2013 and Earlier - Toyota Sienna Prices Paid and Buying Experience

camvan

could someone tell me a dealer i could contact in la,tx,miss,ala, ect who will work a deal without all the so called dealer fees that jackup the price.

sherryj1

Well, we went down and picked up the van at $100 over invoice tonight. Took the kids for a spin in the van and they loved it!

Again, thanks for all the advice. It does pay to do your homework. If all possible, deal with fleet managers. I went through autobytel.com for the fleet manager I used. He was great!

buycar5

I read that the Toyo guard is a rubberized film that they spray onto the inside of the tire rims to help with corrosion?!?
I am currently playing the e-mail game with 10 dealers in Eastern NC. I think as someone above said, you do the best for where you live. I don't have the opportunity to go to Milwaukee to but a car without all the costs. So as long as I get the best convenient deal I will try to be happy, then stop reading this string so I don't get depressed reading all the low prices!
Some of these extra fees are clearly negotiable between different dealers, just based on the prices that are coming back to me. My question though, is all the people that are quoting "100" above invoice, is that the consumer reports, KBB,Edmunds invoice minus the holdback, or the dealer telling you what invoice is and saying "100" over? I've had a few dealers use their own "cost" figure as invoice, which includes some of those bogus Toyota fees(advertising, Toyo guard etc). So when they tell me 2% over invoice, they really mean 5-6% over what I know as invoice!

ewesson

Your price is good but not as good as I got on an initial bid from Longo Toyota in Los Angeles. Regrettably I live in the bay area so it didn't make economic sense to go to LA to buy a car.

If there's one lesson I've learned from this board it's: FORGET ABOUT THE INVOICE! The first step is to forget about the MSRP as a reference, the second step is to forget about the invoice as the reference. The dealers know everybody knows about invoice, so they play all kinds of games with the invoice price. Never lose sight of the fact that the invoice is already padded by 2% holdback, not counting Toyo Guard, "dealer installation costs", "holdback" and so on ad nauseum.

Only use discussion of the invoice price to communicate that you're not a hopelessly dumb buyer. After that, the reference price is NOT the invoice price, but rather is the lowest bid you've gotten so far. You MUST make the dealers compete with each other! Only then do you know you've gone as far as you can go.

ewesson

I have no idea what is real on the invoice. I believe the Toyota advertising may be real -- a real, invoiced charge paid by the dealers to Toyota Inc. -- but what cracks me up is the dealers claiming "holdback" on the invoice. So if I get this straight, they're trying to charge me for their cost of capital, when Toyota is already crediting them 2% of invoice for it! Tricky tricky tricky!

The toyota advertising cost may vary by region, too. That may help explain regional differences. It also may vary by dealer, with higher volume dealers getting less charge per car.

If the Toyota advertising is not real, the dealer is making $1400 gross profit on my deal. If it is real, the dealer is making $1000 gross profit. Either way, not a bad way to make a living.

As I noted in other messages, you'll drive yourself nutto worrying about what the dealer's profit is. Just make 'em compete and quit worrying about it.

By the way, if you try walking out in order to push the price lower, please let me know how well that works. I am not going to try that but am very curious whether it would have worked.

And if anybody's interested, I built a dealer profit spreadsheet model to compare the quotes. Email me at ericwesson@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you.

veehb

FYI - Below is summary of my experience trying to get a good deal on Sienna LE in Atlanta area.

Sent out 10 email requests for out the door pricing using format from previous posting. Basically, I listed invoice info for Sienna LE, Options TO, UN. Gave color pref Sailfin Blue and interior Gray Cloth. Tax rate for Rockdale County is 6%.

Rec'd answers from all dealers. Best quote from Heyward Allen in Athens, GA. Quote was $24,942 OTD. Decided this was very competitive and did not want to dicker back and forth with other dealers after they initially came in with higher quotes. Probably could have got matching or slightly better - but my loyalty was with the guy providing the first quote back that made sense.

Internet Sales Mgr has been very helpful and hopefully will stick to quote when I go to pick up. I will be really surprised if this isn't the case. Vehicle has been delayed from factory - so Heyward Allen Toyota has offered a loaner Sienna for trip next week if my vehicle is not in by that time.

I figure this is somewhere around $490 over invoice depending on how you figure it.

Hope this helps someone.

tzs

Thanks for the input, also had posted in Sienna Minivan and there was a response (#388). Sadly, it appears to be some type of corrosion protection etc. that some dealers in the South East are getting away with. Isn't this the kind of thing that's not supposed to be necessary? There's quite a bit of info in the posting. Check it out yourself. RE: invoice, we've always used Edmunds numbers, then they can't confuse you. But feel free to dicker, even after a quote. We dealt with one dealer where the salesmanager's quote price was $400.00 below his salesman. Due to other contacts, we ended up dealing with both and where surprised this would happen.

nomoregames

I am so disgusted with the whole car buying process. It seems as though I need to wear boots every time I visit a dealership...the BS is so deep.



I have done a lot of research, thought I had a decent deal by NY standards (1000 over invoice). Told the guy we shouldn't have to pay 430 advertising fee. He made the mistake of telling me to look on Edmund's website to prove that we had to pay this. We found the section in Edmund's which said we SHOULD NOT pay this! Went to the dealership today to pick up the van (or so we thought). We showed these guys the article. They kept saying there was nothing they could do about it. Finally, they knocked off $200 from the price of the car, but a short time later informed us that the labor cost on the dealer-installed center console and rear bumper protector would be (surprise!) just about $200. In addition to that, when I inspected the car, the driver's armrest was broken. The sales manager tried to prove to me that it wasn't...it was merely the way I had the seat tilted (do they think everyone is an idiot?) I told him I had test driven these vans twice and sat in a couple of others. After safety, comfort is my top priority (which is why we didn't go with a windstar or odyssey...odyssey dealers are a piece of work too but we won't go there). Anyway, I know my armrests. They said they didn't have anyone available to take a look at the armrest (despite the fact that there were service people around...again, we must all be idiots). So, with our check and insurance, out the door we went. They will contact us Monday to let us know what the story is with the armrest. Don't you think that nothing should have to be fixed in a new car???



Anyway, what i did was email a few dealers telling them exactly what I want...base price and options at invoice plus 3% profit (they can now forget about getting a grand from me) plus tax plus destination plus document fee, title, registration. I don't want to give them their advertising fee either.



Does anybody have anything positive to say about NY dealers? Has anyone been successful in paying the 3% profit and no advertising fee in NY?



Thanks for your input...This is a great website. I have learned a lot from everyone's comments.

gb9

nomoregames: I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you. Please post again if you do find a dealer who is willing to be fair. I'm on Long Island.

Good Luck

coolicon

Does anyone know if the Sinenna has pop-out windows in the MIDDLE. Not on the back, but for the sliding doors??

Thanks Ed

lamm9733

No, pop out or roll down windows in the sliding doors. Mazda is the only one I am aware with this feature.

nuclear77

Hi I am new to this board. I was wondering how likely it would be to pay invoice on the van and any options extra you would like. I read one person used autobytel.com. Has anyone ever heard of www.fightingchance.com I guess I was wondering if allot of these sites are all basically the same. I am leaning toward the Sienna. The last new car I bought was a 97 Nissan Sentra and I went through a car buying club called MVCP. So I am not real experienced at dealing with the salesman. I have read allot of ways to deal with them, but am still hesitant about the whole thing. I just want to get the best deal possible like everyone else. Those that communicate with the dealership through email, do you find that you can get your best deal that way, opposed dealing face to face. Well if anyone has any advice please let me know. I live in the Ft-Walton Beach Area in Florida. If anyone has any good buying experience around the Panhandle please let me know. Thank You. Scott

tzs

We're in WI but come to Destin every year, beautiful area, in fact, that's the main reason we're buying our first mini-van. I don't know of the website you mention, but if you read thru all these posting, the back ones too, and other boards in Edmunds such as Sienna Minivans, you'll do just fine. There's lots of good advice from people who've gone thru it just like you. Good Luck

ralpi

Has anyone ordered the Michelin X-One tire upgrade? I have seen this listed on another site as a $450 or $470 option (5 tires). Not crazy about Firestones that come standard. May be purchasing this weekend, any feedback would be appreciated.

kenosha9

Just purchased Sienna LE with Extra Value Package, Upgrade #2, Center Console Box, Receiver Hitch and Bumper Protector last week. Closed deal with a purchase price of 24,200 excluding TTL.This site was very informative on negotiating a price with the dealer, thanks to everyone. Would like to know how this price compares to what others have experienced with various dealerships ? I've noticed that Wisconsin prices are very competitive with the rest of the country !!

outnumberedby2

I have found a Sienna CE (I want a middle bench seat) on a lot in a color I like with a few more options than I want, but want some thoughts on the price. I started with:
base price 20602

outnumberedby2

sorry, I am new at this.
base price 20602
added HV 847
GT 235
P1 140
K1 89
SK 80
A8 420
Cd changer 400 (guestimate)
overhead TV 980 (guestimate)
+3%
+ 495 transportation
and cme up with right at 25,000. The dealer countered with 25,680. what do you think? Good or not.

nomoregames

gb9: I finally think i found a dealership that I can do business with. It's the Toyota in Greenwich. I found them through carpoint.com. I emailed them what I wanted. They responded very quickly. We emailed back and forth a few times to negotiate price, see when the van would be in, etc. They gave me the absolute lowest price, and believe me, it ain't cheap! So, since you're on LI, maybe it wouldn't be too far for you. Good Luck!







Nuclear77: I haven't heard of the website you mention, but I did try Autobytel.com and found their prices a few hundred dollars higher than the dealer I am going to purchase from. As far as negotiating online vs. at the dealership, I've done both and I can tell you that when you go into the dealership, it is a colossal waste of time if you've already seen and test driven the van and know what you want. If you are ready to buy, try autobytel, carpoint, carorder, etc. to see what prices you get and what dealers are out there Then move on to emailing the dealers. You will not be in a position where you're sitting there at their mercy while they go "talk to their manager" or tell you they'll "be right back" Instead of feeling pressured by them to respond, you can just send an email telling them you'll get back to them. Once they send you a price, you will have more time to evaluate it before accepting it or negotiating further. Hope this helps. Good luck!

morrisnj

I am currently looking for an LE with UN and SK only. I called four dealers:
#1. quoted me $26300 including 6% sales tax and lic & doc fee.

#2 and 3 both quoted me $26000 Out-the-door with #3 specifying the TO option as well stating that they are "all" coming in with that option!

These numbers are a far cry from what other people seem to be getting elsewhere!

If you start to talk about invoice the dealers always seem to have a way to overcome the argument; and who really knows what the truth is? These prices represent 4-5% profit for the dealer excluding hold back and dealer advertising!

jrh34

I appreciate the dialog - discussion that is going on here....I have found it very helpful!

I am currently pricing a XLE here in Oklahoma (Tulsa to be more specific) and the dealer has given me a listing of options and their associated cost(s).....by the way these options are at the MSRP instead of at invoice. I have been able to determine the "invoice" price on all the option listed except code D8 - the extra mile option package D. the price listed (which is obviously the MSRP is $1733.00. Can any one out there tell me what the invoice price is for this feature....so that I can accurately figure my offer??? Any assistance is greatly appreciated! Thanks for your help in advance!

Jack

morrisnj

Please tell me the name of the salesperson you dealt with as well as your out-the-door price including tax license and documentation fees.

Thank You.

coolicon

Hi, I'm working with a guy Andy who's off of Rt80, the deal should be closed by this Sat, and I'm looking to pick up the LE for 3% over invoice.
I'll provide more info, one the deal is closed ;-)

iwbr99

Does any one know when the 2001 models will be out? any good dealers in the LA area? read one post that said Longo was good.

Thanx

jane25

Drove 25 miles across town, which is a long way in the Twin Cities, to sign a purchase agreement for 2000 Sienna XLE. Sales mgr. gave his word over phone to an agreed upon price. He tells me upon arrival that he's only making $24 over invoice and can't do it unless I now agree to pay him an additional $125! I tell him I understand about his holdback, etc. and he says he won't do it! I had been faxing back and forth with a salesman who was out of town. I faxed the final price to the sales mgr. before I drove there and told him to call me if there were any ?'s. I told him I was on my way. I specifically asked him "Do we have a deal then?" and his response was "yes"! He never looked at the figures until I arrived. Bull! He was just trying to get another $125 out of us! My gut instinct was to walk out, and I did! The shocker was that he let us walk and I never even heard from the original salesman to apologize for the deal falling through. I told the sales mgr. he might hear from me again, but that I was not about to buy the car tonight. My husband would have made the deal, but he left it up to me. I feel good about what I did and am now looking for a trustworthy dealer in the Minneapolis./St. Paul area. Thanks for your help. Wanted to buy 2 weeks ago!!! What about going out of the area, has anyone done that? I am still looking to get the best price possible and will continue to look until I get a "fair" price.

yaman

I think $ 149 over invoice is an awesome price.
I agree with you that the way the dealer got there is sleazy but still it is a great price.

linda963

I'm just curious. The dealer said it was $24 over invoice. Was it and were there any other charges such as advertising, holdbacks etc? If not, it sounds like it might have been a great deal but there may have been other costs that were not apparent where the dealership was making money.

aheadofyou

I am still new at this game. I am from the d/fw-tx area and have now enlisted at least 6 dealerships in my search for the best price. I have contacted only the fleet sales manager after I did my initial search at the first two dealerships. So the last four contacts i have had have been with the fleet managers only. I stated exactly what i was looking for and a current qoute. One dealer in a nice way said he could not do this deal. The other three dealers have surprising come off each others price by a couple of hundred dollars each time. ***key - I learned new today that if you finance a car through the toyota finance company that the dealer gets a rebate back if the amount financed is over a certain amount. I learned this after talking to the 6th dealership. I guess because i must be getting close to a rock bottom price and the one dealership that wants to sell me a car most spills their guts the most. I feel excited that i seem to be making progress ....thanks edmunds.

jane25

Yes, dealer advertising was 250 and that was part of his invoice cost from the manufacturer. I started the game over today calling dealers I had called 2-3 weeks ago hoping I might get a better price at the end of the month. Thought I had a deal today at 27,500 for Sienna XLE, LL luxury pkg., and Wood trim the fleet mgr. was trying to get me to go to 27,600 and I would have but, then he called back to say that he misquoted the invoice and that there is a new invoice and he now can't sell it to me for less that 28,064!!! This is getting to be tiring and I have decided to got out of state and save 400-500 in tax $$. I can't believe they make you think you have a deal and then they reneg! Please help me! Does anyone know a tc dealer that will stick by his word?

linda963

I live in San Antonio and am looking at getting a Sienna in a few months. You seem to be making quite a bit of progress in your quest. What kind of deals are you finding in that area? Are the dealers asking for extra costs like advertising, holdbacks etc that I have seen posted. Please post again when you finally get your van.

bowden1911

I ordered a Sienna LE with: UN, UP, L1 (Leather Upgrade), and running boards for $26,000 before TTL. This is the best price I could get after sending e-mails to several area dealers. The other dealers had the car I wanted with alot of options I did not want or want to pay for. Brian Leahy at Texas Toyota of Grapevine was able to locate a car that was about to arrive in Houston (where they put on the various packages) and has arranged to have ONLY the options I want put on. This has saved me about $900. I am supposed to get the car in 2 weeks.

chicagogrrl

Hey Kenosha folks! I live in Chicago & my husband & I were going to head to the burbs to minivan hunt--thought we'd get better service, price etc. Kenosha is definitely in range for us--where did you buy your van? Would you recommend the dealership? It seems like you got a good price, although I guess I'll have a better idea later on today.

Thanks for the help.

okski

Hey GRRL, you must be from the northside..try southside dlrs..cheaper? Got a XLE w| LL pkg,bumper proct, sunroof wind deflt for under $27k, at Toyota of Chgo Hts. Jesse was salesperson ( young kid hasn't learn to lie much..goes to school and is a Hoosier) No don't want $50 referal tell him Crazy Stan said to give it to you...Best of luck in your search I spent 3 mos....don't forget Illinois taxes are where you live..plus county tax LOL

th38

I live in the hill country in TX and have been trying to get a decent deal in San Antonio with no luck. The best offer so far for a dressed up CE is $24,081. Looking at this site some good deals going down seem to be in Wisconsin. Have contacted Jeff at Don Jacobs Toy in Milwaukee. He 's been amazingly easy to deal with so far. He's offering an LE:

Base vehicle price $22,148
UN 271
SK 80
EF 36
DEST 480
FUEL 6
Total invoice 23,021

He says he'll go $500 over total invoice without TDA, so it's $23, 571+ TTL and still some room to fudge on his part. So I can get an LE in WI for less than the price of a CE in TX. This is telling me two things: I'm taking a vacation to WI to buy an LE (Wife's family reunion is up that way anyways) and that folks in Texas are getting seriously ripped off by Gulf States Region Toyota. Either the demand is high in Texas for Sienna's or its greed.

jane25

I learned today from a dealer in Iowa that if I buy a car in Iowa but live in Minnesota that it is Minnesota state sales tax that I pay. Found this very interesting. He was the owner of the dealership so he knows. This came as a big surprise to me. I thought I might save some money by shopping out of state. Am not getting any real deals anywhere. The person that just bought at a Chicago dealer for under 27,000 is very lucky! I'm not getting any deals like that here. I am looking for an XLE, LL luxury package, with wood trim and I'm not getting anything much under 28,000 here in Minnesota or Iowa or South Dakota. I have about decided to just bite the bullet and pay 28,000. Still looking for someone who knows a reputable dealer here in the Twin Cities...

ralpi

Spent week shopping for LE with UN,TO,EF. Best deal is 24967 + tax (about 8% above invoice of 23063). This dealer also giving me most for trade in (taxes will be 1069). Other prices were 24,966 but quite a bit less for trade, and 25,699, couple hundred less for trade. Having a trade in definitely complicates matters, but with the tax savings I am getting about what I can selling on my own. Will try to get price down few hundred more, but I don't think I can get van for under 6% over around here.

okski

End of month is best time to buy..what color are you looking for? This is the hardest part. Yes you have to pay JV tax.Minn. when you buy plates...JV,,Govr. Jesse

eom

May be farther than you'd like but I would like to suggest that you send an e-mail msg. to this Muscatine, Iowa Toyota dealership/owner...requesting an out the door price on Sienna you are shopping for. I had very good experience with this dealership and believe you can obtain fair price.

<<A HREF="http://ToyotaMuscatine001@mcleodusa.net">ToyotaMuscatine001@mcleodusa.net> Address your cmts to the "owner" Mr. Robert Davis.

jane25

I am looking for a 2000 Sienna XLE, LL luxury pkg, wood burl trim. Silver Spruce is desired color, but desert sand mica is second choice. Does anyone know of Minnesota dealer they would recommend?

coolicon

Hi all, Just picked up my Black Sienna LE, and it looks SHARP!.. now all I have to do is keep it clean:-) Here's the brake down with the internet manager at the end, it went so smooth and fast, I would highly recemend him, so please tell him I sent you, he was even willing to drive it to my house...The others were saying high demand 6% over blah, blah blah, and this guy was on the ball, and we wanted our Sienna..

Dear Ed,
Thank you for your request. Here is your price quote for the Sienna:
Base Invoice $22,148
Destination 480
Toyota Advertising 420
Value pkg 271
Bumper protector 36
**Towing Pkg** 128
------
Total Invoice $23,483
I understand that you didn't ask for the Towing pkg but it comes on all Sienna's because it gives you the rear A/C. I can sell you this vehicle for 3% over invoice or $24,187 plus tax and tags. I need to get some more information on your trade before I can figure out the rest. Do you have access to a fax machine? If so let me know what it is so I can fax you an appraisal form so I can get a better idea of condition. Let me know if I can help. Thanks.

Andy Patton
Internet Manager
Haltermans Auto

linda963

Coolicon: Congratulations on your new Sienna! I wish I were in your shoes right now. Where did you buy? I tried to look that dealership up on the Toyota dealer locator without success. It sounds like you had a relatively painless experience. Just curious. Is advertising negotiable or have most people found that is a fixed cost?

Aheadofyou: I'm sorry you couldn't get the deal you wanted on a Sienna, but I found your observations very helpful. Enjoy your Camry.

jane25

After much patience and lots of frustration with buying new, I have found a 2000 XLE with everything I want and more with only 1,898 miles on it. Looked at it tonight and plan to take it for a test drive after it comes back from the dealer for having the cd player replaced- child jammed a cd in it and under warranty they are replacing the whole player. It is my 2nd choice color and I'll be saving at least $1,500.00 on it. Hope this works out because I am very excited and wanted to buy a used XLE to begin with, but had given up the search after looking for 3 months in Sunday newspaper. Found this on the internet!!!

muulk

Ralpi,

I am also shopping for an LE in Long Island. What dealers gave you the prices that you posted?
Thanks.

coolicon

I picked up my new Sienna at Halterman's. it's right off of Rt80 exit 52. Here's Andy's email, and yes it was nice to work with Andy, he seems like he likes what he was doing, and very helpful.

apatton@haltermansauto.dealerspace.com

Hope this helps, please let me know

aquakids

3% is what Toyota employees receive here in southern Indiana. I'm not an employee, but that's what I negotiated to. If money's the problem . . . "lease". Toyotas hold their value, therefore are cheaper to lease.

nuclear77

Okay for the last week or so I have been trying to buy a 2000 Toyota Sienna LE in Florida. The biggest problem I have is the dealer trying to pass his fees on to me the customer. For example: Dealer Assesment Fee "Southeast Toyota", Floorplan Fee, and DAA or Dealer Advertising Fee. They total to approx:$900.00. The way I figure, this is the Dealers price for running a business. I asked one dealer if he planned on paying for my Time, Wear and Tear on my vehicle and my Gas. He just got very quiet. After about 6 seconds or so, I said your not are you. He said no Sir I am not going to pay you. I said why should I pay you then. I don't know if I am coming on a little strong or what. I Talked with a dealer in the Pensacola area. After I basically told them what I knew, I got an email back saying sorry at this time there is not enough profit in your offer to entertain doing businees with you. Well I never made an offer I just stated the facts of what his true cost was. I told him I was willing to give him a fair profit of 3% over True Dealer invoice. So that is the kind of nonsense I am dealing with down here. I am in the Military and I am originally from Colorado. My parents still live there. I am seriously considering pricing and possiblly buying one back home. Please feedback would be much appreciated. My email address is ratt@digitalexp.com One more thing. Got a descent quote from carorder.com. The only problem was they were passing on the DAA Fee and the Administration Fee. Talked to a representive on the phone from carorder, she said sorry they had to charge those fees because Toyota is passing them on to them. She said about 3 months ago carorder didn't pass this fee onto the customer, but they were losing way too much money, so that is why we the customer now have to pay those fee through there website. Take care Scott

jeffc7

After a week of on-line research and reviewing the posts here I have negotiated a Sienna XLE with HE (moonroof and automatic door), TO, EF and DC for $26,099. The dealer states that this is $100 over invoice. Is this a good offer or should I fight for some more?

linda963

As a Toyota Sienna wanna-be-owner, I have found These posts very helpful. However, I share the same concerns as many of the previous posters, namely what are the additional costs? I realize now after negotiating for our Grand Prix 3 years ago that negotiating for the car price is only one aspect of purchasing the vehicle. The important price is the out-the-door price. So I wonder how many of the previous posters got a great car price (like $275 over invoice) but were nailed but additional dealer or regional fees. I think it would be very helpful if people could address this when talking about the car price (if they've gotten that far in negotiations) and I would be interested to know what dealers don't charge them.

Good luck in Sienna shopping!

aquakids

Dealer Ad. fees are standard on invoices, however $900 is high for additional costs.
As for $100 over invoice . . . . go for it! They won't go under invoice, and what's $100 spread over payments?
Sienna is the safest mini-van made. Our 2000 LE is an absolute dream come true.

yaman

We paid a $ 400 advertising fee on our purchase in Pennasylvania. I think that is a pretty standard charge on Toyotas. There were no regional or other dealer fees

lamm9733

If you buy a vehicle in the Southeastern United States, you will have to pay the Southeast Dealer Fee. The distributor supplying the vehicles is charging this fee. I would buy your Sienna "back home". You won't have to pay this fee which will save you $500. In Wisconsin, Siennas are currently selling for $200 to $500 above invoice with no additional fees. The supply seems to be more than ample. Newspaper this weekend had one dealer advertising 47 Siennas in stock.