2021 Tundra Limited - Prospective Buyer - Opinions Please

Hello! I'm looking at buying a 2021 Tundra Limited and need some opinions on "out the door" pricing. I'll try to be specific about what things/packages the truck has here. It's a 2021 Limited Crew Cab 4x4 (Gray Metallic) with Power Tilt/Slide Moonroof, Limited Premium Package, Phone cable and charge package, Cargo bed LEDs, spray in bedliner and clear paint protection package. They have quoted me 59,500 out the door.

In fairness (yes, I spent 24 years in the Navy and can take a ribbing/beating, so lay it on), I have about 5,000 negative equity in a trade I'm going to apply. I tried selling it privately. I have the urge for a truck again and I'm addicted to car/truck payments. What can I say?

I'm a researcher from hell and have extensively looked at all makes/models. I knew Tundras would be (by far) the most reliable trucks. RAM has come a long way and I test drove one - AMAZING! But, I've bought Chrysler products before and always regretted doing it for various reasons. People bash the Tundra recently because it appears "dated" in styling and because of the gas mileage from the 5.7L, but all big trucks are in the gas mileage ballpark of the 5.7. Tundra has STELLAR reliability ratings over many years in Consumer Reports and other publications though, and reliability long-term is my top concern. I also don't want the TRD package because I prefer a softer ride and don't off-road. I can't tell if the limited has upgraded and stiffer suspension.

Bottom line, based on the above information, is the dealer offering me a fair OTD price based on my trade?

Thank you so much!!!!!

Mark

 

That sounds like a fair price at this time, with the shortage of Tundras it's difficult to find one.

 

Have you taken your current vehicle to CarMax? I ask because local dealer here said they just will not meet CarMax's price on trade-in value (which can still work for some given sales tax avoidance, but in your case that might work in reverse..paying sales tax on that -5000 equity?). Also understand that some credit unions will loan up to 125% of new car values if needed so you don't have to do a dealer trade to unwind negative equity. Yeah it might require a bit more leg work on your part...and maybe some initial cash (credit card?) on your part if you go the CarMax (etc) route, but that might save you some overall on the purchase....perhaps a couple thousand or more making it worth your effort.

 

Welcome!

 

Thanks for your reply!!!! I'm sure you're correct, but I checked Carmax and others.....they won't get close to what I owe. I have a 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring soft top 6 speed manual, and while they hold value amazingly well, it's not that good.

 

Welcome from Ohio

 

It still could be a better deal for you. But again some legwork on your part and maybe floating a loan to yourself via CC (or pull from emergency savings) until you get that new vehicle loan for more than 100% purchase price. A few years ago my credit union gave me a new vehicle loan for 125% of purchase price..including tax. I had a different purpose for doing that, but they did not care.

 

And new car/truck loan rates aren't exactly the best right now from what I can find. I got 0.9% on my Miata only 18 months ago. My FICA is around 820 but still there don't seem to be great deals now. I'll probably suck it up and wait to buy my dream truck.

 

Probably best to wait but I did not want to offer that opinion earlier.

As for interest rates, I am old enough that my first mortgage was 10.25% (and that was considered very low at the time) and car loans were even higher. So even if the recent rates have doubled from 1% to 2%...wow..seems like such deal. But perspective and all that.

 

For that price you could get a 1794 or a Platinum if you wanted to travel a little bit. In Colorado Platinums and 1794s are still going for MSRP. I got my 1794 with the Off Road package, moon roof and spray in bed liner package for right at 60,000 out the door.

 

Great point. I've often bought vehicles and motorcycles hundreds of miles outside of Virginia Beach for better pricing. Toyota's "build" function on the website is a bit confusing. What does the 1794 have that lower trims don't? I think it mostly has to do with the interior. And what kind of gas mileage are you getting? That's another adjustment for me. I've been teleworking largely since March of 2020, but my commute to work is around 20 miles round trip each day. I'm a bit spoiled because my Miata gets around 33 mpg in city driving. Think the Tundra will get close to that? LOL! JUST KIDDING! Seriously, are most people seeing around 15 mpg in the city? I'm the gentlest of drivers too....easy on the brakes and go pedal. I have 100,000 miles on my 2012 GMC Sierra, just had it safety inspected, and still have about 25% life left on the original brake pads (front, rear are drums and they last forever on a GMC), if that tells you anything about my driving habits. Thanks!

 

I don't check my gas mileage. I don''t care. I live in the mountains and just accept that my gas bill is going to be up there. It's probably about 14 to 15 MPG.

The 1794 is basically a Platinum with a different leather package in the interior. They are both considered Platinums. There are major differences between the 1794/Platinum and the Limited. One thing I like about the Limited is that they offer it with the longer bed.



What the 1794 comes standard with that the Limited doesn't:

Chrome heated power and auto-dimming outside mirrors with turn signal and blind spot warning indicators, puddle lights and power-folding reverse tilt-down and memory features.

Power tilt/slide moonroof with sliding sunshade.

Front tow hooks.



Perforated, leather-trimmed, heated and ventilated front bucket seats; 12-way power-adjustable driver's seat, which includes power thigh and lumbar support and a 2-position memory function; 6-way power-adjustable front passenger seat with power lumbar support.

What the Limited has. Leather-trimmed and heated front bucket seats; 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat; 6-way power-adjustable front passenger seat.



Leather-trimmed power tilt/telescopic 4-spoke steering wheel with wood-grain-style accents, memory function and audio, climate, Multi-Information Display (MID), Bluetooth®119 hands-free phone, voice command, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC),111 Lane Departure Alert (LDA)134 controls.

What the Limited has. Leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic 4-spoke steering wheel with audio, Multi-Information Display (MID), Bluetooth®119 hands-free phone, voice-command, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC),111 Lane Departure Alert (LDA)134 controls.



Power vertical sliding rear window with defogger and privacy glass .

What the Limited has. Power horizontal sliding rear window with privacy glass.



Under seat storage isn't standard for the 1794 but it is for the Limited.



Standard with the 1794. Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation83 and JBL®88—includes 12 speakers including subwoofer and amplifier, 8-in. touchscreen, AM/FM/HD Radio™,132 USB media port,122 two USB charge ports,122 Dynamic Navigation83 with up to 3-year trial,140 Dynamic POI Search, Dynamic Voice Recognition,118 hands-free phone capability and music streaming119 via Bluetooth®119 wireless technology, Android Auto™97 & Apple CarPlay®101 & Amazon Alexa91 compatible, SiriusXM®90 with 3-month All Access trial.85

What the Limited has. Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation83—includes nine speakers (CrewMax models) or seven speakers (Double Cab models), 8-in. touchscreen, AM/FM/HD Radio™,132 USB media port,122 two USB charge ports,122 Dynamic Navigation83 with up to 3-year trial,140 Dynamic POI Search, Dynamic Voice Recognition, 118 hands-free phone capability and music streaming119 via Bluetooth®119 wireless technology, Android Auto™97 & Apple CarPlay®101 & Amazon Alexa91 compatible, SiriusXM®90 with 3-month All Access trial.85



Front and rear parking assist sonar standard on the 1794 but not standard for the Limited but it is available as an option for the Limited in a package.



Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)121 with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)150 and color-keyed rear bumper standard on the 1794 but not standard for the Limited but it is available as an option for the Limited in a package.



Anti-theft system with alarm, Glass Breakage Sensor (GBS),117 and engine immobilizer standard on the 1794.

Anti-theft system with alarm and engine immobilizer on the Limited.



The Limited comes with 18 inch wheels. The 1794 comes standard with 20 inch wheels. That changes if a person gets the Off Road package on the 1794. Then it comes with 18 inch sheels.

 

Uh, could you provide a little more detail (heavy sarcasm here). LOL! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this!

 

I will be picking up a new Tundra Limited today from the dealer and trading a 2019 RAM Longhorn 4x4. While the RAM truly feels like a luxury ride and the HEMI does not disappoint.....after 2.5 years of ownership I am seeing the underlying 'quality' issues already and not impressed with them backing the product. Trying to compare the interiors is like apples & oranges so even the 1794 is a step down from the RAM but the overall value retention is what led me to the change to Toyota. It didnt hurt that the trade value of pre-owned trucks, at least on mine, increased $9K from 14 months ago.

The truck I am buying has minimal extras which is what I was looking for so I expect the sticker was a couple thousand less than yours. It is tough to compare OOD when tax & fees can be a pretty significant factors by area. As stated by others, with the tight market most are selling as MSRP but I was able to claw a couple grand off of that which coupled with ridiculous trade value made it a no brainer. Good luck with your decision.

 

Thank you! Yes, I drove a RAM a few weeks back and the interior and ride quality were incredible. But I share the concerns about quality, and despite Consumer Reports giving them great reviews and predicted reliability ratings, the revised versions are too new. The Tundra, on the other hand, while maybe appearing 'long in the tooth' is proven over many years and the 5.7L is PROVEN to be bullet proof.

 

Doesn’t seem terrible since you’re rolling 5k into the loan

 

First - OTD pricing is very subjective - where some states have 9% sales taxes - others have 0% - 9% on a 50k purchase is 4500…so what looks cheap to some will be high to others.

Compare apples to apples - MSRP and and variance from that.

Then factor accessories - and only those YOU want. A lot of dealers will say “truck stickers at 58…I’m giving you a deal at 56…” and they might be. But if your talking a 52k truck with 1200 in swapped tires you don’t want, a 1k sidestep you’ll remove immediately and a 2k in paint protection you didn’t ask for…it’s no deal. That’s over 4K in add on’s and they are padding the bottom line with.

Finally - the above post on a 1794 is a good comparison - but again keep in mind what you are paying for / what you want.

As to trim level it’s SR//SR5 (most common-value leader with popular equipment)/Limited - Pro/ 1794-Platinum

A Pro is simply a Limited with no “options” - it’s one size fits all - only choice is DC or CM - it has a different suspension set up - but option wise it’s a Limited.

A 1794 is a Platinum with different leather/badging/interior color and a few different trim pieces. Otherwise they are pretty much the same.

One key thing that sticks out to me is - DO NOT buy a 1794/Platinum based solely on the upgraded radio. In any form - the JBL is not well liked (nor any stock Tundra radio really) - it’s fine for some at mid volume…but going past 6 - you will notice how weak it is. I’m not talking weak as in your typical teenager feels the need to upgrade to rattle passing car windows - I mean it needs upgraded so you be an hear with typical middle aged hearing loss on the highway with a passenger talking to you. It’s just weak and not very well defined sound.

There are a variety of options out there - this site is going to push you to 1 very good vendor in Tech12Volts - but others exist too. Upgrade is relatively easy and will cost 1200-3k depending on if you DIY and the components selected/do you replace the head unit.

A lot opt to keep the head unit and swap speakers/amp add a sub - that’s enough to satisfy 95%+ of owners I believe. I’m an admitted semi audio snob/cork sniffer and that’s what I will likely do with my new Pro. I mean I could easily dump 12k into audio - but at a point your just doubling cost for a small bump in performance. Kinda like F1 where it’s estimated every 1hp performance boost cost something like 1 million in engineering cost. To most of us - we wouldn’t notice the slight change an extra 3k in cost brings - but the jump from stock to mid range package at 1500 is immediately noticeable.

Good luck with the decision. And remember- the purchase price is just the start. You WILL wind up opting for mods - tire/suspension/accessories/audio - it adds up fast and can quickly make your 59k truck an 80k truck if you hang around here too long.

 

Glad to help. I know that I did a ton of research before buying mine. It can be a little mind boggling.

 

Oh - and since you mentioned Ram - see my thread over in the Pro subsection. I’d caution you to take consumer reports as for what they are - opinions. But read all the issues and I think your on the right track with Toyota.

You experienced negative equity with your Miata - you would likely see something similar with Ram should you opt out after a few years (the only way I could see myself buying a Ram) - in 2-3 years, the reliability of most trucks is close…once you start hitting end of warranty - that’s when you notice things changing (why do you think makers end the warranty at this point - they know the empirical data).

As to why a Miata isn’t holding value on par with other vehicles - it’s kinda a double edged sword. First - buyer demand is trucks and secondly SUV. Secondly the Miata is in a relatively small market - there’s a reason why so few makers build small roadsters to sell in the US and why those that do have low sales numbers. Like Jeep - it’s a “specialized” market dominated by 1 model and that can cause issues at resale. If that maker rolls out an “upgrade” - buyers will flock to the new model.

Tundras are kinda the opposite right now. The rumored 2022 with a twin turbo 6 is viewed as a “downgrade” by some - causing them to opt for the last of the V8 (2021). Of course truck buyers will always have other options out there from other makers.

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Welcome from Alaska

 

Welcome from Phoenix

 

Seems steep, where are you located? Platinum's and 1794's are going for that range down in my neck of the woods. You might look to broaden your search and even look into some neighboring states, using a tool like Autotrader or Cars.com helps. It will be even better if you can find the same spec truck within 300 miles of another, most dealers will compete with other dealers in that radius and will get you the best deal.

 

I'm also in the market for a 2021. As some have stated, we are in the midst of a Tundra supply shortage. Question for the masses, is the supply shortage due to the 2022 release or materials shortages?

 

Dealership told me that it's mostly due to computer chip shortage

 

If price is MSRP, prob fair right now. Add-ons like paint protection will bump it up. From one military guy to another, best advice I can give you is ask for the $750 military rebate with Toyota financing and then immediately refinance with Navy Federal for half that rate at ~2%.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

Do you folks think the current gen production will ramp up to normal prior to releasing the next gen Tundra?

 

You would think it would have to. But in this crazy world right now who knows.