Decision time - '06 or '07

[cruiser4life]

FWIW, the VIN etching is pretty innocuos IMO. I don't even notice it's there. And I personally don't think the strength of the glass is compromised as a result of the etching.

I know that paying for something you don't necessarily want is more your point, just figured I'd reply as far as the etching goes.

 

[Jim_Chow]

I would absolutely decline the Toyoguard package. Tell them to get you another LC w/o the package for their selling price minus the package price, or you'll walk. If they really want to move it, they'll toss in the package gratis.

 

[ycookmd]

When I purchased my LC, it was (seriously) the only one in Texas I could find equipped with airbags/AVS/NAV without any port options and Toyo"guard" garbage installed. I searched all the dealer inventories except the El Paso area by internet, and closed a deal by phone with a dealership 8 hours south in the valley. My sister was on winter break and drove the thing back up to Dallas. I was OK with 800 miles on the odometer as long as there was no fake plastic wood trim glued to the dash and no underspray glued to the frame.

I don't plan to spend much time under the truck, but I have a pathologic hatred for the Toyoguard underspray. When I installed the hitch on my 2000 Sienna, it took me an extra hour to scrape enough of the tar off the frame rails so the hitch would fit. I had fewer problems putting the Toyota hitch on the 2006 LC. The first one I ordered was a Gulf States Toyota (distributor) hitch with ugly welds that didn't fit well. I returned it and paid $100 more for the genuine Toyota hitch and it went on with no problems. Except that I didn't have any help and almost ripped the muffler off.

Curse Toyota distributors. Curse their port options. Curse their lousy accessories and their underspray. Curse them. May the fleas of a thousand camels infest their jockstraps.

 

[flyfish4life]

Well, I went ahead and purchased the 2006 last night after a wonderful 2.5 hour wait to close on the deal. There is underspray, but looks to be only in the wheel well area which I can handle removing (or removing excess) down the road if I choose to. I got the car about $3,500 under invoice, so I would have been ponying up quite a bit of cash difference for a 2007. And based on the recent spy pics of the 2008, I wanted to get a classic 100 while I could. I thought about walking, but quickly realized there were no other comparable with 2006's or 2007's within a 1,000 mile radius.

The reason I went to the SE region to begin with was due to selection and the fact that I could locate one without AVS and that awful rear spoiler. My region (Cincinnatti region covers TN, KY, OH, MI - I live in TN) appears to equip all LCs with rear spoiler and AVS. Only way to remove the spoiler is to repaint portion of top part of vehicle, which is unacceptable or have it special ordered at who knows what price for 4-month wait. So it was either the Toyoguard package in SE or AVS/rear spoiler locally - pick my poison.

So far, loving the vehicle, pretty much night and day with the '01 Sequoia I traded.

 

[hoser]

Congratulations and welcome aboard! I know you've been wanting a 100 for a long time. Now you have the nicest of them. We all know what an '06 looks like but, still, you have to attach some obligatory pictures!

 

[cruiser4life]

Yep, congrats and let's see the new ride!!

 

[flyfish4life]

Congratulations and welcome aboard! I know you've been wanting a 100 for a long time. Now you have the nicest of them. We all know what an '06 looks like but, still, you have to attach some obligatory pictures!

Will do! Thanks and glad to finally become a true member and LC owner.

 

[CrusrDug]

Welcome to the 100 zone! Pics, pics, pics...

 

[aedgington]

As a side note, apparently the dealers went to San Antonio last week for their annual meeting. According to my dealer, both the 2008 Sequoia and 2008 LC were debuted. But they were roped off at least 300 feet back. Guy said the Sequoia looked like a rebadged Surburban (very disappointing in his words) and the new LC looked fairly Range-Roverish according to him. Said it looked pretty classy, but could not tell a whole lot about it size-wise as they were at such a distance. If this is true, one would think a pic or two may get out fairly soon.

I think I'll call BS on that one. I wholesale and talk to Toyota dealers every day as well as going to S.A. weekly for an auction and there was no 2008 LC there. Just an FYI.

 

[flyfish4life]

I think I'll call BS on that one. I wholesale and talk to Toyota dealers every day as well as going to S.A. weekly for an auction and there was no 2008 LC there. Just an FYI.

My dealer was awfully convincing - was on the phone with him for 1/2 hour. Said it was shown in a dark green metallic and based on his comments, seems to mirror the latest series of spy shots (the black one). Incidentally, he advised that I go with the one that I purchased (which was a 2006 in another region), which meant that he would not get my business - he just simply wanted to talk about LCs - said it made no sense to order a 2007 thru him when he thought the 2008 was going to be out in the next 8 months. But then again, he was pretty fuzzy on details of the new design so who knows.

The silver one behind the supra looks like a photochop, but does look better and more like the next step in the lineage as compared to the black one.

 

[mercara]

I have reached a decision point that flyfish4life was at a few months ago. My 2002 has just been sold and the check is cashed. I was hoping to find a good low milage used 100 but am unable to find a good one given the limited number of 100 solds recently.

However, I noticed that there quite a few dealers have 2006 100s on their lot left over from last year. If I can get a good deal on one of these, it maybe better than buying used I have to spend upwards of 40K to get a good used on anyway.

I am thinking of approaching a few dealers this week. What price point do you think I should start negotiating the 2006 left overs? Is 3000 below invoice too low???

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[justimaginejack]

So far, I have seen at least Ten loaded"normal" for around 50-54K all with less than a couple of hundred miles. So far No white on tan. If you see one Let me know. Tell us what color combo you want and we can give you a heads up if one goes this way.

 

[mercara]

I am looking for Thunder cloud mettalic or classic silver with grey interiors. I am hitting the dealerships this weekend. will let you know if I see a white on tan.