Thought this was amusing...

[bowhun2r]

I've not posted here for a while since we sold my wife's 2003 limited (miss that truck). However, I'm now shopping my 2011 Tacoma S/C for a new limited and have been reading up on the 5th gen.

I pretty much knew everything technical about the truck before driving it. Driving impressions was what I was really looking for. It was a very nice ride. Seats are great too. Could possibly use my S/C, but not that big of deal.

The amusing part was when the sales guy (nice guy, just not knowledgable about his product) started pointing out the great technical features of the truck. Like power seats.... I acknowledged they were nice and I especially liked the memory function. To that he stated, sorry those are only found in the highlander. Hmmm... I said "what are these 3 buttons here on the door?" (I had already set the memory seats for me ).

The next was the 4wd system. To that he stated this was like an AWD vehicle...again similar to the highlander. I asked about H4F and H4L to that he stated they are essentially the same and either one can be used.

The last "and best" is the "eco" light on the dash. The 4Runner's engine is nearly identical to my Tacoma (minus the forced induction) and I'm pretty familiar with it. I kinda laughed when I saw the green light come on to which he stated "Yes, the 4Runner has cylinder deactivation technology.". Really. I didn't want to say anything more as my real purpose was to finally drive a limited and see how it rode.

It was amusing.... How someone can try and sell a 45K product yet not know (or not put in the time to learn) the product. What if cylinder deactivation was something I was really looking for??

In any case, the drive was very nice. The 20" wheels were a little too much bling for me and the running boards were not my style. Of course my vehicle was worthless and their vehicle was priceless (maybe due to the cylinder deactivation??) and we couldn't come to an agreement. Oh well, there are other dealers around the area.

I'm not one to harp on someone, but the BS I was being fed about the abilities of the truck were laughable.

 

[VoodooTitan]

I've not posted here for a while since we sold my wife's 2003 limited (miss that truck). However, I'm now shopping my 2011 Tacoma S/C for a new limited and have been reading up on the 5th gen.

I pretty much knew everything technical about the truck before driving it. Driving impressions was what I was really looking for. It was a very nice ride. Seats are great too. Could possibly use my S/C, but not that big of deal.

The amusing part was when the sales guy (nice guy, just not knowledgable about his product) started pointing out the great technical features of the truck. Like power seats.... I acknowledged they were nice and I especially liked the memory function. To that he stated, sorry those are only found in the highlander. Hmmm... I said "what are these 3 buttons here on the door?" (I had already set the memory seats for me ).

The next was the 4wd system. To that he stated this was like an AWD vehicle...again similar to the highlander. I asked about H4F and H4L to that he stated they are essentially the same and either one can be used.

The last "and best" is the "eco" light on the dash. The 4Runner's engine is nearly identical to my Tacoma (minus the forced induction) and I'm pretty familiar with it. I kinda laughed when I saw the green light come on to which he stated "Yes, the 4Runner has cylinder deactivation technology.". Really. I didn't want to say anything more as my real purpose was to finally drive a limited and see how it rode.

It was amusing.... How someone can try and sell a 45K product yet not know (or not put in the time to learn) the product. What if cylinder deactivation was something I was really looking for??

In any case, the drive was very nice. The 20" wheels were a little too much bling for me and the running boards were not my style. Of course my vehicle was worthless and their vehicle was priceless (maybe due to the cylinder deactivation??) and we couldn't come to an agreement. Oh well, there are other dealers around the area.

I'm not one to harp on someone, but the BS I was being fed about the abilities of the truck were laughable.

You should have cut out that sales guy and made the deal yourself. You know more about both vehicles. I would have sold them your Tacoma at a reasonable asking price and taken the Limited at a reasonable sales price, set by you of course. Bringing up how "knowledgeable" the sales associate was might have put them in an awkward spot giving you an upper hand?

Although I'm in an argumentative mood today so I would have wasted time. Sorry the deal didn't workout for you. I'd get a quote online or if you're eligible see if you can go through USAA.com car buying service.

 

[1engineer]

um, he was not lying about the cylinder deactivation, the seats or 4WD operation either. The best, the absolute best feature on our vehicles? The back window! No No No not that it rolls down, but that after you roll it down, if you give it the gas real hard, you can smell unicorn farts! Yep, my salesman told me this and told me to keep it a secret so don't tell anybody k?

 

[VoodooTitan]

um, he was not lying about the cylinder deactivation, the seats or 4WD operation either. The best, the absolute best feature on our vehicles? The back window! No No No not that it rolls down, but that after you roll it down, if you give it the gas real hard, you can smell unicorn farts! Yep, my salesman told me this and told me to keep it a secret so don't tell anybody k?

That's so weird... mine told me I'd get a rainbow out of the sunroof every time it was open.

 

[BobsTrail]

I had better results working with the internet sales reps and not the floor monkeys for pricing. I was able to get 5.6% off msrp. OK, but not great.

I was told that it's OK to leave my Trail in 4WD on road, guess he thought it was a Limited or ??

For entertainment, ask them about a Trail with Multi-Terain, Crawl Control and the locker switch.

 

[nglayton]

I have good luck going thru the local AAA office. They are not sales people, you just tell them what you want and they go find for the best price. Mine wast about $5K cheaper than the dealer wanted for the same 4R.

 

[Desert Dawg]

I have similar stories having bought over 70 vehicles myself over the years. It never ceases to amaze me how downright ignorant (if not just plain stupid) a lot of sales people really are about their own products. Worse is when they try compare to what I am already driving or against some other manufacturer; they can barely talk intelligently about their own product but they think they know more about my personal (usually highly modded) vehicle or other brands...lol.

I don't usually have the patience for these guys (or gals) anymore. When they start spouting off information that is absolutely wrong, I end it there and then and let them know that I am not giving anyone my money when they don't know what they're talking about. And the fun part is after a few days, I'll get a call back from the same person asking "so have you thought anymore about buying that vehicle?"...lol.

 

[1engineer]

I research myself, go to the dealer, test drive test drive test drive, offer a difference between the two vehicles and drive the new one home. We talk about weather and sports only. Works good that way.

 

[bowhun2r]

um, he was not lying about the cylinder deactivation, the seats or 4WD operation either. The best, the absolute best feature on our vehicles? The back window! No No No not that it rolls down, but that after you roll it down, if you give it the gas real hard, you can smell unicorn farts! Yep, my salesman told me this and told me to keep it a secret so don't tell anybody k?

Does the fart smell still happen with the 5th gen? I remember my wife complaining that one of the boys sitting in the back always seemed to cut one going up the hill she always liked to hit the skinny pedal. She denied it, but my boys told me the "needle was over the 60 Dad...". I even took it to the dealer for the TSB but it still had the rotten egg smell hitting the pedal going up the hill towards our home.

I thought it was only on the V8's. Could it be the cylinder deactivation kicking in

 

[adam2562]

Does the fart smell still happen with the 5th gen? I remember my wife complaining that one of the boys sitting in the back always seemed to cut one going up the hill she always liked to hit the skinny pedal. She denied it, but my boys told me the "needle was over the 60 Dad...". I even took it to the dealer for the TSB but it still had the rotten egg smell hitting the pedal going up the hill towards our home.

I thought it was only on the V8's. Could it be the cylinder deactivation kicking in

yes unfortunately :Cry:

 

[jrandom]

ROFLMAO @ unicorn farts and rainbows :rofl:

 

[bowhun2r]

I had better results working with the internet sales reps and not the floor monkeys for pricing. I was able to get 5.6% off msrp. OK, but not great.

I was told that it's OK to leave my Trail in 4WD on road, guess he thought it was a Limited or ??

For entertainment, ask them about a Trail with Multi-Terain, Crawl Control and the locker switch.

I did as you suggested. Emailed a dealer where a T4R in the options I wanted was on the lot. Sent him the price I wanted and the price I was already quoted from the previous Toyota dealership for my Tacoma. After about 30 minutes I had a better price on the T4R and a little less on my Tacoma. Nearly a wash.

I emailed the rep I would be up (it was a 2.5 hour ride) at 1PM. Please have a full tank of gas and have it ready to go. Showed up, 40 minutes later rode him in the T4R.

Honestly the best (fastest) deal I have ever had. Unfortunately, I have had way too many visits to dealerships so I have a very good idea of what dealing with sales reps can do to your sanity. Granted the dealership is way out of my area, but I wouldn't hesitate doing business with them again. I even wrote an email to the owner explaining how easy and stress free the entire deal process was. First time I ever got numbers w/o ever having to talk with someone.

They gave me a great deal via email. They gave me a decent trade-in value for my truck (w/o seeing it). I sent them pics and a lot of detailed info on my truck. I could have sold it outright (had 2 guys ready to buy), but with taxes the amount I would have had to sell it outright compared to trade-in was a wash. Plus, I wouldn't have to deal with anyone.

Thanks again for the suggestion. Couldn't have worked out better.

Scott

 

[BobsTrail]

You know how this forum works, we all know what a 4Runner looks like but --

:worthless


Good the hear that it worked out well for you.

 

[GreyhoundGuy]

I must have lucked out with my salesman.

When I test drove our '10 4R LE (back in November 2012), it had been at the lot for a couple months... asking $30.5k, 28k on the odometer, black exterior (hot in Texas summers), a couple minor scratches on the interior of the doors. He was forthcoming about all of it.

I asked if they could cut us a better price, and he said they had the 4R on the lot for a while, and it was going to be going to auction soon. He said that they were tired of staring and it and not being able to sell it, so the price was the rock bottom price they could give. If we didn't buy it, they would sell it to some other dealer and they could try to sell it.

I asked about the 4WD, and he said that the system could run in 4H up to 50mph or so. His thought was that it would be great for wet weather. Still, he told me to read the manual because he'd been known to get info wrong before since he had to know so many vehicles.

I asked him about the Downhill Assist, and he said, "Honestly, I'm not sure. My guess would be that it helps slow your descent when you're coming down a sleep slope offroad. Again... check the manual."

My favorite was the Toyota SOS button. While my wife drove the 4R to see what she thought of it, I asked him what the button did. He said, "Press it and let's find out." So I did. On came a Toyota emergency person and asked if I needed help. I said, "Nope, we're on a test drive and just wondering what all the buttons do." She laughed and said that they were always there in case we needed them.

When we got back to the dealer, the salesman said that the manual would be my best friend. With all the bells and whistles that the LE had on it, I should just take time to familiarize myself with everything.

And then he said the best words he could have said: "There are some great forums online dedicated to 4Rs. Check them out. They'll be invaluable."

I appreciated his no-attack sales stance and bought the vehicle after we were 100% set on financing through our credit union. When we went to buy it the next night, I told him that I absolutely didn't want to finance through Toyota, and not even to ask. He said that was fine and never tried.

Honest guy.
Super helpful.
Smoked like a chimney.
Smelled liked old socks.

-Joel

 

[bowhun2r]

You know how this forum works, we all know what a 4Runner looks like but --

:worthless


Good the hear that it worked out well for you.

Yes......my bad.

Last pic of my Tacoma, first pic at home with the T4R. Most likely first mod is 18" 4th gen alloys and some tires that can take me to my tree stand.

And I've turned off the "cylinder deactivation" light