Single Cab Tacoma Trade-In Advice

[Krusty]

Hola amigos,

I was seeking guidance and advice on my current predicament. I currently have a 2014 Tacoma Single Cab 4x4 bone stock. I got it with only 25K miles on it and it currently has 117K. I love this little truck I really do however it only has two bucket seats. I'm currently engaged with no kids however we do plan on having some in the future. That being said my little Tacoma and her little Ford Ranger aren't going to cut it.

I've been looking at Rams for a while now and I think the 3rd Gen will suit my needs perfectly. More specifically the short bed quad cab Cummins. i want something that my future family and I can grow into and be comfortable.

My questions are:

Should I sell my tacoma and use it to purchase the Ram?

or

Keep the tacoma and buy the Ram?

or

Purchasing a motorcycle as a commuter and purchasing the Ram as kind of a project truck?

What, in a nutshell, am I getting myself into?

I appreciate you all taking the time to read this.

 

[MADDOG]

First things first. You need to determine the private sale and trade-in values for your truck. Be honest about the condition, mileage, etc... to get an accurate value.

Go to KBB.com to do that.

Now you know approximately what the truck is worth. You'll note that a private sale will generally have a higher value than a trade in. You have time to list, advertise and sell your truck so I'd start that process first and buy a Ram in good condition that you can use.

If no buyer comes forward and it's time for you to upgrade, do some shopping, find a truck that you like and see what the dealer offers as far as trade value, sale price of the Ram truck, finance rate, etc...

Don't forget to inspect the Ram truck closely, check it's service & repair history (dealer can pull a service history, CarFax will have repair history) and determine if they are offering a solid truck.

Now, you mentioned keeping the Toy and buying a Ram. Do you need that many trucks? If not, use the Toy as an asset and get value for it.

As far as the commuter motorcycle & a project Ram, you are on your own there. I personally would not do that. I don't like purchasing "projects" if I am going to need to use the vehicle as intended.

See what you qualify for on a loan. Pre-approval with your bank or credit union is a good step to take on your part. You'll know what you qualify for as a loan amount, what the finance rate is and what the payment term (loan length in time) will be right up front. Then let the dealer see if they can't improve on your financial institution's terms.

Good luck...

 

[pacofortacos]

I would sell the Ranger and get her a SUV
I know it isn't one of the options, those are tough options and would go by the advice above and just weigh out the pros and cons.

 

[Krusty]

First things first. You need to determine the private sale and trade-in values for your truck. Be honest about the condition, mileage, etc... to get an accurate value.

Go to KBB.com to do that.

Now you know approximately what the truck is worth. You'll note that a private sale will generally have a higher value than a trade in. You have time to list, advertise and sell your truck so I'd start that process first and buy a Ram in good condition that you can use.

If no buyer comes forward and it's time for you to upgrade, do some shopping, find a truck that you like and see what the dealer offers as far as trade value, sale price of the Ram truck, finance rate, etc...

Don't forget to inspect the Ram truck closely, check it's service & repair history (dealer can pull a service history, CarFax will have repair history) and determine if they are offering a solid truck.

Now, you mentioned keeping the Toy and buying a Ram. Do you need that many trucks? If not, use the Toy as an asset and get value for it.

As far as the commuter motorcycle & a project Ram, you are on your own there. I personally would not do that. I don't like purchasing "projects" if I am going to need to use the vehicle as intended.

See what you qualify for on a loan. Pre-approval with your bank or credit union is a good step to take on your part. You'll know what you qualify for as a loan amount, what the finance rate is and what the payment term (loan length in time) will be right up front. Then let the dealer see if they can't improve on your financial institution's terms.

Good luck...

I greatly appreciate your response. according to KBB my truck is currently worth around 10k. Which isn't bad.

Thankfully I have time on my hands. And have plenty of time to shop.

Thank you for the advice on private listing vs trade-in. I had no idea about that.

Now that you mention about having a bunch of trucks. I didn't include my fiance's ranger. I agree that would be a lot of trucks lol..

Thank you for the financial advice as well. That's good info!

Take care

 

[Krusty]

I would sell the Ranger and get her a SUV
I know it isn't one of the options, those are tough options and would go by the advice above and just weigh out the pros and cons.

if i could have any say in it i would give her my tacoma, sell the ranger and get myself a little beater until i get the Ram. but she loves her little ranger. that's her baby lol.

But yes. I appreciate the advice. and will weigh all my options when the time comes.

Take care

 

[pacofortacos]

if i could have any say in it i would give her my tacoma, sell the ranger and get myself a little beater until i get the Ram. but she loves her little ranger. that's her baby lol.

But yes. I appreciate the advice. and will weigh all my options when the time comes.

Take care

It would be really tough if her Ranger looks as good as your Tacoma does, it looks to be in really nice shape. You won't have trouble selling that if it is as good as it looks in the pictures.

I don't know about a used Cummins project - those can get expensive really quickly from what I hear.

 

[Krusty]

It would be really tough if her Ranger looks as good as your Tacoma does, it looks to be in really nice shape. You won't have trouble selling that if it is as good as it looks in the pictures.

I don't know about a used Cummins project - those can get expensive really quickly from what I hear.

Unfortuantely her ranger is in not so good condition lol. it's drivable but it's an 03 and as you can imagine has some wear and tear. and on top of that the guy didn't tell her about the broken tailgate and the crooked bed

Really? I wasn't aware of that. is it because it's a diesel? or is it Ram/Cummins specific?

 

[MADDOG]

All diesel's are higher maintenance and when they go wrong it gets real expensive. Doesn't matter the brand.

So that's why I said I would not buy a project because you were talking about buying a diesel project. Find a running, driving and in decent condition truck instead. But don't be afraid to buy a diesel. I'd recommend that you have a reason to buy a diesel vs. a gas engined truck.

Too bad the Ranger is looking worse than your Toy. Let getting rid of that go for obvious reasons. The lady will eventually want something different but now is not the time so just leave it alone. Nothing good will come of making her change her mind about her love of that Ranger.

Focus on selling or trading the Toy and finding a good truck that you can use. That way you have a truck, she has her beloved Ranger and it's all good.

 

[Krusty]

That's understandable. I'm willing to buy a diesel because of their reliability and capability.

Haha yes I agree. I only mentioned getting rid of her Ranger 2 times and was shot down both times so I've left it alone since then.

I think I would feel more pressed about getting a diesel if my truck was a V6 or 8 but it being an I4 I'm ok with keeping it until I find the right upgrade.

 

[pacofortacos]

Just for reference, look at the prices for fuel injectors.

https://www.injectorsdirect.com/product-category/dodge-cummins/5-9-07/


And diesels are meant to be worked, I don't know how well they like in town grocery getting all of the time.
In all fairness, I have never owned one. My truck sits too much - esp. with the new pollution controls - the def would go bad before I would empty the tank.

3rd gen won't have those pollution controls, but still stuff is pricey and unless you or someone you know is familiar with them be careful. I could be full of crap though, just what I have heard people I know that have had to buy stuff say.

 

[Quyonmob]

Big jump from a single cab Tacoma to a 2500 diesel. Don’t want a 1500?

IMO, your Tacoma may not interest many dealers on trade, but the right buyer will travel to buy that at a premium price with a private sale.

 

[MikeT]

Unless you intend to tow with your truck I would discourage buying a diesel. To start with you will pay a premium to purchase, fuel costs more, maintenance costs more, and repairs cost more. They are work vehicles and hate short trips. If you drive 15 - 20 miles one way everyday to work, you will be OK. My fuel mileage is better than any comparable gas pickup but the extra cost of fuel more than evens that out. the Ram diesel start life as a 3/4 ton and weighs about 7200 pounds with a half tank of fuel and no load to speak of other than the driver. Had mine weighed. I tow on a fairly regular basis so I'm very happy with mine and the fuel mileage compared to my old Tundra is a significant savings when towing. But without the towing it wouldn't make much of any sense to own this truck.

Mike

 

[Booms]

Whatever you do, do NOT trade it in. You will get top dollar for a clean Tacoma in a private sale.