Toyota FJ Cruiser

That must be how car companies make their money. I remember on my 1966 Chevelle, in order to get a glove compartment light, I had to get the comfort & convenience group that included a light under the hood, a trunk light, some kind of upgraded interior trim, and a couple of other things that were totally unrelated to a glove compartment light, at least I thought so...

On some cars, in order to get a tachometer, you had to order a group that included air conditioning and automatic transmission.

We have always been told that these are the combinations that people most often choose. Well, if we have no choice, that's what we choose.

This stupidity is what keeps the after market in business.

Thats why I bought my Tundra... Chevy and Ford both...for me to get cloth seats, I had to get the XLT package, and the 6cyl with manual trans was not available with those "luxury" packages that were going to cost $10,000 more. I got my Tundra with everything I wanted and without a bunch of crap that I didn't need.

Skip: Are you in Louisiana or California? (I'm seeing conflicting information between the username and the headers.)

All dealers try to stick "packs" on cars to make extra profits like "Rust and Dust" - undercoating and paint sealants, upholstery protection, ad other worthless snake oil. You have to get into a bargaining position where they need to sell the car on your terms before you can get a car without them.

The FJ Cruiser is still too "hot" on the market, and the dealers can sell all they can get with all the useless crap stuck on, so you may have to wait. Right now people are clamoring to buy every car they get allotted off invoice, sight unseen, regardless of color or options, leaving big deposits and they don't blink at "Additional Dealer Profit" markup stickers. When they don't have any more lines to buy them, that's when you can cut a decent deal.

And if you live in areas served by Gulf States Toyota Distributing or Southeast Toyota Distributing, these two private companies like to stick even more of these worthless options on at their 'port' facilities before the dealers even get to order the cars, to add some more profit for themselves The dealers can't even get around those packs.

The only way around those shady practices is to go to the next state over, and buy your car in an area served by Toyota Motor Sales USA which is owned by Toyota. They don't pull that crap.

Rather than paying $500 for a convenience package where you don't want 90% of it, you go to the parts counter and buy the glovebox light kit by itself for $25. Granted, that's still overpriced for what it is - but you can install it yourself as the wiring is already there.

Adding factory options gets easier as the car gets a few years older, and you can pick up the pieces at a wrecking yard for pennies.

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Los Angeles. You don't think California has snow and mud?

Skip

Good, at least you don't have to deal with the 'Port Installed Options' mess. Just with all the dealers who know they've got a high demand car and milk it for all it's worth.

I just had lunch the other day one booth over from a bunch of new car salesmen (BMW) - they were playing "Can you top this?" (and rather loudly) on how much they soaked a customer for while making them think they were getting 'such a deal...'

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I'd really like to buy an FJ, but I'll be paying child support for another year, they have to pay down come credit card debt. I figure I'll be able to start looking in a couple of years, by then, used units will be available. If the FJ is like other 4X4s, around 90% of the ones sold mall parking lots will be the extent of their off-road use.

My brother bought a 1999 Isuzu Trooper 4X4 with traction control (Torque On Demand). The fellow said he bought it for his wife to drive to work. He had never driven it, but his wife told him it ran great. He sold it because he bought her a BMW SUV to replace it. When my brother asked the fellow if the car was four-wheeled much, he said it went to the store, work, and the mall, that was it. He didn't know if the 4-wheel drive worked as his wife had never used it.

I figure that in a couple of years, there will be some FJs out there with the same kind of (non)use...

I haven't talked to a car sales person in years. I deal with the fleet manger and, if he's there, the general manager. While I'm probalby still being soaked somewhat, I get the cars a lot cheaper than dealing with sales people.

Skip