Buying a 2000 Tacoma but paying over KBB?

Hey guys,

Is this normal? It seems like all the used trucks I am finding for sale are priced above KBB value. I am looking for a truck with 100K miles single cab 4cyl. The KBB says it should be around $5-5500K but they are mostly listed at $7k. Should I try and meet in the middle and still pay above KBB or just hope someone lists their truck for actual value and not marked up because of the demand on these trucks?

TIA!
~Slim

 

The 2002 TRD I just bought only had 56K miles and was priced at $13988. NADA said it should be at $12,500 so that's what I offered and they took it . . . if I would at least pay their admin fee. This was a dealer, however, not an individual. In general, I found Taco-Trucks running 10-25% above NADA but, with any exchange, it is a matter of personal value. If the truck is a peach and you're struggling to find them like you want then perhaps the value equation goes up a little.

Good luck . . .

 

The resale of the vehicle amaze me.
Make an offer because If you want it you better buy it before someone else does

 

Seems normal to me, at least in my part of the country (seems to be the case with 3rd gen 4Runners as well, although to a slightly lesser extent).

1st gens are almost always priced above KBB…call it the Tacoma Tax.

 

Tacomas are the only trucks that go up in value over time.

 

Another good way to gauge realistic prices is to use a national car sales site like Autotrader, put in what you want and use the distance option to see what everybody is asking in a 500 mile radius. Even nationwide can give you an clue if KBB is a little underpriced

 

Thanks guys.. I'm looking at one tomorrow with 100k and asking $7250 for it. Hope to haggle it down a little and pass inspection from my mechanic.

 

The Tacoma market is going to be *very* strong in non rust belt areas.

KBB is going to be an average, for every $7k early gen Taco, there's likely a $3k rusted Taco on the east coast. Even though it asks for zip, I don't know if it uses that value for private party sales.

KBB, Nada, Edmunds, they all provide different prices. Generally the price will be somewhere between the three of them.

I picked up my Taco this month. A 2000 xtracab prerunner with 105k miles for $5500. I didn't even bother trying to negotiate down the price, they had 30 other people waiting in line...the day after listing.

Apparently (I was told), a lot of decent Tacomas end up in South America. I'd take that with a grain of salt. I suppose it would be ironic because a lot of decent Land Cruisers (FJ40s) are trying to make their way here from South America.

 

bought my 01 xtra cab trd 4x4 5spd with 153k miles for 10.5k, but needed tires right away, so that was 600 bucks. dealers were asking 14k for trucks in similar condition or worse.

I am in colorado so demand for economical 4x4 trucks such as tacomas is high.(and so are a lot of the people who list a 95 toyota 4x4 for 8 grand) haha

 

Ok so I pulled the trigger for $6250. It was listed for $7250 but kbb'd at $5300ish. Looks to be well kept and service records are all documented.

 

Is there anything special with servicing a truck with this high of miles? Would it matter if I started to use synthetic oil? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

100k on a modern engine isn't high miles. Back in the 70's 100k was the rebuild mark. In the 80's it failed catastrophically at 60k so no worries about high mileage maintenance.

KBB and NADA are location specific, if you plug in the same vehicle and different zip codes you'll get different values. It's just an averaging of what that vehicle has sold for in the past year in that location. So a cheap east coast vehicle won't factor on the west. And it is pulled from dealerships and whoever private volunteers the info to them. Paying over doesn't mean you got a bad deal, just that on average you paid more. For private sales, knowing the # can help you from making a mistake. For dealers, it will usually get you down to nada value at best.

I paid $3600 for my 2000 extended cab, pretty much a steal. I paid $200 for my 96 regular cab. It looked like a steal until I had to put in a new engine

List price is ALWAYS more than they will accept. It's the same with anything up for sale that's not an on the shelf item. I NEED x to break even, I want 2x, but I list it at 2.5x just in case someone decides to hand me that much money. When I sell a vehicle I find out the nada and kbb values, price at the higher of the 2 and hope to get somewhere in the middle.

 

Post some pictures when you get a chance. Price paid is almost always higher than KBB or Edmunds from what I've seen as well. Sellers will ask what they think they can get, and often will hold out until they find someone willing to go for it.

Sounds like you did well.

 

1st gen tacos in socal that are clean are WAY above KBB. these trucks hold their value so well here.

 

A lot of things can go at that milage, if they haven't already: wheel bearings, ignition coils, rear drum cylinders, steering rack leaking, steering column U-joints, driveshaft U-joints, wiper linkages, leafs sagging, O2 sensor... Parts are reasonably priced but they add up.

Obviously check the maintenance records and make sure the timing belt and water pump were replaced. EDIT: Noticed you are looking at a 4-cyl, so the timing belt thing may not be relevant.

At the same price point, look at 3rd-gen 4Runners (2002 and earlier). Resale value is less crazy on those.

 

Makes me wonder some time what I could get for my 2002 TRD extra cab 4x4, with 108K miles, fully loaded with leather interior and and power sunroof.

 

I purchased a 99 taco ext cab 4x4 5spd 3.4 with 121k for 4900 only issues is paint job.

 

I paid $1k over KBB when I bought my Tacoma a few years back. I had spent several months looking for a very clean, reasonable miles unit and every one I called about was gone already.

In realizing the value to get a clean one, I had no trouble paying a premium and I had to act quick or it would have been gone. You never know if it was worthwhile until a few years later. In my case, it ended up being well worth it.

 

I'll post up some pics hopefully by tomorrow. It is going to make a nice little work truck.

 

$14,000 wouldn't surprise me out here in California.
Mine is a 99 with 130K. It's worth $11,000 easy.