Suggestions on purchasing a used 4WD SR5?
- Thread starter bjnick
- Start date
Billyrides
New member
We picked up our SR5P right as prices were starting to climb on some vehicles, but not all of them. We wanted to go the straight dealer trade route, but my wife decided to at least give CarMax, Edmunds, Carvana and a few other of the online places a shot. Prices offered on her Jeep Cherokee were much higher at all of the online places than the dealer. Two dealers had offered us $5400 and $6k. I'm pretty sure Edmunds had the best price of the onlines. She received and offer and just had to take it (ironically) to a local Toyota dealer for the final appraisal and sold it....for $9k.
We did the same with my Expedition through CarMax. I had it listed at $18k privately with no bites. Sold it to CarMax for $19,500.
We did the same with my Expedition through CarMax. I had it listed at $18k privately with no bites. Sold it to CarMax for $19,500.
I'm relieved to hear this....I'm only in a hurry to buy b/c of the warranty...figured I'd be wasting a major feature. If not, your advice sounds solid. And makes things simpler: find a good price and grab it. Lots of 'em available, w/prices rated ("good deal," "fair price," "very high," etc.)
Yeah, that sounds great. So much simpler to do just go w/CarMax or Edmunds (but not Carvana apparently- yikes.)
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It's the standard advice especially from Consumer Reports et al. If it's not really a "thing," obviously it makes it more simple for me: either online, or just ask the dealer for the best deal inc. trade-in, and compare deals.
Think for a minute...this "advice" has been circling around for a decade or more. I'm sure the dealers have never considered this possibility and surely haven't thought of a way to recoup their money.
this is dumb 'logic' in 2022. Oh no, I don't want to make the dealer mad they may not give me what i want for my vehicle (while used car prices are at historically high prices and dealers are struggling to keep cars on the lot)
I can get 3+ offers on my vehicle without leaving the house. Go to the dealer and negotiate the price on the car you want to buy, lock it in, and tell them you've got a trade. They can beat the offers you already have and make a deal or you can finish with your carvana/carmax/edmunds/etc deal and come back with a check
SurfToy
Member
I sold my 2019 ORP to Vroom with 19K miles for the same as I paid OTD three years prior.
Wow. But I believe it. I paid $36,500 for my Outback Onyx XT in Nov. '19 (granted, it was a great deal; other dealers wouldn't go below at least ~39K), and KBB gives the expected sale price w/19,000 mi. on it as $36/37K....$35-36 as a trade-in.
Well, that's interesting.....that does make sense: get some offers on my car, go out and get an agreed price for the runner, present the trade-in offers, give them a chance to beat it, or at least match it, etc. There's no real pressure either way for me....I can take it or leave it; same outcome, basically.
There's more than one way to skin a cat, and everyone is going to tell you what they think is the best strategy. Not everyone can get lucky and show up on the last day of the month just before closing and get the half blind appraiser that puts a stupid high number on your trade. Bottom line is the dealer is going to try to make as much as they can on both sides of the deal. You do car deals once every couple years, they do them every day. They've got the upper hand and you're not going to win playing their game so it's a waste of time to go in there with the expectation of rules you have to follow or a level playing field.
Go in with leverage (by way of other offers) and once you've settled on a number you think is fair for the purchase let them have a shot at beating your other offers. A year ago they were buying literal scrap heaps just to have inventory. It's settled down a little, but they may still beat the other offers if they think there's still some meat on the bone
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DAW89446
Member
Then you’ll be perfectly happy with an SR5. Mine is stock and I intend to keep it that way. I installed a set of BFG All Terrain T/A KO2s shortly after purchase. The roughest stuff I do nowadays is during hunting season, which involves some technical trails. Switching on ATRAC has worked just fine, even in areas that I locked up the rear differential in my ‘02 Tacoma TRD.
To make things simpler, keep your OB. I have a ‘12 2.5 Premium and love both my T4R and OB. Wintertime brings lots of snow and I live on a long dirt road.
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Yeah, I agree with that. I never assume I'm going to "beat them" at the game....all I can is be prepared as best as I can: educate myself about the prices/the market, decide what to shoot for and what I'd settle with, and be willing to smile and walk away and try another dealer. I want the car, lots of dealers want to sell it to me, I'll get the best deal I can.
Yeah, the SR5 will be fine for what I like to do: getting to places where the average person won't bother....where I might see one or two (or none) the whole day....LOVE the BFG KO2s....had those on my Tracker for years. As far as keeping the OB, nah.....don't really need it; I need the $$$ towards the purchase of a new home soon. Besides, I don't drive all that much these days; just around town, and I look forward to getting back into off-road exploring. Gotta say too: the lousy mpg of the 4runner won't be much of a difference....the Onyx gets 30+mpg highway, but ~17-18 around town for two years....the SR5 won't be worse.
No, it's essentially the same vehicle every year except the upgraded radio with carplay and TSS in 2020. Those are really the only two options you'd need to decide are worth it with the price difference. I personally don't care for TSS, but carplay would have been nice. Not nice enough to care enough, however.
Well, the Car Play IS a big thing with me, I use Android Auto all the time....but....I've seen that there are various adaptors/setups for vehicles to get hooked up, so I'm not as worried. As far as the rest, good to know.....runners are pretty well known for not having changed much, so in this case, that's good to hear.
Well, I thought a lot about this. What I'm looking for: SR5 4 x 4 w/ less than 50,000 miles on it....is going for ~$37-39K. Looks like I can get a new 2022 for ~$41-43K.....so I can't see it makes any sense at all not to bite the bullet and get a new one, with all the advantages it offers, and considering how long I'll have it for...AND, the amazing resale value of these vehicles. So that's what I'm a gonna do....thanks for all the good advice.
