Well., taking Friday off to head out 4Runner HUNTING. Would do it on Saturday, but got family plans.

Anyways... What should I be looking to spend? I have spent the better part of my morning looking into this. It seems that I should be able to get some GREAT incentives for going with a 2006.

Was thinking of buying used but WTH... New sounds better. So will look new first and see where I end up.

Anyways, gonna try and go 2006 V6 Sport Edition. Mainly for the sportier suspension... Or would the basic SR5 suffice. I'm in the NorthEast so 4WD is a must, plus when I go camping in the Summers is nice to not be limited by the roads.

All this brings me to what should I be paying for this 2006 MONSTER I'm contemplating BUYING.

Thoughs and Ideas greatly appreciated.

Keep in mind that with the SR5 you lose the heated side mirrors and the telescoping steering wheel (at a minimum). In the NE (I'm in Boston) the heated mirrors would be a nice addition instead of scraping mirrors in the morning before work...

Check the local listings. You should be able to get invoice less rebate for a 2006.

Have you ever heard of Kelly blue book, or Edmund's? The answer to your question is there. You could just pay the sticker price if you don't want to research this.

Those are the first places I visited. I have heard though that some people are getting some good incentives. Was wondering what other people were paying. If I wanted to know what invoice, msrp, and TMV is i will go to those sites. Which I already visited... My question is what others are paying.

I sent you a PM on the price I paid when I bought mine a couple of days ago.

What other people are paying is going to vary by region. Also keep in mind that although some very good deals exist for the 2006 models. These vehicles are just about a year old and will loose about 10 to 15 thousand dollars of their value very soon. This may not matter to you, but just be aware of it.

check carmax.com for new toyota prices. even if there isn't a store in your area, they have competitive prices on new 4runners.

$15,000? Maybe 007 should check with Kelly blue book or Edmund's himself. A 2006 T4R is not about to lose almost half its value. (Maybe he's getting confused with a GM or Ford model? )

rmd0311, I hope someone who purchased recently will respond to you. Most members on this forum are great and can be of great help. Please stick around after your purchase!

I have heard the 4-runners depreciate at about 10-13% per year depending on the region. Also the depreciation rate will go up faster on the 4th generation, once the 5th generation is introduced in 2009. I would guess then that the 2008 year model a year after it's already out would depreciate the most out of all 4th generation 4 Runners because it would have to compete with the 5th generation 4 Runner. I think the same was true of the third generation 4 runners when the 4th gen was debuted in the fall of 2002

A couple of people have PM'ed me. Thanks. I will surely stay in the community. I just made an appointment to go see a 2003 Sport Edition with 23k miles for $20k on Friday morning. Will go see some 2006's on Friday afternoon.

10,000 to 15.000 dollars less value during the first year of ownership is pretty standard. The first year takes the biggest hit. It is more gradual thereafter. If you total a 1yr old 4Runner your insurance company is not giving full value for it, my figures came from State Farm Insurance. I also contacted Geico because I could not believe so much money is lost during the first year. Well it is. So my information is accurate unfortunately. This is based upon a well equipped Limited. For the cheaper models it would be about a little more that a quarter of the value loss.

Maybe 10 to 15 grand off MSRP... Maybe... If that were the case, you'd be able to pick up a 2005 SE for 16-18 grand (which I don't see around here). Most of the used 4th gens around Boston are staying in the 20's since there is a limited supply of 2006's left and dealers won't haggle much on the 2007s (since they have 2006s). I would say you would probably stand to lose 8-10 grand if you buy a 2006, but the question is are you buying to resell it in a couple or years or buying it to keep for a while?

I am not very happy about this but in my area that is exactly what they are selling for. Because of this I will keep mine for a long time. It really sucks to see something you own lose it's value. This is why I normally keep a vehicle for a long time.

If your keeping a 2006 model for a long time then buy it. If your not then invoice price and rebates really is not a great deal.

The price of gas is really killing the market for our 4Runner's.

I agree with you man. But, in my area the prices have really not taken that much of a hit. Like you said, geographical location has a lot to do with it. I'm looking at a 2003 tomorrow that's going for 20k/.

With someone like me that has gone through 3 vehicles in the last 18 months and looking into a fourth. I take this as a road travelled taken long routes. (does that make sense).

When I bought the Accord I wanted a 4Runner and did not get it, MPG was the cause. When I bought the Pathfinder, I settled for it, could not find the 4Runner I wanted in the condition I wanted for the price I wanted. The Maxima, who knows why I got it, I loved the way it the drove I guess and still do.

In the end, I just want the 4Runner. If I buy it, I'll keep it for a long time. I would have to, my wife would kill if I keep losing thousands the way I am changing from vehicle to vehicle.

Thanks for your insights they are definitely helpful.

Lastly, I no longer even think about MPG. What for? Money is gonna go down the drain anyways. LOL