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SUVs We thought we picked out an SUV....but we are having doubts
63 messages, Last post on Aug 06, 2009 at 9:28 AM
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Replying to: buzzy8 (Jan 08, 2009 8:24 pm) Obviously you know the needs of the family best. For ours, the design of the captain chair and how it slides forward works as conveniently for kids as it does adults. At 6'4 I have no problem comfrortably getting in the 3rd row and the seating is by far the best on avy SUV on the market. Nothing is even close for leg room because of the electrically recling 3rd row seats. My recommendation is to find an LTD with captain's charis and check out whether the 2nd row sliding mechanism meets your needs. The Captain chairs function the same in the LTD and the Plat however there is no console in the Ltd. The Plat's 2nd row console cannot be removed because the controls for the 2nd row heated seats are built into the front of the console. I ordered my Platinum from the dealer vs shopping for vehicles on the lot. I wasn't in a hurry so I send out emails to the nearest 15 Toyota dealers I was willing to drive to. I gave them the exact specs I was looking for and let them know I was only interested in replies that included an "out the door" price with exact options, shipping, taxes and title included in the email response. 5 dealers didn't reply...several gave prices at msrp. ..several were at $1000 off msrp....several were at $1000-2000 over the dealer's invoice and one was at $500 over dealer invoice. I went with the $500 over and it was the smoothest auto transaction I ever did. Never left the house while shopping for the sequoia until I went to sign the contract. I bought my Platinum the week before Christmas of 2007 and took delivery in late February 08. Economy and auto market are entirely different today but that's how I bought mine back then. I'm confident the same approach today would work even better with far better pricing although I have no idea how long the wait would be on a factory order but the savings would definitely be worth it if you have the time. Yes...the front seats in the Platinum are both heated and air conditioned. Since I got a black Sequoia with red rock interior, I figured the seats would get hot in the summer. The cooled seats are excellent and I'm really glad they came with the Platinum.
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Replying to: hdfatboy (Jan 09, 2009 12:14 pm) We did what you suggested and found a platinum....we went to the dealer in our town that we have been working with (we have purchased 3 of our last 4 cars from them) and told them that we were interested in the platinum. The looked on the computer and found us a dealership that had 4 of them in Maryland (we live in PA)....so that is what we did today. My husband drove it and we even had our 10 year old try and slide the seat forward. It really was a breeze. Just the extra step of folding it forward and then the next child getting in would have to slide it back to sit in it. (still trying to wrap my head around that as you can see). The one we looked at had the factory installed burl wood trim. It actually looked nice with the tan interior. It had everything in it except the laser cruise control which the dealership said is very rare to see that in a Sequoia. It had the remote start (which seems like a joke-wish there was an override for that one), skid grid and satellite radio. It had an MSRP of $60,000. We really did like it, the only issue is of course haggling over the price now.....(and for me getting used to the idea of the captains chair issue). The one we test drove had $7,000 miles on it and was a demo vehicle...my husband mentioned to someone inside the dealership how much they were willing to move on it and the sales manager said that it would be the listed MSPR of $60,000  .... Our goal at this point with a 2008 is 75% of MSRP for a 2008 in this market. I just wanted to let you know that we took your advice and are glad we did....I will keep you posted...Our dealership told us that they can give us a deal even if we located one we want at a different dealership. We would rather work with our local dealership since we have a good relationship with them from previous cars we purchased. Thanks!!
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Replying to: buzzy8 (Jan 10, 2009 6:41 pm) I think you guys will get your price provided you continue to be patient and hold your ground. I just purchased an 08 Ltd after looking and watching the market for 3 months. I buy things for a living and I can tell you that I research items to death before I make a purchase. I knew from the start I would end up in the Sequoia because I owned a 04 Ltd and had put 90K miles on it. The only reason I was considering the upgrade was because the deals were so good. I would recommend doing a little more searching using www.cars.com and see if you can find any other Plats within a reasonable driving distance for you. My dealer wasn t willing to work with me and thought that because I lived in Central Missouri that I would be restricted to buying from them because of the limited selections......they were wrong. I did as one of the previous posts mentioned and put my quotes out there using the internet before I stepped one foot into a dealership. You'll find out very quickly there are deals to be had. I had difficulties getting the options I wanted because my wife and I wanted a limited in the Cassis Pearl w/sand beige interior...with Nav, DVD, XM, and second row bench. We wanted the second row bench so that when all the seats were folded down it would create a nice area to carry our three boxers. We don't have kids, but our dogs fill this gap nicely for us. Problem we encountered was that the second row bench was not in the option package with the Nav and DVD, so we ended up settling for the captains chairs and I worked out a great deal with the dealer to install the center console in the second row. Let me urge you to be careful about adding options with the dealer. Make sure you ask for Toyota Factory equipment to ensure it will interface correctly and be covered under warranty. I say this because I had a dealer tell me they could install the Nav and DVD on a ltd that had the second row bench. I agreed and then found out the day of the install that the equipment was all aftermarket and would not work with the steering wheel controls, such as bluetooth for my phone. It also would not be covered under the Toyota warranty so if you bought the vehicle from one dealer and then went back home and tried to get service from your local dealer to resolve anything on the after market equipment he would not be able to do so and would have to bring in people trained to work on it...resulting in charges back to you. I'll quit rambling on now and just say this.....my wife and I both love the truck. It rides exceptionally well and I have already towed some heavy loads with it with ease. The backup camera is great and ensures a quick trailer hookup every time. The sonar works great and allows for a lot of clearance when parking. The heated seats don't seem to get as warm as in my older Sequoia, but work sufficiently. I haven't tried the DVD yet, but I'm sure the puppies will love watching it on the next long trip. For you guys it will be great because it offers the AC plug so you can plug in a console game system and turn the kids loose playing Wii, XBOX, or PS3.......system also comes with 2 wireless headsets, so you don't have to listen. One thing to note on the Sequoia that no other SUV has....the power rear glass. My dogs love this because I can roll it down and they can stick their heads out and stop traffic....don't suggest this for the kids. I have the rear height adjusting suspension which levels the vehicle out when loaded....works great. 16+ cup holders....nuff said there. It has a tight turning radius of 39ft allowing it to turn on a dime and making it a breeze to park. It does seem more suited for people with long legs, short torso's, and long arms!! Makes you wonder who was smoking what illegal products when they set up the interior. There are a lot more things that I can't even remember to mention right now. Good luck with your purchase and don't let your dealer push you into paying for delivery of a vehicle if they have to go get it......remember this - all dealers will tell you they aren't making anything on it, but they are lying. Squeeze them as much as you can then walk out if they don't meet your price. There are a lot of Sequoias on the market right now and they have to get them moved out by March for the 2009 models to hit. Sorry for rambling! Mike
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Replying to: buzzy8 (Jan 10, 2009 6:41 pm) Not knowing where you guys are located it could change somewhat, but I remember you said you were in PA. |
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Replying to: hdfatboy (Jan 07, 2009 5:07 pm) Saw you mention "The nanny controls on the Nav unit were intolerable to me and I purchased a controller to override the system so I can use all the features of the blue tooth phone capabilities and nav system while the vehicle is underway. Toyota...PLEASE...reel in your lawyers...they're out of control." Where did you purchase the controller to override the system? and can you post a link for me? I would like to do the same. Thanks, Mike
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Replying to: mikey13170 (Jan 10, 2009 11:54 pm) I agree about the aftermarket issue. If we go with the Ltd. We will have to have the factory install, Satellite Radio (or go with the underdash one that Hatboy mentioned) the wood dash and possibly the remote start (unless we find an aftermarket that we can do ourselves where the engine does'nt shut off when you get in and start the car. The platinum aftermarket wouldbe the wood burl and an aftermarket ipod interface which we would do ourselves (we heard from one salesman that you could use a splitter with the navigation system and it may work. Thank so much for the help...don't worry about rambling on, I read every word! We are going to church now, we are going to have all 3 kids climb into the 2nd row bench seatof our 2000 minivan , and not have one of them go into the back......Can you see I am still struggling with the captains chairs?  Thank you! Oh and ps.....do you know how that works that if we find one on our own at another dealer and then take the internet price to our local dealer (we reall like them) I assume they choose to match it or not and if they don't, we would be it from the other dealer? What are dealer told us yesterday is that they have a network of dealers that they will swap cars from and that he can make the same deal with another dealers car just like one sitting in their lot? Is that true?
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Replying to: hdfatboy (Jan 09, 2009 12:14 pm) One question (we forgot to look at this when we were looking at the platinum yesterday) but does the center console flip down flat at all? We were just wondering if we had the option of putting all 3 kids in the 3rd row and flipped down the 2 captains chairs if they fold flat into the floor along with the console? Thanks!
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Replying to: buzzy8 (Jan 11, 2009 5:06 am) Question: "Shouldn't we go to the local dealer we are working with first to see if he will willing to give it to us for the 25% off MSRP before we get other offers from internet dealers?" Answer: I would try to get your local dealer to work with you if they can get you in the price and vehicle your looking for, but don't feel obligated....remember it's your hard earned money and don't feel guilty about paying less from another dealer if that's what happens. With the internet leveling the playing field they should all be able to give you the same price for the vehicle. Question: "Now when you went on Cars.com, did you then have to put in the radius of how many miles you want to be searched, then it comes up with the individual dealer and then you look at their inventory? or is there an easier way?" Answer: I first put in my zip code and then a radius search....I was willing to drive 500 or more miles to save a few thousand dollars. I did find the best deals in the country up your way...especially in DC/Maryland and had actually put a deal together with DARCARS, but had a dealer in KY match pricing at the last second and saved me the extra drive. It will not give you dealer listing, but will allow you to sort the findings by those closest to your zip and by price. Once you click the search button it will give you two options...one is to look at invoice pricing and the other is local inventory. I choose local inventory and then once it opened the page I clicked at the top on "Modify Search" right under the CARS.COM logo. It will open a drop down menu and if you look over to the top right of your page you will see a link called "More Search Options" select this and then you can put in Keywords like Limited, Platinum, Cassis Pearl, etc.... This will narrow things down for you and then once you the vehicle your looking for there will be a link on the page to "view dealer inventory", so you can see all they have. Dealers with only one or two Sequoias will be less willing to deal than those who have 10 or more. I wanted to comment on your post about the Satellite radio and iPod adapter. The factory installed XM/Sirus, will be hidden under the dash.....there is no factory XM/Sirus that is mounted where you can see the box......don't be fooled by this. It must be integrated behind the dash hidden from all view. As for the iPod adapter...you don't need it. The Sequoia comes with a "AUX" plug on the dash and you can simply plug in a 2.5mm jack into it and play your iPod through the AUX button on your stereo.....the 2.5mm cable will only cost you $10 max from walmart or someplace like that. Basically it's the headphone plug at both ends of the cable.....also called a Male-Male plug. The cost of the iPod interface is a rip off. One thing to note, If you plug your iPod up to the cigarette lighter for power it will put off a humming sound in the stereo.....as long as you operate your iPod/iPhone on it's own battery the sound will be flawless. I have used both my iPod and iPhone for music and it is perfect this way. You simply have to use the iPod itself to change the songs etc.......also set the volume of your iPod to about 50-75% of full, then adjust the volume on your stereo accordingly. I have had remote starts in the past and you will be fine to find an aftermarket one as long as it will work with your existing key fob. Dealers do have certain dealerships they trade with from time to time and in those cases they will do the swap with no extra costs. My dealer did this for me in KY because of the bench seat issue I mentioned earlier. Make sure they don't charge you to do the change....if they do it, they are simply trying to take you for more money. I would recommend finding a vehicle first and then ask the dealer if they will match pricing......get it in writing before you tell them where the vehicle is located. Good luck! Mike
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Replying to: buzzy8 (Jan 11, 2009 11:55 am) |
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Replying to: mikey13170 (Jan 11, 2009 12:08 am) Here's a thread outlining how I and others installed the override controller http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tundra/110944-diy-all-nav-functions-all-ti- me-9/ Here's the site where the controller can be bought (and instructions on how to make it if you're electrically inclined.) http://www.pinemountainfirearms.com/pmf/tundramods/NavSpeedPulse.aspx I'm very satisfied with this install. I installed a small switch in the cubby below the climate controls. The switch is completely out of sight yet easy to switch on when needed. 99% of the time the switch is in the off position. When I need to get a phone # from the phone book or use any of the features of the Nav unit while underway, I flip the switch on and everything works as it would if I were stopped (and if Toyota's attorbeys were alittle less anal about controlling everyone's life to the lowest common denominator). I'm really glad I installed the switch because if I hadn't I would have ripped the Nav unit out by now and thrown it on Ebay. Saved alot of money with a $50 device from Wilee. Good luck...its worth the effort.
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