sell me a tacoma (dealerships in ny)

[freeryde13]

i've never bought a new truck, but can't afford the time to repair an old car myself anymore. my last vehicle was an 81 elcamino (the original suv) that i ran into the ground. work truck hauling etc. i had a 77 celica once and the thing couldn't be killed( i tried). i've always liked toyotas no nonsense style but felt like they were a little too..... blah or whatever.

so i've been checking out this new tacoma real hard for a few months now. i'm down to wanting a 4x4 extended cab with a v-6, and definatley the convenience package. test drove a couple and liked how they felt. stereo kind of sucks for the price though. would have bought the truck i tested ( sport package) on the spot for about 26k. but they wanted 28 and change and didn't want to deal.

my problem is that i live in nyc and they don't have a lot of tacomas in stock. i don't know if the sport package is that much better a ride than the stock vehicle because most dealers have none, and the one i found that does has only the one model. one dealer wanted me top put $500 down on the car just to give me a rate on dealer financing. so i'm thinking maybe toyota is that good that they can do whatever they want and the car just sells its self. cause i'm waiting to be sold and they haven't sold me yet.

so my questions are many. is there an area or dealership with a lot of tacomas in stock? whats the ride like between the stock and sport models? can one of these trucks handle a load when called upon ( tie down and haul a harley, building materials to job sites, etc.....) ? and finally as far as resale value goes, if i hate the truck and bear it for a few years, will i get a decent trade in value for either a bug free 2007 or 08 tacoma or different truck for that matter?

cool site, thanks in advance for your help!

[nucleus]

I'm on the Island and have recently shopped and ordered a Tacoma access cab.

I've only driven one, and that was enough for me. The ride is the least truck like of any truck that I've driven, much to the chagrin of serious rock-crawlers who want a solid front axle instead of the Tacoma's independent front suspension.

I've been driving Toyotas since 1985 and wouldn't buy anything else. As to toughness, you can't buy a tougher and more reliable truck (check out this video). The Tacoma is perfect for hauling a load of whatever, limited mostly by bed size. Bed size is short if you haul lumber, but you can get a utility rack to carry the long stuff. There is a question about how the new composite bed will accept racks though, since they are designed to clamp to the older style metal bed rails.

Current Toyota financing is 4.9%. If the dealer wants a deposit to tell you that, you need to find another dealer. Also try Capital One for financing.

As far as discounts go, the Tacoma's are hot sellers. Just look at the new 04's selling for tiny discounts. The same goes for resale. Well maintained used Tacos are nearly as expensive as news ones. Toyota resale in general is very high.

Dealers work on an allocation basis, they are allocated a certain number of a type based on sales. City dealers sell fewer trucks and get less allocated accordingly. Increase your range to New Jersey and Connecticut and you will find more Tacomas on the ground. But I'd be more focused on finding a dealer who will work with you. Dealers often trade between themselves to get the cars they need. More important for you is not to get hustled. If you go in knowing the invoice prices, knowing what TDA is and so on, you will be seen as an informed customer and dealt with accordingly. Be willing to pay a reasonable amount - the dealer is entitled to some profit. The ones I've dealt with try to make a clear profit of at leat $1,000 per sale.

Car buying tips is a good source of information. Their recommended 2-5% over invoice is not unreasonable but may be a bit optimistic for Tacomas, at least in the NY area. I made a deal at about 3% over invoice due carefull research (including talking to a lot of dealers), timing (the end of the year, which is even better than the end of the month) and luck (my salesman went on holiday and I was able to negotiate directly with a very busy sales manager who was happy to close a deal over the phone with someone he had never met).