TRDLEGACY
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- Mar 28, 2025
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- Tundra
- 2023 TRD Off Road SR5 4X4
What’s up everyone,
Just wanted to share a recent experience I had at my local dealership, United Toyota, that had me seriously considering trading in my 2023 Tundra TRD Off-Road… until reality hit me right in the face.
Like many of us, I’ve been eyeing the 2025 TRD Pro ever since the leaks and early details started surfacing — updated features, new styling tweaks, and all the marketing hype about it being Toyota’s most trail-ready full-size truck yet. I figured it couldn’t hurt to swing by the dealership and see what kind of deal they’d offer me, especially since my current build is clean, well-maintained, and mildly upgraded.
I walked in expecting a reasonable conversation. I’m not naïve — I know dealers don’t hand out top-dollar on trade-ins, but I figured my 3rd Gen Tundra (only about 18 months old, with some solid upgrades like a Westcott lift, 35s, and aftermarket lighting) would fetch a decent number.
Nope.
They offered me way below what I still owe, let alone what the truck is actually worth on the private market. I get that mods don’t increase trade value much, but this wasn’t even close. The offer didn’t even take into account the condition, mileage, or demand for clean 3rd Gen Off-Roads — they just ran a generic number through the system and said “take it or leave it.”
But what really sealed the deal for me walking out? The markup on the 2025 TRD Pro.
Let’s just say I expected a little bump due to demand, but they were asking nearly $12K over MSRP. And this wasn’t for a launch edition or anything special — just a standard black TRD Pro with basic dealer adds like tint, door edge guards, and all-weather mats. That’s it.
I asked the salesperson straight up, “Why the massive markup?” His response was pretty much: “That’s just what people are paying right now.” It honestly felt like a slap in the face to loyal Toyota owners who keep coming back for reliability, quality, and resale value — but are now expected to take a huge loss on a solid trade-in and pay a premium on a new truck that isn’t that much better.
So I thanked them for their time, got in my truck, and as soon as I started driving home, I felt a wave of relief.
Because the truth is — I love my Tundra. It’s set up just the way I want it, performs great on and off the road, and still turns heads every time I take it out. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I’d be paying thousands just to start over… for a truck that I’d probably end up modifying all over again.
So, lesson learned: sometimes the best “upgrade” is appreciating what you already have. And with the way prices and trade values are going, I’ll be holding onto this rig for a while.
Anyone else have a similar experience lately? I’m curious to hear if trade-in values have been just as low in your area — or if anyone’s found a dealership actually offering fair deals.
Just wanted to share a recent experience I had at my local dealership, United Toyota, that had me seriously considering trading in my 2023 Tundra TRD Off-Road… until reality hit me right in the face.
Like many of us, I’ve been eyeing the 2025 TRD Pro ever since the leaks and early details started surfacing — updated features, new styling tweaks, and all the marketing hype about it being Toyota’s most trail-ready full-size truck yet. I figured it couldn’t hurt to swing by the dealership and see what kind of deal they’d offer me, especially since my current build is clean, well-maintained, and mildly upgraded.
I walked in expecting a reasonable conversation. I’m not naïve — I know dealers don’t hand out top-dollar on trade-ins, but I figured my 3rd Gen Tundra (only about 18 months old, with some solid upgrades like a Westcott lift, 35s, and aftermarket lighting) would fetch a decent number.
Nope.
They offered me way below what I still owe, let alone what the truck is actually worth on the private market. I get that mods don’t increase trade value much, but this wasn’t even close. The offer didn’t even take into account the condition, mileage, or demand for clean 3rd Gen Off-Roads — they just ran a generic number through the system and said “take it or leave it.”
But what really sealed the deal for me walking out? The markup on the 2025 TRD Pro.
Let’s just say I expected a little bump due to demand, but they were asking nearly $12K over MSRP. And this wasn’t for a launch edition or anything special — just a standard black TRD Pro with basic dealer adds like tint, door edge guards, and all-weather mats. That’s it.
I asked the salesperson straight up, “Why the massive markup?” His response was pretty much: “That’s just what people are paying right now.” It honestly felt like a slap in the face to loyal Toyota owners who keep coming back for reliability, quality, and resale value — but are now expected to take a huge loss on a solid trade-in and pay a premium on a new truck that isn’t that much better.
So I thanked them for their time, got in my truck, and as soon as I started driving home, I felt a wave of relief.
Because the truth is — I love my Tundra. It’s set up just the way I want it, performs great on and off the road, and still turns heads every time I take it out. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I’d be paying thousands just to start over… for a truck that I’d probably end up modifying all over again.
So, lesson learned: sometimes the best “upgrade” is appreciating what you already have. And with the way prices and trade values are going, I’ll be holding onto this rig for a while.
Anyone else have a similar experience lately? I’m curious to hear if trade-in values have been just as low in your area — or if anyone’s found a dealership actually offering fair deals.
