That '01 seems nice, you should link the Ad to us if you can. Sounds like you have a bigger budget than most, which allows you to get a top of the line, mint condition limited. I would still try to get that price down though. I paid 13k for mine way back in 08' and it had 74K with all dealer maint.
"top of the line, mint condition limited".... I like that the sound of that 4-Ripcord. I was in fact budget-limited to an older model, aiming for no more than 8-9K, and was foolish to think I could get one for around 6K since they hold their value so well. Actually, I really do admire and love the 2001 design package over some others I've seen, especially the 2003 that I drove. I only wish that I had more $$$ to be able to get one that had 80K mi. or less like you did.
Funny....the family is all over me about the great job I did finding this one, but the truth is that I'm just lucky that no one else had bought it yet (though I did search over AutoTrader online for a few weeks, picking and choosing what I wanted/liked within 300 mi., then looked at 2 of them: 1 close, and 1 far, and the one close was sub-par as mentioned).
Sorry for the long post, but I'm still on a high from the great deal.
So, after verifying with the finance company that it was a "Simple interest loan", so that I could save money off the loan fee if I chose to pay off the loan early, I was 99.5% sure that I was gonna drive this auto home barring any unforeseen catastrophic problems, and took a Greyhound to get there. (didn't really want to bother anyone else with a 2-car drive, and possibly save gas $$$ for 2 cars as well). Dealer, Mid-Tex Auto in Austin was kind enough to hold it for me for a few days until I could get out there (and he had 3 more when I arrived, but I was focused on the Imperial Jade Green Mica/Thundercloud combo).
It was a 2001, 2WD Limited, and he had even recovered the front seat bottom upholstery because "You know how they get worn with people getting in and out of them like that, and I just didn't want to sell it like that." Then the only external body "flaws" that I could find, were an almost imperceptible tiny dent in the rear hatch, and a pea-sized spot of rust in-between the T and E of the "Limited" emblem on the rear hatch as well. Nothing else.
The test drive was FLAWLESS, unless you consider and accept as I did, that I might "feel every bump in the road", as other posters have experienced. But was that a deal breaker? (well, not like it would have been if one of the rear passenger seat cup holder "fingers" was broken off, which it was). Yeah, I'm REAL picky 'bout that sorta stuff. Fresh, strong engine, quick responsive throttle, smooth yet responsive transmission w/o any noticeable rough shifting, even in/out of O/D, no whine from power steering pump when making those BEAUTIFUL! tight circles, no wind noise, no fluid leaks (and all fluids looked closer to virgin than used, probably 'cuz he said he had his mechanic change 'em), no undercarriage rust, no loose window or body trim, no real floor stains (but it is 11.5 yrs old, so only a true A-HOLE would complain that it wasn't like virgin carpet. Suffice to say that the interior, and especially the dash, were very impressive.
All electrical amenities worked great as orig designed: all 5 power windows, moonroof, r/wiper, clock, etc...etc. All doors and hatches opened and closed w/o problem, and the "gentle" effort required to close them was one of the things I admired most, similar to my Accord. "Don't slam the doors, or you'll break the windows", as I tell my family. A/C is cold as SH**, runs great on AUTO, and stock 3-way stereo (AM/FM/6-CD/CASS) works fine (but I'm sure I'll upgrade the 20max watts and stock speakers its pushing now).
After the test drive, I was hooked. It had obviously been garaged most of its life as a 1-owner, and dealer serviced via CARFAX, with an original paint that didn't look a day over 2-3 yrs old at most. Amazing, really. No one had funked it up, or operated it while wearing a buncha rings or bracelets that would have scratched the SH** outta much of the dash trim and a lotta other spots. I digress.....
The Deal: Showed online at cash price of $7995, sold to me for $8645, and w/a $3500 down payment, left $5850 roughly to be financed after TTL fees, for mo. payments of @ $237.50, and I can handle that. I can cover 160 of it if I just quit smokin', which I need to anyway, since I promised my kids that I would, if our adopted German Shepherd survived the heartworm treatment (which she did). I had to accept the financing fee due to my absence of credit (which was good news to me, believe it or not, instead of BAD credit), so the final price was $9352.60 + financing fees, and I can pay it off early and save on the financing fees
My financing woes are irrelevant, so I got the car for $8645+TTL= $9352.60. CARFAX listed its value @ Blue Book value + $200 due to mileage, trim package, and wear, which by my calculations came out to $12,618 (Kelly Blue Book Retail value of $12,418). That's BEFORE, TTL, financing, or any additional fees, so I'm thinking that I got a pretty suhweeet deal. Hell, its no cream puff of a show car, but I wouldn't give it up for 3 grand over what I paid, and would have to think very seriously if the offer was 5. Everything happens for a reason.
As to previous complaints I've read about the model:
- We don't drink gazillion-ounce Big Gulps, so the cup holders seem to be just fine, and well-placed at that.
- It's not the BIGGEST of the auto cabins that I've been in, but I wasn't buying a Navigator, a King Ranch Edition truck, or anything of that nature. I was eagerly becoming one of "the growing group of value-conscious people who drive Toyotas." (from the Owner's Manual)
- You DO feel "every bump in the road", as others have lamented, including the extremely SMOOTH spots.... it just depends on what the driving surface is. I can't imagine how smooth it may have been in '01 when new, but its nowhere gone now. New shock upgrade on the horizon, maybe.....
- The armrests on the front doors are shot, or suck from the early days even, in a really bad way....there seems to be no padding at all under their covers. (another mod planned soon).
Wife and kids LOVE IT, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that our money is being well spent, into a major piece of machinery that's definitely going to be with us for a good while. Mission Accomplished. :cheers:
