New 2014 Trail Premium with 450 miles?

[harkco]

Hello all. I am negotiating to buy my first new 4Runner. I have owned three previous 4Runners, but bought them all used. My dealer found the model and color I want at an out of town dealer, but the vehicle already has 450 miles on it. Would this concern anyone? He is selling it to me at invoice and offered to take off an additional $500 for the mileage.

Was just hoping to get some thoughts from forum members.

Thanks in advance

 

[eddiebx]

You need to ask yourself...what kind of person are you? And will it bother you that you didn't do the first 450 miles of driving on her? Some types of people couldn't care less, meanwhile others might think about what ifs for years to come.

Best thing to do is weigh it out...saving money vs peace of mind.

I can tell you one thing for sure is, if you're the type to worry, that couple of thousand bucks you saved on buying a slightly used new car is going to seem really little when you're up all night worry about what went on in the first 450 miles that you don't know about, lol.

Good luck on the purchase!

 

[TonyJ124]

It wouldn't concern me much, I'd just want an explanation.

Theres a fair chance the dealer has been racking miles on it, or maybe it was part of a dealer trade and was transported by driving it? Maybe they sold it and it came back? Maybe? Maybe? The mystery would haunt me, I wouldn't buy it until I had the answer. I'd also try to negotiate at least another $500 off. Its not NEW NEW, its been driven. Even if it was only 100 miles, they're not YOUR miles.

The 2014s are starting to show up at dealers at increasing numbers, if the deal isn't right or you don't like it having the 450 miles on it- walk and wait until you find another truck. Don't buy something you're not comfortable with.

 

[Titanpat57]

I would only worry if the miles were put on by a guy named Dave that hails from PA...











outside of that don't sweat the little things, I'm sure it's fine and I'm assuming you'll be getting a full warranty.

 

[NoDak]

Technically, your car is still considered “new” because it has never been titled to an individual. Mileage has little to do with whether a dealer describes a car as “new.” It’s more of a legal term stating the car has never been owned by anyone except the dealership.

Dealerships have demonstration vehicles for test drives and such that can be driven up to 10,000 miles and still be considered “new” because they were never registered to an individual, although sometimes those cars are available cheaper than if they were fresh off the assembly line.

We think you have the right to be upset in that the dealership told you one thing and did another (guaranteed it’s not the first time that’s happened), and you may be able to negotiate an extended warranty or even maintenance services. If you’re really peeved, let the dealer know, but 250 miles isn’t that many. In the end, though, you’re the one who will have to live with the car for the next few years, so if you make your feelings and expectations known and still don’t get satisfactory results, buy a different car.

googled the above

 

[NoDak]

There are no hard and fast rules to what constitutes a demo car. Demo models are "new cars" with high mileage. It could be because the sales manager drove it for a few months or perhaps a customer bought it but the financing fell through. In most states the definition of a "used" car is one that has had a title, so both these cases are technically new cars even with hundreds or even thousands of miles on them. A demo is a used car no matter what they call it. If you buy one, use caution. Mileage puts wear and tear on the car and many demos don't get proper maintenance. Ask the dealer for documentation proving the maintenance schedule has been followed. If the car is due for additional maintenance, insist that it be done before you sign. Don't fall for promises of free service later. Any car loses $3,000 in price the instant it is used so if the car is less than six months old deduct that amount from MSRP. If older than six months, instead deduct 20% because that is how much cars depreciate in their first year. For a $30,000 MSRP that means $27,000 if it's less than six months old or $24,000 if older than six months. Then deduct $0.15 per mile. This amount is the absolute maximum you should be willing to pay. If they want more, then it's not a good deal.

some more good info

 

[harkco]

I was told it was a dealer trade. So maybe it was originally driven between dealers? It is on a truck now on its way to my dealer. I should get a look at it tomorrow. I'm not overly concerned about the miles - every 4Runner I have purchased in the past was used with over 20,000 miles. I just did not know if this seemed excessive for a new car - since I have never purchased a brand spanking new vehicle.

 

[TonyJ124]

It's really not that far out of the normal for extended test drives, managers taking cars on a trip with their dealer plate for a weekend, etc. Especially with a 2014 they could have been the only dealer with a 2014 in town and were doing a higher number of test drives because of the new body style. Purely hypothesizing though.

 

[badhabits]

Ask for a free 8 year 100k miles Toyota extended warranty.

 

[NoDak]

Ask for a free 8 year 100k miles Toyota extended warranty.

why not the 8yr/125k one

 

[harkco]

Thanks for all of the replies. Guess I will just wait and see how it looks and drives, then go with my gut. I am trading up from an 01 with 201,000 miles though - so I can't imagine being unhappy with any upgrade at this point. I have been trolling here for years waiting to pull the trigger - hopefully everything works out.

 

[calcrc]

When I went 2 weeks ago to get my oil change at the dealer, I saw a white 2014 Limited 4Runner, I went around while I waited and asked if they had other models of the 2014. The Dealer I spoke to said no, it was one of the Managers of the dealerships who drove it.

I would not worry about it. I got mine ( used 2011 demo from Toyota Canada )

With 2k km's on it. What can a person do driving 450 miles with the truck ? Kill it running it in 2s all day and trying to break it ?

That's just me, but try it out and if you don't like it order a brand new one and wait 1 or 2 months with all the things you want on it.

 

[Greg_Canada]

Half it's life expectancy is now gone, don't buy it.
Oh wait, its not a GM, it's fine.

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

Over $1 off per mile sounds like a pretty good deal to me. LOL, tell them to keep it a year and you should be able get it for $20K off!

 

[kowski49]

If you're in Katy, TX 450 miles is only like a week's worth of driving for some folks. My commute from Katy to Houston (med center) was 30 miles one way. Just sayin' it's not a lot of miles. My 4runner had 260 Houston miles on it when I bought it.