several months later after I bought my current car... i realize that it should have a salvage title, but it doesnt because I got screwed over.
that's what happens when you are not mechanically inclined and you dont know about cars and stuff.
long story short: i got the car cheap from 1st owner. i realized that before I got the car, it hit something and air bags deployed. wasnt reported so 'clean' title stayed. srs light on dashboard ON all the time.
sooo... im going to get rid of it and decided to get some sort of medium size truck but I really need to know what to look for and what to watch out for.
i was thinking something along the lines of a toyota pickup truck (92-99 maybe), or some sort of toyota tundra from 2002-2004, or maybe some sort of chevy silverado from 2000-2002?
anyway my point is: WHY are they so freakin expensive!!! ($10,000+++) even when having 90k to 120k mileage on them!
SPECIALLY the tundras/tacomas... dude, they dont go down from $15,000 (years 2003 and above)
I was looking at this stealership: http://www.atayas.com/pickups_inventory_1.htm
and towards the end you can see a 98 tacoma, above it a 2002 tundra, and even more above a 2001 silverado. those are some that caught my attention and was planning on visit them and swallow their speeches, but i really dont know what to look for. im not even sure if those prices are adequate.
can you spare a quarter? (dude! since I moved to the 'big' city, I get asked that everyday ... )
I've got a 98 Tacoma and I know what you mean about high resale value. No one who has them wants to sell them, so those that are for sale are priced higher. And Toyotas just bring a higher used price these days. I bought mine with 111k miles 3 years ago for 8600. I'm at 145k or so miles now, and the only thing that's broke on it was a 4wd switch on the transmission. Oh, and the HVAC fan squeals, but I just ignore it. I've had the timing belt and water pump changed (preventative), other than that I just do oil changes. It has the original clutch AFAIK
The Tacoma's ride pretty rough, at least the 4x4's do. I've got the V6 and I've pulled weight than I should have for like 800 miles down the highway. It didn't like it, but it didn't hurt it either. Does really well off road, if that concerns you at all. Hauls the GS just fine, though the load height on the 4x4 is a little high. The toyota T100 has the same V6 and has a little bit bigger body, I guess if you want to haul more.
What to look for? A lot of the same stuff as a car: straight body panels, runs well, rides well. Try to take someone along that knows cars pretty well. Maybe ask if you can have it checked out by your mechanic.
ive got a 97 gmc sierra 4x4 with the 305 vortec engine. These engines are almost bullet proof. I love the truck its a comfortable ride and its easy to work on. the only problems they have is the original fule pump had issues and your gas gauge is a little "sloshy" once it is below half. If i could do anything with this truck i would have gotten the 350 ( i believe) engine. Its doesnt have to work as hard to move the truck thus you get better gas milage with it(even though its a larger engine). These trucks hold their value at around 7-8 grand depending on what year, condition, miles, and where you are located. Over all though ive had it for the last three years and havent had any problems with it.
yeah... main reasons to get a truck are: i wanna haul the gs and her replacemenet (when the time comes), i wanna haul furniture and stuff, i want something I can depend on for a couple of years and not even think about it during that period.
besides the fact that you pay extra dough... is it ok to buy used from a stealership? my only experiences with cars involve private parties, and I only used a dealer when I bought my GS new. anything I should be aware? (dirty tricks and what not) :icon_mrgreen:
persoanlly, i've gotten better quality service at the smaller dealerships i've gone to as compared to the big name dealerships. ask your buddies and family etc, people in your area who they'd recommend you getting a vehicle from. most dealerships will offer a carfax report at little or no extra charge as well. even if you pay for it, it can be worth it.
Mid to full size trucks avoid the V-6 motors. You will get almost the same mileage out of the V-8 motor as was already mentioned it will last longer you'll drive a 6 banger into the ground they dont last as long. Trucks hold their value better than cars because they are typically built to be more durable it's less about creature comfort and more about ruggedness and durability. Not that they aren't built with comfort in mind my new F150 with the XLT power equipment package is very nice. Toyota is one of the most durable dependable trucks on the road and that is reflected in their price. If you are looking to save money on a truck you need to look for a regular cab work truck package with the vinyl floor and hand crank windows no cruise control etc. The problem is used vehicles of this type have been used as commercial fleet vehicles and have probably been used as trucks regularly which increases wear and tear. The extended cab adds about 4,000 dollars to the price of a new truck. The price of metal is a big factor in truck prices too, cars use smaller stampings where they can maximize the amount of material used in one sheet of metal where in a truck you have a higher scrap percentage's per sheet of metal.
Personally I have made the mistake of buying a V6 full size truck and got what I payed for. My current truck was $27,000 of the floor after rebates and pay off on my old truck original sticker was $30,500. Best move I have made was just biting the bullet and getting what I wanted with the comforts I wanted.
Hope this helps.
yea tacomas hold their value like no other.
as was said before, we dont want to sell them, and anybody that has one will tell you why: they freaking rule.
best small truck in the world/
they look best in this color (http://wjoe.tv/paragon/jason/DSCF0063.JPG)
with the TRD pkg you get 4.10 gears, which makes it really touchy to drive until you get used to it.
i dont know how, but even though its slow as balls, its still a blast to drive. kind of like a GS :P
if you go for a truck try to avoid the chevy if youre going to do some heavy hauiling with it, ( not built to well for it) and if you can try to get a diesel, but definately a v8 NOT a 6, sixes in full size trucks suck gas like a whore sucks .... smaller engine pulling a larger box, the question is whats the main use of this truck, ie what will it be yused teh most for, or on a semi regular basis etc etc etc,