Buying a used truck--- any thoughts?????????

[Gary Max]

I have been shopping around for a used truck for about 30 days. The only thing I can find around here cost over $20K and has a 100,000.00 miles on it. Anybody have any buying tricks that they are willing to share. I have been watching ebay but hope to find a better way.
Thanks

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Gary......keep looking. You have to have some patience. Years ago I bought a 6 year old 1 ton 4WD F-350 with 120,000 with a rebuilt 460, 5 speed, 4:10 rear end. I paid $10,000.

[Sam Layton]

Gary, have you checked the Truck Trader? I don't know what type of truck you are looking for. About 3 months ago I purchased an 09 Ford F150, with 9,500 miles on it for $23.500. The truck looks like new. Check out the Truck Trader.

Sam

[Myk Rian]

Craigslist.
Last year I found a 1997 Ford Ranger with 72k on it, and in beautiful condition, for $4,900.
Has a fiberglass lid, and only needed new shocks.

[John alder]

One thing to watch out for is with all the crazy weather around the nation make sure it has not been in a flood.Keep looking I know its not easy to find the right one.

[Steve Griffin]

When truck buying, I seek out trucks that have been slightly damaged or in accidents.

Of course you need to be extra careful that there are not hidden problems, but often they can price out well.

One of my best deals was a nearly new Ford Ranger with about 15K miles--it had a slightly bent frame and many new parts up front. This is the stuff that scares the heck out of folks and often reduces the price wonderfully. I put 100K more miles on it with hardly the slightest problem. Got it about for about 5K less than other similar Rangers were going for, so it was a nice savings.

-Steve

[Gary Max]

Heck I really would rather buy one with a few scratchs and a dent or two. They work for a living around here.

[Dave Lehnert]

Best deals I got had been from dealers. Don't pay attention to the asking price. They have it marked up so high so they can deal on a trade. Have no trade and the price will drop like a rock.
After looking for months I called a dealer and told them what I wanted and willing to pay. They got me a newer car (less than a year old)with way lower miles(-20K) than I expected for $900 more than I said I wanted to spend.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I meant to say.....I bought my last 3 4WD vehicles from a dealer.....used......and got good prices.

Find a vehicle.....research it's history, average repair record and price range. Then go work on the dealer.

I have never paid the asking price.......

[Greg Peterson]

What are your requirements? 2WD, 4WD, 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton? Standard cab/ extended cab? 4, 6, 8 cylinder? A/T, M/T?

FWIW, Toyota Tacoma's are bullet proof. I have a fleet of these and they last forever. I have a 97 Tacoma with well over 600k on it and the most expensive repair was replacing the rear end after +500k.

[ray hampton]

how far are you willing to drive to buy a good deal ?

[Gary Max]

Greg--------- I have been looking at the Toyota's.
Ray------- if the deal is right I can go just about anywhere
What do I need---------must be able to tow a 5000 lb trailer------so we are talking V8
We are heading out for a show next week but afterwards I am going to try one of the big Toyota superstores.

[Walter Plummer]

+1 on the Tacoma. Around here (Washington DC area) there is only a couple of thousand dollars between a used one with high milage and a new truck.

[Chris Damm]

I paid $23K for my new 2007 K2500HD WT Chevrolet (6.0L automatic 4WD 4.10 rear) in 12/06. The dealer I bought it from offered me $19K for it a couple of weeks ago. I guess the used prices are really holding their own.

[Mac McQuinn]

Gary,
Sometimes you just have to look in the area where what you want isn't so popular, example; I was talking to a small town dealer about 30 miles from me in MI and they have a 07 Nissan Titan 4WD that has been sitting for over two months and the doors have not been cracked since putting the truck on the lot. I pulled the truck up on his website, looks great to me and I'm pretty picky. I have a small Toyota I was hoping they would buy outright and he said NO WAY!, This is GM farm country and he can't take a chance on getting stuck again. Good luck w/ your search.



Mac



Greg--------- I have been looking at the Toyota's.
Ray------- if the deal is right I can go just about anywhere
What do I need---------must be able to tow a 5000 lb trailer------so we are talking V8
We are heading out for a show next week but afterwards I am going to try one of the big Toyota superstores.

[Gary Max]

Mac what's he asking for the Titan. I see a bunch of them down in Tx. for sale.

[Jamie Buxton]

My experience is that it is less expensive to buy a new truck. I buy bare-bones trucks -- industrial use, not something's that trying to be a family car. I pay cash to the dealer, so the deal is really simple, and there aren't any shell games. New-car dealers seem more motivated to move vehicles, and can have a really sharp pencil for that kind of deal. You also have the advantage that you can go buy exactly the same vehicle from the next dealer down the road; the only lever the dealer has is price. For instance, I've been shopping for a new Ford Ranger recently, and I'm sure I can get one in the 12Ks. I'll bet I could get a full-size Ford for only a couple grand more.

[Gary Max]

Around here they want to earn a years wages by selling one truck. I have seen used priced higher than new, guess that's called fishing with a BIG hook.

[Mac McQuinn]

Gary,
I'm sending you a link in next few minutes w/ full details.

Mac


Mac what's he asking for the Titan. I see a bunch of them down in Tx. for sale.

[Larry Edgerton]

My experience is that it is less expensive to buy a new truck. I buy bare-bones trucks -- industrial use, not something's that trying to be a family car. I pay cash to the dealer, so the deal is really simple, and there aren't any shell games. New-car dealers seem more motivated to move vehicles, and can have a really sharp pencil for that kind of deal. You also have the advantage that you can go buy exactly the same vehicle from the next dealer down the road; the only lever the dealer has is price. For instance, I've been shopping for a new Ford Ranger recently, and I'm sure I can get one in the 12Ks. I'll bet I could get a full-size Ford for only a couple grand more.

Agreed. I bought a new work truck in 08, 4x4 long box, 5.3 V8, Air and posi diff for $16,100 plus tax, drove it for two years and sold it for $16,000. I bought my 07 Mazda 3, a base model, for $11,900 brand new, still have it. Base models are where you can get the best deals. Rebates are a bigger percentage of a base models price and dealers want them off the lots so they can sell the junk with all the do-dads. Base models do exactly the same amount of work, but may not impress the neighbors quite so much. In todays market used are too high as there is a shortage because they can't sell enough new, so the dealing advantage goes to the new, because like Jamie said, there is another one down the block.

I am waiting for the shine to wear off the new Ecoboost Ford and will find a deal on one of them. Best of both worlds, mileage and power.

Larry

[Dave Lehnert]

I am waiting for the shine to wear off the new Ecoboost Ford and will find a deal on one of them. Best of both worlds, mileage and power.

Larry

I wonder what the actual gas mileage the new Ecoboost is getting? I have a 97 F150 and the sticker said 17 to 22 MPG. I'm lucky to get 15 Highway.

[Paul Steiner]

After a lot of soul searching I bought a Toyota, I was a strict ford guy until I bought this truck. I had specific requirements I wanted a 4 door tacoma 00 to 05 body style. In my neck of the woods toyota trucks do not stay on used car lots long and I noticed that toyotas are a little more expensive than their domestic counterparts. Also all the toyota dealers used this line "This is a 300k vehicle, so you are justified in the added expense". I wanted to ask if it would still do 300k if the previous owner ran it out of oil? I did alot of looking at toyota dealers and at used car lots and had a hard time finding the right truck at what I thought was a reasonable price. No one would move on price either because they know that these trucks would sell at higher prices.
I finally found my current truck on ebay and I think I got a really good deal. I live in VA and the truck was in chicago bought it based on the ebay description and pics. I flew out and drove it back and I have been very happy with it.