Why cant I buy Trail?

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Senior Member
Midwest region doesn't sell Trail models. Will this change in 2012? I'd buy one if I didn't have to special order it.
 
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I think Toyota is shooting themselfs in the foot by not making Trails more avalable. Maybe they can not make enough or they are trying to keep the price high by not flooding the market with them.
 
I live in the Southern California Region and when I go to the Toyota website I cannot build a Trail for my zip code.

But I have seen new trails at 3 seperate Toyota Dealerships in the OC/LA area. Strange why I cant even build one when dealers had them on the lot??

I will be in the market for a trail between oct-dec of this year when the 2012's come out.
 
I believe if I truly wanted a TE, I'd just go to the local dealers and say "get me a TE or I'll go find one myself, and you lose a sale".
 
philsey said:
I believe if I truly wanted a TE, I'd just go to the local dealers and say "get me a TE or I'll go find one myself, and you lose a sale".
Click to expand...

This is what I am doing, although they don't seem at all interested in finding me one without Nav but with KDSS. I guess they don't need the money - or it's just good 'ol Southern Service. Kind of like East Germany.
 
I was looking for a Black Trail with NAV and KDSS... I couldnt find one used and there were no Dealerships in CO that could get me one within 6 months (special order).

I jumped on Cars.com... looked up New 4runners, narrowed the search to Black Trail Edition's and started hitting up dealers. There were only 5 in black in U.S... That I could find.

I ended up buying one from a dealership in Quincy, IL. Flew out, picked it up, and drove it home.

I guess you gotta be willing to go through a bit of inconvenience.
 
For those Southern Californians who are interested in a Trail Edition, you need to search from approximately from the Bay Area (SF, San Jose) north bound! You can build one, on the Toyota site by entering a zip code from those areas.

TE's are not offered at this time in So Cal, nor can you build one on the Toyota web site using southern California zip codes. :redbrick:

I actually bought mine in another state.
 
PocketRocket said:
For those Southern Californians who are interested in a Trail Edition, you need to search from approximately from the Bay Area (SF, San Jose) north bound! You can build one, on the Toyota site by entering a zip code from those areas.

TE's are not offered at this time in So Cal, nor can you build one on the Toyota web site using southern California zip codes. :redbrick:

I actually bought mine in another state.
Click to expand...

If you search hard enough So Cal does have Trails.

I test drove a black Trail with KDSS and navi from Tustin Toyota 2-3 weeks ago. Long Toyota had a Black Trail also 2 weeks ago. And 6+ months ago I saw a Trail at Toyota of Orange.

So yes dealerships do have them here. The problem is when you search online they are not labeled as "Trail" but as regular SR5's. So makes searching online worthless here in so cal. :(
 
Just order it. It really doesn't take that long. Well, less time than waiting for 2012!

Or tell the dealer to ship one in for you. You can find one by searching dealers for them, but most won't trade over 100 miles. Good luck!
 
philsey said:
I believe if I truly wanted a TE, I'd just go to the local dealers and say "get me a TE or I'll go find one myself, and you lose a sale".
Click to expand...

Expect to pay more for sure if you go this route...

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me to spend an hour or three online finding the dealer with it in stock and going directly to that dealer was time very well spent when I bought my truck and then my dad's Altima. Same process both times... and that time was recaptured by not wasting time at the dealerships. Both deals were done before I walked through the door and came in just over cost on both....as both were 'on the lot'

This way you keep the upper hand and you can play the "I have a quote of______" game instead of them saying "Welllll, we will have to trade to get it, and, pay the other dealer a fee, etc so your new price will be (bend over)" lolol
 
Ryan_S said:
Just order it. It really doesn't take that long. Well, less time than waiting for 2012!

Or tell the dealer to ship one in for you. You can find one by searching dealers for them, but most won't trade over 100 miles. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Speaking of which- I was about to fly to CO and drive back with it to get what I wanted~ which to me would have been worth it without a doubt. If your heart's set get what you really want or everytime you see *that* color/model etc you'll bum.... but whichever one you get you'll be STOKED!
 
With regards to the few TE's in SoCal, they are left over 2010's and they are black and were not outfitted with the Navigation, not really the color or features I was looking for. The local dealers are unable to order them. So the only choice left in my case was to search elsewhere. It so happen I found a few 2011 in Magnetic Gray with Nav and without. Great deals were offered all. So its just a matter of the desire and willingness to go and get it. In my particular deal it was done over the phone and I had it delivered to my door step. Obviously, no trade to deal with which made it much simpler.
 
Same Boat!

Totally ridiculous! I line in Indiana, and couldn't find a zip code on the website that would LET me configure and buy a Trail.

What a stupid way to run a consumer retail effort! Why would you not provide your WHOLE product line legal to be sold in any state to consumers. Just 50 miles over across a state line however (Cincinnati) if you use a zip there you can build a trail. My dealers local say they can't get a Trail, but the Cinti. dealer had two sitting on their lot!

Very strange way to run a business!

Dave Bane
Augdog1964
 
Fwiw I had to go to three different dealers before I found one that would even order me a TE. I don't believe that they "cant" get them, it's just that they can make more money for less work if you buy one off their lot. If you preference order, that one is. Not taken out of their mandatory allotment, so they basically have to sell that 4R twice.

You might try contacting the "Internet departments" at a few dealers and ask for quotes on TEs.
 
Not sure...

The dealer I was trying to buy from is run by a personal friend. He was pulling his hair out trying to get the regional Toyo rep to help. He just said, call other dealers and do a trade... which they ended up doing.

Another dealer told him to order 12 4Rs and preference the trail as #1... then cancel the orders once the Trail comes in... CRAZY! Problem is according to him they may have their cancellation in essence... "cancelled" and have to take them.

Dave Bane
Augdog1964
 
I have a friend that works at a dealership and he told me the Trail is not selling so they aren't making to ship out here (California). The only way to get one is by special order and most Toyota dealerships aren't able to do special orders because they don't have high volume. (I'm told only 1 dealership in So Cal can do it, which is Longo in El Monte and I've talked to them, they are sticking close to MSRP regardless of any program you go through IE. costco, true car, Amex, etc...) It's a restriction from Toyota, not the dealerships.

SO... most dealers will let your sale go if all you want is a TE because they simply can't get one. After all, they can't sell you a car they don't have or can't get.

Good luck...
 
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