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2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Prices Paid and Buying Experience
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Mine included the following options (almost all Corolla's in Chicago include the last 3)
BE Side Airbags,
AB Antilock Braking System,
VV Audio Value Package $200
CF Carpet Floor Mats
CK All Weather Guard Package
Thanks,
Art
How much negotiating was there? I had a really hard time just getting to $16.1 (including the $500 rebate).
I wrecked my beloved 7 month old Matrix last week and find myself car shopping again after such a short period of time. Since I can't get a 4WD Matrix, I don't want to spend the extra money for a 2WD Matrix and figure I'll just get a Corolla. At my dealer, there are Corolla's available with and without ABS. The cars with ABS also come with driver side air bags. These cars are about $1000 more than the ones without ABS and side airbags. I'm trying to decide by tomorrow, when the $500 rebate period ends. I would appreciate any help deciding if ABS is worth it.
Thanks,
Jes
Just a note - you said they come with driver side air bags - actually, they come with driver and passenger side air bags.
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The agent might not ask about it but they can figure out if your car has it based upon the VIN.
I tried to argue the point of why I should not have to pay dealer holdback or WFR, but the salespeople (two in team, of course) at Floor Dealership I visited said there's no way they can drop it, good luck finding a dealership that will.
Let's not even discuss the documentation and VTR fees - yikes! Why do I have to pay these?
I had some questions on various features of the car, like how DO I fold down the backseat, and what is this Security light flashing all about? But the guy they sent out with me wasn't able to tell me if it was an alarm or just some flashing red light, what this other cryptic button was, and insisted the rear seat did not fold down. Yah - nothing like knowing your fleet! Considering how ill-informed he was, I can't say that I trust their salesmen to know about what fees are bogus or not.
So, I'm waiting for my Fighting Chance packet to see how much I should really pay for this thing, but worry that I won't find a dealership nearby that will accept *MY* reasonable offer. I'm planning on doing a "fax attack" to dealerships in NV, AZ, UT, and AZ. Hey, I'll travel if it means I can save a couple of thousand dollars! While I wait, I fret. That Corolla S I test drove today was mighty cute!
Ah, well, gives me time to sell my Kia Sportage for downpayment money.
Are documentation fees and TVR valid? They aren't even on the invoice, I just asked if the price they gave me was the out-the-door price, and then they told me about the added $700+ (there's also a $29 title fee, which I can see as valid... I think. I mean, at least it's under $100!)
It includes
FE -50 EMISSION
BE - driver and passenger side curtain airbags
CK - All weather guard package
AB -ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
W - Audio value package am-fm-indash cd (6)/6
speakers CRUISE CONTROL
DK -- Preerred owner's porfolio
Z1 -- carpet floor mats cargo mat cargo net
$ 16,372 BEFORE tax is it too expensive???
I paid too much ?
Thanks for your reply.
You paid Invoice price for your car!
Now if you got 0% APR for 3 years or 1.9& for 3 years, it would be even sweeter!
Enjoy Your new ride!
Price out-the-door, including $750 cash-back, all fees and our hefty 7.75% tax in southern Nevada: $16,500.
I pick it up tonight!
Story: I wasn't all that sure that I really wanted to buy a new car, vascillating all this month. I had contacted the dealer earlier this month for a quote, getting a quote of $15,395 (including $750 cash back), without fees and taxes. More vascillating, more angst, I often woke up thinking about the car. A different dealership (Findlay Henderson) quoted me $16,000 (including cash back), plus an additional $700 fees (VTR and documentation), and then I'd have to pay taxes on top of that. Hem, haw, fret fret fret. So today, I totally low-balled the first dealer (Centennial Toyota - Las Vegas) at $16,000 out-the-door, taking advantage of the end-of-the-month sales quota frenzy, almost hoping he would tell me to take a hike and make my decision for me. They came back at $16,500... I can't pass it up. Dealer invoice alone is $16,645. Taking into account our taxes and the exhorbitant documentation fees Toyota adds on here, that's close to $1,000 BELOW dealer's invoice, PLUS my cash back. All done by e-mail and phone calls.
Yippee!
Now I just have to sell my Kia Sportage. 2001. Excellent condition. Any takers?
It's also peppy! I loved driving home in it at 65 miles per hour, with the tach at only 2200. 40 miles later, my fuel guage was still pegged at the top!
We're planning on this lasting a long time - in just ten years my oldest will be driving (eeeeks!) - it will be a good car for her to learn stick on. Every driver should learn how to drive stick, IMHO. You never know when you'll need to know!
BTW, price for the car, without tax, doc, VTR, etc was about $14,300. We did buy the extended warrantee, adding about $1200 to the price, but since we drive our cars to the ground (except this Kia we want to get rid of), it's worth it to us.
For the car (includes audio value package / cruise control):
$16,000
PLUS $369.00 fees, and tax, tag and title. $16,500 OTD, with 3.9% APR financing. They offered a price of $16,000 OTD, but I would have had to finance at a much higher interest rate. Hope this helps someone!
Good luck from one '99 5 speed Corolla owner to another!
Silver 2007 Toyota Corolla
Automatic Transmission
Power Windows and Locks
Audio Value Package
Floor Mats
$13,950 plus tax and title
$58 doc fee.
Pauly Toyota, Crystal Lake, IL (NW Chicago)
Ad in 3/17 Chicago Tribune
I went in expecting that the ad was a screamer ad never thinking that I would get a vehicle under $15k Plus tax and title. The sticker on this vehicle was $17,100.
The salesman took me out and showed me a dozen cars that were part of the special. No pressure.
Sure beat the $17k Focus that I was offered yesterday.
The Sandman
Personally, I waited to check out the deal because I did not thing the deal was legitimate. I expected to hear "we sold that one on Saturday and let me sell you one for $15.5k." Instead, I heard "what color do you want ... we have 20 cars at that price."
LE base model - $16,215 / 14,188
BE Airbag option - 655 / 563
VV Audio option - 200 / 180
C1 and CF Floor mats - 171 / 114
total so far: MSRP 17,241 / invoice 15,045
so far so good right? but then down below are added to "invoice" price:
destination - 620 (ok everyone pays this right)
TDA - 177 (advertising i think)
Gasoline - 10
Dealer HOldback - 324 (ouch... umm dont they get this after the fact??)
Wholesale Finance Reserve - 162
Total cost of this below the line stuff is 1,293, and makes my total invoice price 16,338.
Any opinions??? I thought holdback was a way for them to get money after the sale directoyr from Toyota not a fee I had to pay?? Comments on paying TDA or other fees? At first i was excited to hear from my friend I could get it for inovice but this seems to bump me way up there. The prices do not include the 750 rebate so i would be looking at 16,338 - 750 = 15,588 + doc and DMV fees. I want to make sure his cousin is actually giving me a deal, or do i need to start visiting other dealers. Of course I dont want to see unapreciative either if he really is getting me a deal.
your input is greatly appreciated..
Well, I finally payed attention to where the charges were, and realized that those "extras" are actually part of the dealer invoice "cost", and they are detailing it on the invoice, not hiding them in the base price.
TDA is a Toyota advertizing fee, I've heard most dealers are not willing to cut that out of the price tag as Toyota charges them that for each car they sell.
Destination is also non-negotiable, pretty much. Dealer has to pay that to get the car to the lot.
Gas - ah, ten bucks. Hey, I got a full tank on that ten bucks - such a deal!
Holdback - two percent, if I remember correctly? of the base price. Built in profit, definately negotiable if your dealer is desperate enough to make quota.
WFR is an interest payback to the dealer to pay for interest on the first two or so months of the loan that the dealer took out in order to "buy" the car to put on his/her lot. A built-in profit until the dealer has had the car for too long, then he/she looses that and has to start paying interest.
Which leads me to this: I bought my car for about $1,000 below invoice, PLUS the $750 cash back. Despite what the invoice shows you, the dealer makes other money you don't see in the form of dealer incentives to sell a set quota of cars, set sales dollar, set *something* from the manufacturer. Even though it appears as if the dealer lost bookoo bucks to sell to me, he still sold to me, which means he's not losing any money. You won't know what the incentives are, but they're there. Best buying tactic is to buy at the end of the month. Get a few quotes from competing dealerships and play them off of each other. Invoice price plush cashback is not the best deal for Corollas, at least, where I live.
Watch out for the closing costs, too. In my county, doc fees are outrageous! Funny, it's only been a month since I bought, but I can't remember what it was - somewhere in the range of $400 to $600 dollars. THEN they add on VTR, which, depending on the dealer I talked to, is either gap insurance should the car be stolen (pays the difference between the replacement value of the car and the loan), or just simply window etching. NOT worth the $200 - $300 dollars they charge for it here. You can get your windows etched at most police stations for free if you so desire, and with the engine imobilizer, I just don't see the car being stolen aside from car jacking. I negotiated an out-the door price, which included sales tax (which can be significant depending on where you live - hopefully you're in Oregon or somewhere else without sales tax!), just so I wouldn't have to hassle with trying to get them to drop all those fees they insist on charging. So, they included all that crap on the bill of sale, but just dropped the base price dramatically. All came out to what I wanted in the end.
I think your biggest concern right now is telling your friend to tell your cousin you appreciate his help, you'd like to buy a car from him, but you also will be shopping around for the best price, so it's not going to be an easy-peasy deal for him/her.
Have fun with your new car!
PV and CT package.
on edmunds they got it going with the same setup as follows: $15799invoice and then TMV $16,849 but with the $1k rebate it wind down to $15,849. am i actually getting a good deal if so then i'm gonna head down to the dealership. thanks in advance.
Auto
ABS
Side Airbags
Audio Value Package
All Weather Guard Package
Cargo Mats
Trunk Mat
Price = $15,617 + Tax, Tags + Doc Fee ($129)
$16682 out of door in Florida including the rebate assigned to dealer, side airbags, power doors/windows, abs brakes, carpet/trunk mats. Our sales tax is 6%+$50. Tag/title is about $200. Both these are included in the $16682. Looks I paid more than other people, but getting side airbags was a pain in our area.
Based on TMV price, I should have paid 16995 out the door. Based on invoice I should have paid 16651 out the door.
Manual Transmission
BE -Side Curtain Airbags,
VV -Audio Value Package,
CK - All Weather Guard Package,
CF -Carpeted Floormats.
AB - Anti Lock Brake system
SS - Alloy wheels
After dealing with several dealers in the Cleveland Akron area, I only found one that would order the LE in manual for me ("have you considered buyinga Camry?" I was asked countless times, LOL!). The others dickered around for a few days, and now they leave messages, what a pain!
My dealer that I went with was found through CarsDirect, and is in Akron Ohio. I didn't get as good of pricing as the rest of you, but I feel good about the price and the fact that I got what I wanted.
$17,018 price, and $18,588 out the door (7.25% tax in my area, plus tag/title) before the incentives kick in. The April incentives are the same that Toyota has had for the past month or so, $500 off or lower APR financing .
As I said, I know I probably could have fought for a better price... how low do you guys thing I COULD have gone? Edmunds TMV pricing report says MSRP Invoice for this car is $18,120 , Invoice is $16,310, and TMV is $17,448 .
Thanks, and happy trails!
Since you paid so much, you need to make sure that you auto insurance policy will pay 100% of what you paid for the vehicle in case it is totalled in the first year or two of ownership. Some insurers like Metropolitan do this. Others do not.
For $18k, you could have had a Camry CE. When salesmen start asking you if you would like to upgrade to the next model up for an insignificant amount (like $1k), it generally indicates that they think that the model taht you are buying is not worth what you are paying.
One thing I tried to do what to get whatever Cleveland regional experiences from real buyers that I could, before I decided to buy. Maybe Cleveland is a higher priced market? I don't know... my price seemed good compared to what others around here get. Maybe we just don't know how to haggle here!
What I should have done was haggled more and waited longer, but I have to admit caving to the one dealer who would order my Manual LE, rather than continue getting stonewalled by the other dealers who continuted to persist that manuals were no longer being built at the plant.
There are at least 12 dealers within 30 miles, and you would think that competition would be tight. Or that salesmen wouldn't continue to try to negotiate and sell me something that I didn't want off the lot.
I'm still happy, though -- I got the options I wanted, and none of the ones I didn't.
I hope that my message and posted price helps other shoppers be more firm, more assertive in their negotiations.
Happy Trails!
I live in Chicago (and lives in Cleveland)but I generally buy my cars in Cincinnati. Why? That is where I know the dealers and have gotten the best deals. I woudl rather deal with someone who has sold me good cars than shop around. I may pay a little more but when you need a post-warranty adjustment, it comes in handy.
When you go into a dealership and say I have to have option A,B,C, and R but I do not want X and L, you are going to pay a lot more for the vehicle.
I went in with an ad and bought what the dealer had in stock for $13.9. $15k was my top. If I couldn't get the Corolla for $15, I would have bought a 2004 Impala off-lease for $8.5. Would have paid $240 more in gas a year but $100 LESS in insurance costs.
My husband will need to replace his truck in 3 or 4 years, and we'll be better prepared next time to get the car and price that we should!
Happy trails!
I also have a Corolla LE manual transmission that was special ordered. I had similar problems getting one, but I just keep going to different dealers until I found one that would order a manual LE for me, and I offered them 2% over invoice. It took a long time to find one willing to order one at that selling price, but it was worth it.
The problem is if you tell them that you want a LE manual, they know that you want a very rare car, so they know they might be able to charge you more.
With my manual Camry purchase, I searched for a dealer that had one, and went there. I knew that a manual Camry was EXTREMELY rare, so I was not even going to attempt to order one.
However, the important thing is you got what you want!
i'm in vegas and currently looking for a great deal on the corolla S A/T with the extra value package (i.e. power windows, keyless entry, alloy wheels, etc.) and ABS.
i think you got a great deal! what options did you have? can you please share the name of the dealership where you got your corolla S? what's the OTD price you got from a base price of about $1,750 below invoice(i.e. $1,000 rebate plus $750 cashback)? will you please share the price & package details so i can have something to compare and work on during my purchase. sorry for so many questions, we're first time buyers and would like to make a great deal as well.
thanks a lot!!!
Everything was smooth and easy. I wish the whole process didn't take two hours for such a simple deal, but what the heck, it's a car...
The finance guy was cool, and he offered to match my credit union's finance rate, and I said that's fine because my dealings with Toyota Financial Services have always been positive. They did try pretty hard to get me to buy the fabric protector and the clear coat sealant, but I can understand that because they couldn't have been making much money on the car for $13,000.
So, here's the breakdown:
MSRP: 15,815
W.C. Toyota Price: 12,988 after 1,000 rebate.
Sales tax: 1,160
Documentation fees: $55
DMV registration fees: $155
Down Payment: 1,600
60 monthly payments of $249
Anyway, the Options that was equipped with it were:
AB - Antilock Breaks
CF - Carpet Floor Mats
CK - All Weather Guard Package
EV - AM/FM 6 CD Changer
FE - 50 State Emissions
PV - Enhanced Power Package
SP - Sports Plus Package
Yes, I know the PV & SP is equal to VP ("Extra Value Package") and took that cost in consideration, since VP cost less than PV+SP combined. I am just interested on people's thoughts.
Thanks.
I paid more than what you paid, but the rebate here in Cleveland is only $500, not $750. However, just like you, I paid (by some counts) $1k more than I could/should have, but I had specific features I wanted in a Corolla, was not willing to go up to a Camray, and it was terrible trying to find a dealer who would get me two important features: side air bags, and manual transmission. Even the salesreps who knew I wad serious about buying would not volunteer that I could get what I wanted, but it would cost more. Sheesh.
As another poster said, you got what you wanted, and paid probably less than many people, so drive and be happy! If we fret about always getting the best deal, we don't enjoy what we've haggled for.
Happy Trails!