Something hit me today that I hadn't even thought of, and it falls along the lines of my desire to prepare for (or stave off) the worst - my current GX470 is what we were gonna be relegating to towing duty since my kid is gonna be (supposedly) taking my F150 off my hands. If something were to happen to the GX (it's unlikely, but the car IS a 15-year-old vehicle), I don't have anything to tow my boat. I was looking at the following - Rav4 or Tacoma, or Lexus NX200 or RX350. I've decided to keep looking for a Tacoma, but they're hard to come by with mileage I'm comfortable with @ a price I'm willing to pay. The other option I've decided on is another GX, an LX, or a Land Cruiser. All 3 of those options are harder to come by than a Tacoma, but I've had nothing but stellar experiences with any Toyota/Lexus V8, and I'm comfortable with any of those that fit the mileage/price equation, and I'm willing to take with a bit more mileage if it's their V8. I'd like a Tundra, but it simply won't fit in my garage in its current configuration, and parking becomes an issue that removes the Tundra from my search. The Tacoma has to be the perfect configuration as well, so all of the info you guys gave me is really useful too.
Each time, did extensive research online including not just perfect Carfax (100% required for me) but also using one of the online VIN lookup databases to ensure vehicle had EXACTLY what I wanted (critical for tow vehicles, especially). I don't trust dealer listings for accuracy on the details (final drive ratio, air suspension, etc.) Dealers may not know or may lie, but the VIN reports do know and don't lie.
That's one of the things I like about the Lexus. Most folks are gonna take theirs back to the dealership for service, which means I can get very detailed car history, as well as the fact that they break down the ENTIRE vehicle and what exactly is in it, as well as options that it came with.
Second and third times, I bought Certified used vehicles from off-the-beaten path dealers. Much lower risk. Also no issues. Both these times I used cargurus.com - I've found it is the best way to find exactly what you want at a good value.
I've been using that site for my last 4 cars, but I always limited it to an area closer to me, and this is the first car I've considered for looking at online dealers. I really like the site, but the other sites listed here in this thread are worth it to me, simply for research purposes if nothing else.
I also hammered out the deal, including no-questions-asked walk away language for me if I did not like the vehicle upon inspection. Also, I worked the relationship with the salesman. Asked them if I could bring them a gift from Wisconsin (Omaha guy wanted fruit product - brought him Door County cherry jam, Grand Forks guy wanted cheese - brought him a few different types of specialty cheeses.) Also surprised each by taking them a cheesehead. This $45 investment on my part got me exceptional service and introduction to dealer owners, etc. Made the whole transaction process more pleasant, too. Dealers were happy to pick me up from airport in each case.
Regarding relative value in used cars... yes, Milwaukee area deals on used cars are comparatively poor vs other markets. Why? Well, I believe it has to do with the almost non-existent private sales used car market in the area. I've lived in MI, OH, and KY before WI and WI definitely has structural barriers to private used car sales that drive prices up and choices down. Anyway, I would not be afraid to try it. Particularly for the types of cars you are targeting.
If I may ask, what was involved in your deals? Asking for a better price, reductions for your travels, etc? Your experience is a bit different than what I was looking at - you went to pick up, and I was looking at delivered vehicles, but I'm not opposed to driving a bit further to pick something up.
Our area flat out sucks for private sales. I dunno why that is, but I don't even bother with trying to find anything private anymore. I've sold a few cars, but those were so beat that I had nothing to lose. I had excellent results, but I also was getting more than any dealership was gonna give me on a trade it. Some glass chalk, marking up the windows with my number, and parking it in a Walmart parking lot, and I sold 3 cars that way. While driving out in your area, the method seems to be "park it on the front lawn with a sign, and hope it sells". LOL
Critically important: You do have to be prepared to walk away if the car is not what you,expected it to be.
I live within walking distance of Wilde Toyota, and I've bought 2 cars from them, and walked on 3 different vehicles since those first 2 purchases. They've become the kind of dealership I despise - too full of themselves and unwilling to actually want to sell for reasonable prices. That may have changed, since it's been about 5-6 years from the last time I walked out of there. They actually told me the reason they were unwilling to budge on price was because the car I was looking at had a panoramic roof, "and that's a $2500 option right there". My response was "you realize that YOU GUYS didn't install it, right? That means that OPTION is now STANDARD with the car, and the guy who bought it brand new already paid that price". They wouldn't budge from their price due to that, and I got the "that's a stellar deal, it's hard to believe you're gonna walk away from such a great deal for a few hundred bucks". As I'm standing up, my response was "it's harder to believe you don't want to deal with me on this car or take my money over that few hundred bucks I'm looking for". Walking away from any currently produced car is not a problem. If I were looking for a '69 Camaro, '70 Firebird, or a '69 Boss 302, I'd have to take someone with me to stop me from looking through those emotional rose-colored glasses
