Ok, I went to my local Toyota dealer yesterday to see if I could test drive one. I don't think I've ever wanted a vehicle as badly as I'd like an FJ but 26k is out of my range. The whole reason I got so excited about it is because of the price posted on the websites. Man, what a dissapointment.
But my dealer explained to me why the numbers between the website and reality are so different. He was cool, he was honest and sounded like it was an argument he'd heard many times before. So he explained to me that if I were to order a bare-bones FJ without options or preset packages, it probably would come close to the price listed on the websites, 21 - 23k, closer to my range. But I'd have to wait about four months so that Toyota could build it especially for me. For that low price, I would wait. He said it was possible to customize an FJ to an exact specefication that I'd want--anything.
All I need as options are A/C and running boards. And I'm sure that I could get the running boards as an aftermarket product. And I don't even need the AC but my wife would never get in it if I didn't have it. In my Matrix XRS, I rarely use the AC and opt to just open the windows and enjoy the air.
Does anyone have experience dealing with this sort of thing?
Thanks.
-Alex.