Tacoma TRD Pro Cost $65,395

People aren’t getting raises to match these crazy escalating car prices so what can they do other than take out a longer loan and hope the vehicle outlives the loan. That’s a big gamble these days.

 

So true, bad financial decisions will haunt you forever.

 

I'm old enough to remember when 3 years was the typical car loan, when it jumped to just 4 years my Dad said he would die before paying for a vehicle for 4 years. I couldn't imagine 10 years. I have friends that are paying 12 to 15 hundred a month for vehicles and insurance for 7 + years. Don't understand it

 

I do understand why people do this, as it is very hard to accept loss of quality of life due to loss of your purchasing power. When a typical person used to be able to afford a new car just a few years ago, they still expect to do so today especially if they have the same job with the same salary. So everyone loads up on loans, then the entire system collapses when people start defaulting. What happening now in auto industry will be comparable to 2008 in housing. It is the same thing, but with cars.

Anecdotally, I paid about the same price for my 2024 4Runner that I paid for a brand new exotic car less than a decade ago.

 

We need people like that to keep the economy expanding, that makes retirement a lot easier for those who save and invest. If we have an entire country full of savers then we end up looking like Japan or China. Cars are depreciating assets that would eventually be worthless(for the most part), the risk of default is already written into the loan terms so who am I to argue when wage-slaves keep paying loan interets into the financial system and companies, while working and coping via retail therapy. Everyone who invested over the past several decades have these spenders to thank for their portfolios keeping going up.

My world view is that it is better to be the saver among spenders, than to be spenders among savers. Maybe Aristotle or Confucius said something like that, wouldn't surprise me.

 

Ot wasn’t Aristotle or Confucius, it was John Wayne. And he said it like this. “Life is hard. It’s harder when you’re stupid.”

 

So aren't 4Runners a bit pricier than Tacomas? If that is the case then would a TRD Pro 4Runner be pushing 70k?

 

Most likely.

 

My guess top 4Runner will come just under top LC, because interior isn't as nice as LC interior.

All three use same engine, same tranny.

Top LC 74
Top 4Runner 72
Top Tacoma 70

 

It’s mind boggling that people will/are paying that much money for a Toyota.

 

Agreed

 

some people don't have the luxury of doing 5yr or even 6 yr loans. its not always a fault of the person. unless you know the person's life and what they had to go thru, they may have no choice to take that bad loan to just get to work or provide transportation for family members, etc. once you have been in that spot or have had someone experience that low point in life, i wouldn't judge so quickly. granted people that could benefit from 5-6 yrs don't take it but rather float a longer loan really shouldn't and they probably know better. i know plenty of people that want that ultra low payment but have never been taught financial responsibility.


i know how this since my daughter and husband did this due to financial hardship. husband lost his great job, lost free health care for the family (they pay $6-700 now), refinanced a 3yr lease into a 5yr loan after the lease was done (which was not a smart move in my opinion during this bad time of high rates), new house, newborn. its taken them about 3-4 yrs to get somewhat back to before, but they have a ways to go, probably another 3-5 yrs to get back to pre job loss.

sometimes life just hits hard at the wrong time for folks.

i did the same stupid thing back in my late teens/early 20's with my wife. racked up credit card debt and it took 7 yrs to get out from that hole in the early 90's. but we learned and we are way better for it. we had kids, new parents, new house, things just came crashing down due to poor financial responsibility. but we went to credit counseling and we learned to not get into that again.

 

And you can get a fully loaded Gladiator Rubicon for $50k. Gladiator is criminally underestimated

 

A year from now I think Toyota is going to find themselves in a pickle. 50-60k+ for tacos and 4Rs. 70-80k+ for GXs, LCs, and Sequoias. Once the novelty wears off demand is going to drop like a rock.

Just bought the wife a new loaded Silverado trail boss trim with the 6.2l and a 8yr/100k GM platinum warranty for less than the cost of a Tacoma Pro and it is 10x the vehicle that the Taco is…… and that’s coming from a 20yr Toyota fanboy loyalist.

 

Stay on top of the maintenace, like freaking overdo things, there is no reason that truck won't last for a long long time. Good job, happy for you. Check my oil analysis thread, it should give you some info. Fluids are cheap, pick the good quality ones. Good luck!

 

please elaborate, it’s my understanding in the Jeep world they consider it a piece of shit hence why they’re not selling at all. I heard they’re actually in talks of discontinuing it due to the lackluster sales

 

Why is it a piece of shit? It is a Wrangler with a bed. Tell me the difference

 

ask the Jeep guys I know they shit on it for some reason I never cared enough for that truck to look into to see if it’s decent or not

 

Which Jeep guys, where?

 

The more I age the more conservative I get. My rule is if you can’t pay cash you can’t afford a vehicle. Just keep using what you have or use public transportation.

 

yeah Toyota I think is overplaying their hand. Prices are through the roof. At this point why not just buy a cheaper American made vehicle with ton of warranty and still come out ahead financially and features you end up with. More car for your $$.