Do the Toyota Dealers really intend to drive off customers?

And now, for something completely different (I don't know about this - I only heard about this). Wonder if you could by a Tacoma this way.
https://www.costcoauto.com/enterzipcode.aspx?gotourl=/new_cars/results.aspx?bodystyle=Trucks

 

Eh, might want to temper the expectations on that first one..

 

Costco purchase program is dealer participation dependent. I ran a Ford store and we’d opt out certain vehicles from Costco (Raptor, Shelby, etc. or they’d be priced MSRP no adjustment). The perk of Costco is only 1 dealership in the market area is allowed, they’re strict on following their guidelines as well. If you don’t see the price sheet it violates the dealer agreement. If I ran a Toyota store I’d put TRD Pro at MSRP and all others at cost + $750 no bullshit and work off volume and getting you in and out as fast as I can. Hope you finance with me but don’t care either way as long as you give a perfect survey.

 

Sorry but a perfect survey has to be earned and theses days highly unlikely.

 

Then if I was still selling cars and knew that, your survey would be sent to space or I just wouldn’t sell the car. It’s worth more to the dealership than that attitude. No transaction is ever perfect for certain people.

 

That's what I've heard.

 

I tried going through Costco twice, and neither dealer responded after I told them what I wanted, or ignored my phone call and emails, really no response after the initial intro after the Costco contact.

‘Costco follows up, but really doesn’t do anything as the dealers can exclude models from the Costco program. Not all do but it seems most do here in Phoenix area.

I was at a car show days ago and they had some new 4Runners and Tacomas there, after looking at the 4Runner, it seems they do a much nicer job on the interior, in fit, finish, materials, than they do on the Tacoma, I had thought they would be closer to identical? I know they cost more than Tacoma, but they have to finish off the whole vehicle, so I didn’t understand the difference.

at least the Tacoma gets better gas mileage. 4Runner only 16/19, that is really bad compared to many trucks.

 

I've owned both SR5 and TRD OR 4Runner's and I highly recommended the TRD OR trim on the 4Runner. It rides so nice for trips and doesn't have the goofy shifting characteristics of the auto Tacoma's. Fuel economy is significantly worse than the Tacoma and it's more of a pain to hand wash as it's a much bigger vehicle. Rear hatch is heavy and not powered. However, the interior and seats have a lot more room and are much more comfortable than the Tacoma. Pros and cons for each vehicle. I miss my black TRD OR 4Runner although the factory paint quality was garbage thin imo.


I've been getting emails from Gregory Wishner @ Right Toyota since submitting my info at the Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale this week. He wants to know what I want to drive and he'll have it ready up front. Their lots empty unless they're hiding stuff in the back. gwishner@righttoyota.com I suppose you could try them again. (I hate the sales staff there.)

 

What a difference a month makes….somehow one of my original costco program dealers reconnects and we agree on a incoming (built but not yet shipped Tacoma) , kudos to Earnhardt Toyota Mesa AZ, and Jon Mefford.

Easy process, no add ons if agreed upon before arrival, invoice plus price, even on a trd off road 4x4, double cab short bed, costco program worked and even gave 15% off dealer added stuff like , remote keyless tailgate lock.

I got the blue agave (urban khaki) version here in AZ (they call it lunar rock), and i love it.

i got the TRD offroad 4x4, without too many distributor options, but did include led headlight , drls and fog lights.

 

congrats, I've got a deposit on pretty much the exact truck at Bell Road Toyota due end of march tentatively. Haven't hammered out the price specifics, but I'll try Earnhardt in mesa if they play bs.

 

Took delivery Saturday, and like it better everyday, drives great, looks great, it is not mint or green but is hard to get great pics in. More like slate blue grey-ish, but then bright in total sunlight. Such a chameleon color….
I did the obligatory Home Depot visit today.

 

I bought my 2022 Double Cab TRD Off-Road in December of 21 at Bell Road Toyota for under MSRP using the Costco Auto Buying program.

I’m not sure if they’re still part of the program or not but if you’re a Costco member I’d give the buying program a shot.

edit: didn’t see you already bought it before I posted.

 

I will remind everyone that the beginning of this process started about 10-12 weeks ago, and I gave up on the Tacoma, put a deposit on the new upcoming Colorado Z71, i had it reserved but it sat finished at the factory lot with no delivery date, iffy reviews, and a bit more spendy as well. I could regret not getting the new Colorado, it really looks great, but I think grabbing the last of the Tacoma v-6s isn't a bad option for now. I always wanted one.

 

If you always wanted a Tacoma, you got the best thing you could no matter what.

As an aside, my advice would be anything but GM nowadays. My 2006 Colorado was a piece of junk. I've had $300 cars that were more reliable than a brand new truck that was just a daily driver to my desk job.

 

Congrats! I have the same setup in Celestial Silver, don’t let any “plastic dip millennials” hate on the chrome bumper, it’s O.G.! Also, when I bought mine the salesman in Walnut Creek Ca tried for 2 hours to sell me their crappy third party warranty, I was almost rooting for the poor bastard. He almost lost his shit when i said no to all the extra crap and then paid in full, F you finance department! Enjoy your new ride brother.

 

Thanks. A bit of a painfully slow process, but i like the idea of a known product with a great resale history. If the new Colorado comes out as a good truck, then let them perfect it, and Toyotas are still going to be tops in resale value.

i do think it is a great think for Chevy/GMC to push the midsize market. Makes the market to produce a product better for all of us.

 

While more truck than I would ever need, I did like the Frontier on what I'd call a very extended test drive in 2021. I'd consider one but not without doing more research first.

Regardless I wouldn't buy the configuration I had, DCSB. I rarely have anyone else in my truck to begin with so a double cab is wasted space.

 

I can’t believe it. Jon Mefford was my salesman for the Costco program in the fall of 2020. I purchased a 2021 Barcelona red metallic TRD OR DCSB 6MT loaded for $500 below invoice, taking delivery on 12/11/20. I loved that truck, which was everything I wanted and would have kept it forever. However, some fool decided to illegally pass me at 80MPH and totaled it in June, 2022.

What a difference 2 years makes. Jon told me Earnhardt is charging MSRP + $7,500 for TRD Pros and MSRP + for TRD OR (with dealer garbage). Costco told me as recently as a few weeks ago that Earnhardt was not participating on Tacomas. I eventually found a Solar Octane TRD Pro 6MT in Tucson for less. Fortunately I got about $8k more than I paid for the 2021 TRD OR DCSB 6 MT which took the sting out of the purchase. I went up 2 trim levels and 2 model years for $4K out of pocket. But it was a very unpleasant 8 month process. Do I wish the accident never happened and I still had my 2021 TRD OR DCSB ) MT? Yes, but the ordeal is now behind me and I intend to enjoy the truck.

 

Do what we did get on the phone and try to find a Tacoma in OR or WA State. Then make a deal to purchase pay w/ a CC for the deposit wait for it to be built then catch a flight and make a vacation coming back. We stayed in the Redwoods and SF did some wine tours. Just made a fun trip coming back. Oh, the money you save on DOC fees here in AZ will cover the flight. Plus depending on what city you’re are in you won’t have to pay county or city sales tax just state when you register it here in AZ. Hell register in another state for the first year to save on Tax. We registered with my wife’s brother in Portland for just the first year then transferred to AZ. No sales tax to AZ. But we paid cash…

 

This is the last production model year of the Tacoma and 4Runner before a major redesign. Get em while you can. I expect the 2024s to be crap.