Really discouraged buying a Tundra (Trading my Tacoma)

I'm in the market for a Tundra and I'm getting super discouraged here. It seems impossible to find anything reasonably priced. I am looking for a 2014 to 2016 SR5 crewmax 4x4 in any color except red. Wanting to stay under about 80k miles, but Everything in that range seems to be $37k-$43k. At that price a brand new tundra is close to $42k. The only issue is that I want a 2.5 gen and I missed the boat on building one. I have patience and time and am not letting emotions really dictate anything, but man it's getting frustrating.

Another issue I'm having is that dealerships seem to only want to give me $24k for my Tacoma. Granted I've only actually gotten a trade in value from 1 dealership in person, some of the online offers don't allow you to send pictures and give you a chance to be on the high end of the KBB. KBB is in the $26k-$27k for trade in and I the Tacoma is low miles in solid condition. My truck is a 2014 Tacoma double cab 4x4 with the off-road package and 55k miles. Truck is very clean and in great condition. I know I won't get money for my upgrades, but I still think it should at least put me at the high end of KBB. I have a brand new suspension, brand new wheels and tires including a matching spare, and a new head unit and sound system. Paint is in really solid condition, no rust on the frame etc...Honestly wish I could just trade someone with a tundra that wants to downgrade with cash on top.

I have time and right now sharing a vehicle with my wife wouldn't be a problem for another 6 months, but I'm just not sure what a good option would be. I was thinking of possibly trying to sell my truck private party and try and get closer to $30k and then just hold out until I see a good deal and pay cash, but I'm worried it will just end up being more hassle than it's worth considering with a trade I don't have to pay taxes on the trade amount.

Anyone gone through a similar process recently? Or any suggestions for me? I'm in the north west btw.

Thanks!

 

I know when I was looking I was not looking for new. Like you, I was looking for a Tundra a few years old but the used ones were almost as expensive as a new one (this was back in 2018). I actually bought mine new and came out cheaper than buying used because of the lower interest rate. You still should be able to find a new 2021 but you are correct, the prices are crazy right now I guess due to supply and demand.

 

Well, I honestly would love to build my "ideal" 2021 tundra and it's still a feature on toyota's website, but when I went into the big toyota dealership in my area they told me that it's not possible and those are only the 2021's that are left at dealerships around the country. Or else I would've pushed harder to get $27k for my tacoma trade in and just payed the $16k difference in cash for a new Tundra and been done with it. New just isn't an option and my budget for used is $35k. Just tough right now. Dealerships in my area want to sell tundra's at the very high and buy my trade not even in the low lol!

 

I feel, or felt, your pain, OP. I was in the market fall of 2020, I had similar criteria as you: 2016-2017 with <60k miles. They were all over $40k. So I spent barely more for a new one. I really had to haggle to get them to pay me close to what I thought my 4Runner was worth. I love my truck, but sometimes I think about selling it and buying a well cared for, high mileage early 2nd gen. I could take all the mods off this one, get my money back on the truck, buy the right old one, install the same mods on it, and pocket $20k. But I really like being the only person to drive and maintain my vehicle.

What’s keeping you from looking for a truck with ~150k miles on it? With the amount of them that go well over 300k, that’s a lot of life left. There was a 2010 for sale in my area that had 435k miles on it. It was IMMACULATE. Local business truck (he was a painter or something) that drove all over middle Tennessee. Had receipts for all the maintenance. Was asking under $7k for it. Probably had a lot more life left than most people would think…

 

Well, for me it was opposite. I was looking at new Tundras and they were $55k sticker with $7,500 dealer markup. No way in hell I'm going to pay sticker price for a very common vehicle like a pickup truck, much less above sticker.

So I bought a 1-owner 2016 SR5 CrewMax 4x4 with interior upgrade package instead. 88,300 miles. Ended up financing $37,100 on it.

Yes, $37k is high for a 5 year old truck but you have to look at it in relative terms. It's still $20,000 less than a new one just like it with the market jacked up like it is right now.

 

There is an easy solution for you but it will require some work. Come up to Canada and buy the truck you are looking for. Your dollar will save you 25% of the asking price. The only thing you need to do drive up here, buy the truck and take it home. It will save you thousands of dollars if are willing to do it.

I have enclosed a screen shot as an example.
These trucks are about $29k USD. Please remember that as you are exporting these trucks there is zero sales tax in Canada.

Shoot me a message if you need any further information.

 

Yeah, I understand that for sure. I'm looking for something around $35k. I don't want to pay too much and I really wanted lower miles, but maybe I need to get something with higher miles and just realize it has more life left in it. Just hard to go from 55k miles to 80k-100k.

 

Interesting idea, I will look into it further and think about it, but still not sure I want to go that route. Needs to be a crewmax btw!

 

There are added costs to buying vehicles from Canada. Do a bit of research. Unless it is a massive savings on the price the import/tariff fees are going to make this loads more work for very little gain.

 

I guess it's hard to go from 55k miles to 80k and pay $5k-$8k on top of that. I know it's a bigger truck and everything, but I just really want it to last for as long as possible. Maybe I should look at something in the 80k-100k miles and just make sure it's been taken care of. I think I need to just realize it will last and 30k-50k miles just isn't that much for a Toyota. I just need to stay under or at $35k and I guess having patience and waiting for a deal is the right move. I'm sure something in the 80k-100k mileage range is much closer to what I'm willing to pay too.

 

Yeah I don't really think this is a good idea. Too much hassle and I would imagine import/tariff fees make the savings negligible. Definitely a good idea though.

 

I really wouldn’t have any reservations about buying a Tundra with 80-100k miles as long as it has been cared for. Look for complete maintenance history. If they did it all through a dealer, it’ll be on the CarFax. If they did it themselves, they should have a pile of receipts and/or a maintenance log.

Higher miles, lower price => more $$ for mods!

 

Keep the Taco for now. Horrible time to buy.

 

Selling the tacoma private sale is a great way to go. Depending on what the tax structure is where you live, it should give you a few thousand dollars to bump up your tundra budget. Not sure if you are looking to do a all cash no payment deal or not. But if you will have a payment put that payment amount in with the money from the sale of the tacoma. Then your budget gets bigger again. If you go a good 6 months without a truck you would be surprised at how much you bank. You can also put the money you save on insurance into the pot as well.
Right now is a great time to sell but a horrible time to buy, get top dollar for your truck now, and wait as long as you can to get the deal you want.

 

But you're getting more of a product. Tundra's are naturally more expensive, even when taking out the current inflated price situation.

Do you NEED to buy a tundra right now?

24K for the Tacoma isn't bad. Depending on your location. Keep in mind that it's an 8 year old truck.

If you're capped at $35k, You'll either have to wait out the market or settle for something with higher miles.

Good luck with the process!

Might as well throw some pictures of the Tacoma on here while you're at it!

 

I’d list yours used and be patient about selling. You’ll fetch right at or over KBB privately. In regards to miles I would almost target 120k-150k miles. The ones with 80k miles may not have most of the stuff that needs to be replaced at that interval: brakes (typically 80k miles on the tundras but can squeak 90-100k some even higher), water pump (not sure if they fixed the Aisin leaky water pump in 2.5 Gen but 2 Gen they need to be replaced around 80k miles, tires (assuming 40-50k miles per set puts you on the back end of a 2nd set at 80k miles), serpentine belt (easy enough to replace but they tend to get broken down around 70k miles), transmission fluid flush 100k miles, spark plugs 125k miles. Those are pretty much the main service items. Therefore if you find a 15-18 at 120k to 140k miles with proof of maintenance I wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. These engine/transmissions go for a long time

 

There is no duty on the Tundra. The vehicle is made in Texas and therefore USMCA(NAFTA) protects that vehicle from any duty or importation tax.

The only taxes he would have to pay would be local state taxes but they would have been paid anyway.

Saving 10k dollars on a vehicle and 40 to 50k miles on the truck is worth the hassle, especially since vehicles in western Canada aren't subject to salt on the roads and therefore no rust issues.

 

Both Tundras I have purchased have had high miles. My 06 had 200,000+ and my ‘17 had about 100,000 when I bought it. Good service records and everything so I went for it. Do not regret the miles one bit. My ‘17 feels rock solid at 118,000 now, WAY better than my ‘16 Outback I sold to pay for the Tundra. The Outback only had 70k on it, so I was a little hesitant like you are. But it was worth it.

 

I'd look for a higher mileage one owner tundra. It's mor likely to have been maintained well with all the maintenance records. I got my '14 with 172k? And it has 233k now, and it's still as tight as the new ones I test drove.

 

It's a horrible time to buy, but a great time to sell and currently my wife doesn't like riding in my tacoma because of the off-road suspension and bigger tires, as well as the small cab space. I have only driven it about 3 times in the last 2 months lol!

 

I don't NEED the tundra right now at all and it's making it really hard for me to decide what to do. This is why I am unsure what to do. The market is hot for selling and I haven't driven or my wife and I haven't taken my truck out more than 3 times in the last 2 months. The market is also hot for buying, but it doesn't really matter because it's all a good and bad time to buy. Even if the market was really low I would get a lot less for my Tacoma and pay a lot less for a Tundra so it all balances out and I feel like there isn't really a 'bad' time to sell and buy.

My wife hates riding in my Tacoma because of the small interior, and the off-road suspension and tires since the ride is not smooth. Especially with being pregnant she just gets sick in the vehicle. I work from home and have no NEED for a vehicle right now. We really only need one vehicle until the baby is born in August and my wife goes back to work. Even if I sell my Tacoma high and wait until summer the market probably won't slow down by then. My guess is a year from now things will start to slow down, and of course no one knows, but still I need a vehicle sooner than that. I really enjoy my Tacoma, but I honestly don't drive it anymore and my wife doesn't want to ride in it or take it even camping or to the family cabin because of the lack of space and comfort, with a baby that will only make it less used than it already is. Therefore I want to get a Tundra for more space and comfort, we would also like to get a camper fairly soon which is another factor of going to a Tundra. So to me I have no idea what to do and timing the market is a very difficult thing to do.

I am really only capped at $35k because I only want to pay $5k-$7k on top of my Tacoma and will not take out a loan. Wanting to pay cash and keep my vehicles paid off. Maybe my budget needs to be higher? Or maybe I need to buy something with higher miles and realize that I may upgrade to a new tundra in 5-10 years before it even comes close to dying.

Thanks for the help though! Here's a pic of the Tacoma:

 

I am unsure of selling the Tacoma privately only because If I trade and am able to get $26k from the dealership than I wouldn't have to pay taxes and fee's on that amount meaning my trade was really worth $27.5k so I would really only save about $2k or so selling private. I want to pay in all cash and am not interested in a loan. Maybe I should try selling the Tacoma and see if I can get $31k-$33k then it may be worth it. I could then be more patient with Tundra's and jump on something.

 

Great looking Tacoma and congrats on the baby! I was actually in the same position. Had a 2014 Tacoma double cab 4x4 non TRD but bone stock. Wife and I were planning for a baby and the extra space in the Tundra is way worth it. Our baby is due at the end of march so the Tundra is getting ready.

I guess one thing you could do is list your Tacoma higher than you expect to get and hope that someone bites. That will also give you time to keep searching for a Tundra without risking the market dropping and you losing out on the Tacoma.

Great plans though with paying cash. Very wise.

The Tundra will keep it's value so even if you keep for 5-10 years, you'll still get a good chunk of money out of it if you want to upgrade.

 

I think this is what I need to do. I think I'm just used to the stigma of buying a vehicle over 100k miles and it not lasting. I know I know it's a Toyota and it'll go to 300k easy, but sometimes It's hard to not think about "woooah 130k miles for $35k this is insane" my family and wife's family definitely doesn't help as they always buy new vehicles and their own vehicles haven't hit over 100k miles in a decade. They also don't buy the most reliable things. Maybe I should look at 100k+ miles like someone else suggested since the 100k service will be done and then take it to 200k. Just gotta make sure it was taken care of and it should last right? My Dad was actually the only person I talked to that told me not to worry about 100k miles. My dad's a very good mechanic and has been working on vehicles as a hobby for many years and was just saying "well, is it as reliable as the v6? I don't know anything about it" I told him it was probably more reliable if not the same and he said "well then 100k miles doesn't matter". So I think I just need to look at Tundra's in that mileage.

 

Congrats to you too! Very exciting for sure! We've test drove a few Tundra's and I think my wife was more excited than I was lol! Not because I didn't like it, but more because I loved my Tacoma and upgrades and didn't want to fork out anymore money. I know I need it though (space wise).

That's kind of what my Dad was suggesting. Dealerships here are selling Tacoma's with higher miles, same year, and nothing special about them (no off-road tires, wheels, suspension) for $35k-$36k. He was thinking I should list for $33k and just see what happens. Not a bad idea at all.

I honestly prefer paying with cash and keeping payments to just mortgage and utilities. I don't know that I'll ever take out a loan on a vehicle anymore (If I can help it).

Should keep it's value just like the Tacoma so I should be fine huh?

Thanks for the advice, and congrats on the baby!

 

Yeah I definitely think I'm getting low balled. I was contemplating putting the stock suspension back on the truck and then getting my stock wheels and tires back from my brother and having him put new tires on his old wheels so I can sell it as "stock" other than the sound system and navigation in the truck, but I'm sure people would prefer that. That way even if I only get $28k for the truck I can probably sell the suspension and wheels/tries for $2k or so. Might get me to $30k which would be more reasonable.

I'm kind of thinking the Dealership just lowballed me because I'm young and thought I would be emotional with wanting a Tundra and just do it. I think I just need to start high on private and see what happens for a few weeks and then go from there.

 

Yeah I think I'm just overthinking the mileage. I think I need to look for something in the 100k range and stick to my budget. Long as it has good service records and everything looks great I don't see why it would be an issue. Thanks for the advice!

 

I think I will start on the high end of selling privately and see what happens. That's a very interesting point and maybe I will look for something in the 100k-125k range that has service records and parts replaced. If it's the right price though at 80k miles I wouldn't mind putting some money into maintenance. I just get nervous spending $35k and trading in my beloved Tacoma for something with double the miles. I know the Tundra realistically will last longer than I probably want to keep it for though. Thanks for the advice!

 

Cannot believe how ridiculous shit has gotten. I sold my 2015 TRD Sport taco w 42k miles for $27,900 and bought a 2018 TRD OffRoad tundra w 10k miles for $32,500 in May of 2020 right before the shit hit (and it was at a chrysler dealership so they wanted it off their lot). You get more money private sale but you have to do the extra work to weed through the time-wasters (i had about 10 people wanting it, all lowballing, and had a dude call and say ‘i’ll give you asking right now’.. SOLD).
If I was in the same situation with the price ridiculousness id have waited and kept the Taco even though it was useless for the towing and hauling I need to do.

As far as mileage, my husband has 300k on his 03 with no issues and just regular maintenance. If theyre taken care of they go forever.