PRICING QUESTIONS RANT!!!

I see lots of questions here about price. Most people want to know what they should expect to pay and if they’re getting a good / fair deal.
So forum members post “I paid X dollars for my Limited (or whatever it was).”
And, sorry, a lot of those posts are not useful because they don’t include the exact and only information needed, which is:

1. Total Suggested Retail Price
2. The price the dealer agrees to sell the vehicle for, including any dealer discounts, and EXCLUDING any of the following:

• Rebates (like the current $3,000 one from Toyota);
• Special discounts like military or student (not everyone can use these);
• Trade in;
• Maybe there are others I haven’t thought of.

That’s it — that tells the whole story.
It’s the only way to do a true apples-to-apple comparison.

Of course there are a whole lot of variables that affect the price one will pay for any particular vehicle, like:

• Regional factors;
• Number of vehicles on the dealer’s lot;
• How long that particular vehicle has been on the lot;
• The general economy;
• The weather that day;
• The day of the month;
• What mood the sales manager is in;
• On and on.

So, I just bought a 2025 Limited.
I used Toyota’s website to search the entire Western US for the options I wanted (I was only searching for delivered trucks, not “Vehicle may be in transit”, or “Vehicle is in build phase”):

• 6.5 ft bed;
• Metallic Grey or Lunar Rock (in that order of preference);
• Limited Premium Package;
• TRD Off Road Package;
• JBL Audio;
• PVM + BSM mirrors;
• Heated Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
• Spray-On Bed Liner;
• All Weather Floor Liners.

I didn’t want anything else that would bump the price up.
In all the searching I did, there were very few exact matches, so I felt like I wouldn’t have much leverage for negotiation, but also wasn’t willing to overpay.

I found a few 100s of miles away.
I’d been talking to a local dealer sales rep and called her to say I had found one, to see if they could do a dealer swap. Answer was “No, too far away.”
But she said let me see if I can find what you’re looking for, and she had one scheduled for delivery in two weeks.
She sent me a price with a $4,300 dealer discount off of Suggested Retail (AKA MSRP?).
That gave me plenty of time to start researching prices and what I should be negotiating for.
There may be other / better resources, but I found TrueCar.com to be pretty useful. It generated a price quote for the exact same truck the dealer sent me (i mean the exact same VIN #) with a $6,000 dealer discount (so, about $1,700 better than what the dealer offered).
When I went in to pick up the truck, I showed them that, and they agreed to the $6,000 dealer discount.
I don’t think I got a killer deal, but did get a fair deal, especially considering that the truck was exactly what I wanted and was new on the dealer’s lot. If I was willing to put more work into it, and wait for just the right opportunity, I probably could have found a better deal, but nobody was my happy friend when I left the dealership, so figured I did ok.
The other factor to consider is whether the vehicle is paid cash, or financed.
I chose financed because I can earn more on my cash than the 1.99% financing being offered by Toyota. I figured the earned interest on my cash would be worth thousands more than the $3,000 Rebate from Toyota.
Here’s the numbers — did I get a rolled, get a fair deal, or make out like a bandit?

[EDIT]
Also wanted to add that I don’t think Out The Door Price (OTD) is very useful for comparison purposes because taxes and non-dealer fees are not universally consistent.
But sure, it makes sense to pay attention to dealer fees.

 

Did you get the 3k rebate even though you financed?

 

@drewpweinerMD , no, that is not possible.
My sales rep tried to make me think I was getting both, but that was an offer based on DEALER financing (at a higher interest rate), not TOYOTA financing. I figured that out real quick and she had to go back and redo offer with TOYOTA 1.99% for 48 months, without the Toyota $3,000.
I don’t really know if she was intentionally trying to slip that past me, or not.

 

I have been passively looking the last few weeks and it seems like they’re trying to do a bait and switch with that 3k. Atleast it felt that way from the sales “professionals” that i’ve talked to

 

$3000 rebates?
Below MSRP list price?
Multiple Tundras actually on the lot?

What a time to be alive.

 

Are you going to get another one? Ha!

 

You can 100 percent get the rebate and finance, the rebate is through Toyota and is regional.

currently the 3k rebate isn’t offered in the south east, they pulled it this quarter. Last month I bought my 25 limited. Sticker was 70079, I got 10k off total. 9500 just from the dealer, and 500 military rebate. I also financed through yota at 1.9 and still got the military rebate.

rule of thumb over the years on the forum is 10 percent off sticker is very do able and average deal. 12 percent is great, 13-14 percent your not cutting into there invoice and hold back.

The only way to get above 12 percent is with rebates. Took be over a month and putting 35-40 dealers against each other but I got exactly what I wanted for around 14 percent off, was worth it to save the 10k off sticker.

 

How could anyone not appreciate their truck enough to get another one when they paid full MSRP with a 3 month wait?!?!

 

There’s an option for a sprayed in bed liner on top of the composite bed?

 

Ya and it’s actually super high quality. Last few trucks have had line x and this oem one is much nicer imo.

 

Why does any of this matter to you? You paid what you paid. It's none of our business.

Enjoy your new truck and quit worrying about what faceless strangers think about the deal you made.

 

Some people are very interested in telling others how much money they saved. I have no problem with it, but I don't understand it. Either they got a great deal and they come off as arrogant, or they got a terrible deal and everyone laughs at them. No real upside.

Sort of like destroying a 2022 SR for fun. Who does that?

 

Only someone who wants to gloat about having money to burn, or has a sick need for attention, I guess.

 

I think its good info for people looking to buy and are interested in understanding what they can expect to see in terms of real world pricing. Like going into a knife fight with a gun.

 

@drewpweinerMD , Thanks, that was my primary intention for the post.

 

I’m not saying you didn’t get the $3,000, but Toyota says you can’t have the 1.99% low interest rate AND the $3,000 Customer Cash. See below.

I’m guessing the dealer gave you a big discount and called part of it the $3,000 Toyota Customer Cash. No way to know, because, as my original rant laid out, you haven’t included the TSRP from the window sticker.
I just bought a well equipped Limited for $59,637 which is a little less than what you paid, and without a $500 mil rebate. Plus, I laid out exactly what options mine has, so it’s easy to see how the final price was arrived at.

[EDIT]
I will say that what I just posted goes on to say:
“Offer available in AK, ID, MT, OR, WAregardless of buyer's residency”
And so there could be different offers in other areas of the country.

It would be interesting to know if different areas have different terms and conditions for this offer, specifically, allowing for BOTH 1.99% AND $3,000?

Quote from Toyota Web page:

“Get 1.99% for 48 months on a new 2025 Tundra!

• Qualified buyers can finance a new 2025 Tundra at 1.99% APR for 48 Months.
• Hurry, offer ends 06-30-2025!

• Includes ToyotaCare, our no-cost Maintenance Plan with 24-hour Roadside Assistance.
• What is your trade-in worth? Click here for a free valuation!

Offer Terms & Conditions
Qualified customers who finance a new 2025 Tundra can receive as low as 1.99% APR for 48 months with 48 monthly payments of $21.69 for every $1,000 financed. Terms available on approved credit through Toyota Financial Services (TFS) at participating Toyota dealers. For only very well qualified customers. Amount financed, down payment amount, and credit worthiness may impact availability of offer. Dealer contribution may vary and could affect price. Individual dealer prices, other terms and offers may vary. Must take retail delivery from dealer's stock and terms subject to vehicle availability. Cannot be combined with TFS Lease Cash, Down Payment Assistance, Trade-in Assistance, Customer Cash, Lease, Lease Subvention Cash. See your participating Toyota dealer for details. Dealer sets final price. Offer available in AK, ID, MT, OR, WA regardless of buyer's residency; void where prohibited. Expires 06-30-2025. Toyota Financial Services is a service mark used by Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC). Retail installment accounts may be owned by TMCC or its securitization affiliates and lease accounts may be owned by Toyota Lease Trust (TLT) or its securitization affiliates. TMCC is the servicer for accounts owned by TMCC, TLT, and their securitization affiliates.

”

 

3k rebate not offered in the south eastern us this quarter. I mention I got 1.99 with the military rebate for 60 months.

every regions has different finance rates and options, another reasons guys fly outta state all the time.

you can do 0 percent right now through Toyota in the south east but that’s at msrp,

suggest retail is also a wash and somewhat of a made up number, do to regional port options and dealer hold back on those products.

ya you paid 59k compared to my 61, but I only paid 500 bucks in state tax compared to you’re crazy high taxes.

like I mentioned before the general rule is 10-14 percent off is what ya need to shoot for from sticker price since everyone’s taxes and regional options are so different.

 

In PA, one can get 1.99% for 48 mo., 2.99% for 60 mo., and 2.99% for 72 mo.
See your participating Toyota dealer for details. Dealer sets final price. Offer available in DE, MD, PA, VA, WV regardless of buyer's residency

 

@drewpweinerMD , interesting.
It looks like the Internet knows where one is (duh) and gives you the Toyota terms available in your area.
I got “Offer available in AK, ID, MT, OR, WA”
You got “Offer available in DE, MD, PA, VA, WV”

 

Sorry, I misunderstood the first part of your post.
When you said “You can 100 percent get the rebate and finance, the rebate is through Toyota and is regional,” I thought you meant the $3,000 Rebate (that anyone can use), but it looks like you meant the $500 military rebate.
I never mentioned the military rebate in my post, so wasn’t thinking of that, and not everyone can qualify for it.

 

$41,500 before tax for a black crewmax, 4x4, SR short bed with tow package - no other options. That was with the $3k rebate. Purchased last day of the month in April. Seemed pretty reasonable to me since any comparable f150 STX with the 5.0 v8 was about $46k minimum and the cheapest SR manual Tacomas I was looking at go for about $38k+. Figured SR Tundra is the same output as a 2.7 ecoboost F150 which is plenty and with the issues these Tundra motors have had I didn’t mind the idea of it being detuned a bit anyways. Very glad I didn’t spend more $ on a higher trim.

 

@Beau_Higgins , so it looks like they gave you about a $3,165 dealer discount, on top of the Toyota $3,000, to get to that price?

It’s amazing how adding all the fancy options can almost double that price!

I would guess there is more profit, and so room for bigger dealer discounts, in the more expensive trucks.

 

Yep - truck was already about $3k below sticker before the rebate so a little over $6k off. They had three exact trucks like mine in stock and being end of month that’s what I’m guessing was going on. Plus they are (were?) trying to keep up with the ‘employee pricing tariff response’ going on with the American brands. Purchased near Louisville on the Indiana side - Jeff Wyler, I believe.