I finally bought a domestic....

[Xi Bowhunter]

I bought my first domestic truck last week:o . I have owned toyotas, nissans, and isuzus, but never a domestic. My toyota was getting old and had alot of miles on it, and I needed something with a bigger motor to pull my bass boat. So I bought a 2000 CHEVY blazer. I like it more and more everytime I drive it. I'll just be glad when I can get some mud tires put on it, those street tires won't cut it where I hunt. I just hope it lasts as long as all the foregin trucks I have had.

[Art]

I'm on my first domestic right now and I think I'll have a hard time buying another.:(

[Xi Bowhunter]

I love toyotas, but I couldn't find a decent one in my price range this time around. We'll see how this one pans-out and I'll decide if I buy domestic again. I like it so far, but it's only been a week.

[Art]

I love toyotas, but I couldn't find a decent one in my price range this time around. We'll see how this one pans-out and I'll decide if I buy domestic again. I like it so far, but it's only been a week.


Come to think of it I did just buy a Toyota 4Runner a couple of weeks ago. I let my ho drive it though. It seems to be great so far. I've heard a couple of people say that Toyota is slacking in the quality dept compared to years past but I gotta tell you, I ain't seeing it. It's built better than my Dodge.

[quackrstackr]

It's built better than my Dodge.

bwahahahahahaha....

that's not saying much. ;) :D

What's wrong with your Dodge? I thought you loved it.

They all have their problems. Foreign and domestic. The domestics have come a long way in their useable life in the last 10 years or so too. You can pretty well expect one to go towards 200k miles now.

[grouser68]

My Mazda........with a ford engine has 120+ but I am going to get a toyota tacoma double cab this fall. WOW! Ford had some bad news for America yesterday huh? Maybe we should all buy Fords just to keep about 5000 Americans in jobs!

[Art]

bwahahahahahaha....

that's not saying much. ;) :D

What's wrong with your Dodge? I thought you loved it.

They all have their problems. Foreign and domestic. The domestics have come a long way in their useable life in the last 10 years or so too. You can pretty well expect one to go towards 200k miles now.


Nothing's wrong w/ it, it just doesn't have the fit and finish of my Toyota's of years past. My Tacoma is still more solid at 100k then my Dodge is at 34k. As far as my Dodge goes my favorite feature of it is it's size. It's nice to be able to move around and stretch my legs.

Grouser68, those double cab Tacoma's are SWEET! That Tacoma is built in America also. My last 3 trucks have been Toyota's and I have nothing but good to say about them.

Has anyone seen the all new Silverado and Sierra's that are coming out in a couple of months?

[quackrstackr]

I hate to say it since I drive one, but Ford put all their eggs in one basket when SUV and truck sales were through the roof and did basically nothing to nurture their other vehicle lines. It's pretty much their own fault.

Now that gas is through the roof, they're reaping what they sewed for a lot of years. Poor planning on their part.

Chevrolet has already been through it, it's just Ford's turn now and Chrysler will be in it in the next year or two at their current slide.

These relative newcomer import companies just don't have the legacy overhead from years and years of union workers that are either retired or nearing retirement weighing them down.

Like I said earlier, they all have their problems. I know several that have had serious issues with their imports as well.

My job depends predominantly on the big 3 doing well even though I don't work directly for them. You can believe that all of this is effecting a whole lot more people than the numbers you see in the news as direct employees. My company is in chapter 11 right now because of it. They put all their eggs pretty much in the big 3 basket. Poor planning on their part too. Hard to have a whole lot of foresight when the money is rolling in I suppose.

[grouser68]

Nothing's wrong w/ it, it just doesn't have the fit and finish of my Toyota's of years past. My Tacoma is still more solid at 100k then my Dodge is at 34k. As far as my Dodge goes my favorite feature of it is it's size. It's nice to be able to move around and stretch my legs.

Grouser68, those double cab Tacoma's are SWEET! That Tacoma is built in America also. My last 3 trucks have been Toyota's and I have nothing but good to say about them.

Has anyone seen the all new Silverado and Sierra's that are coming out in a couple of months?

Art, I know those double cabs are nice, I started looking last winter but decided to wait till this fall to purchase one. This may sound odd and to some unbelieveable.........but it's TRUE! I started dealing with 2 new auto sales about a tacoma on-line, then by calls, then went to look at them. They figured the credit and payments and were ready for me to sign and drive off. I waited, then I waited, then I waited some more! The more I waited the lower the price went.Yes, both dealers knew I was talking to another dealer.I recieved calls and e-mails weekly taking the price even lower. If you can believe this a 29 thousand dollar truck went to $19.500, I plan on doing the same this fall! Also, one of my young Soldiers fresh out of basic and a bonus burning a hole in his pocket went to the same dealer and bought a tacoma at sticker price!:mad: I kinda scolded the dealer for that and told him he would have to come down a coupla more thousand just for that action!Truth be told, if not for people like my young Soldier buying at sticker price, people like me would'nt get such good deals and be able to talk them down on price. I bought my Mazda in 98 it was sticker priced at $19,000. after 8 days of talk I got it for 13,200. at Paul Millers.

Anyway, if anyone needs any hints on buying a new vehicle, get in touch! If anyone has any good ideas for me......get in touch!:D Anyone else need a new Toyota in Nov.? If so, lets go in force see if we can help each other, buy in bulk and see what kinda deal we can get!:D

[Southpaw]

I have a 2001 Z71 chev that will be my last.I have owned two toyota 4x4s with over 150.000 miles and a 4 runner my wife drives that was a 95 with 150k on it.I just bought her a new 4 runner and love it. My chev has been in the dealer for steering shaft problems also the yoke on the driveshaft was bad. Chev fought me tooth and nail on warranty work .Toyota does not treat people this way. I am crossing my fingers now hoping it will last until I can afford a new tundra.

[quackrstackr]

Do your homework on the net before you go. Dealers hate the internet.

You will only get as good a bargain as they think they can pull off. A lot of it depends on how desperate they are to move inventory. A dealer that has had several people looking at a particular truck or is moving a decent amount of inventory isn't going to budge any further than he knows he can sell it to the next guy for.

If you can find a left over model year after they've got a lot full of the next ones you can usually pull a pretty good deal. Starting in the next couple of months, you should be able to do some real dealing on the '06 models.

I bought two last year during the employee pricing for everyone deal. Still had a hair of wiggle room on dealer installed options but not on the base vehicle price. I save a mint.

[Art]

Art, I know those double cabs are nice, I started looking last winter but decided to wait till this fall to purchase one. This may sound odd and to some unbelieveable.........but it's TRUE! I started dealing with 2 new auto sales about a tacoma on-line, then by calls, then went to look at them. They figured the credit and payments and were ready for me to sign and drive off. I waited, then I waited, then I waited some more! The more I waited the lower the price went.Yes, both dealers knew I was talking to another dealer.I recieved calls and e-mails weekly taking the price even lower. If you can believe this a 29 thousand dollar truck went to $19.500, I plan on doing the same this fall! Also, one of my young Soldiers fresh out of basic and a bonus burning a hole in his pocket went to the same dealer and bought a tacoma at sticker price!:mad: I kinda scolded the dealer for that and told him he would have to come down a coupla more thousand just for that action!Truth be told, if not for people like my young Soldier buying at sticker price, people like me would'nt get such good deals and be able to talk them down on price. I bought my Mazda in 98 it was sticker priced at $19,000. after 8 days of talk I got it for 13,200. at Paul Millers.

Anyway, if anyone needs any hints on buying a new vehicle, get in touch! If anyone has any good ideas for me......get in touch!:D Anyone else need a new Toyota in Nov.? If so, lets go in force see if we can help each other, buy in bulk and see what kinda deal we can get!:D

I don't doubt you but my guess is that the dealer that said they would give it to you for $19,500 is pulling a form of the old "bait and switch" sales method. They would be losing several thousand dollars if they gave you that truck for 2/3 of the sticker and we all know a dealership ain't gonna lose several thousand on one of the hottest selling vehicles out there..

I would bet anything that they are just saying that to get you into the dealership and get you behind the wheel so that you fall in love with it and then they will spring it on you that they have messed up on the price. They do that in hopes that your blind love for the truck has consumed you and that you are not going to leave without your new baby.. I've had this happen to me twice over the years and needless to say I went to other dealerships to buy. I actually had a guy throw a phone at his wall while I was in his office.:D

The bottom line is that the internet is a great tool for buyers and dealers BUT they can't sell you without you actually being there. Nearly every gimmick is designed to get you into the dealership.

[RocketRider]

I have owned nothing but Ford trucks over the past 30+ years and have had no major problems at all! Some have gone up to 300,000 miles needing nothing but brakes and tires & normal maintenance. I currently have an '05 Super crew F150 and love it!
I hope Ford gets it's problems sorted out. I worked for them for 27 years and still sort of do-changed from blue oval to green a couple of years ago. It would be a shame to see a company with so much history behind it bite the dust.

RR~

[grouser68]

I don't doubt you but my guess is that the dealer that said they would give it to you for $19,500 is pulling a form of the old "bait and switch" sales method. They would be losing several thousand dollars if they gave you that truck for 2/3 of the sticker and we all know a dealership ain't gonna lose several thousand on one of the hottest selling vehicles out there..

I would bet anything that they are just saying that to get you into the dealership and get you behind the wheel so that you fall in love with it and then they will spring it on you that they have messed up on the price. They do that in hopes that your blind love for the truck has consumed you and that you are not going to leave without your new baby.. I've had this happen to me twice over the years and needless to say I went to other dealerships to buy. I actually had a guy throw a phone at his wall while I was in his office.:D

The bottom line is that the internet is a great tool for buyers and dealers BUT they can't sell you without you actually being there. Nearly every gimmick is designed to get you into the dealership.


I did go to the dealerships Art! The paperwork on the loan was for 19.5, and it was the truck I was dealing with them on. The reason they came so far down is, it was Feb. and it was a 2005 model that they needed off the lot to put a 2006 in it's place. I know everyone knows this.........it's the time of year you buy that dictates the price! See, they can take a loss on a vehicle knowing their gonna make a killin' on the one that replaces it. Example: Consumer reports said that Paul Miller paid 13,800. for the truck that I bought and I got it for 13,200. Now, did Paul Miller actually pay that price? Nope! They bought in bulk and probably got it for 10 or 11. But, if they actually did pay that for it, I would have still gotten it at the same price because they can afford to take a 600. loss to make 8, 000 on the truck taking it's place.


I see it this way with the Toyota's also, say they buy 30 Tacoma's at once, they probably pay 17 or 18 buying that way where consumer reports says they buy for 21. So, at going to 19.5 there not losing, but making a lil' on the one they don't want, and making alot on the one they want in it's place!

[droopy]

i love my 95 toyota,165k and runs like it did new.only thing i've done is 1 set of brakes and change oil.i am parts mgr at a chevy dealer so warr. work on a new chev or gmc wouldnt be a problem,BUT,fromwhat i see every day my old rattle trap is a lot more dependable than the new trucks tht come into our shop every day on the hook.as for my toy it has seen a very hard life under me as a vol firefighter a hunting seasons tend to abuse it a bit but it keeps on going,for a long time yet i hope.

[Art]

I did go to the dealerships Art! The paperwork on the loan was for 19.5, and it was the truck I was dealing with them on. The reason they came so far down is, it was Feb. and it was a 2005 model that they needed off the lot to put a 2006 in it's place. I know everyone knows this.........it's the time of year you buy that dictates the price! See, they can take a loss on a vehicle knowing their gonna make a killin' on the one that replaces it. Example: Consumer reports said that Paul Miller paid 13,800. for the truck that I bought and I got it for 13,200. Now, did Paul Miller actually pay that price? Nope! They bought in bulk and probably got it for 10 or 11. But, if they actually did pay that for it, I would have still gotten it at the same price because they can afford to take a 600. loss to make 8, 000 on the truck taking it's place.


I see it this way with the Toyota's also, say they buy 30 Tacoma's at once, they probably pay 17 or 18 buying that way where consumer reports says they buy for 21. So, at going to 19.5 there not losing, but making a lil' on the one they don't want, and making alot on the one they want in it's place!


Grouser68, all dealerships pay the same for their cars from the factory regardless of how many they buy. That is a gimmick that large dealerships use to make people think that they can get a better deal at their place. I have consistantly gotten better deals from the smaller dealerships rather than the larger ones over the years. I drive right around the largest Toyota dealership in the region to buy in Richmond.

I personally would be shocked if a dealership payed under 24.5 for 30k truck. They make money but not THAT much. Most of their money comes from service and parts.

All I know is that if you can get me the deal they offered you I will come up there and buy a second vehicle next weekend, so let me know when you're ready to buy and we'll tag team them.:D

[droopy]

true dealerships do pay same price for vehicles,but where they make up for selling below cost is the money/credits they get from the manufacturer in the form of advertising,rebates,and co-op credit based on the amount of buissness they do.if they sold the truck at a
$600 dollar loss,after all incentives come in they prob still made a grand or more.