the future, but I had this same experience. Before I bought my 2019 Tundra brand new, I was looking at Tacoma’s in pre-COVID times. After a lot of research and how people hated the new power train with the 3.5 V6, I cut off my model year search to 2015 and older. Used 2015 Tacos with 50-60k miles were selling for what new ones were. Turns out the Tundras were doing the same thing.

Thankfully I extracted my head from my ass and did NOT get a Taco, I love my 2019 Tundra and 5.7L V8. These engines will be relics in the not too distant future.

Make a list of wants and needs and make your decision off that. You’ll get a wide spectrum of opinions on here to help you decide but buy what YOU want. Good luck OP, hope you find what you’re looking for.

 

Assuming you like the look, I think the no chrome on the Sport outweighs the cloth vs leather argument. Its easier to add Katskins down the line (if you even need or want it) than to de-chrome the whole truck like most folks around here do. I now have both, a Limited with leather and color matched like a Sport. Actually, I didn't even consider the Sport when I was shopping and kinda wish I had from a purely cosmetic point of view. Get the looks you want with the package you want, and you can always modify or upgrade things as you see fit later.

As far as the whole resale value thing, trucks aren't investments, in that you shouldn't worry about what you can get for it 4-5 years from now when its paid off, assuming you keep it that long. Most folks have a perpetual car payment anyways, so whatever you get for it when its time to sell will just go towards your new vehicle, but you'll still be making a payment. Thinking about that pre-purchase is just adding undue stress to your decision. Either way, I don't see the Gen 3 value taking much of a hit when the 2022s come out, if ever. They're proven, reliable V-8s, and all that jazz. Hell, there's still Gen 1 Tundras that are nearing 20 years old, with the 4.7, that are still bringing half of their original sticker price. Plus, there's always the potential that the new Gen could be a dud, at least initially, so I wouldn't stress over all this if you're ready to buy now.

Even with the new powerplant in the Gen 4s, we're only looking at incremental improvements in towing, payload and MPGs. It not like the new truck is going to come out competing with a 3500 Ram in those areas, so who cares? TundraLaw reminds me of a guy I work with who's always trying to poo-poo on the Tundra, because he drives an Ecoboost. He brags about the towing capacity and MPGs but then looks silly when I ask him what he tows with it... nothing. But somehow because it can its automatically better. Most folks who tow heavy loads don't drive Tundras (or any 1/2 ton for that matter), they drive 2500/3500 Rams, or F-250/350s (some even drive Chevys), so towing capacity vs. the rest is not that big of a deal to 99% of 1/2 ton owners, its just bragging rights around the campfire. If you're worried that your Tundra can't tow a certain trailer you're either shopping for the wrong truck or shopping for the wrong trailer. Real world gas mileage is not as far off as marketing and window stickers would make it seem either. Will the new Tundra get better MPGs than the current one, very likely, but it will only be a couple (on the sticker). The cost for admission will also be correspondingly higher, so do the cost of ownership math and I bet they're pretty dang close.

 

I admire your dedication to leather seats in this post..

+1 for cloth. Had it in my 2015 Taco, husband has it in his 2003 Tundra, I have it now in my 2018 Tundra- Zero issues with any of them. My 1979 Scout had leather seats for a year and I swapped the seats out of it for cloth. Legs sweat and stick to it in the summer, bum froze to it in the winter. It had no heat/cool option though so I guess that doesnt count.

Welcome from Maine, OP. Whatever truck you get, youre gonna love her!

 

Maybe not. If you wait until the 2022s come out, you may not find what you want exactly. The current covid situation is still affecting inventory, at least where I am. Maybe your area is different, but I see it at dealerships of all brands. A lot of new vehicles were sold in the first month or two of the pandemic. 0% for 84 months sold more cars than the manufacturer could replace. And now they have limited parts and capacity at the manufacturing facility. Not to mention that they will have to change over a bunch of things to start producing the 2022s.
If the OP is on the fence at all and finds a truck that works for him, he should buy it. Don't wait for something that may never come.

 

You know that the 2021 is almost exactly the same as 2020. So if you don't want to buy the new MY then you would have to wait until the 23s come out

 

@Elevatormatt Just saw your Coastie emblem. What rate/stations?

 

My plan as well, except I’m shooting for about 2030.

 

I can’t figure out how someone can’t get fabric seats clean unless they got white. I had cloth seats for 24 years. Three kids, dogs, countless hunting trips and spilled drinks....it’s called shampoo. Unless you color in them with a sharpie or bath them in diff fluid I can’t imagine it won’t come out.

All that said, leather is far easier to clean mud and dog hair out of.

 

I was at ANT so Portland straight out of boot camp. Made BM3 and got out to start a family. Were you in as well?

 

Elavatormatt, good catch, I slipped on the years you are right.

 

Back in July/August I couldn’t hardly find a new 2020 tundra on any lot. Toyota stopped manufacturing 2020’s and started making 2021’s. That caused even less 2020’s. The waiting demand for a new tundra was filled by November. People who wanted a 2020 or 2021 went and got a 2021. I’m sure lots of people are going to wait until the 2022 comes out to see if they like it before moving on a 2021 or a 2022. My guess is there will be plenty of 2021’s to choose from come October/November of 2021 and they will be discounted to move and make room for the 2022’s.
Quick search. Checked 3 of the 8 toyota dealerships within 100 miles of me they have over 100 2021 tundras on their lots for sale. I’m sure if I checked all 8 dealers there would be 250-300 tundras on their lots for sale right now. There are over 4400 2021’s advertised on carguru nation wide right now. Back in July there was maybe a few hundred 2020’s nation wide.
The new market is back on track. The prices on the used Tundras has already went down from its spike in August/September.

 

Yeah, was also in So Portland at the station back in ‘09
Made MK3 and spent 3 horrendous years on the CGC Forward in Portsmouth VA, the only female engineer on the entire ship. Had it up to my eyeballs with the bullshit

 

I was there until 04, really liked the area. Grew up in the sticks of NH and now live in the sticks of Southern Maine

 

there are so many tundras all over the place. This could arguably be the worst time to buy a tundra. Wait until the reveal, and I’m sure there will be 0% for 60 months ago (what I got a couple years ago)