Buying a new Truck

[WilliamBos]

My 11 GMC stickerd at 43K..Out of the gate it dropped to 36K...Then they gave me 12K for an '04 GMC with 100K on it...In the end, I landed exactly where I wanted..No BS.

Hope I can do as well on my 04 in 3-4 years. Next one will be a 2500HD.

 

[TheGoose]

Well, I have absolutely no need for a factory brake controller, but if I can I will get it. I don't own any trailers with brakes so really no need for a controller. I will never own a camper either.

The options I am looking at are A/C (in Tx, of course), PL, PW, Cruise, Tilt. Not really decided on leather. I don't like it, wife does. I would like a high end sound system, and nav would be nice but suction cup unit will work if need be. Most of the options I need are pretty standard now.

I am only considering V8's or the Ford Eco Boost. No 6ers.

 

[timswi]

Thanks for the post.

So your GMC was $7K off sticker? That's the kind of numbers I'm used to.

Do you think I could get $11K for my '03 Z71 with 89,000 on the clock and minor hail damage?

I have no idea on the trade ...But auction prices have been absurdly high for years, and that's where your trade price comes from...I bought mine in a well heeled area...Saw my trade on their lot for 15K (no way I'd even think about that) and it was gone in a week..So who knows?

Edit:...My truck was very oddly equipped..Sort of a Denali without some of the goodies...The floorplan was probably killing them..Bought it in Dec10 and the inspection sticker was from Aug10...Look at the non-obvious too, like that.

 

[nirion]

I bought a 2011 Tundra Crewmax on 12/31/10. It stickered for just under $40k and I bought it with tax, title, etc, out the door for $33000. That included $1000 positive equity from my trade and only having to pay tax on the difference between trade in and new truck. They run nice rebates pretty often on the Tundra and are usually willing to deal.

The double cab is the model you would want to look at, but the cab is not as big as the Ford crew cab (larger than extended cab though). You should be able to get $4-5000 off sticker on a new double cab 5.7 4x4.

It was a great truck, but I ended up trading it in on a new Sienna AWD for my wife after we had a baby. I still have a 12 valve Cummins Dodge.

 

[timswi]

Hope I can do as well on my 04 in 3-4 years. Next one will be a 2500HD.

Hard to say in 3-4 years...But when I traded my '97 Chevy 4x4 with 200k on the clock for the '04 (in '07) they gave me $6400...Game playing, I know...But the final purchase price is the important part, not the payment.

 

[TheGoose]

Was that 4x4?

I agree about the double cab but they only have the 6.5' ft bed in the smaller cab configuration. I think they call it "access cab" or something. Basically a slightly smaller double cab truck.

I bought a 2011 Tundra Crewmax on 12/31/10. It stickered for just under $40k and I bought it with tax, title, etc, out the door for $33000. That included $1000 positive equity from my trade and only having to pay tax on the difference between trade in and new truck. They run nice rebates pretty often on the Tundra and are usually willing to deal.

The double cab is the model you would want to look at, but the cab is not as big as the Ford crew cab (larger than extended cab though). You should be able to get $4-5000 off sticker on a new double cab 5.7 4x4.

It was a great truck, but I ended up trading it in on a new Sienna AWD for my wife after we had a baby. I still have a 12 valve Cummins Dodge.

 

[RollingsFarms]

here's my advice that's worked for me. take your wife out to dinner one night and then afterwards go look at trucks. This is the BEST time to do it(or on a Sunday afternoon). you can take your time walking around looking at what they have on the lot, get a feel for prices, see the different equipment packages the trucks have, etc. All this without a salesman breathing down your neck. They know many customers do this that's why they have stadium type lighting that they leave on at night Make sure to take a pad and pen with you. Write down the price of the truck(s) you like, vin number, options you liked. Here's where the REAL work comes into play. now you have to research many hours to search forums of what people are saying about the truck(s) you are interested in, get a feel for pricing(won't be exact but you'll get an idea at least), go to the manufactures website and see all the rebates they are offering. When you step on the lot you should have a price figure in your head with SOME flexibility(not much though). An educated buyer is a salesmans worst nightmare.

I'm lucky in that I personally am friends with a salesman at a GM dealership and I know he's going to give me his BEST price right up front. no b.s. with him, no more wiggle room, it's the dead set price and 90% of the time it's the best price of any other quote I've gotten. he's mainly the reason why I'm driving yet another GM truck instead of something different.

I just spent tons upon tons of hours doing research, I joined forums ans asked questions to the owners that owned the exact trucks I was interested in(there are some very informative ones here so don't overlook this site!). Just don't go in blind expecting a great deal, they will rake you over the coals if they see they have a sucker. if you walk in with a manila folder with different price quotes, information about exactly what you're looking for, then they'll know they can't pull a fast one over on you and will more then likely be straight up with you in the beginning. again, I'm lucky in that I personally know my salesman and don't have to do all of this, I just walk in and say "hey what do you want for that truck?" and he will shoot me a price....his very BEST price. it's why I've bought my mothers car from him, bought my new truck, and will be sending my dad to him shortly.

Little silly tricks and tactics don't always work, they can but do you really want to jump through all of those hoops and waste half a day getting jerked around? my time is more valuable then that. Just tell them what you want, what you're willing to pay, you will give them xxxx amount of time to either put the deal together or you walk. it's only a vehicle, remember. they make new ones everyday...thousands of them. you don't have to buy a truck, they have to sell you one.

 

[RollingsFarms]

btw, last July(towards the end of the month but not exactly the end of the month) is when I bought my truck. 2011 GMC Sierra SLT crew cab, 4x4, 6.2 v8, 3.73 gears, had every single option you can get on a GM truck with the exception of DVD, Nav screen, and trailer brake control. out of those 3 options it didn't come with, I would have only wanted the $150 brake control but was told GM packaged it to where if you got a backup camera, you couldnt get the brake controller. stupid I know. They've since changed that though. the truck wasn't even on the lot, it was 150 miles away and my dealer had to do a dealer trade. Truck stickered for a little over $48,000 and I left with it costing me $27,500. that includes my trade-in of $10,500 that was $2000 MORE then anyone else offered me for my truck. the sales slip is somewhere in my file cabinet in my office if you'd like me to scan it for you sometime.

also my salesman threw in a set of $700 steps simply because the pics of the truck didn't show it with steps, the other dealer added them on and since he didn't inform me about them he said they could either take them off or I could have them.

 

[TheGoose]

What was the trade and what did you finance, if any?

btw, last July(towards the end of the month but not exactly the end of the month) is when I bought my truck. 2011 GMC Sierra SLT crew cab, 4x4, 6.2 v8, 3.73 gears, had every single option you can get on a GM truck with the exception of DVD, Nav screen, and trailer brake control. out of those 3 options it didn't come with, I would have only wanted the $150 brake control but was told GM packaged it to where if you got a backup camera, you couldnt get the brake controller. stupid I know. They've since changed that though. the truck wasn't even on the lot, it was 150 miles away and my dealer had to do a dealer trade. Truck stickered for a little over $48,000 and I left with it costing me $27,500. that includes my trade-in of $10,500 that was $2000 MORE then anyone else offered me for my truck. the sales slip is somewhere in my file cabinet in my office if you'd like me to scan it for you sometime.

also my salesman threw in a set of $700 steps simply because the pics of the truck didn't show it with steps, the other dealer added them on and since he didn't inform me about them he said they could either take them off or I could have them.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Does anyone make a crew cab short bed that isn't in the 5ft range...I haven't seen any...Maybe I'm wrong.

As far as price...Invoice is a joke...There are only 3 or 4 people in a dealer that actually know what they paid for the truck...I put a number in my head that I'm willing to pay and go from there (I don't chase payments either)...So far it's worked for me.

I don't negotiate either...I just tell them I'm not sitting there all day while we go back and forth..Give me the bottom number via e-mail, and if it's acceptable I'll continue with the rest..If they won't..I walk.

Ford has a 5.5 & 6.5 bed with a crew in the F-150. So do some of the imports and perhaps Dodge.

Chris