Bothersome tidbit I found at local Toyota dealer

So yesterday on a whim I stopped at the semi local Toyota dealer that we bought my wifes Sienna from almost 5 years ago. I have been thinking about buying a used 2wd crew cab pickup truck,and I like the 04-06 Tundra's. I pulled through their used lot in my van,and didn't see any of that vintage,but a nice looking,but slightly lower than the ones around it newer model truck caught my eye. I got out of the van,and spied it for a few minutes,and noticed it was indeed at 2wd 08 Tundra double cab.

I ventured inside,and spoke with the first salesman I found. I inquired about the 2wd double cab,and the guy said there was no way they had a 2wd double cab because "They are no available in the Northeast region". I assured him I know what I saw,and that it was used with a FL dealer sticker on the tailgate. He quickly checked some paperwork he had in his back pocket,and assured me there was no way they had even a used 2wd truck of that configuration,and year. He then checked another piece of paper in a managers office,and low and behold there it was listed as a 2wd 08 Tundra.

We went outside to look it over closer,and inside,and the guy was surprised to see a 2wd Tundra on the lot. I was too,but got to thinking why is that so odd. I know 4wd sells the best around here,but why can't I as a consumer get this truck new if I wanted from my local dealer just because I live in a certain region? Truth be told 90% of the 4wd vehicle owners around here rarely use the 4wd,and don't need it in my opinion. It would be nice in the deep snow,but you rarely "NEED" it around here. The snow usually isn't too bad,and the plow drivers keep up with most of the snow. Along with good tires,and a simple understanding of how to drive I am convinced most could get around in a Miata all winter.

The salesguy was asking me why I didn't want the 4wd,and I told him all of the above,but he didn't seem to be able to wrap his mind around the fact that I didn't want the added value of the 4wd. I don't look at it as a value,and don't want to pay the premium for something I won't use often if at all. Why is that such an odd thing? Why can't I buy the truck exactly how I want it instead of how Toyota thinks I want it? Do you think if I custom ordered a truck I could get 2wd,or it this a hard and fast rule that can't be broken? I was looking hard at trucks in Austin TX as I have a friend that lives there,and 2wd is the norm there. This truck I looked at,and later test drove is really nice,and the price doesn't seem too out of line. The added benefit that it is about 25 minutes from home instead of several hours or days away in TX is a bonus as well. I guess in closing it just bugs me that the manufacturer chooses for me what truck or car I can buy dependent on region. Doesn't seem fair to me. What say you the almighty GRM?

-C

not so much that the Manufacturer chooses.. but the masses do.. due to sales pitching the "added value" and need of AWD to the masses.

So maybe Toyota and et al did not choose for you.. but they managed to brainwash the masses into choosing for you.

The good news is.. as it is 2wd.. nobody is going to want it.. so you might be able to cut a nice deal

He may have been shocked because I'm sure his 99% of his customers come in and all they do is pick out what color Camry/Corolla they want.

Mazdax605 wrote: The salesguy was asking me why I didn't want the 4wd,and I told him all of the above,but he didn't seem to be able to wrap his mind around the fact that I didn't want the added value of the 4wd.-C

Wife's 1994 S10 Blazer 4x4 - put into 4WD maybe 8x over 10 years.

July, 2003; Wife/I shopping for a 2003 2WD Trailblazer - Dealer friend we know had 1 on the lot and put us through the same pressure.

Update: Wife has had 2003 2WD Chevrolet Trailblazer for 8 years this past July and has gotten along fine. When Chicago got hit with the big snow last year; she stayed home. She has 51,000 miles on it and still has the original factory tires. I did promise her a new set this month to get her through winter this coming year.

Mazdax605 wrote: I don't look at it as a value,and don't want to pay the premium for something I won't use often if at all. Why is that such an odd thing?

Because to the average customer - indeed, the vast majority of consumers - "MORE is more", not "less is more". It's not that Toyota has decided you can't buy a 2WD truck there, it's that dealers order only 4WD trucks because they know they'll sell, and have a higher profit margin.

Toyota doesn't offer a regular cab pickup in Canada. Seems pretty stupid to me.

Funny, here in FL it's the opposite--hard to find 4wd and it's not given a premium on trade.

In reply to Duke:

Actually if you go to Toyota's website,and type in a zip for my region it won't let you build a truck in the 2wd double cab configuration. As soon as you click the box for double cab it won't allow you to choose 2wd at all. If I change the zip to Austin,TX it allows either or. Seems really dumb to me.

If I go to my Ford dealer, they will order whatever I pay for. Toyota us built in the US, right?

MA$$hole wrote: He may have been shocked because I'm sure his 99% of his customers come in and all they do is pick out what color Camry/Corolla they want.

I thought they were all some generic silver/grey color anyway. :)

Mazdax605 wrote: ...The salesguy was asking me why I didn't want the 4wd,and I told him all of the above,but...

They aren't listening so don't bother answering, all they care about is upselling you - especially if they don't already have what you want. I remember a car salesman asking what color I was looking for and when I said grey, he said he had an orange one. Enough said.

Toyota has distrbutors that serve different regions. That is where the decision is made.

you really want to get the 4WD - what about the resale value?

(I was told this and said my resale value is usually in the $1,500 range)

Yeah I don't care about resale value either. I will worry about that when it happens,but not now.

"Along with good tires,and a simple understanding of how to drive "

I think you answered your own question there, take a look at other people's tires when you're walking through a parking lot, and then the way they drive when they're on the roads.

Neither of these happen on any kind of regular basis.

stuart in mn wrote:

MA$$hole wrote: He may have been shocked because I'm sure his 99% of his customers come in and all they do is pick out what color Camry/Corolla they want.

I thought they were all some generic silver/grey color anyway. :)

You can also pick from beige or tan

Most of the new Camrys I have seen are red. I guess the owners are trying to fool themselves into thinking it is an exciting car.

Well, I can say that I owned a 2000 4wd Tundra... and it absolutely needed it to move in any snow or mud deeper than about 1" and it absolutely needed weight in the bed to get anywhere that way. I have driven tons of empty 2WD vans, domestic pu trucks, etc from softly sprung to f-450s in snow w/o much issue but whatever balance and suspension choices the Tundra engineers decided on - it was awful in any low traction condition w/o pushing that button on the dash.

My chevy 2500HD... I almost never use 4wd except to pull out on ice (diesel brings the torque on like a sledge and it's hard to modulate). I would consider buying the 2wd version next time to save $.

My question is why the salesman was such a schmuck. If you say you saw it on the lot, why deal with looking through all the paperwork? Just go out with the interested customer and look at it, write down the VIN and go back in and find it a-hole! Geez, do these people even get salesman 101 any more?

There has never been a time you could get it as you want it. US vehicles almost all get the cold weather package, whether you want it or not. It's not an option for you to say no to this option.

My father still grouses about the troubles he had with Ford and getting his 65 Mustang equipped the way he wanted it. He wanted the suspension package but not the trim package. He also wanted the larger radiator.

It wasn't until he threatened to quit racing Fords and switch to GM, and involved a factory representative, before he was able to get what he wanted. At that it still took a roughly six month wait.

Fast forward to just a few years ago. Father-in-law wanted a green Tundra standard cab long bed. It is a non-existant listed combination. Oh, you see double cab short beds in green, but not single cab long beds. Dealership warned him that Toyota will not sell that here, he insisted on trying. Only after waiting months, and then finally getting a call or letter from Toyota telling him that he will never get this combination because they will not ever make it or sell it to him did he relent and go with grey.

A small thing like all cars getting the cold weather package I can see,but to not be able to get a truck with a large option like 2 or 4wd is a big deal to me. New it is a $3-4k difference I bet. Used it is still pretty close to the same.

I think it's all about profit. The more "loaded" a vehicle is the more money everybody makes. That's why you seldom see stripper versions of any models on the lot. I have had this same conversation many times when I want a manual and all they have are automatics.

foxtrapper wrote: Only after waiting months, and then finally getting a call or letter from Toyota telling him that he will never get this combination because they will not ever make it or sell it to him did he relent and go with grey.

I'm surprised he still went with Toyota at that point. I would've walked.

part of the problem with ordering cars.. the US has laws in place that allows the buyer three days to back out of any car sale. I imagine it happens enough that car makers do not want to chance getting stuck with cars in option/colour combos they can't move.

This is why BMW does not offer the "individual" packages here in the US

Mazdax605 wrote: In reply to Duke: Actually if you go to Toyota's website,and type in a zip for my region it won't let you build a truck in the 2wd double cab configuration. As soon as you click the box for double cab it won't allow you to choose 2wd at all. If I change the zip to Austin,TX it allows either or. Seems really dumb to me.

Huh, go figure. You got me there, then. Makes no sense to me either.