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Toyota Camry Hybrid: Ordering Process
Have your ordered your Camry Hybrid? Talk about options and wait time here!
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Base 25900
Destination 580
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Base model cost 26480
Navigation 1200
Sunroof 940
Leather 1300
Convenience 470
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Fully loaded 30390
Thanks -
It's a valid charge that the dealer has to pay to the regional office. They have no choice in the matter.
I've heard horror stories of vehicles purchased in the Gulf States region, where the common practice is to "upgrade" the vehicle with alloy wheels that are in fact a non-OEM copy of the original Toyota wheel. They are usually easy to spot since the center cap doens't have the Toyota logo on it. Now the fun part comes in, if you ever try to get warranty work done on one of those wheels (out of balance, clearcoat peeling, etc) Toyota tells you no way since they are not a genuine Toyota part.
I'm trying to get a fully loaded one, except without navigation system. I think you got it almost exact on your prices.
I put down a refundable deposit at 2 dealerships. One actually put the $500 on my CC, the other just xeroxed my card as a "good faith" thing.
With your non-refundable deposit, if you chose NOT to get the car, you should be able to sell your "spot" in line to someone else for $500, if you ask me! If I were you, I would be worried that they will NEVER get in a TCH fully loaded without NAV. At least in the mid-Atlantic, those constitute less than 1% of the allocations!
Dealerships are not in business to scam $500 off customer deposits. The term non-refundable is a poor choice of words so I'd clarify what it means but as you can see from most posts here dealerships try to be fair and not take money up front from customers until they know more definite information on pricing, delivery and availability.
Over the past 3 yrs large dealerships which have done significant business in Prius' have likely had as many as 20-150 'deposits' in hand waiting for the vehicles to arrive. In these cases buyers have often been on 2 or 3 wait lists with 2 or 3 deposits 'pending'.
Just call and ask specifically what it means at the store where you left the deposit. If you're still uncomfortable then cancel it.
They report they will sell the car at MSRP without dealer add ons. Confirmed this with a friend who bought a Prius at the same dealership at popularity height- so I would not expect any change in this. Sounds like they have little control over the vehicle color or options in their initial allocations. My salesman reports the individual in line ahead of me will take whatever car first arrives regardless of configuration. I will choose first from there according to my dealer and they will call as they learn what they can get. Don't need the vehicle immediately but will expect/hope to buy before the Sept 30th re tax deadline :shades:
I was hoping for silver with nav- no leather or sunroof- sounds like this will not happen. Other posts seem to indicate Nav only in loaded cars?? Never had a car with leather- although they look and smell great I find them cold in the winter and burning bare skin in the summer--- for sure I cannot do a sunroof- I am 6'7" and barely fit as it is...believe it or not- I do fit with acceptable comfort sans moonroof. :surprise:
Seems like this is as good a deal as can be done given the market. Dealership is small with good local rep.
The sunroof issue might be a major issue to getting one sooner rather than later. As I understand it there will be 3 configurations:
'Base' : Std Eq + heated O/S mirrors
'Middle' : Std Eq + heated O/S mirrors + Sunroof
'Loaded' : Everything on it
Pricing is not official yet, just good suppositions.
This may change later in the year or next year but to qualify by Sept 30th I'd take the 'Base' trim since the other options are not important to you.
We have two coming in on our first allocation:
one base trim
one loaded trim
This is my first post, and I am quite excited to put up this post.
I got VIN # today for teh TCH coming for me(in the midwest) The dealer is getting 1 car. The dealership was not taking any advances, but had my $500 with them from a prior order which I was able to use for this.
Car should come mid may. Base verson, silver color. I will pay MSRP.
I will keep it updated if there is an interest from the listeners.
Trophy and ribbon to follow.
They are responsive to my emails, and after I wrote about the VIN#s for TCH's in the pipeline (care of this forum) they responded with "There are a very small amount of Hybrid Camry's that are in the pipeline. We, however, did not earn one. I expect to have one in our pipeline come May 4th." I hope that it's one that I would want (loaded), and that Mr. or Mrs. #1 on the list doesn't want it....LOL
I live in the southeast and hate the regional distributor mark-up and game; and to buy a hybrid, I must play it.
Having previously been in sales management in the car business, I ask you who must put deposits down to use a credit card and get in writing the refundable nature of the deposit. It is a ticket for a dealer to add on many profitable surcharges to your deal.
I'm satisfied....
I test drove the V6 XLE and was very impressed with the driving dynamics and comfort. Way too fast a car for me - I'd just get traffic tickets! The 'auto-stick' tranny very impressive.
I also live in SET territory but work in CAT territory. Why let a local annoyance keep you from having what you want? If a particular doctor annoyed you wouldn't you just move to another one elsewhere?
You last paragraph was unclear. Why would anyone put a deposit on a vehicle unless all the terms were clear in advance?
Pack #1 = FE, HM ( 50 States and Heated Outside Mirrors) with CF= Carpeted Floor Mats............MSRP $26,709.00
Pack #2 = FE, HM, SR ( 50 States, Heated Outside Mirrors and Sun/Moon Roof) with CF, DK = Carpeted Floor Mats................................MSRP $27,649.00
Pack #3 = FE, LA, NV, SR, CQ ( 50 States, Leather Package, Voice Activated DVD Navigation System, Sun/Moon Roof, Comfort and Convenience Package) with CF = Carpeted Floor Mats..................................MSRP $30,589.00
Don't know how my dealer pulled it off getting it exactly the way I wanted: Blue Ribbon/Ash, Heated Mirrors, and Floormats...
I've seen alot of interest in Blue Ribbon lately on the boards, hope I didn't steal it from someone
Someone help me out on a projected delivery date for a KC region dealer. It says my ETA is PT0425.
What's ironic is that you state on another forum that you recommend buying only Japanese made Camry's since the US made ones are crap, but this hybrid version is made in Japan, now you say don't buy it. What gives?
Don't you have a Ford forum to lurk about in?
Thanks in advance
This dealer called today and had me come in. They actually have a car which is pretty much what I want but maybe with a couple of extra options (comfort & convenience package) ... It is the very first hybrid coming in. They are not keeping a waiting list.
Anyway to make a long story short, the price was 34K. When I asked what made this car worth 3000 more than what I had spec'd on the Toyota site, he kind of mumbled ... Then said it was the first one coming in.
Of course they never give you anything in writing so it is difficult for me to say how they were trying to justify the extra 3000 exactly.
Can dealers just charge anything they wan? Is there any recourse. Does Toyota care?
Yes
No unless you just walk out.
No
Now certain districts do try to police the local stores ( CAT for instance ) but GST and SET usually do not. Vote with your feet if it annoys you.
Here is the other side of the coin. Each store will get about 2 vehicles a month. That's it. If they have to cave in on all the sharpies and under-invoice buyers day after day on the higher volume vehicles they look to the Prius and TCH and FJ Cruiser to make money while the vehicles remain hot. It's the American way. You'd do the same if it was your house you were selling, right?
It soured me on this dealership and and to some effect on Totoyta. I'm not willing to pay above MSRP. There will be other cars, other incentives from congress etc.... I don't have to have a new car this year. It just seemed like a cool car to own.
I felt the same way when the dealers were gouging on the Prius II. I expected a higher level of "Green" from Toyota. After all there is no good reason for the hybrids other than using less resources in a cleaner manner. I do not consider the hybrids in the same light as the FJ Cruiser, Dodge Viper etc. The hybrids are supposedly for the common good. Toyota and many of their dealers have breached that goal. It would seem that a company that is interested in promoting a "Green" image would do all in their power to sell as many of the vehicles as possible to accomplish that end. Toyota has failed in my opinion. For them it is business as usual. All the lame excuses are not going to induce me see them differently.
The comment about selling a house at the highest price possible, is not the way all of us operate. I could have gotten $100k more for a home we just sold to a young couple that would not have qualified if we had not sold it for the lower price. So don't include everyone in the Toyota scheme of ripping the soul out of the hybrid sales.
1. Can I make the deposit refundable to me under any condition?
2. Should I get real specific on my preferences and sit tight for a few months?
3. Is it clear that I'm gonna have to accept SR, NAV and moonroof just to get leather, or will that change over time?
Thanks.
I know that you like to look for ways to 'skewer' hybrids for the least sidestep off your perceived 'path of righteousness', but it's just business nothing more. For many reasons not the least of which is that the individual stores are not at all controlled by Toyota the list prices are Suggested. Not Fixed.
What if... the Suggested price put out by Toyota and others on the vehicles is actually too low? The market will determine what is the correct price. It's how our system works. If Malibu's are Suggested to be at one price and no one buys them then that price has to be lowered and rebated. If FJ's are being snapped up by wealthy offroaders where $30K is of no consequence then $30,000 is too low and the price will be increased.
To your last comment, you are right behind Mother Theresa in line for sainthood for giving up $100,000 in the sale of your home to a needy couple. But it wasnt good business on your part. I am sure you sleep better for it though, well done.
1. Refundable under any condition? If you are serious about it and then back out because of buyer's remorse when the time comes then you might have to wait until 'your' reserved unit is sold to someone else.
2. I certainly would specify the vehicle as I want it withing the ordering parameter which are just being published now ( see prior posts ).
3. If all you want is leather then I'd suggest the base package and add leather aftermarket when the vehicle arrives. That way you don't have to pay for Navi, SR or heated seats. It'll cost you the same for the leather but you'll save about $2500 on the options you don't want.
BTW this deposit in advance process has been going on for many years on high-demand vehicles, most recently the Prius over the last 3 yrs. There are very few if any reports of people having problems.
Thanks.
You get a call from a dealer who says you will be part of their "VIP" program and you have a set appointment with a manager who will give you a "special" price. No dealing with sales people, straight to management. Furthermore, I was told all my information was on the computer already. No need to bring anything.
When I got there no one could find my name on any computer and the "special" price is 2000 to 3000 above MSRP. Give me a break!
Hell will freeze over before I pay 34,000 for a Camry!
My comment in reply to yours was that this practice has nothing to do with Toyota or any other local store it's just an individual store's policy, which may be annoying but it's not 'wrong'. I admit it does antagonize potential buyers in that local market. But other than the misleading part it's just doing business in a capitalistic market environment in every product.