Alternate title: Fuck Toyota
Well, my conundrum has been solved. The Tundra is out; the Dodge Ram 1500 is in. We're signing papers on the Dodge this afternoon.
To those that suggested the Tundra, believe me, I would have LOVED to have gotten the Tundra. It's a fantastic truck with boatloads of power and comes with the peace of mind of Toyota's legendary reliability behind it.
However...
I do not like the Tundra enough to pay > $1,600 OVER MSRP ***AND*** take $2,000 LESS than the Kelly Blue Book value on my trade-in. Toyota trucks are good, but not BOHICA good...
So, I'm gettin' a Hemi. 345 HP of good ol' American muscle with a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds. Given that the most weight I'll be towing is 6,000 pounds (camper + the maximum that the camper can carry), 8,500 pounds will work just fine for what I need.
And Toyota has lost not just this sale, but a customer for life. They've gone on the list with General Motors (after a Chevy salesman WALKED AWAY FROM ME after I told him that I was looking to spend ~ $15K on a stripped S-10 4X4 in 1997). My wife would have been very happy in a Highlander; looks like it will be a Honda Pilot instead. Honda North should send a thank-you note to Jaffarian Volvo-Toyota...
I'll be posting my letter to Toyota later. Included will be all the various lies, omissions, and other chicanery they attempted to employ...
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15 comments:
good god.
I'm truly sorry.
Make sure you change that trans fluid every 40,000 miles. Maybe sooner.
I'm really, really sorry, on behalf of all humans everywhere, that you had to buy a Dodge.
Well, I was going to consider a Ford, but my oldest and dearest friend just lost his 2005 F-150 for an entire week while they replaced ALL THE ENGINE GASKETS at all of 25,000 miles...
And they didn't even give him a loaner car...
My wife and I have twice tried to buy an Audi and never gotten far enough with a salesman to even test drive one. We really don't look like we can't afford it.
We walked out of the Audi dealer last year after getting the blow-off and paid cash for a Saab instead.
"ALL THE ENGINE GASKETS at all of 25,000 miles..."
A fluke. Something caused that failure, and it wasn't a manufacturing defect.
THe catastrophic failure of a Chrysler corporation automatic transmission at around 90,000 miles, on the other hand, is quite common. Of all the chrysler products I've owned or driven as company cars, (seven, total) the number that haven't launched their transmissions has been a round zero. That being said: I like the Dodge trucks, I like the way they look, and I like the way they're made. The transmissions just scare me crapless.
How much does a new transmission cost?
Because if it's less than $10K, I'm saving money over the Tundra...
I know what you mean - my dad has owned two Dodge Caravans, and they've both needed transmissions at around 100K.
But you know what? So did my buddy's Windstar. Which also needed the front end rebuilt about every 30K or so...
Believe me, I wish I could afford the Tundra. It just does not fit into my budget, and I steadfastly refuse to be raped because of the Toyota name...
I recall one dealership that was attempting to sell us a used minivan to go along with a trade-in of our first Acura Legend. They wanted to give us the blue book value of the Legend but they didn't want me to see the blue book on the minivan. After getting the number, I ask "why is your number higher than the blue book value but you won't take that approach with my car"?
The dealership manager (yeah, I'd raised enough of a ruckus to get him out there) actually said "well, we have to include the overhead & profit into our prices".
After I laughed, I said "yeah, well, so do I." Needless to say, we walked out.
Interestingly enough, it was Marietta Toyota. Although it's prolly not Toyota's fault (we had a RAV4 & it was great), just the dealership.
Ricky (still not logging in)
Buying a car is one of the most unpleasant jobs necessary in life which is why I still drive a '94 station wagon with 160K on it, it looks like hell but drives great.
-mike
I'll keep my Galant until it begs me to kill it. Then I'm getting a truck or a "real" SUV (something that was used off-road before they added the shiny stuff).
Cassidy
I have a Toyota Camry (2005) four banger automatic that replaced my 1992 Honda Civic 5 speed as my commuter car.
I got a good deal on the Camry thanks to seeing the Fleet sales guy, Moe at Camelback Toyota in Phoenix.
Had I wanted a Tacoma I would have paid sticker since they were brand new then. Almost bought a Tundra (2005) but the cheap bastage in me fought the idea of paying an additional $100 in gas alone each month just to have a truck when I needed it.
My wife has a 2003 4Runner V8. She adores it and I liked the deal we got on it new in 2003, again from Moe.
My point is it was the dealership not the vehicle itself.
Yes there is a premium to have the latest baddestest toys. Although I discourage it by, well being a cheap bastage and not paying a "availability premium".
Good luck with the Dodge! I hope it gives you many miles of faithful service.
Toyota is fairly infamous for their appalling sales practices.
The vehicles are still darn good, though. Our RX300 has 160k on it and still runs great, and my Tacoma has been driven with a near-flat tire for a week with no ill effects.
You just bought a Jennings instead of a Beretta.
Good luck with it.
It's really interesting that you phrase it that way, Adam.
I've got a Jennings, bought on a lark to save it from being smelted down in a "gun buyback" scheme.
Damn thing shoots pretty well, if you can believe it.
And I've been told that the Beretta 92 isn't the most reliable pistol out there, as far as full size 9mm handguns go.
BUT I understand the analogy you're using, and don't entirely disagree. I'd put Dodge as more of a Smith & Wesson Sigma series, though, than a Jennings; and I'd put Toyota as a Sig.
Both will do what you want, one with less fuss than the other.
Either way, I've got a new truck that will haul my trailer, and at a price I can afford.
Pics, of course, will be forthcoming.
:)
Cripes, all these folks saying that their cars that they bought have 160K miles & they're happy that they're still running fine. Heck, I don't even consider BUYING a car until it has at least 90K miles. :)
Ricky
Toyota makes fine trucks. And they know it. Like the prom queen who thinks too much of themselves.
My Explorer has 256,000 miles now, on all the original components except:
Transfer case chain
wheel bearing
universal joint
water pump
Maintenance is the key. I was never a fan of the Windstar's engine arrangement- but my BIL has one, it;s in my driveway, in fact, and it has 212,000 miles with god maintenance, and zero trouble.
The mercury Villager, on the other hand, is a nearly indestructible vehicle. I know, as my sister has been trying to destroy hers continuously since 1998. it keeps coming back.
Of course, Jay is the motorhead so he knows a lot more than me (I'm an auto-idiot to the extreme) but og is absolutely right. I rarely even make it to the 3,000 'target' before I have my oil changed and I usually get a tune-up every 24 months no matter how my engine is performing. I figure that I'd rather drop $300 then instead of being stuck on the highway awaiting a tow & planning to pay for an overhaul.
I turned 40 in January & while I've owned two manual/stick vehicles (for a grand total of 6 years between them), I've never spent one penny in my life on transmission repair. Reread that if you wish: not one penny. When I back up I wait until I'm at a dead stop before I put it into Drive. I don't ever 'peel' or fast-shift.
Don't get me wrong, I'm mister road rage, but I take care of my vehicles. Primarily out of fear, since - as I admitted - I'm a mechanical moron. We're about to sell my wife's minivan & we have some new brake pads to put on it in order to get the max value (we're in discussion with someone about helping out a couple in need & maybe giving them a huge break, but the person we've been trying to work with as an intermediary has been dragging their feet for a full month, so I'm about to go to the open market. Sheesh, try to help out the little guy down on his luck and you can't even get co-operation from a representative!) and I'm having to take it to a mechanic because I'm clueless.
Oh, well.
RW (Still not logging in)
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