Looking for a new truck, budget max 50k, TRD Off Road

Hey y’all, I’m in the market for a new truck (have to purchase one within 2 weeks due to a promotion) and am really hoping to get a TRD Off Road. I have a budget of 45k OTD, but could probably swing 50k OTD at max. After going to the local Toyota dealership (Kennesaw, GA) I had some serious sticker shock. Their 4x4 SR5 models were all over 50k, let alone the TRD off road. I saw a thread with everyone posting what they paid, and saw a surprising amount of people able to buy one for under 50k. I’ve never bought new, and have next to no experience haggling with new car dealers. Is talking them down to my budget from their starting point realistic, or should I settle with an SR5. Speaking of, is an SR5 4x4 that much of a step down? Sorry if this info is already covered, I’m at work trying to get information and I’m on a short time line. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Buy a cheap plane ticket and fly from ATL to BNA. I have a contact at Beaman if you want it. Plenty here that should get you out the door under $50k.

https://www.beamantoyota.com/inventory/?model=tacoma&trim=trd+off-road&type=new

 

If you don't want to haggle and fight with your Kennesaw dealer, go on Riverside Toyota in Rome's website and see if they have a truck that meets your needs. They are usually easy to deal with and price at or near invoice. I'm not sure your going to find a TRD OR OTD at that price but they do have one with an advertised price of $50,415. If 50K is top of budget call them and tell them what you will pay OTD on that and see what they say.

I did that recently with a vehicle on their lot and it was an easy transaction. That was after haggling with the dealer you are dealing with, and another. I have bought a truck from the dealership you went to, but it was pre-covid, actually a couple of days before businesses locked down. Let just say I kinda named my price on whatever I wanted since they were a bit scared that would be their last transaction. If I had to replace my truck with another Toyota I would skip right over them and go to Riverside after my last experience with them.

Still get your truck serviced at your local Kennesaw dealer, I've always had a good experience with the service dept and thats where I take mine.

 

Some things I've learned when dealing with dealers (new and used car purchases)

1. Don't seem interested.
2. Always talk price OTD. Forget about the "What kind of payment do you want" tricks.
3. When they say that's the best price they can do, it's usually not.
4. Stick to the price you want OTD, and don't budge. A lot of dealer add-on's are mostly profit, so those are quite negotiable.
5. Shop around. I've seen base TRD Off-Roads for under $45k, and now premium package Off-roads for under $50k.

 

Also go here and download the current inventory list. Easy to sort and see what is currently on dealer lots. Start making calls and negotiating.

https://github.com/kissmygritts/flatdata-vehicle-inventory/blob/main/data/toyota-inventory.csv

 

excuse my derpy question but what does OTD mean?

 

Out the door price. Price for car, fees, taxes, etc, etc.

Dealers can manipulate dozens of line items on a a sales sheet to make your price look good, or to make your monthly payment look good. But they can only do so much if you let them know you won't pay more than X amount, out the door.

 

First: do not pay more than MSRP: tops. Say nothing about having a $5,000 cushion, your budget, or especially what kind of monthly payment you are looking for. Accept NO add-ons like paint sealant, floor mats or anything else unless it's WeatherTech or Husky floorliners. Don't tell them anything about your promotion angle: It's none of their business and they'll just assume you have more money to spend than you're letting on, or probably got a huge promotion and have enough to buy a Land Cruiser. Tell them you have one more dealership to visit before you decide. They'll have a heart attack.

Finally do you have a girlfriend or spouse that's a ruthless poker-face negotiator that asks tons of questions that will drive the so-called "Sales Manager" crazy and that they always bring in to put the high-pressure on you? Bring them along. Introduce them with their first name only: they won't know if they are a spouse, ex-spouse, crazy girl-friend, or neighbor who sells cars used cars for a living. Have it prearranged ahead of time between the two of you for them to walk out without you in a huff if you're getting nowhere. Maybe follow them out and spend a few minutes just talking about the weather but with a lot of hand-waving and angry gestures and faces. They hate that.... (and it works)

This also works when the sales guy leaves you in the room alone to go get an OK from his boss. It's a crock. They're just having coffee while watching what you're doing and making you wait too long. Have a fake argument that sounds real if they are listening... Then YOU walk out and leave the spouse/girl friend/etc to wait for him to return. (It won't be long.)

Good luck! Finally: don't forget to check back and tell us how it went.

 

I purchased my 2024 Tacoma SR5 4x4 from Franklin Toyota in Statesboro, GA last week for under $43k OTD. Some may have found better deals but I was happy with the entire process and they had several on the lot waiting to be sold. Definitely shop around. The timeline is plenty to work multiple dealerships for prices and deals and play them against each other to beat offers. Never take the first offer because you are worried about the timeline.

I will say that after considering a few different trucks, I am BEYOND happy with deciding on the Tacoma and the SR5. Has more than enough of what I need and thanks to a lot of great help from people in this 4th Gen forum, I have a list of things to do to my truck.

We all have different methods for negotiating, but just like the above...DO NOT buy for over MSRP and you DO NOT need all the add-ons. You CAN get the deal you want right now!

Oh, and if you have questions about what a dealer is saying or questions about an offer sheet, post it and ask! Lots of people to help

 

LOL, this does work! So does bringing little kids that get bored quickly and want to TOUCH all the expensive vehicles in their showroom - never got through a price negotiation and the finance office so quickly before, or after, my kids were that age.

As far as pricing goes, some dealers here in the PNW are discounting if the trucks have been on the lot for ~3 weeks. I used their 'Smartpath' pricing link on the website to find one they discounted down back in April. Didn't need to haggle since its the price I would've tried to get to if I had to negotiate regardless. Most of the SR5's with the upgrade+cold weather packages are around $44k here, so with tax, title/license, I was well below your threshold. If you want a TRD Sport or TRD OR, then I've seen a few of the Base OR's selling for around $45k out there before Taxes/License. Good luck!

 

I brought both my kids with me last week for this exact reason ha

 

Curious what kind of promotion/position requires you to take on the cost of a new truck? That better be one juicy promotion.

Assuming is 'has' to be a truck, I doubt it has to be a Tacoma. There are some other nice rides for less $ and a bit less argument.

Short time line is usually when the buyer loses.

1) they smell blood in the water (do NOT let them know you are in a hurry)

2) you have to have something in stock. Which may not be what you want to drop 50 large on. You don't have time to wait for an allocation.

3) if it must be a Tacoma, and new (as in previously untitled, not current model year) there may be some good buys on '23's still sitting on the lot. With all the cool kids frothing over the '24's you might strike a deal there.

 

Damn fine advice for any car purchase haha. I have a spouse who would love to play the part so I’ll be sure to mention this to her before we head back to the dealership tomorrow. Everything I’ve read stated you can get out of just about any of the add ons and “doc fees” so I already have that loaded in my clip. Will definitely update when sitting in a new truck to let y’all know how it went.

 

Well, the promotion requires a truck, not a new one. I’ve just never had a new vehicle and with prices seemingly coming back to earth, I figure it’s time to strike. Honestly have been going back and forth between the Colorado Trail Boss and a TRD OR. Grew up with an ‘02 Tacoma and loved it, but the Toyota tax is apparently alive and well. Would love to stick with Tacoma, but based off what I’ve seen, a ZR2 is about the same price as a TRD OR.

 

Sounds like a plan! It has worked with me. Just don't over-act/over-do it: They're experienced car sales people, and will quickly smell a rat.

 

I agree that OTD should be your main focus but I'd add that dealerships often have tremendous kickbacks on the APR if you're financing. In today's high interest market, dealer profit can add 2% or more to your APR (5% vs 7%, for example).

Get them to commit to an OTD price and then work the financing. The APR is entirely negotiable and not many people realize that. In my case, I got them to drop an entire 1% off my financing by telling them I had a better finance offer from Capital One. A lie at the time but they hard pulled from them and I was actually pretty close. Ended up sticking with Toyota Financial with a slightly better rate than Cap One.

Your best strategy is to walk in with pre-approved financing in hand from a major lender or your bank. Force them to either let profit walk if you use your financing or beat it if they can.

 

^^^This^^^

I got pre-approved by my Credit Union for 1.4%/48 months in June of 2021 (boy have times changed) before I started shopping, and had the paper-work to show/prove it. (Credit Union check good to fill-in "up to $xx,xxx amount". and valid for 30 days.) This is hard-core dealing, and he knew it. They make a lot of their money on financing, and I have no problem with that. He turned a little pale and I could tell he thought I was full of crap-o-la. " ...and here comes the pitch: Me: "Feel free to confirm". He called my bluff without any attempt to counter-offer the financing. Called the CU and right in front of me too: No excusing himself to another room, etc. etc. Ya: Bold. I thought he was confirming the APR. Nope: He was confirming it was a real cashier's check and the APR. "CU: Yes sir: please provide the number on the front of the check: "Confirmed": Strike three.

The "agreed" OTD price for the truck was already set no added $ to make up for the financing profit lost. "Sometimes you're the Windshield, Sometimes you're the Bug." (Mary Chapin Carpenter) That little faux-pas cost him set of OEM All-Weather floor mats and the financing for the closing handshake. He caved. It could have been worse: Walk: To another dealer. He knew it, I knew it, everyone in the store knew it.

I financed through the Credit Union. Pre-Preparation is everything. Just keep it all professional even if they don't.

 

I picked up a TRD OffRoad SRP 50,425 out the door for $47,271.

 

Look at a Nissan Pro 4X

 

I've also used the dealer financing as a means to get a lower OTD price, and then go refi it at the CU where I was pre-approved prior to the purchase. This has worked a couple of times and saved me some add'l funds with no penalty other than the hassle of the refi at the CU afterwards.