A Used Truck

Despite the overcast weather, my neighbor and I were excited during the 60-mile drive to Olympia on Friday to look at a used truck. Ever since he sold his massive Ford F250 a couple of years ago, my neighbor has been looking for a small pickup to replace it. On Craig’s List this one sounded great—a 2006 Toyota Tacoma regular cab model with low miles for $9800. But when we saw the actual truck, it just didn’t scream “buy me.” The experience got me to thinking about the difference between shopping for a used vehicle from a new-car dealer and a private owner.

We knew from the online pictures that the truck had a full-length overhead custom rack for carrying pipe and ducting. The guy selling it, who works for a plumbing and heating company, told my neighbor that some modifications had been made to the bed rails to install the rack. So on the way to Olympia, we looked at several used Tacomas at Heartland Toyota to see what the bed is supposed to look like and what it would take to refurbish it. Cool as the rack was, there’s no way you would want to keep it unless you were a contractor.

Perhaps the stop at Heartland was a mistake. Their used trucks were gorgeous. They did scream “buy me.” Through the magic of detailing and marketing, Heartland makes it seem like you are getting more than a used vehicle. Not new obviously, but somehow better than used. Just parking a row of late-model used trucks on their lot near the high-end new vehicles gives them a special status. The only drawback is that these “preowned” (to use their term) trucks are priced accordingly. Had the Olympia Tacoma been on Heartland’s lot, it would have been fixed up and advertised for around $13K.

But it wasn’t. It was on the contractor’s equipment lot in an industrial section of Olympia near the harbor. No attempt had been made to get it ready for prospective buyers. Mechanically it was fine. With only 21,000 miles, there were plenty of trouble-free miles left in the truck. But cosmetically it showed more wear than you would hope for in a 4-year-old vehicle. The bench seat had noticeable stains. A taillight lens was broken. There were scrapes on the wheel wells and a couple of serious dents in the roof. The bed was particularly banged up. The truck needed body and paint work to be presentable, possibly a complete repaint. Plus there was the hassle of dealing with the rack. The owner was selling it as work truck. That’s exactly what it was.

So should my neighbor have bought it anyway? Probably. For one thing, low-mileage regular cab Tacomas are extremely rare. I know this because I’m the one doing the computer searches for him. Plus the price was right. Toyotas are quality vehicles that hold their value well. Even after allowing $1500 for body and paint work, he would have been getting a good deal. But the magic you hope for when you spend $10K for a used truck just wasn’t there. Disappointed, he passed it up.