Well, my wife has an '04 Eddie Bauer 4x4 Ford Explorer. It is paid off with about 100,000 miles on the clock. I am afraid that she is going to be in for some expensive repairs soon, although it is running and looks great. NADA trade-in value is around $14,000. With all that said, she is wanting either an FJ Cruiser or an Xterra. I don't know squat about either one of them, so I figured I would ask the guys who know...you guys! There are several options that I cannot decide on...obviously the engine is a given, since there is only one available. She loves driving a manual shift, but the auto seems to get better gas mileage. I am not sure if she needs 4x4, but how much does that affect resale value? Since I have never bought a Toyota new before (always bought used) I am not familiar with the options packages, A-E. What package seems to be the favorite/most common/most desirable?
In short, what do I need to know about the FJ Cruiser before going down to my local dealer and looking at them? How much off MSRP is a good starting point for dealing with them? There is currently a $1000 rebate for the 07 and a $500 rebate for the 08. Is there anywhere I can see the invoice for the FJ or maybe a page that shows approximate invoice prices for different trim lines?
Thanks in advance for the help. It's been a long time since I have bought a vehicle retail...I get family pricing from Ford, so I have bought at or close to invoice for years. It's a little exciting.
