This post will discuss my dealer interactions and thoughts in trying to purchase my 1st 4runner, a cavalry blue Pro. For background, since 1987 I have owned 4 Isuzu Troopers. Two of them had the frames rot out (lots of salt in NYS), one was totaled out by insurance (ask my wife about that) and the 1999 model is the one I was looking to replace. Within two weeks of the 2018 4runner models coming out in August 2017, I visited my local dealer and ordered the blue Pro, agreed on price was $42K plus TTL plus any possible port options that might be installed. This is about $1.5K below MSRP. About December 1st, dealer called me and said no way they are getting it, and babbled something about their allocation being 4 Pros (i.e. Tacoma, Tundra…) and I was number 5. Disappointed, I went and got my deposit back and started looking online at inventories. Around Christmas, found one near Boston, about a 4 hour drive one way. MSRP was $44.2K, they offered it at $43.2K plus a $400 dealer documentation fee. As this was an out of state purchase, I asked about how sales taxes and licensing would work. Dealer said I had to drive out to Boston, purchase the vehicle, drive back to NYS with sales receipt/title, pay taxes and license it myself. Then drive out again with plates and pick up the vehicle. I asked if we could do the purchase over the mail, reply: NO. I asked them to cut the dealer documentation fee in half as they were not doing a damn thing, the reply: NO. So, they took 1000 off, but added 400 back, and I would spend time and money to drive out to Boston and back twice. I passed. In parallel to this drama, I inquired about one in NH, dealer told me the price was MSRP plus $5K conveyance fee. I passed. I inquired about at least 2 near NYC/NJ area, making offers 1K below MSRP. They never even replied. So I gave up, figured I’d wait for the 2019 models and get a SR5 (as I don’t care for the hood scoop), hoping they would update their color choices a bit. I really like the blizzard pearl, but that only comes on the 2018 limited model which I did not want. As many here have said, non-Pro models can be purchased for significantly below MSRP, are plenty capable and can be modified easily. As February 2018 came around, while perusing SR5 prices, I found a local dealer that actually had a blue Pro in stock. Wife wants to take a look, so we drive over, it has a SOLD sign in the windshield. Few days later, it is still up on the dealer’s website. I call, thinking the deal fell through. Nope, car stays on the website until owner takes delivery, in this case the owner (from CA) was arranging shipment. Summary: any potential PRO wannabes out there, this is what your competing with.
Then, about a week ago, I find another local dealer (20mi distance) has one. I call at 4pm on a Tuesday, truck just came in the previous Saturday and a site manager is using it for his daily driver, has his child safety seat in it. I asked about dealer fees ($75, not bad), made an offer over the phone.
MSRP: $44K (minimal port additions)
My offer: $43K
Agreed on price: $43.3K (truck had 82 miles on it when I picked it up, acceptable)
OTD price: $47K (my county has 8% sales tax, and New Yorkistan has many fees)
After payment, dealer indicated they had received a few phone offers ($40-41K range) and a full MSRP offer from a Boston dealership that would likely turn it around for much more. They wanted to keep it local, and they said they considered my offer, as I was close to MSRP and making a sale is not always about extracting every penny one can out of the customer (that is what he said!!). The sales guy I dealt with also mentioned he works off 100% commission. I suspect he did not want to lose an easy sale with my call (that he had randomly picked up) and it being a cash purchase.
Epilogue:
Very nice vehicle, did I say it’s a Pro? Crawling around underneath it, the frame, Bilstein shocks, wheels, tires look quite heavy duty. I’ll also say, the undercarriage is well coated with salt crystals now. It came with wheel locks, but I have to order the socket key for it, sheesh. Drives very smooth, quiet and stable on the road but is not exceptionally quick. My wife’s Lexus RX350 (3.5L, 270HP, 6sp, 4350 lbs) is a rocket compared to the Pro (4.0L, 270HP, 5sp, 4750 lbs). As others suggested here, part of it is weight, but part might also be the tuning of the electronic throttle response. Truck has all sorts of 4WD settings in it, i.e. rear lockers, what the heck is that? In 30 years of Trooper ownership, only time I used 4Lo was a periodic check (once every couple of years) to make sure it was still working. Did I say it’s a Pro?
Then, about a week ago, I find another local dealer (20mi distance) has one. I call at 4pm on a Tuesday, truck just came in the previous Saturday and a site manager is using it for his daily driver, has his child safety seat in it. I asked about dealer fees ($75, not bad), made an offer over the phone.
MSRP: $44K (minimal port additions)
My offer: $43K
Agreed on price: $43.3K (truck had 82 miles on it when I picked it up, acceptable)
OTD price: $47K (my county has 8% sales tax, and New Yorkistan has many fees)
After payment, dealer indicated they had received a few phone offers ($40-41K range) and a full MSRP offer from a Boston dealership that would likely turn it around for much more. They wanted to keep it local, and they said they considered my offer, as I was close to MSRP and making a sale is not always about extracting every penny one can out of the customer (that is what he said!!). The sales guy I dealt with also mentioned he works off 100% commission. I suspect he did not want to lose an easy sale with my call (that he had randomly picked up) and it being a cash purchase.
Epilogue:
Very nice vehicle, did I say it’s a Pro? Crawling around underneath it, the frame, Bilstein shocks, wheels, tires look quite heavy duty. I’ll also say, the undercarriage is well coated with salt crystals now. It came with wheel locks, but I have to order the socket key for it, sheesh. Drives very smooth, quiet and stable on the road but is not exceptionally quick. My wife’s Lexus RX350 (3.5L, 270HP, 6sp, 4350 lbs) is a rocket compared to the Pro (4.0L, 270HP, 5sp, 4750 lbs). As others suggested here, part of it is weight, but part might also be the tuning of the electronic throttle response. Truck has all sorts of 4WD settings in it, i.e. rear lockers, what the heck is that? In 30 years of Trooper ownership, only time I used 4Lo was a periodic check (once every couple of years) to make sure it was still working. Did I say it’s a Pro?
