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Toyota Camry Solara Prices Paid and Buying Experience
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Comments
I drove a 15 mile mix of back roads and interstates and paid careful attention to some of the issues that I've read about in the Solara forums. No hesitation was noted during acceleration but I did feel that the steering is overboosted, though it wasn't a deal breaker. The salesman stated that this is the rock bottom price with no further reductions. The car has been on the lot since last July and has not moved out of its parking spot since last November (I live near by and walk my dog through weekly). Does $19888 + T&T seem like a good deal to you Solara experts?
Thanks to all..
In 2005 I test drove 22 vehicles priced in the sub-$16k range before I bought the XB. I rejected all do to comfort, mpg, or ride qualities. I commute 113 miles daily with 90% highway so comfort and MPG and paramount.
My past history with this dealer have not been positive. They've been in business for many years in what was until recently a rural area that is rapidly being connected with the Wash. DC metro area. They still conduct business like they are one of the only dealers in town when, in actuality, most folks under 50 will drive in to the DC area and save thousands over this dealer's "Best Deal". I've bought 3 vehicles in the last 7 years-all in the DC area for substantial savings-over the local dealers. And yes Scion dealers do negotiate price but that's another forum.
BTW, I decided to forgo the $119 Solara carpeted floor mats for a set of $30 all weather w/carpet insert Michelin mats from Sears. They fit and look perfect and saved me $90. .
I've been pleased overall, but I'm disappointed in some of the features, or the lack-there-of, on Toyota's part. First off, the controls for the top, the "all down" window feature, and the headlight leveling adjustment are not visible while sitting in the driver's seat due to being blocked by the steering wheel. (bad layout design.. They should've place the cross supports at the 4 & 7 o'clock positions instead of 3 & 9 o'clock) and to go along with that, except for the headlight adjustment, they are not illuminated. Why backlight something that can't even be seen and not backlight something that can be (or just barely)? Go figure!
Visibility is very limited which leads me to wonder why the back seat headrests are not removable or at least foldable out of the way. Another Toyota miss. Basic sound system is very lacking. Hopefully the Bose system that's available in the SLE is much better. We haven't had the opportunity test out the rain-proofness since we haven't had a rain here in North Texas, but I will post as soon as those results are available.
It's pretty comfortable for the most part, but I'm planning to replace the manual driver's seat with the 8 way power one as soon as possible. We just need the extra adjustments, that the power seat provides, for a better fit for us.
We got a great deal, $16800 with under 30000 miles on it and 6.5% financing through Toyota Motor Credit with Zero down. Not too bad. We were convinced to get the MPP extended warranty, since they figure it into the payment, but after doing a little research and reading the back of the contract, determined that it's not a very good deal at $1800. What they call "bumper to bumper" doesn't even cover the bumpers or any of the other things that could go wrong over time. (seals, the convertible top, water leaks, body frame, etc...) We have 30 days to cancel and get a refund and will exercise that option.
Anyway, its a great car even given it's little flaws and nuisances. I hate to see them phasing this model out, before making further refinements. I think that they have a great looking convertible that just needs some improvement based on consumer input.
Cheers,
FTO13
"Forever the Optimist"
Call the leasing company and find out what their practices are. I think the $11thousand plus is very high for a buyout. Do you really like this car enough to buy it? Have you run the car through edmonds or kelly blue book to see what the actual value is? How has your maintainance been and have you checked what it will cost for the next scheduled service?
Questions you should be asking yourself to ascertain whether you want to keep the car or not.
Car_man
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Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Forum
Car_man
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Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Forum
I am interested in purchasing a NEW 2008 SLEv6 coupe.
If the MSRP on a particular vehicle is, let's say, $30k, what should I expect to pay for it? I'm very confused about this.
Also, how much of a difference does it make to negotiate with the dealer that HAS the vehicle I want on his lot, versus negotiating with the dealer that I really WANT to buy from? The dealer that I really want to purchase from doesn't have the vehicle/options I really want.
I already asked my (preferred) dealer for a price, but it looks like he's only coming down about $2.3k from MSRP. Judging from what I'm reading in this forum, it seems that some people are able to actually negotiate a price very close to or even BELOW dealer cost !
I bought an '08 SLE V6 Coupe in March for $4500 under MSRP and over $2100 under invoice. Seems to me the deals should be getting better on this car, not worse. I would think the dealer who actually has the vehicle is going to more motivated to give you a great deal. You can always go to your preferred dealer for service. Also, once you get a price from the other dealer, you can give your preferred dealer the option to do better or match. There aren't a lot of buyers for any cars right now and certainly not a lot willing to pony up for an '08. You should be in the "driver's seat" on this deal! Once they figure out you are a serious buyer who knows the numbers, the deal should improve significantly.
What exactly did you pay for it, and what options did you get?
You must've not noticed that the posting that you responded to was from July 2006, almost 3 years prior to your response ! That's why you were surpised I was leasing for so long
Anyway, I decided to purchase the vehicle, and it was a good move. I leased it for 3 years, bought it, drove it for another 3 years and then traded it in last week for a new (leftover) 2008.
I had 126,000 worry-free, happy miles on that car. And it was still in great condition when I let her go. I am very big on preventive maintenance and so just about everything that needed to be done was done - and done right.
I expect to get plenty more worry-free, happy miles on my new Solara, and of course I expect to maintain it well as well.
I tried to look at other vehicles but just couldn't find anything that was as good as this (2008 SLEv6).
SLE V6 Coupe, VSC, mats. MSRP 28414.
Paid under 24000 incl rebate.
Let us know how you do...
I bought the 2008 SLEv6 coupe, VSC/TRAC, HID, special paint (Blizzard Pearl) (+some extras)
Paid exactly 24k (no rebate available)
I am VERY VERY happy !
The only comment I have on this, compared to my 2003 is that the visibility is not quite as good. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it's still not going to be as good as the '03. One thing I did is that since I don't usually have passengers in the back seat, I've removed the rear headrests. That helped quite a bit.
I'll tell you, with 120k+ miles, my 2003 was a GREAT car. I had NO problems with it in 6 years. It was all maintenance work. And I expect nothing less from this one.
Congrats!! That sounds like a terrific deal to me. Good job! You were fortunate to find one in Blizzard White... I believe that is the best color! I agree with the visibility issue, you just have to be careful. One last question... did you buy from the dealership who had it or the one you preferred dealing with?
Oh... just a reminder that you are gonna have to change your handle to Solaraman2008 !
Unfortunately I had to purchase it from the other dealer, and not the one I would've preferred - although BOTH of them have excellent ratings with the BBB.
Yes, I've thought about changing my handle. I wonder if it can be done. I'll check !
Thank you. Time to run out now and drive my new machine
So far, car has been great. Better than advertised MPG. Top fits tight and does not leak even in the car wash. I find it true what people say about the rear visibility; in some ways I wish I'd bought an '07 or newer for the revised headrests. But I am good at side-view mirrors after years of cargo driving vans and trucks, so caution in reverse has kept me from ever having an accident in this or any other car.
Several trips and I still like the car. May replace it with an 09 (or later, if they exist) simply because I like it and will be sorry when I have to replace it if they no longer exist. This is an area of severe winters, so it will be interesting to see how it (and the roof) handles and feels in deep snow or sub-zero temps. But so far, even with our bad Feb/March snows, it has been terrific. Yesterday we had two and a half inches of rain in 90 minutes, and I was driving. Car handled in water just fine, and there was not a leak to be seen anywhere.
So far, I am a happy camper.
Car has been running regular oil. Any thoughts on whether I should change to a synthetic.
BTW, last car was a Saab 9-3 convertible. The Camry is not as fast in midrange, but overall I think it is a superior car. Not quite as luxurious, but mechanically it seems better built and probably a whole lot cheaper to repair.
The Solara is: Red with Gray leather, Nav, 27k miles. pristine condition (I looked at a 2008 that was not as clean inside and out) - clean Carfax (but no service records), Dealer is asking $23,900 which I think is a little high.
Saab 9-3's with similar miles and also in great condition run $4-5K lower in price. I know the reliability won't be a good as the Solara, and it will depreciate like a rock with the latest GM troubles, but it is fun to drive and the hard boot is such a clean look.
What do you think?
Dealer might have wiggle room... esp these days. But if it is in such good shape, w/Nav..., sounds like a fair deal. My '06 SLE was a demo w/1800 miles on it (but classified as new), w/Nav, red/camel, & we paid almost $27K - and were lucky to get it. The '07s have better visibility due to the donut hole in the rear headrests; I'm sure the resale will be much better with the Solara.
Just my H.O.
The other minor annoyance is the absence of drip moldings (due to the rag top) - so when it rains, and you have to open the window or door...watch out! You get a little wet...
I have a small towel permanently stuffed under my seat :P
No squeaks and/or other rattles noticed yet... and the visibility issue IS real - when the top is up. Sounds like you can handle that one just fine... and as I mentioned before, the 2007 was the first year with holes in the rear headrests to at least somewhat address the issue.
I don't believe I have ever seen a Saab vert, so can't comment on the "look" ~ but the rear leg room in the Solara is a definite plus ~ as is the large trunk! When we were looking, we noticed that in many verts, the retracted roof took up most of the trunk space... So, just another thing to think about!
Good luck deciding ~ not easy, is it??? :confuse:
Don't know if you read that post... so I thought I'd let you know ~ add to the decision confusion!
This is a 4 cyl, so no timing belt, has around 90k miles - new (last 6 mos) tires and brakes.
Are there any other things we should look for when we check the car out? I am strongly considering taking it to a Toyota dealership for pre sale inspection, as we did with the last one.
Another ? - this car doesn't have remote entry (the lady selling it doesn't have remotes, she thinks the person she bought the car from never gave them to her) - but has power locks - can we buy remotes and program them to use?
Are you a good poker bluffer???
Thanks for all your advice.
Have fun figuring out your Nav system... it took me awhile, but I don't leave home without it now!! :P
I never thought about those mirrors... keep us posted on how they work!
Thank you for your opinion.