Lexus RX 330 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

marius2 · January 2007

May have posted in wrong area so am reposting here:

Did my homework, thanks largely to the information posted on this website. Drove the RX several times at four different dealerships. Based on the info I acquired here, I sent emails to seven (7) dealers in the San Francisco Bay Area on December 30 and December 31. Received telephone calls and emails immediately from three dealers and internet offers from three more dealers. The specifics I was looking for were the Bamboo Pearl with the grey interior, dark wood, premium package and GPS, no Mark Levinson sound system.

The preliminary emails that I received were that I could purchase the vehicle for $1000 off invoice. The MSRP was $45,706, invoice $40,769.

At 9:00 a.m. this morning, I received a telephone call from Fleet and Internet Manager, Lexus of Serramonte in Colma. He stated he had the vehicle that I had requested and would match the internet offers that I received from other dealers (who may not have had this particular vehicle). I was in the dealership by 2:00 p.m. Amal handed me the keys and let me take a test drive without a salesperson. I was gone 15 minutes, and purchased the vehicle for $39,769. There was no pressure to buy any of the back end products as "Touch or Class" or Lojack. Overall, a very positive experience and I am very happy.

Cheers.

Marius

xxxyyy · January 2007

Thanks to everyone who has posted previously about their buying experiences. That helps me to make an informed purchase for an 2007 RX 350 + AWD + Nav; Millennium Silver Metallic (MSRP $45,706) at Lexus of Pleasanton. Price is $39,528.

I am pleased with my purchase experience at Lexus of Pleasanton. I did most of my initial negotiation via email. My sale person was professional, no-pressure, able to to give my exact quote and availability. I came in late afternoon and drove out around 8:00pm. About an hour of that was spent with the sale person interactively going over all the car features.

rxrookie · January 2007

Am looking to buy an RX350 AWD/Navi/Prem package etc. Cars Direct list the MSRP @ 45706, Invoice 40769. Does anyone have input on prices on purchases made in or around the DC/Baltimore area within the last couple of months. Looks like SO CAL has some awesome deals with vehicles going below or at invoice. Any such deals/offers in DC ? Appreciate any input.

hlin88 · January 2007

on 10/15/06 I got my 2007 RX 350 + AWD + Nav white (MSRP $45,706) at Longo Lexus for $39007.42 ( $42600 out of door ). I believe this is the lowest price that I can find. Very good deal on this car.

I did some homework before I went to Longo and this is the only dealer I visited. I did send emails to all Lexus dealers around and Longo beat the lowest price. It took me less than 30 minutes to negociate the price and most of the time is waiting. Sales person Dennis Shen in Longo is very helpful and straight forward. Show him the emails with lowest price ( price with tricks ) from other dealers and he will try to match it.

jdjimenez · January 2007

Thanks for the thoughts on my problem everyone. I had already sent a complaint letter to Lexus and just filed a complaint letter with the Better Business Bureau. Seems Lexus of Cerritos is well known there with 10 similar complaints over the last 90 days and an F rating.

[Deleted User] · January 2007

Don't know of an active 300 forum maybe the host can direct me. Question is, can you safely and with good reliability and performance install a remote starter on an RX300 2002? And, who would be the best people to do that?

Thanks,

Ken

kyfdx · January 2007

A couple of forums that might work:

Lexus RX 300

Lexus SUVs: Accessories and Aftermarket Products

Remember: Even a forum that seems inactive might perk up, once you post a question. Maybe they are just waiting to give you an answer!

regards,
kyfdx

igoral · January 2007

miko6,

What was the name of the internet sales guy that you dealt with at Norttown?

Thank you!

nacho07 · January 2007

What would be the best time to buy an 07 model (RX 350)? Are the new 08s coming in Febuary. I am in So Cal and want to get the best deal possible but want to have some choices left. Thanks for any replies.

miko6 · January 2007

Igoral,
Guidelines state we're not to post names of salespeople. I will be happy to give you the name if you let me know how to contact you.
~Miko6

igoral · January 2007

Miko6,

Please, e-mail me at igoral@yahoo.com

Thank you.

robin2226 · January 2007

> While filling out the credit check paperwork the true colors of Lexus of Cerritos came out, now the price had changed. Trey and his manager now tell me that the car can not be sold for the agreed upon price. I showed all the e-mails and the paperwork including the $1,000.00 receipt to the gentlemen and they still refuse to honor the deal. I thought this type of shady dealing went by the wayside years ago. Lexus of Cerritos truly has made this a December to remember for both me and my wife!

I thought , after you put down a deposit, the dealer cannot change the deal . Am I right ??? Do we have a lawyer in the forum ?

washingtonian · January 2007

I have Sprint Treo 700WX and my telephone loses pairing frequently.
Please let me know if anybody else is also facing this problem or if anybody has a solution for this problem.

sxylxy · January 2007

I had some trouble originally with my Motorola v710..one of the early bluetooth phones. Verizon updated the software in my phone and now it works really well. See if there is a software upgrade for your phone.

tranav · January 2007

Hi there,
I am planning to buy a 2007 RX350 in South Cal too. Is your price $37500 is before tax or after tax? Tax in OC is 7.75% and 8.00% in LA county. I appreciate your answer. Thank you,

tranav · January 2007

Hello,
I've been driving my second lexus and I am extremely with Lexus service. Lexus will do very thing they can to make you happy. My recommendation to you is to complain BBB.com and directly to Lexus corporation and I am sure Lexus in Cerritos has a separate department for you to complain to. After you make the complain, I'm sure that Mr. Trey William will no longer work for Lexus any more and You & your wife will get a new Lexus at the price decided on 12/29/06. Good luck

akated1 · March 2007

Hello. I am considering buying a 2004 RX 330 with 37,000 miles for $24,700.00. It is coming off a lease from a friends wife and that is the buyout. I think there is a 4yr 50k warranty that will transfer. I have never owned a Lexus. Should i be concerned that it is not certified? is this a good deal?

devineni · April 2007

I bought a 2007 RX 350(Breakwater Blue) couple of days back at Concord Lexus, CA. It costed me $40,400+taxes. It was fully loaded with Mark Levinson Package and DVD entertainment system. I was wondering if is was a good deal.

gw10 · April 2007

Hi: I am considering buying a 2004 RX330 with 40,350 miles for $24,000.00. It is coming off of a friend's lease.

Please let me know your thoughts on the price.

In addition to the $500 "processing fee," the dealer has also suggested having the car certified.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

solar2000 · April 2007

Hi there,

I'm impressed. The price is only 24000? Is that certified pre owned? I'm looking to buy a 2004 RX330 certified pre owned and the ones that I have seen with navigation with comparable miles are priced at 30000 to 31000.

Also, does anyone have any advice on how to negotiate with a dealer for a certified pre-owned car? I'm not sure how to approach that.

Thanks.

sxylxy · April 2007

$40,400 sounds good. I bought the same one in black nine months ago and paid around $2K more for it. It's awesome! The Mark Levinson is wonderful. I now listen to some of my old favorites in their full glory

sondra3 · April 2007

I'm looking at 2004 certified pre-owned RX 330's. There are two I found that I'm gearing towards.

One has 30,700 miles and is priced at $31,900.
The other has 21,017 miles and is priced at $32,900.

When I looked at market value prices, it showed only a $500 change in value of same vehicles with a difference of 10,000 miles.

Do these prices seem on target? Anything I can do to negotiate down? Also, is anyone aware of a new rate incentive Lexus is offering starting May 1? (I heard there is something coming up then)

Also - if I plan to do a lot of driving, should the 10,000 mileage difference in these two cars influence my decision that much? Or does an additional 10K miles on a Lexus RX 330 not mean that much?

kariroma · June 2007

I am shopping for a 2005 rx330. The last quote I got was the following:
premium plus + nav + certified pre-owned.
Price=35,800 (without tax, reg, and fees)
Total(with taxes/fees/etc) = ~38,000
Miles: 37,000
3.9% financing 36 months (not a lease)
NY/NJ area.
This seems like a really high price considering some of the quotes I've seem on this forum for the new 2008 350 - about 40k. Any thoughts on the price and why there is such a small difference between the 2005 and 2008?
Thanks in advance.

konocar400h · June 2007

konocar400h · June 2007

Sorry, didnt mena to submit that last on. Anyway, we purchased a 400h in august, 2006. It came with the 4th generation nav system. Is their any way to upgrade it to the 5th? It looks real slick and would be nice to have.

audi5000 · June 2007

Has anyone bought a certified pre-owned lexus rx330? What was the difference b/w the list price and the price you paid?

Any help would be appreciated.

freiwill01 · June 2007

Has anyone compared between the Levinson and the standard audio system in the 2008 RX350? Looking for reviews to decide if it's worth the while to get it.
Any input would be helpful.

tampabob · July 2007

Just bought a 2WD 2004 RX330 certified pre-owned, 27,000 miles, savannah/tan, with the premium plus option package for $28,500 plus tax, tag, etc. The dealer sticker was $33,931. Seemed to be a great deal given the outstanding condition of the car. Was this good, bad or average?

kitana370 · July 2007

Hey Tampabob~
Did you do any haggling? I'm looking at a '04 RX330 Awd W/51k....28,800. You price is great..I may have to travel south...I'm in Baltimore, MD!! Any suggestions to bring the price down?

Thanks so much for your assistance... :confuse:
Deneen

kitana370 · July 2007

Hey all~
Anyone haggle down the price their RX330. Also, is 28,800 too expensive for a 2004 w/51k miles? Reg standard features???

Thanks
Deneen :confuse:

tampabob · July 2007

Deneen,
Thanks for the confirmation in the positive. i think it comes down to the individual salesman. Mine was 60ish and in the business forever. Here's the pertinent points of the process I used: 1. Edmunds request a quote. There are only 2 dealers in our area and they're both owned by Autoway. 2. Went to a small independent dealer (sells 130 cars/mo) who buys cars at auction and found out they pick up cars every Tuesday/Thursday. 3. Exchanged about 3 e-mails and told them the exact car I'd like to buy. The only pricing i discussed was if I could save 12,000 or more on pre-owned I'd go that way. If a new car was only $8,000 more I'd buy new. So I was stuck in the middle. 4. Stopped by the dealer and kept asking questions and made sure he knew the only thing I cared about was value, it was for my wife who only drove 5,000 mi/yr so the cpo meant nothing to me, and that the independent was searching the auction for me. I had just talked to the independent and told the salesman they didn't have anything today. I was honest throughout. I test drove the car I eventually bought and told him I'd prefer white, let me know if anything came in, and started to leave. Then he offered $28,500 so he changed my mind about white. My wife preferred the savannah anyway.
I didn't think I was haggling. I wanted him to sell the car to me and I gave him the opportunity to. I'm certain he got the impression I did not want to haggle or pay top dollar. Helpful at all? I'm guessing not. To come up with a good price for cpo I used edmunds appraiser with option in excellent condition and wanted the price between trade-in and private sale. Which is what I got. Maybe the end of the month looming and being July in Florida also helped. Keep me posted!!! tampabob

tammyl · July 2007

I bought a 2005 used last year in april with 23K loaded blue tooth, Mark Levinson, DVD, premium package etc. from a private owner from auto trader last May in absolute show room condition for $33K out the door no tax in GA if I buy from a private owner which I saved at least 7-8K total. There are very few dealers in atlanta and they could not even come close to this deal I always look at private owners to buy used cars

tampabob · July 2007

Tammy, Now that's an incredible deal! In the 2 weeks I looked for a car I only found one private sale car available and it didn't have the options I wanted, color was unappealing, and it was overpriced. Some patience on my part might have helped.

skyrider · August 2007

tampabob

You stated that you recently went to a small independent dealer (sells 130 cars/mo) who buys cars at auction and found out they pick up cars every Tuesday/Thursday.

I recently posted an on Craiglist for a used Lexus and was contacted by two seperate dealers who claim that they can get these cars $2-4K under what I may get from larger dealers because they get them from Manaheim Auction. There fee is approx $750 plus delivery charge of $250 for the purchased car

Can anyone share if

a) their past experience of dealing with such individuals/smaller dealers

b) can one trust their invoice (of their purchase at the auction)

c) Any benefits/risks

Thanks

tampabob · August 2007

The story I got from the dealer is the dealers pick the trade-ins they want to resell and turn the less desirable cars over to the auction. Also the certified pre-owned does repair any scratches, dings, replaces wipers, filters, 100,000 mi wty, etc. For $1,000 I like the peace of mind. For $4,000 I'd take my chances but be sure to check carfax. For the 27,000 mile 2004 I bought the dealer did the 30,000 service, threw in an extra oil change, and a full tank. Good Luck!

lexusrxsearch · August 2007

I'm evaluating the price differential between buying a CPO RX330 and a new 08 RX350 (AWD with Nav and Premium packages, no DVD). To my surprise, there doesn't seem to be a huge price differential -- CPO are pretty costly.

Asked CPO prices locally run around $30-31k (before tax and fees) for 2004 models with 20-30k miles. $33-35k for 2005s. That seems to put the CPO prices within $10k of a brand new 350. Can anyone else comment on this seemingly narrow spread? Are there any guidelines for how negotiable CPO asked prices are? (I've seen suggestions that for new $5000 less than MSRP or up to $2500 below dealer's "invoice.") Any suggestions would be much appreciated. THANKS.

For reference: per post #829 from 2008 RX 350 forum, Glendale CA deal price on a new 350 was:

2008 RX 350 FWD
Premiuim plus package, navigation system, 18 inch wheels, heated seats with rain sensing wipers, wheel locks, cargo mat, tow prep package.

MSRP - $44,306
Dealer Invoice - $39,513
**** PRICE PAID: $38,213 ***
Doc prep fee - $55
Sales Tax (CA 8.25%) - $3157
DMV electronic filing fee - $28
License fee - $301
CA tire fee - $8.75
Smog fee - $12
TOTAL OUT THE DOOR - $41,775

lexusrxsearch · August 2007

OK, to net out my inquiry: how much lower cost makes it wiser to buy a used vs new? It seems the price difference between buying a certified pre-owned ("CPO") RX330 and a similarly-equipped new 08 RX350 (AWD with Nav and Premium Plus packages)is about $10k.

Asked CPO prices locally run around $30-31k (before tax and fees) for 2004 models with 20-30k miles. $33-35k for 2005s. That seems to put the CPO prices within $10k of a brand new 350. Can anyone else comment on this seemingly narrow spread? Are there any guidelines for how negotiable CPO asked prices are? I wanted to buy used CPO, but for $10k more, doesn't it make sense to avoid 4 years of someone else's use? HOW MUCH MAKES USED CPO WORTH THE LOWER COST? $11k? $15k?

Any advice/experiences would be much appreciated. THANKS.

robinhan · August 2007

unbelievable deal, however how come carsdirect/edmunds all show the invoice for this car at 40.8k or higher? how did you get that 39.5k? mind sharing more details?

(is this 350 fwd with premium+, nav, performance, towing prep and heated seats w/ rs options?)

thanks!

lexusrxsearch · August 2007

I think you mis-read my earlier post which quoted from another buyer's experience in Calif:
------------
For reference: per post #829 from 2008 RX 350 forum, Glendale CA deal price on a new 350 was:

2008 RX 350 FWD
Premiuim plus package, navigation system, 18 inch wheels, heated seats with rain sensing wipers, wheel locks, cargo mat, tow prep package.

MSRP - $44,306
Dealer Invoice - $39,513
**** PRICE PAID: $38,213 ***
--------------
The main diff (besides being in a different market) is that car was FWD. East coast AWD seems to be around $40.8k with Premium and Nav -- which ought to be your target price. I was able to do slightly better $40.7k before tax and prep from Prestige Lexus in Ramsey, NJ. Ask for the Lamb.

kostyan · September 2007

In Baltimore MD area, dealers do not negotiate at all. I hope they are punished by very slow sales. Dealers have been able to lower prices a bit on units that were traded in vs. ones bought at the auction, because auction prices have been high. If you are bargain hunter, absolutely stay away from Lexus Certified- dealers make $1500 on this package without doing anything special. CPO is valid only for 3 yrs or 100k since your purchase date, so what if you bought a used one with 30k miles on it and will not drive to 70k mi in 3 yrs? A $2500 price premium not worth it.

Someone mentioned that brand new 07s are going for 1500 under invoice. If invoice incl destination is 38500, that would be 38.5 OTD price. Does it make any sense at all to pay 34-35K for a used 2005 AWD NAVI with reasonable 20-30K mi if, when tried hard, may still be able to get into a brand new one for only 3-4 more grand!?

lexusrxsearch · September 2007

I also found that Lexus used CPO dealers in CT would not negotiate much. However, I found the price difference between buying a relatively recent used CPO and a new 2008 RX 350 about $8000, which was still worth buying new. No regrets -- I drove over to Prestige in NJ to pick up mine.

krisv · September 2007

LexusRXsearch - You mentioned you got your 350 for $40.9 +++, Just curious, can you share what your MSRP & Invoice were for the vehicle. Based on your recommendations of Prestige, I called the Lamb yesterday and he would only come down about $3.5K from MSRP. How much time did you spend negotiating with him to get to the $40.9. Was it in person or online? Just wanting to see if it's worth my time to go back to him. Thanks!

lexusrxsearch · September 2007

I did almost all my initial outreach with dealers via e-mail, and let them reply online and/or leave me voicemails. I told them the price I was looking for ($40.9k) Some dealers were willing to meet it/negotiate, others were not. Timing: It was mid-August and I believe the monthly quota/sales incentives may have been a factor. The Lamb (we're not supposed to use names here!) replied online, via voicemail and then strongly suggested we speak by phone. He was very straightforward about what he could do (meet my price) and could not do (i.e. he couldn't take my trade-in at my inflated $$ value!)
In the end, Prestige accepted my offer of about $5k off of MSRP($45.9) and I sold my old car independently. I never saw their dealer "invoice" but understand that my price was within a few hundred $. It's clear they made some profit and it's a good deal all around.
The first time I ever went to Prestige was to pick up the car. Overall, I had an excellent experience, and appreciated the very to-the-point discussions. He did take the time to answer all my questions -- and once he knew I was serious, i.e. I gave him my credit card as a deposit, he met every need and addressed every issue. I suggest you show him you are serious (if you are) because dealers are inundated by mere "prospects." Make an offer for a specific car, but then be prepared to commit with a deposit -- otherwise, they'll rightfully know you're jerking them around. BTW, the deposit is not irrevocable.
Ray Catena dealership in NJ also was ready to bargain, but had a very junior guy communicating with me -- slower decisions.
Good luck, I'll be curious to hear what you do.

vcn · November 2007

I have been reading these postings for the past week. I started my search for an 2004 RX 330 a couple of months. I have purchased 2 IS300's in the past (the 1st was totaled). The dealers in the DMV area really do not budge on the price. One internet salesman must have forgotten that we had communicated before his first quote was for a little over $30k (32k miles)well the price on their website for this vehicle was $28187. He claimed his manager must have changed the price without telling him. Two days later he emailed me and again started with the higher price for the same vehicle. I once again referred him to his website for the stated price and his response was exactly the same.

I am looking for an '04 RX330 for $27500 out the door. Is this really unrealistic? I average about 20k miles per year so warranty is a must.

There is one listed in virginia (Nissan Dealer) that was listed at $26900 (38,700 miles)the carfax report is clean. The salesman admitted that it had been keyed and repainted. The next day the price was dropeed to $25900.

Thoughts?

neshdel · January 2008

We are heading into negotiations to buy a CPO 2005 RX330, and I am looking for information on leasing through Lexus.

The dealer has it priced at $33,995 which is a fair price based on Edmunds TMV. However, since we really dont need the vehicle until late May, we wont be purchasing it if we cant get the price down at least a couple $1,000. It has 31,000 miles on the odometer.

Does anyone know what the money factor is for this vehicle or have any information on residuals for a 36-month lease (10,000 or 12,000 miles)? Also, does anyone have any experience with independent leasing companies that they could share?

We live in the Washington, DC metro area. Thanks very much for any information anyone can provide.

lexusrxsearch · January 2008

Just a quick comment: I chose to buy a NEW RX 350 which cost $40,000 -- for $6-7k less, why take on someone else's 31k mileage and 2 years of use? I realize that the cash flow for leasing may be different, but the new 350 made more sense to me.

neshdel · January 2008

Thanks for your comment, lexusrxsearch. I think you make a good point, and buying/leasing a new RX350 is something we are also looking into. I take it you bought, rather than leased, your 350?

This is sort of an atypical purchase for us. We are giving my car to our high school son to use for work and a school internship, and this will be my SUV and also our third vehicle. So this is the first time we've bought without a significant trade-in to use for a down payment, and we are still wrestling with buying (with or without a down payment) versus leasing. We are running lots of numbers.

Acura has some financing deals on new MDX's that we are considering too, to further complicate things.

If anyone has any suggestions, they are welcome!

gardening · March 2008

Based in the Washington DC metro area, I am looking to buy a new RX350 FWD in the next 3-6 weeks. I am wondering: 1) whether to make the initial contact in person by walking into a dealership or use an online price quote service to get the dealers to contact me; 2) whether to reveal my color of choice early on. There are 2-3 colors that I have in mind. For example, if I were to use an online service, should I provide my #1 color choice or #2/#3? I am no veteran on car buying so it won't take long for the dealer to see that. Thanks in advance.

gjpearce · March 2008

I am following in your footsteps-either a heavily optioned Highlander or a mildly optioed FWD RX350. From all the internet research I have done over the last week, they say you should call several dealers-make phone contact with the fleet manager-tell him exactly what and when youn want it- and follow up with fax. You do not want to waste time and meet the salesman or go on a test drive or set around the dealership. This should be an in and out affair after you get the best price for the available vehicle!

txbelle1 · April 2008

I am looking at a 36 month, 12k mile lease in TX. My dealer is quoting 41k MSRP however edmunds is 37,400 MSRP. He said he would do sales price 38k. Good?
I also have a 2005 Rx330 trade with 23k miles and he only wants to give me 23k?
What are others seeing?

Lexus RX 330 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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