Traded the Mach E for a Camry

[DennisD]

Dennis, $26k for your car is a very good value. I had the same car and traded it in for a GT in Dec 2024 for $29.5k and my premium had 13k miles on it. Well done on the trade in and best of luck with the Camry.

Thanks! I actually started at CarMax. They offered me $26,000 outright, without requiring a trade, so I used that as my baseline when negotiating with the dealerships.

I ended up talking with four different dealers, and all of them matched the $26,000 trade value. From that point on, I negotiated only the price of the new vehicle.

What surprised me most was that two Toyota dealers were willing to discount the Camry $2,500 below MSRP. Around Omaha they're still pretty hard to find on dealer lots, and one dealer was actually asking over MSRP.

Whether it was timing, inventory levels, or simply finding the right dealers, I'm not sure. Either way, once the numbers came together, I couldn't sign the paperwork fast enough.

24,000 miles in 3-4 years and a WFH spouse? Why so many cars if I may ask? Aside from the Vette which needs no explanation.

I own a driving school, so most of those vehicles are part of my business fleet.

To put it in perspective, I've purchased four new vehicles over the last year and a half to replace older training cars.

I've been in the driver's education business since 1986, so over the years I've gotten to know many of the dealership owners and salespeople pretty well. In fact, I've taught quite a few of their kids how to drive.

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[Tampamike]

Enjoy the new ride.

P.S.
Since you’re a driving school instructor with a heavily Toyota fleet, why is it always a Toyota going slow in the left lane?

 

[dalola]

Enjoy the new ride.

P.S.
Since you’re a driving school instructor with a heavily Toyota fleet, why is it always a Toyota going slow in the left lane?

So true! I see more stupid sh@t from Toyota drivers than anything else, by far....

 

[DennisD]

Enjoy the new ride.

P.S.
Since you’re a driving school instructor with a heavily Toyota fleet, why is it always a Toyota going slow in the left lane?

I am guessing you are seeing more Toyotas in the left lane because they need to move over for the domestic cars that are broken down on the right side of the road??

Nice observation btw............

 

[kflats]

Funny, but I traded my 2004 Camry Solara convertible for a 2022 Mach-E Premium. Although I miss the cloth top a bit, couldn't be happier with my little pony

 

[FreeJAC]

I just couldn't image going back to gas for a daily driver. I mean I have a gas pickup for the RV not giving that up anytime soon, but the car will aways be electric from here going forward. What does your wife think about going back to gas? I would assume putting the MME in one of the other modes would have gotten rid of the bounce, stiffen up the suspension a bit, but I have a GTPE so not sure how the lower tiers work. Different tires as well could have helped.

 

[DennisD]

I just couldn't image going back to gas for a daily driver. I mean I have a gas pickup for the RV not giving that up anytime soon, but the car will aways be electric from here going forward. What does your wife think about going back to gas? I would assume putting the MME in one of the other modes would have gotten rid of the bounce, stiffen up the suspension a bit, but I have a GTPE so not sure how the lower tiers work. Different tires as well could have helped.

My wife was actually the one encouraging us to make the change. Her biggest complaints were the ride quality and the range anxiety whenever we took longer trips.

On the 2021-2022 Mach-Es, the ride was simply too bouncy for her. I had a 2024 Mach-E as a loaner, and Ford definitely improved the suspension. It rode noticeably better. In my opinion, different tires wouldn't have solved what we were experiencing.

The Mach-E was definitely fun to drive, and I'll miss the instant acceleration and never having to stop at a gas station. From a financial standpoint, though, it depreciated more than any vehicle I've personally owned. Combined with the ride quality, it just wasn't the right fit for us.

As for EVs in general, I'm certainly not against them. I think the technology is improving rapidly. When battery technology reaches the point where 600-700 miles of real-world range and much faster charging become commonplace, I'd absolutely be willing to take another look.

For now, though, the Camry simply checks more of the boxes for our needs.

 

[FreeJAC]

Fair enough. My issue is, I have never understood that depreciation in vehicles mentality. Every vehicle I have ever owned my entire 54 years have all depreciated and it is just something that is going to happen and to just live with it. Just be careful with your financing so that you don't end up under water is the approach I always took. Toyotas seem to be that special unicorn vehicle that are that exception, I don't know of any other brands that are like that. Toyota has never appealed to me in the slightest, but I do see many of them on the road, they are very popular indeed.

 

[DennisD]

Fair enough. My issue is, I have never understood that depreciation in vehicles mentality. Every vehicle I have ever owned my entire 54 years have all depreciated and it is just something that is going to happen and to just live with it. Just be careful with your financing so that you don't end up under water is the approach I always took. Toyotas seem to be that special unicorn vehicle that are that exception, I don't know of any other brands that are like that. Toyota has never appealed to me in the slightest, but I do see many of them on the road, they are very popular indeed.

I typically pay cash for my vehicles, so being upside down on a loan has never really been a concern for me.

You're absolutely right that every vehicle depreciates. The difference, at least in my experience, was the magnitude. My Mach-E depreciated much more than any vehicle I've previously owned.

For me, that depreciation more than offset any savings I realized from lower fuel and maintenance costs. Had resale values remained stronger, I probably would have kept it longer.

Every owner's experience is different, but that's how the numbers worked out in my case.

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

Dennis, Good Luck with the Camry.......Personally, I can't imagine going back to a Petrol car after being in the Mach E the last 5 years.....When I do occasionally drive the wife's (Cadillac) or the kids (Kia Sportage) I find myself wanting to get back into my Mach E. Just the lack of instant Torque in a Petrol car drives me nuts......Not to mention the current cost at the "Pumps".

Dennis did you consider any other EVs before purchasing another Toyota???

 

[DennisD]

Dennis, Good Luck with the Camry.......Personally, I can't imagine going back to a Petrol car after being in the Mach E the last 5 years.....When I do occasionally drive the wife's (Cadillac) or the kids (Kia Sportage) I find myself wanting to get back into my Mach E. Just the lack of instant Torque in a Petrol car drives me nuts......Not to mention the current cost at the "Pumps".

Dennis did you consider any other EVs before purchasing another Toyota???

I really didn't seriously consider another EV. Our biggest concerns were still the ride quality and range anxiety on longer trips.

We were looking for a vehicle that would be comfortable on road trips. Since we only put about 24,000 miles on the Mach-E over four years, fuel cost simply wasn't a major factor in our decision.

From my perspective, the depreciation on the Mach-E outweighed any savings I realized from electricity versus gasoline, so I wasn't looking at another EV as a financial advantage.

That said, I'm certainly not opposed to EVs. If someone can build one with a comfortable ride, 600-700 miles of real-world range, and charging times that are much closer to filling a gas tank, I'd absolutely take another look. I just don't think we're quite there yet for what I'm looking for.

 

[Vgkfan]

In 1997 I bought my father in laws 93 Camry Le. All in all the best car I ever owned. Liked it so much I added a 91 Corolla as my daily driver the next year and when my wife wanted a brand new car in 2003 I bought a celica. Had my son not met and married a girl in the car business(not Toyota), would probably still have a Toyota. That being said, the Mach e is by far the most fun reliable car I’ve owned, and 4 years later I still look forward to driving it every time. It has been surprisingly reliable and as maintenance free as a car can be. I wash it more than I should, but it looks so nice afterwards🥹

 

[TargaGone]

I own a driving school, so most of those vehicles are part of my business fleet.

Perhaps you can explain why Toyotas seem to be the worst offenders in the - it's getting dark/raining/foggy etc and Toyota headlights and taillights are not on - but if the lights are on the fog lights are often on for no reason. What do you teach your students?

 

[George]

I traded my 2022 Mach-E Premium Extended Range AWD (24,000 miles) yesterday for a new 2026 Camry XLE AWD.

The timing surprised even me. I had planned to keep the Mach-E a while longer, but I received $26,000 for my trade, Toyota discounted the Camry $2,500 off MSRP, and there were no dealer add-ons or extra fees. Given the current market, it seemed like a good opportunity.

Overall, I enjoyed the Mach-E. My biggest complaints were occasional range anxiety on longer trips and the "bounce" in the ride on certain road surfaces. Other than that, it served me well.

When I bought the Mach-E in 2022, I ordered it early in the year and took delivery in September. If I remember correctly, I also received the Mustang Club discount and later claimed the $7,500 federal tax credit. Shortly afterward, EV prices began falling rather quickly. At the time, I remember some forum members paying $5,000-$10,000 over MSRP. I had expressed some concern then that those premiums might not age well, and unfortunately that's pretty much what happened.

As for the finance office, they offered the usual extended warranties and protection packages. I declined them, just as I have on virtually every vehicle I've purchased. I've bought well over 100 vehicles over the years for my business, and in my experience those warranties have never paid for themselves. Others may have different experiences, but they've simply never made financial sense for me.

With used EV values appearing to stabilize somewhat, I felt this was a reasonable time to make a change. I generally keep my vehicles about four to five years, so while this trade came a little earlier than normal, the numbers made sense.

I've owned a number of Toyotas over the years, both personally and in my business. They've been exceptionally reliable for me. While every manufacturer builds both good and bad vehicles, my Toyota and Honda fleet has generally required far fewer repairs than many of the domestic vehicles I've owned.

I just wanted to share my experience with the group. I've appreciated the knowledge and advice I've received from this forum over the years, and there are a lot of great people here.

I wish all of you many safe and enjoyable miles with your Mach-Es.

Have a great day!

Good summary of your experiences ! We really enjoy our 2021 Mach-E, and initially liked it more than our Tesla. However, with the advances Tesla has made over the years, the Tesla is (by far) the superior EV in so many ways. We don't believe we will ever return to an ICE (even hybrid) vehicle, even though we did appreciate the 3 hybrids we did own. Since our solar panels now provide the "fuel" for both EVs and all other electrical needs, and the fact that after 6 years of EV ownership we have not had a single repair or maintenance item to deal with, I couldn't justify going "back" in technology. BUT, if I was to buy another hybrid, for sure it would be a Toyota. My personal vehicles and fleet of Toyota trucks were bullet proof and I have nothing but good to say about their quality.

 

[DennisD]

Perhaps you can explain why Toyotas seem to be the worst offenders in the - it's getting dark/raining/foggy etc and Toyota headlights and taillights are not on - but if the lights are on the fog lights are often on for no reason. What do you teach your students?

When you say "Toyotas seem to be the worst offenders", I am thinking you will need to ask a "Toyota"? Not sure why they would do what you are suggesting? I didn't even realize they had a self driving car?

Now for the drivers of Toyotas, I typically instruct my Driver Education students that you need to keep your lights etc. off when you should have them on if driving a Toyota. On the other hand, if you are driving a non Toyota brand vehicle, you will need to turn them on when needed.

Have I been teaching them incorrectly?

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