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Why do people say it's easier to climb into? Both the Venza and the Highlander have the same 8 inch ground clearance and both have the high seating position, so how can the Venza be easier to get into?
I know lots of articles point to the design of the Venza's narrow rocker panel. When comparing it to truck-based SUVs in general (like the 4Runner), the ease of entry becomes abundantly clear. I would guess that it's a little less clear comparing the Venza to other car-based SUVs/CUVs, since even the Highlander is much easier to get into than the 4Runner.
The 4Runner's ground clearance is listed as 8.7 inches versus the Venza's 8.1 inches, so it has less to do with the raw figures for ground clearance. It would be interesting to measure how high the driver's seat is off the ground for both vehicles -- I'd bet it's much more than the 0.6 inch difference in ground clearance. If I have a chance, I'll measure it for my 4Runner.
Adjusted the driver's seat to the highest position, measured from the front of the seat to the ground: 33 inches.
Adjusted to the lowest position, measured from the front of the seat to the ground: 31 inches.
So, in comparison to the Venza; - 4Runner seat height: 33 to 31 inches - Venza seat height: 28 to 26 inches
Looking at the step in to the 4Runner, there are about 8 inches of rocker + running board from the left-most edge of the driver's seat to the edge of the running board. The running board is the first "obstacle," with two levels of the door sill. The upper part of the sill is level with the carpet.
From the carpet area (driver's side) to the outside edge is 5 inches with 3-1/2 inches being a large plastic area and 1-1/2 inches is metal with the words VENZA.
From the ground to entry point is just over 14 inches.
If you like GM cars though, you should google 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. This car even looks like the Venza and it looks like it has more room inside and gets better gas mileage. I would own an earlier model if it wasn't for the sloppy power steering. I really hope they improved on that. If they did, it will give the Venza a run for its money.
The Malibu Maxx is a nice car, but not even close to a Venza. You obviously haven't researched the Venza very much and I'm not sure why you would if you love your Malibu so much. The new Malibu is much nicer than the earlier version BTW.
I looked at a Venza at the dealer and was a little disappointed by the space in the rear cargo area.
A NEWBORN could have reached high school in the time — almost 14 years — it took Toyota to get the concept behind the 2009 Venza into dealerships. But Toyota customers seeking a fresh-feeling blend of style, comfort and practicality may find it was worth the wait.
It's been just over a month since we purchased our Venza and I thought I would share some thoughts.
We purchased it on December 5th and have had a lot of snow during the past month. We are very pleased with it. The seats are comfortable, the ride is smooth and the power is more than adequate (OK, you can never have too much power, but for everyday driving, it's really good).
The two things that frustrates me at times are:
(1) The limited use of the Nav Screen while driving. I'm referring to all Toyota and Lexus vehicles where many features are locked-out or blank when driving.
(2) Could have much better iPod integration that could be controlled from the steerring wheeling.
I looked at a Venza at the dealer and was a little disappointed by the space in the rear cargo area.
My thoughts precisely. If they wanted to provide Avalon-like rear-seat room they should've made Venza as long as Avalon. In fact, they should've made an Avalon Wagon with AWD and perhaps more ground clearance. I would buy that in a minute.
(1) Yes this blockage is intentional in all Toyota's. But that's why they gave you the voice command options to overcome that blockage. The voice commands are a lot easier IMO in this Gen 4 Navi installation.
I do like the voice commands and find they work extremely well, but what I was referring to, but didn't give a good example is when you receive a call, the phone number field is empty, unless you're stopped.
Although rather minor, I just wonder how they choose to leave some fields showing when driving and some field empty?
Sorry for the delay. I have been out of commission. Michaels Toyota. I contacted 6 or 7 dealers, all the way to So. Cal. At the time, most dealers were playing it close to the vest. I wanted a fully loaded Venza in one of two colors and when I found it I just went for it. No buyers remorse here. I am very happy. Good luck.
Thank you SO much for the update. We are very interested in this car and waiting for it to arrive in Canada. How has it performed in the snow? Good AWD system? Do you feel safe and secure in it? The other car we are considering is the Forester for its excellent AWD system, however, we believe the Venza is more upscale. As long as the Venza is good in the snow, we'll be happy! Please let us know if it does well on wintry roads. Thanks alot!
We got over 38 inches of snow during the month of December so I have had an opportunity to see how it performed in the snow. I was very impressed. The AWD system along with VSC and Traction Control work great. We had over 11 inches of snow on December 19th (many businesses and all schools were closed) and it made it through the unplowed streets with no problems!
With all the safety features and airbags, I do feel very safe.
The seats do not fold completely flat, there is a slight hump between the seats and the rear cargo area when the seats are down, but you would have absolutely no problems when loading longs objects. Hope this helps!
My understanding is that they are following guidelines published by JAMA (www.jama.org) which dictate how much and what kind of info can be displayed while driving.
Just test drove a Venza V6 AWD which was really new and had only 16 Km on it. Felt that the engine was bit lagging and not very responsive when I pedalled, and it was not as quiet as a 2009 Highlander I test drove a few weeks back. Any ideas ? Is it because the engine has not been "break-in"ed or the design of the overall tranny of Venza is not as good as the HL because they should be the same engine ? Is it because of the electric power steering that is new to the Venza that makes the feel different? Any one has similar experience ?
Also found there is no SNOW mode or Downhill Assist buttons as found in HL. I know those are really useful in snow and ice road conditions. Seems like Venza handles that automatically and does not leave much manual control to the driver. Any comments on pros and cons about that ?
A reporter from a large finance magazine is looking to speak to Toyota Venza owners. If you are interested in speaking with the reporter, please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information by Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
No, the 19" wheels are exclusive to the 4 cyl and vice versa. Also, we are now being told here in Auburn, WA that 4 cyl will not be arriving until April/May. Not sure what the hold up is, no explanation from my sales mgr.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the "angry" Toyota grille. Other than that, the rest is pure Toyota. Not exciting, but gets the job done.
Will it sell? Probably. In great numbers? Probably not. Does Toyota REALLY need this in their line-up? I don't think so. How about a Scion version of this instead of putting a Toyota badge on it?
Maybe someone with an Xb would like mid-size cross-over with a bit more flair. This could be the Scion Xv!!
It appears to be a Camry wagon, but they don't want to call it that because nobody will buy it if they do. Call it a crossover and slap a healthy dose advertising on it, and shazam, it sells like hotcakes!
A station wagon come on ? This is indeed a crossover and you dont need good advertising toyota's sell because there reliable. As for the Venza how many station wagons you know have all wheel drive or 8 inches of clearence, with the inside almost as nice as the Lexus with some really nice standard equipment. Toyota needs no help there great. Also the car is gorgeous.
A couple friends called it a station wagon when I first got the Venza, but after driving in it, there opinion sure changed. I really don't care what people want to call it, my wife and I really love it!
It's a great, reliable vehicle that drives like a car, has the room of an SUV and just loves the snow!
Hey macpro, did you install dedicated winter tires or are you still on OEM tires? Every Venza I've seen came with Goodyear RS-As and they aren't rated too highly on snow-covered and wet roads (per tirerack surveys), so if the Venza handles well in snow with the RS-As, that's pretty impressive! :surprise:
OK, so it's a Camry wagon with AWD and a little more ground clearance than a Camry sedan. That makes it a crossover just like a Subaru Outback is a crossover.
I have the OEM tires (Goodyear Eagle RS-A 245/50R20 HIgh Performance All-Season).
We've had over 50 inches of snow since we purchased our Venza and the tires are working just fine. I'm sure Bridgestone Blizzak would be better in the snow, but I don't see the need to change.
This is the first Toyota (full disclosure: my wife and I have owned Lexus vehicles the last 10 years) and are very happy with it.
I'm in one of the flyovers that you rarely consider on these kinds of blogs. You know, where stuff costs lots less and we can breathe our air. Anyway, I'm on the call list for the Venza at the largest Toyota dealership in the metro (no laughing) and I drove the second one on their lot. The first on was sold before I could get there.
My take on availability is that Toyota may be protecting a design they feel is valuable. I noticed the complete lack of advertising and believe it's related to the deflated auto industry. Do any of you think Toyota just may be concerned that a really good design/vehicle could be lost in a sinking idustry? It occurred to me that it might be in their interest to sell a few on word of mouth here and there and then really show-boat the thing when things start to turn around a little.
We did look at the RX, but it didn't offer Keyless entry and it seemed to us Toyota put a lot of work into making the Venza easy to enter / exit, drives like a car (not the typical body roll of an SUV). It's hard to elaborate right now, but when comparing the two, it was an easy decision for us.
I really didn't like the redesigned RX 2010 (mostly the interior). Price was also a concern for the first time in years.
Not sure I follow your post. Flyovers? metro-where?
Anyway on availability, there were some good posts a few pages back on it. The last Venza produced was on 12/17 and then the line was shut down. Not sure if production is back up, maybe someone here can comment. They only produced 6300 Venzas in Nov/Dec. So there are basically none available I would say. I'm glad their not advertising a vehicle that is not available. Why spend marketing money when they can sell the few they have now? Maybe they are waiting for the 4 cyl model sometime in the spring (Apr?) to promote which is what the majority of buyers want I think.
I think the reason for lack of promotion is that the full product line is not ready for the public. In the product presentations by Toyota they said that initially they thought that it might be more like an Avalon wagon with buyers opting for the V6 and high end amenities. Well it turned out that their market investigations found that buyers were more interested in the standard model and the new 2.7L I4.
Cost cost cost. In this environment that makes sense.
However the I4 won't be ready to ship until next month. In the meanwhile the stores are getting one per month, all V6's and almost all loaded. There's really no reason to spend a lot of advertising money to bring custmers into the store simply to get brochures. I'd expect that in February when there is more supply that more promotions might be seen.
However...the Venza will never be a high volume item at most stores. The expectation is that at tops they will sell 75000 units. There are 1250 dealerships in the US so each store on average should get 30 per year!!! Thus each should have in stock 2-3 per month. However big stores will have 4-5 and even like Longo Toyota a many as 20-30. That means that the normal local store for most markets will have 1 or 2 .... or none.
I'm interested in a Venza that has an MSRP of $38,526. I'm no professional at price haggling and I've read through some of the messages posted here, so I'm wondering how much I should be asking for.. 33k, 34k? 35?
I configured the same Venza (loaded, no rear DVD entertainment system, but instead with the dual sunroofs) on Cars.com and the MSRP through them is pretty close, listed at $38,175. The estimated invoice listed by Cars.com is $33,630.
Considering the actual MSRP of the one I'm looking at and the estimated MSRP of the one I configured on cars.com are close to each other, is the invoice on cars.com a good number to go by? I'm thinking I should be able to purchase the Venza for around $34.5k. For what it's worth, I have no trade in & I'd be putting $3k down.
I ordered one yesterday. Loaded, everything except the sun roofs and rear DVD system- basically the LX package with a few 'port add-ons'. That apparently means stuff that can be slapped on at the dealership....
Anyway, I locked them down to a cash price of $33,500. Maybe its because I'm paying cash, dunno, but two dealers in south Louisiana got down that low; the other two made offers of 37.5 and 35.5 respectively.
There is a high level of interest in the Venza down here; I went to four different dealerships yesteday, and had to wait in line to have a close look. Mainly tire-kickers, though; one woman in particular who was a ROYAL PITA, and seemed to follow me from dealer to dealer. I couldn't do that job.
Anyway, the sales folks seemed gratified to be dealing with a serious buyer.
Are there any other forums on this car? I don't relish the thought of plowing through 500+ posts...
There's eleven Venza discussions here (so far). How much plowing are you looking to do?
In this market, any buyer is welcome. Cash doesn't talk so loudly any more and some dealers actually prefer financing, since if they can handle the financing, they'll get a bit of profit off of that transaction.
If you order a car from the factory, then you should ask for the holdback to come off the purchase price, since the dealer won't have to pay any interest on the car while it sits around the lot.
Holdback on a Toyota is 2% of the base MSRP. (Except in a few southern states, but not in Louisiana.)
I think port options are usually added at the port of entry. Dealers do add a lot of stuff too, and their add-ons will be covered by the manufacturer warranty.
Enjoy the new ride - anticipation is half the fun.
Wow thanks for the info. Last year I was interested in an Infiniti EX35, but got turned off by reports of general Infiniti reliability (who knows, all cars break down at some point) and lack of leg room, storage, etc. Anyway, Dealer at the time said that whether I paid cash or not made no difference on the price and that it was a common misconception.
So who knows. I've sent out requests for quotes saying I'm willing to pay $34k before TTL, we'll see.
OK from a seller's perspective. Let's say that you were in business. You build a brand new product. After all your efforts to think it up, design it and build it you prep it and put it on the shelf. It costs you $14 to do all this. You have it priced on the shelf @ $17.95. You have one on the shelf and one being built. A lot of people have looked at the one on the shelf.
A serious buyer calls and says 'I'll take it off your hands at $13.' Do you take him up on the offer?
So strip out the metaphorically laden, useless information that screams you feel like being an overly informed elitist (read: jerk) and you're telling me I should call if I'm serious. Got it. 3 lines of text for the win.
Let me start by saying I paid just over $35,000 back on December 5, only 2 days after the first ones arrived in the area. I knew if I waited, I might have saved more, but I was willing to pay $35,000 for this vehicle (MSRP was $38,444.00). After having our Venza for over 6 weeks I feel we got a great deal!
If someone else offers a dealer $34,000 and the dealer agrees to sell it for that amount, then I'm not sure where the problem is?
That's my stance on it. What's going to happen, really, the dealer laughs his way to the reply button as he's sending a message back to me? Maybe he calls me and holds back the giggles? Ok, no problem. I'm a rookie at this. Maybe I get lucky and someone bites, that'd be a nice surprise.
It's 2009, the Web is what it is and sales happen in all amounts, mediums and have been for quite a while. If dealers don't want to give people the ability to make true offers or request quotes on a car, don't make that functionality available in the first place. I gave them my contact information & said I'd be interested in buying within a week if the numbers are good.
So you got it for just over 35k? That's a real good price given the MSRP. Between your price & LSP972's information (on page 26 of this thread) and everyone else's I've read, I'm starting to get a better feel for a range I should be shooting for. Thank you!
I may be wrong, but I didn't think that JAMA could dictate what could be displayed. On my 2005 Acura, I have full functionality of all nav. and phone features both with voice commands, and manual input, while stopped and also while driving. To my knowledge, the new Acura's still retain these features. It is extremely frustrating to have the manufacturer decide that I (or my passenger) can't program the nav. while I'm driving. If aftermarket nav. units can be programmed while driving, why can't a factory installed $1000 to $1500 option also be programmed (while driving)???
MSRP of boomdude's Venza is $38.5K, estimated invoice is $33.6K, and the offer is $34K. I'm not sure what you're implying, as you're answering the question with another question, but I think $34K is a fair offer.
Then again, it doesn't matter what any of us here thinks; only the dealer can make that decision. It's a new vehicle with a lot of shelf life left (as opposed to a 2008 that's already "stale"), so I wouldn't be that surprised if the dealer counters with a higher offer.
In fact, I'd be very afraid if a dealer eagerly accepted my first offer without a counter-offer.
I'll check out the "Prices Paid" forums closer. I initially posted here because it looked like there was more activity.
My Dad & best bud's Dad have both told me to stick to my guns on the offer, I expect there will be a counter, I'd be surprised if there wasn't as well.
Perhaps tomorrow afternoon I'll call the ones I sent requests out to. Biggest problem I have is I live in a college town where the major dealerships are about an hour and a half away so strolling up to a dealership gets tedious when there's a chance nothing will be decided and I have to work until 5PM.
Good to see that no one's said $34k is a completely absurd offer so far.
Numerous pages back, there was some conjecture regarding the flexibility of the available packages; as in, not much.
While not exactly correct, there is some truth in this. One major annoyance I had to swallow yesterday was the fact that you MUST pay for the 13-speaker whiz-bang/jump-back JBL stereo/speaker system if you want the GPS unit. As someone who hardly ever listens to anything music-related while driving, this is an expense I could have done without.
I also had to pay for seat warmers, windshield wiper de-incing, and defrostable/foldable side mirrors; three all-but-useless items in this sub-tropical climate. But it was that, or lose a few other goodies I DID need/want.
We're not talking about deal-breakers here; but it was aggravating.
Without wasting much more bandwidth, the villain here is the way they build them, apparently. I could indeed have gotten it EXACTLY the way I wanted; along with the panoramic sun roof option. Can you say greehhouse effect in the brutal sun/humidity of high summer here? No thanks.
Bottom line; budget-conscious folks will be advised to wait for the four-banger, which may have a better selection of what you can and cannot have together. I am by no means a wealthy man, but I have a healthy D.R.O.P. account just sitting there, and this vehicle appeals to me big-time. So I bit the bullet and got lucky on the final offer.
I did NOT want an SUV, period. But I need enough room to tote my quarter-scale radio-control aerobatic airplane (sans wings, of course), which is 71 inches long and 21 inches tall at the rudder post. And I most assuredly did not want a soccer-mom special (van).
I was looking at VW wagons when I saw a Venza... a cursory exam and test-drive later, and that was that.
I've been driving the same 1998 S-10 since it was new, and a variety of US-made police cars; along with the wife's 2002 Solara. This Venza is sorta like being born again, in the driving/handling department. Oh, the Solara is a very sporty little ride; but I rarely get behind its wheel.
I'm like a kid the week before Xmas. The dealer said about a month; apparently the line just got cranked back up, as he selected my ride from some being built right now.
In my area (Hawaii), there are a total of five option combinations for a 2WD Venza V6. Two of those combinations account for the optional Blizzard Pearl paint, so there are really only three combinations: A. Convenience Package, Security Package B. Premium Package #1, JBL Audio C. Premium Package #1, JBL Audio, moonroof
Not much choice, as you can tell. Navigation is not an option on any Toyota in Hawaii. If you want AWD, there is only one package (most Venzas in Hawaii will be FWD).
I'm looking at the second package (B), which is pretty close to the configuration I'd want if I built one to order. I would've liked to have had the option of the heated seats (anything colder than 60 degrees is freezing for us ), but can see why they wouldn't bring it in here.
I've mentioned this upthread, but I still prefer Toyota's approach to Honda's, where there are no (or very few) options. For example, with many of Honda's trim levels, the EX level comes with a moonroof (or if you want leather, it comes with a moonroof).
While Toyota's distributors will force the same combinations (and it all varies by region), there remains a chance that the distributor will bring in the options you want.
Comments
I know lots of articles point to the design of the Venza's narrow rocker panel. When comparing it to truck-based SUVs in general (like the 4Runner), the ease of entry becomes abundantly clear. I would guess that it's a little less clear comparing the Venza to other car-based SUVs/CUVs, since even the Highlander is much easier to get into than the 4Runner.
The 4Runner's ground clearance is listed as 8.7 inches versus the Venza's 8.1 inches, so it has less to do with the raw figures for ground clearance. It would be interesting to measure how high the driver's seat is off the ground for both vehicles -- I'd bet it's much more than the 0.6 inch difference in ground clearance. If I have a chance, I'll measure it for my 4Runner.
I adjusted my driver seat to the highest position, then measured from the front of the seat to the ground. It measured 28 inches.
Then I adjusted my driver seat to the lowest position, then measured from the front of the seat to the ground. It measured 26 inches.
To summarize, seat height varies from 28 inches to 26 inches depending on seat adjustment.
Adjusted the driver's seat to the highest position, measured from the front of the seat to the ground: 33 inches.
Adjusted to the lowest position, measured from the front of the seat to the ground: 31 inches.
So, in comparison to the Venza;
- 4Runner seat height: 33 to 31 inches
- Venza seat height: 28 to 26 inches
Looking at the step in to the 4Runner, there are about 8 inches of rocker + running board from the left-most edge of the driver's seat to the edge of the running board. The running board is the first "obstacle," with two levels of the door sill. The upper part of the sill is level with the carpet.
From the ground to entry point is just over 14 inches.
The Malibu Maxx is a nice car, but not even close to a Venza. You obviously haven't researched the Venza very much and I'm not sure why you would if you love your Malibu so much. The new Malibu is much nicer than the earlier version BTW.
I looked at a Venza at the dealer and was a little disappointed by the space in the rear cargo area.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/automobiles/autoreviews/04AUTO.html?_r=1
We purchased it on December 5th and have had a lot of snow during the past month. We are very pleased with it. The seats are comfortable, the ride is smooth and the power is more than adequate (OK, you can never have too much power, but for everyday driving, it's really good).
The two things that frustrates me at times are:
(1) The limited use of the Nav Screen while driving. I'm referring to all Toyota and Lexus vehicles where many features are locked-out or blank when driving.
(2) Could have much better iPod integration that could be controlled from the steerring wheeling.
Other than that, it's been great!
My thoughts precisely. If they wanted to provide Avalon-like rear-seat room they should've made Venza as long as Avalon. In fact, they should've made an Avalon Wagon with AWD and perhaps more ground clearance. I would buy that in a minute.
Although rather minor, I just wonder how they choose to leave some fields showing when driving and some field empty?
How has it performed in the snow? Good AWD system? Do you feel safe and secure in it?
The other car we are considering is the Forester for its excellent AWD system, however, we believe the Venza is more upscale. As long as the Venza is good in the snow, we'll be happy!
Please let us know if it does well on wintry roads.
Thanks alot!
Thanks
With all the safety features and airbags, I do feel very safe.
Also found there is no SNOW mode or Downhill Assist buttons as found in HL. I know those are really useful in snow and ice road conditions. Seems like Venza handles that automatically and does not leave much manual control to the driver. Any comments on pros and cons about that ?
Will it sell? Probably. In great numbers? Probably not. Does Toyota REALLY need this in their line-up? I don't think so. How about a Scion version of this instead of putting a Toyota badge on it?
Maybe someone with an Xb would like mid-size cross-over with a bit more flair. This could be the Scion Xv!!
It's a great, reliable vehicle that drives like a car, has the room of an SUV and just loves the snow!
We've had over 50 inches of snow since we purchased our Venza and the tires are working just fine. I'm sure Bridgestone Blizzak would be better in the snow, but I don't see the need to change.
This is the first Toyota (full disclosure: my wife and I have owned Lexus vehicles the last 10 years) and are very happy with it.
My take on availability is that Toyota may be protecting a design they feel is valuable. I noticed the complete lack of advertising and believe it's related to the deflated auto industry. Do any of you think Toyota just may be concerned that a really good design/vehicle could be lost in a sinking idustry? It occurred to me that it might be in their interest to sell a few on word of mouth here and there and then really show-boat the thing when things start to turn around a little.
Perhaps?
I really didn't like the redesigned RX 2010 (mostly the interior). Price was also a concern for the first time in years.
Anyway on availability, there were some good posts a few pages back on it. The last Venza produced was on 12/17 and then the line was shut down. Not sure if production is back up, maybe someone here can comment. They only produced 6300 Venzas in Nov/Dec. So there are basically none available I would say.
I'm glad their not advertising a vehicle that is not available. Why spend marketing money when they can sell the few they have now? Maybe they are waiting for the 4 cyl model sometime in the spring (Apr?) to promote which is what the majority of buyers want I think.
Cost cost cost. In this environment that makes sense.
However the I4 won't be ready to ship until next month. In the meanwhile the stores are getting one per month, all V6's and almost all loaded. There's really no reason to spend a lot of advertising money to bring custmers into the store simply to get brochures. I'd expect that in February when there is more supply that more promotions might be seen.
However...the Venza will never be a high volume item at most stores. The expectation is that at tops they will sell 75000 units. There are 1250 dealerships in the US so each store on average should get 30 per year!!! Thus each should have in stock 2-3 per month. However big stores will have 4-5 and even like Longo Toyota a many as 20-30. That means that the normal local store for most markets will have 1 or 2 .... or none.
I configured the same Venza (loaded, no rear DVD entertainment system, but instead with the dual sunroofs) on Cars.com and the MSRP through them is pretty close, listed at $38,175. The estimated invoice listed by Cars.com is $33,630.
Considering the actual MSRP of the one I'm looking at and the estimated MSRP of the one I configured on cars.com are close to each other, is the invoice on cars.com a good number to go by? I'm thinking I should be able to purchase the Venza for around $34.5k. For what it's worth, I have no trade in & I'd be putting $3k down.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Anyway, I locked them down to a cash price of $33,500. Maybe its because I'm paying cash, dunno, but two dealers in south Louisiana got down that low; the other two made offers of 37.5 and 35.5 respectively.
There is a high level of interest in the Venza down here; I went to four different dealerships yesteday, and had to wait in line to have a close look. Mainly tire-kickers, though; one woman in particular who was a ROYAL PITA, and seemed to follow me from dealer to dealer. I couldn't do that job.
Anyway, the sales folks seemed gratified to be dealing with a serious buyer.
Are there any other forums on this car? I don't relish the thought of plowing through 500+ posts...
In this market, any buyer is welcome. Cash doesn't talk so loudly any more and some dealers actually prefer financing, since if they can handle the financing, they'll get a bit of profit off of that transaction.
If you order a car from the factory, then you should ask for the holdback to come off the purchase price, since the dealer won't have to pay any interest on the car while it sits around the lot.
Holdback on a Toyota is 2% of the base MSRP. (Except in a few southern states, but not in Louisiana.)
I think port options are usually added at the port of entry. Dealers do add a lot of stuff too, and their add-ons will be covered by the manufacturer warranty.
Enjoy the new ride - anticipation is half the fun.
So who knows. I've sent out requests for quotes saying I'm willing to pay $34k before TTL, we'll see.
A serious buyer calls and says 'I'll take it off your hands at $13.' Do you take him up on the offer?
There's the answer to your email.
If someone else offers a dealer $34,000 and the dealer agrees to sell it for that amount, then I'm not sure where the problem is?
It's 2009, the Web is what it is and sales happen in all amounts, mediums and have been for quite a while. If dealers don't want to give people the ability to make true offers or request quotes on a car, don't make that functionality available in the first place. I gave them my contact information & said I'd be interested in buying within a week if the numbers are good.
So you got it for just over 35k? That's a real good price given the MSRP. Between your price & LSP972's information (on page 26 of this thread) and everyone else's I've read, I'm starting to get a better feel for a range I should be shooting for. Thank you!
Then again, it doesn't matter what any of us here thinks; only the dealer can make that decision. It's a new vehicle with a lot of shelf life left (as opposed to a 2008 that's already "stale"), so I wouldn't be that surprised if the dealer counters with a higher offer.
In fact, I'd be very afraid if a dealer eagerly accepted my first offer without a counter-offer.
Perhaps... but I want it NOW!
My Dad & best bud's Dad have both told me to stick to my guns on the offer, I expect there will be a counter, I'd be surprised if there wasn't as well.
Perhaps tomorrow afternoon I'll call the ones I sent requests out to. Biggest problem I have is I live in a college town where the major dealerships are about an hour and a half away so strolling up to a dealership gets tedious when there's a chance nothing will be decided and I have to work until 5PM.
Good to see that no one's said $34k is a completely absurd offer so far.
While not exactly correct, there is some truth in this. One major annoyance I had to swallow yesterday was the fact that you MUST pay for the 13-speaker whiz-bang/jump-back JBL stereo/speaker system if you want the GPS unit. As someone who hardly ever listens to anything music-related while driving, this is an expense I could have done without.
I also had to pay for seat warmers, windshield wiper de-incing, and defrostable/foldable side mirrors; three all-but-useless items in this sub-tropical climate. But it was that, or lose a few other goodies I DID need/want.
We're not talking about deal-breakers here; but it was aggravating.
Without wasting much more bandwidth, the villain here is the way they build them, apparently. I could indeed have gotten it EXACTLY the way I wanted; along with the panoramic sun roof option. Can you say greehhouse effect in the brutal sun/humidity of high summer here? No thanks.
Bottom line; budget-conscious folks will be advised to wait for the four-banger, which may have a better selection of what you can and cannot have together. I am by no means a wealthy man, but I have a healthy D.R.O.P. account just sitting there, and this vehicle appeals to me big-time. So I bit the bullet and got lucky on the final offer.
I did NOT want an SUV, period. But I need enough room to tote my quarter-scale radio-control aerobatic airplane (sans wings, of course), which is 71 inches long and 21 inches tall at the rudder post. And I most assuredly did not want a soccer-mom special (van).
I was looking at VW wagons when I saw a Venza... a cursory exam and test-drive later, and that was that.
I've been driving the same 1998 S-10 since it was new, and a variety of US-made police cars; along with the wife's 2002 Solara. This Venza is sorta like being born again, in the driving/handling department. Oh, the Solara is a very sporty little ride; but I rarely get behind its wheel.
I'm like a kid the week before Xmas. The dealer said about a month; apparently the line just got cranked back up, as he selected my ride from some being built right now.
Stay tuned...
A. Convenience Package, Security Package
B. Premium Package #1, JBL Audio
C. Premium Package #1, JBL Audio, moonroof
Not much choice, as you can tell. Navigation is not an option on any Toyota in Hawaii. If you want AWD, there is only one package (most Venzas in Hawaii will be FWD).
I'm looking at the second package (B), which is pretty close to the configuration I'd want if I built one to order. I would've liked to have had the option of the heated seats (anything colder than 60 degrees is freezing for us
I've mentioned this upthread, but I still prefer Toyota's approach to Honda's, where there are no (or very few) options. For example, with many of Honda's trim levels, the EX level comes with a moonroof (or if you want leather, it comes with a moonroof).
While Toyota's distributors will force the same combinations (and it all varies by region), there remains a chance that the distributor will bring in the options you want.