Used Cars: 2004 4runner i want to buy, v8 power, little bit at a time

Question
Hi Robert,

I am in need of a used car very quickly. I found one i like, a 2004 4Runner Sport V8 with barely 20k on the odometer. I havnt done a Carfax yet, but the "records" say it has 4-5 "records" on it, if thats a sign of any abuse. Anyways, they are askin $23,900 and i would love to get them down as close to $20,000 as i can. Im a teacher and money is tight.

Thanks for any help, tips, how i should approach this, etc. I appreciate it all.

Answer
Hello,
I researched the blue book on that car very quickly.. (basic options) and 2wd... I am assuming its a 2wd because you didn't say.. it doesn't change too much (because a 4wd would cost more)... I have some sad news... the private party was still 21,600 - that means if you are buying from an individual they will have likely looked up that price and wont want to go very far under, a dealer.. well a dealer would be more either way... 4Runners are very well built, so you have a good vehicle if you really need an SUV (to me the only reason to buy an SUV is if you haul heavy stuff (and lots of it which requires 4wd/v8 power AND cabin space) or if you go off road... otherwise a minivan is usually cheaper, roomier, etc.., but most peoples ego's dont let them realize it.. They dont NEED an SUV they just want one.. most SUV's these days are built on car chassis' with truck looks.. but no one cares as long as its not the "soccer mom" minivan..) sorry about that rant.. Its a personal thing with me, people go and spend 30000 on a 4wd suburban only to drive it on the street and only haul their children.. waste of money...
    Anyways back to your situation, IF you really want/need that vehicle, decide on a max price you will spend and if they do not go that low, you will have to be willing to walk out... (that will be when you decide how soon you need a vehicle)... so say... 21,000 out the door, stick to it, dealers will play games with you, they will come down a little bit at a time, but when the game is over DONT go over your set price... financing also matters.. are you going with a bank or with the dealer or paying cash (i know what teachers make, but you never know you might have saved well...)?  Some larger dealers will go even lower on a price if you finance with them, because they profit off the interest.  My main tips on haggling have alot to do with who you are dealing with.. so more information would be appreciated.. I think its safe to say you are buying from a dealer.. (reference to "them" and the price make it seem that way).. If you go to the dealer and want that vehicle, sit down, do the game, go ahead and make an offer (if you are making the moves it throws the game off, offer them 20,000 out the door, or whatever figure is about 1-2 thousand LESS than what you are willing to spend, that way they work UP from your price, not down from theirs..) Also lead them to believe you will either be financing through them (large dealers) or paying cash (small dealers) - that way even if your "situation changes" they will be less likely to deviate far from the already agreed upon price..
    Now I must ask you to ask yourself something... if you really need a vehicle soon, and you wish to keep your price down, consider other options... for example, a similar 4runner with a v6, maybe 5-10 thousand more miles, would be cheaper (and its a toyota, the extra miles are negligible)(maybe find one at a toyota dealership with a used car warrenty).. Also if you dont NEED an SUV, consider minivans (honda/toyota have high quality, dodge is cheaper and still decently reliable), cars (camry, accord, etc..), or other cheaper SUV's (ford explorer is actually really good, while it doesn't hold its resale like a 4Runner, they are worth looking into if you dont plan on selling this vehicle really soon)... I say this because It will be very very hard to get a dealer down lower than... probably 22,500-21,500 or so... depending on your financing.. and thats not out the door.. the reason: toyota's hold value, they can and will charge a high price because people will pay for toyotas reputation. I hope all this helps, If you are set on the vehicle you want, some more information would greatly aid in my giving of haggle advice (what general area your in, dealer size, what dealer, etc... the area matters because some places will be cheaper than others..) - Hope all of this ranting helps, I appologize for my little tangent in the middle (hope you dont rate me lower for that lol).. Thanks for writing and feel free to ask again!
-Rob