I am surprised that my dealer did not mention the TDA. He and I had explicit discussion about disclosing all costs and all he listed was the 390 doc fee and the 26 title fee.
Interesting that he also wrote in a $499 (!) predelivery inspection fee but also wrote in a $500 'Trade-in Allowance/Discount' to wipe that out, even though I do not have a trade in. He said this was standard on all their deals. It seemed kind of gimmicky to me.
You are dealing with someone who is being less than honest with you or at least trying to weasel the system. His boss must be doing some sort of extra commission for getting people to buy into the pre-delivery inspection so he is getting you to take that by throwing in $500 for a trade that you don't have.
I am in Atlanta. Interestingly, this is the best overall bottom line price I have found so far after speaking with 4 dealers. So even though I do not like the use of (what appears to me to be) nonsensical gimmicks, it is the best price I have in hand yet. Perhaps I will not give up yet and will make some more calls. However, in looking at the Edmund's TMV, Carsdirect and Toyota prices, they are all pretty close (within about 200 dollars) to each other. The dealers are also using these sources to propose prices, and that keeps things pretty close to MSRP. Was this your experience when you bought or were the prices lower then?
Just a suggestion to try Pitts Toyota in Dublin GA. It looks like they have a couple of LE8 models coming in later this month. We were able to make some changes to the options on our vehicle before it came in to make it exactly how we wanted (without the junky add-ons). He came down about 1000 off of MSRP for our XLE. The price negations were all done via fax and phone. No surprises, tricks or gimmicks. It was a very positive experience compared to the ridiculous experiences we had with the Atlanta area dealers. E-mail me and I can send you our sales person's name.
When I bought my car the Edmunds TMV on this site was the MSRP for my region. You can't go by that alone. Steve_Host, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm going to guess that there is just not enough data available yet for the TMV to be meaningful.
TMV gets more accurate as more transaction data comes in. Plus a new model tends to sell at MRSP, at least when it's in demand like the Sienna is.
I'd treat TMV as the target price and try to beat the target. But I wouldn't beat myself up if I paid TMV or a bit over. Life's too short, it's only money, yada yada yada....
Ok, I cancelled my order with Bennett Today. Found out after over three weeks of waiting that my 3-4 month wait had magically turned into a 5-6 month wait. Yes you read it right 5-6 months. - I got hooked up with Motorworld Toyota of Wilkes Barre who helped me get connected with the vehicle i needed.
caveat emptor
becareful
Find out how many vehicles are in front of you in the waiting line? Get a new estimate fo rhow long it will take for your allocation to get filled? Call frequently to discuss the status of your allocation.
ordered 04 sienna today. i got pack #13 because i wanted dvd system. told them i'm going on vacation aug 30. ask if they think i would have it by then. salesman said they couldn't give specific time frame. he didn't think it would be problem. i payed $400 deposit. my question does anybody know if i cancel my order will i get my deposit back? i read someone wrote they would have to wait 5 to 6 months. i cant wait that long
Put a deposit on a LE7 with pkg. 4 (and this is exactly what we wanted) on 6/19. Was told it could take up to 120 days but more likely 30-60 days. The next day my sales guy contacted me to let me know that this exact van would be in around July 22 and it was ours. I hope this works out to be true. The car we are replacing is on it's last leg! After reading the posts about allocation I am glad to at least have an idea when to expect mine. Keeping my fingers crossed....
Means the vehicle is on allocation to your dealer, and a projected build date, and ship date has been issued. Once it goes to "f" status it means the vehicle has been released to the trucking company for transport to the dealer. From there it goes to "g" status which means ground, and normally it will be at the dealership in 2-3 days after it shows on their inventory sheets as "g" status. : ) Mackabee
Greetings All...We took delivery of our XLE Ltd 4 days ago. It's Phantom Gray with Stone interior..our first color choice. We placed our order in mid-April with a $500 deposit and were patient (like we had any choice). After speaking with many dealers in the Illinois/Wisconsin region, we decided to work with LeMieux Toyota in Green Bay, WI. (Please e-mail privately if you'd like our salesperson's name) We have package HF (aka Package #5)and also had a tow-hitch installed at the factory. With a 5 month old baby it's so nice to finally have our Sienna. We were treated fairly and received what we considered to be a fair deal...just about $3K under MSRP. Everything was done over the phone or via e-mail. There were no surprises, additional feeds, gimmicks, or tricks when my husband went to pick it up. A very nice experience overall. We love our new van and think it was well worth the wait and the 2.5 hour drive to pick it up!
Hi all, On July 3, I received a 2004 LE7 w pkg 4 (BI), CF and autodimming mirror in Desert Sand Mica for $24826 (invoice was $24326, MSRP $26775) from Valley Toyota in Sanger, CA. This price included shipping to my home in Portland, OR from Sanger, CA on a trailer - the van had 3 miles on the odometer when it got to me!
As you might imagine, I was very nervous buying a car long distance. An added wrinkle was that Oregon has no sales tax (yes!!!); in order to not pay sales tax while buying from California, I was required to take delivery outside CA. Valley Toyota was very prompt in fedexing me the contract and arranging transport in time for the long July 4 weekend. I negotiated the deal the week before I got the van.
I tried calling several Toyota dealers in Oregon and Washington; none were close to Valley Toyota on price. Few had any vans in stock, and when they did, they weren't willing to discount them much - it seems they are staying on the lots for only a few days.
I did have access to Columbia Fleet pricing (1% over invoice) but they were quoting 110-day lead times. I needed the van sooner than that.
It still seems a little unreal to me; previous to this experience the biggest thing I had bought over the internet was a digital camera. My salesman and the store general manager answered all my questions patiently and understood my reasons for asking them. The only minor blemish was that the gas tank wasnt full. The van is silken-smooth. We took it on a beach trip over the weekend, and it seemed to be gliding over the road.
At this writing, I'm still awaiting the MSO certificate from Valley Toyota; I'm sure they will send it promptly. And to think I've never stepped into Valley Toyota (or Sanger, for that matter!)
I originally posted this June 25 in the Sienna board. I just received an email from my dealer that the production week is August 11.
We just ordered a FWD XLE today with the GJ and CF options. MSRP was 35,511--our price was 34,610. It's not a great discount, but I was expecting to pay MSRP. The delivery is 45 to 60 days out. This has most options except for the Nagivation system.
I think California is still going to get you on the tax when you try to register it. Assuming you do register it where you live ;-)
There's some info at the California DMV about this here. Maybe the use tax is different than a sales tax? When I got my used car in sales tax free AK last April, I had to pay ID sales tax when I registered it.
I learned of my vehicle was picked up for allocation the middle of June. It was built July 2 and will arrive between July 9 and July 12. It will be less than 4 weeks from allocation to ground for me.
Before buying from California, I called their State Board of Equalization. They told me that as long as I didnt take delivery in California, I would not owe CA's use tax. Another dealer also confirmed this - they had people take delivery in Nevada. Valley Toyota also checked with their corporate office.
I think the reason CA doesn't collect tax is that akedmunds doesn't live in CA- he just bought it there. Since OR doesn't have a sales tax either, he gets away with it- lucky bum!
d'oh, and I even have new reading glasses for my monitor. Could have sworn it was going to be titled in Sanger, CA. Nevermind :-)
Oregon is nice that way; wish it was a bit closer than 45 miles away - I can save 6% on most everything (but cars) by driving over to Ontario from Boise.
Well, here's my story. I searched around on internet and locally and found two dealers that were willing to give me a price break below MSRP on a "plain old" (new)2004 XLE ; we were specific about the model, color,options, etc. We wanted the Mirage Metallic (light blue) XLE with no additional options. (All you kids who pay $2000 for NAV, why don't you GROW UP ? -- Just kidding.) We live on SC/Ga line and Pitts Toyota in Dublin, GA and Taylor Toyota in North Augusta, SC were both willing to give about $1000 below MSRP. That was in late May; they may be tougher now. THe price was as follows
MSRP $29,041 inc. destination, etc. Out the door $28,000 ... everything except tax, tag and title.
We went with Taylor only because it was local/closer.
The issue now is : Order placed 5/20/03. We were initially told "2 month wait; 2- 1/2 mos. max"...
Now, 7 weeks later, we don't have an allocation, build date, delivery date, VIN, temporary VIN, etc... anything. (Good thing we're not in a hurry.)
Is this unusual ? Should one wait 6-8 weeks for allocation and information on dates, and then another 6-8 weeks for delivery for the XLE's ? What are others' experience? (I've seen those listed thus far.)
And, friendly dealers/salespeople of the Town Hall, what is your experience? Should I be ranting and raving or patiently waiting ?
From my initial order of a XLE FWD with Pkg 16 on May 23, my van was picked for allocation 3 wks later and was built last week. I should have it next week for a total of 8 weeks from order to delivery (assuming everything goes well.)
My guess is that your choice of an XLE with no option packages is hurting you. As that is not a real common choice there are likely very few being sent out in allocations.
You choice of options or colors should not matter, if it really being ordered from the factory. When a dealer gets an allocation they can configure the options and color shortly after the allocation is given. I think more likely, is that your dealer has a backlog of people waiting for Siennas and first you have to move to the top of the list. After that, the allocation that they receive from Toyota must be for your model. If it is not your model, your dealer should be contacting other dealers who have been allocated your model, to see if your dealer can trade the model they are allocated for the model another dealer is allocated. This is all done before the ship date. If your dealer cant get a vehicle for you or a vehicle to trade for the one you want, I think something is wrong. Your dealer may be a low volume dealer who just does not get enough cars to be able to complete this deal quickly.
I just went through this whole thing for an XLE LTD AWD, a hard vehicke to get, and my dealer traded with another. the build date is 7/27 with a delivery of about 8/15. I ordered it on 6/23, so this is what I expect. For an XLE FWD it should not be as bad.
I live on the GA side of the GA/SC line and negotiated with several dealers in the two states. Pitts did not give me the time of day! Taylor, NA offered a me a couple of hundred dollars off of MSRP and quoted 120 days delivery. Bourne did not budge off of MSRP and quoted 9 to 12 weeks delivery.
Finally on 7/7/03 ordered an LE-8 with package #6, running boards and mats through Toyota Center in Columbia SC. They quoted me $ 26,367 (MSRP - 28,339) plus tax and tags. Initial delivery quoted was 16 to 18 weeks, but they cut it down to 12 - 14 weeks later. Salesperson says that it will be 7-9 weeks before they will have details on their website and VIN # will be issued after that. Not sure if TC is a high volume dealer or not. Hoping that they can swing it within the promised time frame.
The wait for an xle will be from 6-8 weeks. due to the production orders by the distributer,and the limited production of that style. Toyota was geared up to make the LE the volume leader. We have sold a lot of both but there are more LE siennas sitting around and NO XLE's anywhere!! We have a few orders that still have to be filled!!! but thats good news......I guess.
Not a great deal - we agreed to knock $1,000 off the MSRP - no trade in, just a straight up deal. Bought the only XLE they had on the lot, a silver color. Also bought the Platinum warranty (7yrs, 100K miles) for $850.
I was in a hurry to buy a mini-van, and this compromised my ability to deal - but there was no wait, and they had the color and style I wanted. Whole transaction took 90 minutes.
Thanks Steve. Purchasing cars is never enjoyable for me, and so I always try to focus on the speed of the deal rather than haggle for hours about price.
Then, after the purchase comes the self doubt about how much money I left on the table. And, in this case, we all know that in about 6 to 8 months these prices will drop as supply rises and competing vehicles become viable.
By the way, the financing rate was pretty decent, I thought. If you have a credit score of at least 730, you can get a interest rate of 3.09% (looked like the dealer had an arrangement with Wells Fargo). The best rate I could have gotten at my bank was about 4.40%. Not a big difference, but every dolllar counts! Last time I financed a car was my old 99 Avalon, and the rate was about 7.50% or so.
mk37: I've been talking via phone with Pitts in Dublin, Ga. re: an XLE . He quoted me a very good price and said he was expecting delivery Aug 8. Did you actually buy your van from them and did they have it on the lot or did they have to find it My local dealer says he can't find one and doesn't believe one is available. Was your experience a good one ?
Just placed an order for a 2004 XLE Ltd w/pkg #4 (HE) and preferred accessory pkg #1. I know you always have to pay the destination fee ($510 in this case), but then the dealer added on an advertising fee of $599. Is this fee to be expected? Is it normal to include that when negotiating the cost of the car?
Of course, the dealer also added on $344 (Wholesale Finance Reserve) and $689 (Holdback). I guess you can't avoid those, huh?
I think the better practice is to negotiate an out-the-door price that includes everything.
Toyota gets a lot of flack about this invoice item, and rightly so in my opinion. You don't see them breaking out electric costs for the showroom, and those costs vary by region just like ad fees.
That other stuff may be legit too, but since they tacked them on after you think you've agreed to a price.... well, maybe it's just me, but I'd cancel the order and start over.
I got what i think is a good deal working through internet sales department of a dealer here in town. Initially, I contacted 4 dealerships. 2 responded, but only one was serious. I got an XLE with option # 14, carpet mats, Arctic Frost Pearl paint($200 extra)for 2,000 below MSRP. Out the door price ( not including tax & license)is about 5% over invoice. I flat out refused to pay 2% dealer hold-back and 1% finance reserve. I did agree to fueling fee of $7.50, POI hold back $17,VIP sales follow up $5. Now we'll see how long it will take for the vehicle to get here. I am told that it will be 2-4 weeks
Does anyone have a dealer recommendation for the Atlanta, GA area? Online inventory searches don't show any AWD's in the area so I'm assuming I'll have to order. Thanks!
You are paying them to follow up? With you about the status of the van or after the sale? I guess they are being up front with the breakdown, but what if you do not want them to follow up, can you nix the five bucks? To me that seems like the 18% that a restarant would charge automatically for a large party gratuetity. I just thought that was just interesting, sorry for the big deal. (BTW I sell cars too)
I bought the XLE at Price LeBlanc Toyota in Baton Rouge, LA
As far as the $5 goes, I was told that this was a line item on the invoice. We negotiated over the phone so I never saw the invoice itself, but obviously knew what would be on it thanks to edmund's & other sites. I felt the amount was so small it was not worth haggling over. After all, the dealer has to make some profit, but you point is well taken.
I have been looking and looking, but so farwe have not ordered, nor taken delivery on a new Sienna, but would like to do it as soon as possible. I am looking for a 2004 Sienna XLE with the moonroof, leather, etc, I believe its called the #14 package. I am hoping for silver shadow with stone interior , but would consider beige, or the grey color if the price was low enough, as well as taking a #6 or #8 package. We want this vehicle for as little over invoice as possible, and the price given will determine whether we purchase this vehicle or another make of minivan which would be more affordable for us.
I am thinking about ordering with Bennett, but cannot get delivery until 3-4 months!!! We NEED to have this car in hands by the 12th of August, and four months would take us well over that date :+(
We are planning on putting approximately $10,000 down. Please let me know if you need further details from me.
We are in Ohio, but willing to drive up to 700 or so miles in order to meet our needs! Thanks! -April ajsako@earthlink.net
April, I am not sure of the situation in your area of the country. Here in the SE region, it is impossible to find an XLE w/#14 because the SE region has chosen not to order this configuration. They prefer to order "stripped" versions of each trim level and then install the options locally. Even if you ignore the financial implications of this model, it still sucks because some options (stability control, rear disc, side airbags, window shades....) can not be installed outside of the factory.
However, it is possible to get one if one is very persistent. I just placed an order yesterday for an XLE w/#14. This is the second time in a month that I have placed an order. The first dealer refused to do the extra work required to get a package #14 in the SE region and finally returned my deposit. (The dealer was Roswell GA Toyota, stay away from them.)
The order I placed yesterday was with Tuscaloosa, AL Toyota and I am cautiously optimistic of delivery by end of August.
Re: price, In 2 months of shopping, the best I was able to get was $1000 off of MSRP (after the dealer admin fees were added). If your goal is to get close to invoice in the next several months, you probably need to visit your local Honda dealer. At this point, it is just basic supply and demand. I am in the same spot you are in - I need a van now and could not wait 6-9 months for the early adopter demand to be satisfied and other manufacturers' models to soften the overall market supply.
itch1 - It was my second dealer visit since I test drove the Sienna back in March. I first tried the Herb Chambers of Boston. Of course, it was MSRP back in March. This time I went to Expressway Toyota. I was not surprised that they only offered me 1% off MSRP on LE 8-seater even I and my friend just bought a 03 Camry SE there. Definitely no loyatly there. I have to order one and probaly with a 8-12 weeks wait. I am still thinking the deal after they were willing to knock off $700, which is $27300 for LE 8-seater with LE package #7 (BW) plus floor mats & door still (CF).
After months of car shopping, my relative decided to go for LE 7-seater with LE package #7. The sale manager there didn't call me yet with the pricing. What would be the best deal I can get? Well! Not
I did a bunch of shopping recently. Here's a recap of my situation, in case it's helpful to anyone. I limited my search to my home state (MA). There are about 39 dealers in the state. I made some kind of contact with about half of them. I went for variety, talking to dealers of different sizes and in various locations. Before I started, I had already decided exactly the vehicle I wanted, an LE AWD (5366) with airbags (BI, pkg 4) and carpet mats (CF), white/fawn. List is $30191.
The response I got seemed to relate to the size of the dealer. As a general rule, the big stores tended to offer no discount, or fairly small (a few hundred dollars) discounts.
The smaller stores, on the other hand, seemed more willing to negotiate (as a general rule; there were exceptions). I found eight dealers willing to offer a discount of $1000 or more. In two cases the discount was roughly $2000.
The problem is delivery. I want the vehicle exactly as specified (including colors). The smaller shops (offering higher discounts) were typically telling me I'd have to wait 3-4 months for the vehicle.
In the end I made a deal with Balise, in Springfield, which is not far from where I live. They're fairly large, but smaller than some of the huge shops in eastern Mass. I have confidence they can meet the promised delivery schedule (6-8 weeks). I could have gotten a bigger discount somewhere else, but I probably would have had to wait longer for delivery. Going for the bigger discount also would have required me to travel farther. I also found Balise to be particularly prompt, professional and courteous. I'm comfortable with the discount I got (over $1000). I put down a deposit today.
One suggestion I would make is to not focus on all the mumbo-jumbo about TDA, MAF, holdbacks, finance reserves etc. Just focus on the bottom line, the out-the-door price. One piece that does add confusion, though, is documentation fees. In MA the registry needs to get $94 ($50 for title, $15 for plate transfer, $29 for inspection). Dealers seem to typically bundle this into an overall "documentation fee," where the dealer adds profit ranging from $40 to $200 (in my experience). So this might be a good thing to ask about. A dealer might tell you a price that theoretically covers "everything," but they don't bother to tell you that they'll also need $150 to carry your $94 to the Registry.
I think perhaps it's possible to get a better deal if you're flexible about what vehicle you're willing to accept (equipment and colors). And you can get faster delivery, if you're flexible. I would be driving the vehicle right now if I had been willing to take gold instead of white. (That deal would have been through another dealer, and at a somewhat higher price.)
On the other hand, if you want (like me) to be very specific about how the vehicle is equipped, you could probably save money if you're willing to wait 3-4 months. I was willing to pay somewhat more in order to not wait quite so long.
And of course another tradeoff is how willing you are to travel. I placed some value on working with someone closer to home (for a variety of reasons).
So obviously price isn't the only factor. There's also how is the vehicle equipped, how soon can I get it, how far do I have to go, and how comfortable do I feel with the rep.
Decisions, decisions!
Anyway, here's my summary recommendation of dealers you should talk to, if you're in Mass, and if saving money is an important factor:
Comments
I am surprised that my dealer did not mention the TDA. He and I had explicit discussion about disclosing all costs and all he listed was the 390 doc fee and the 26 title fee.
Interesting that he also wrote in a $499 (!) predelivery inspection fee but also wrote in a $500 'Trade-in Allowance/Discount' to wipe that out, even though I do not have a trade in. He said this was standard on all their deals. It seemed kind of gimmicky to me.
Steve, Host
What area of the country are you in?
I'd treat TMV as the target price and try to beat the target. But I wouldn't beat myself up if I paid TMV or a bit over. Life's too short, it's only money, yada yada yada....
Steve, Host
-
I got hooked up with Motorworld Toyota of Wilkes Barre who helped me get connected with the vehicle i needed.
caveat emptor
becareful
Find out how many vehicles are in front of you in the waiting line?
Get a new estimate fo rhow long it will take for your allocation to get filled?
Call frequently to discuss the status of your allocation.
: )
Mackabee
: )
Mackabee
Steve, Host
On July 3, I received a 2004 LE7 w pkg 4 (BI), CF and autodimming mirror in Desert Sand Mica for $24826 (invoice was $24326, MSRP $26775) from Valley Toyota in Sanger, CA. This price included shipping to my home in Portland, OR from Sanger, CA on a trailer - the van had 3 miles on the odometer when it got to me!
As you might imagine, I was very nervous buying a car long distance. An added wrinkle was that Oregon has no sales tax (yes!!!); in order to not pay sales tax while buying from California, I was required to take delivery outside CA. Valley Toyota was very prompt in fedexing me the contract and arranging transport in time for the long July 4 weekend. I negotiated the deal the week before I got the van.
I tried calling several Toyota dealers in Oregon and Washington; none were close to Valley Toyota on price. Few had any vans in stock, and when they did, they weren't willing to discount them much - it seems they are staying on the lots for only a few days.
I did have access to Columbia Fleet pricing (1% over invoice) but they were quoting 110-day lead times. I needed the van sooner than that.
It still seems a little unreal to me; previous to this experience the biggest thing I had bought over the internet was a digital camera. My salesman and the store general manager answered all my questions patiently and understood my reasons for asking them. The only minor blemish was that the gas tank wasnt full. The van is silken-smooth. We took it on a beach trip over the weekend, and it seemed to be gliding over the road.
At this writing, I'm still awaiting the MSO certificate from Valley Toyota; I'm sure they will send it promptly. And to think I've never stepped into Valley Toyota (or Sanger, for that matter!)
We just ordered a FWD XLE today with the GJ and CF options. MSRP was 35,511--our price was 34,610. It's not a great discount, but I was expecting to pay MSRP. The delivery is 45 to 60 days out. This has most options except for the Nagivation system.
I think California is still going to get you on the tax when you try to register it. Assuming you do register it where you live ;-)
There's some info at the California DMV about this here. Maybe the use tax is different than a sales tax? When I got my used car in sales tax free AK last April, I had to pay ID sales tax when I registered it.
Steve, Host
: )
Mackabee
Before buying from California, I called their State Board of Equalization. They told me that as long as I didnt take delivery in California, I would not owe CA's use tax. Another dealer also confirmed this - they had people take delivery in Nevada. Valley Toyota also checked with their corporate office.
Steve, Host
I think the reason CA doesn't collect tax is that akedmunds doesn't live in CA- he just bought it there. Since OR doesn't have a sales tax either, he gets away with it- lucky bum!
Oregon is nice that way; wish it was a bit closer than 45 miles away - I can save 6% on most everything (but cars) by driving over to Ontario from Boise.
Steve, Host
MSRP $29,041 inc. destination, etc.
Out the door $28,000 ... everything except tax, tag and title.
We went with Taylor only because it was local/closer.
The issue now is :
Order placed 5/20/03.
We were initially told "2 month wait; 2- 1/2 mos. max"...
Now, 7 weeks later, we don't have an allocation, build date, delivery date, VIN, temporary VIN, etc... anything. (Good thing we're not in a hurry.)
Is this unusual ? Should one wait 6-8 weeks for allocation and information on dates, and then another 6-8 weeks for delivery for the XLE's ? What are others' experience? (I've seen those listed thus far.)
And, friendly dealers/salespeople of the Town Hall, what is your experience? Should I be ranting and raving or patiently waiting ?
My guess is that your choice of an XLE with no option packages is hurting you. As that is not a real common choice there are likely very few being sent out in allocations.
You choice of options or colors should not matter, if it really being ordered from the factory. When a dealer gets an allocation they can configure the options and color shortly after the allocation is given.
I think more likely, is that your dealer has a backlog of people waiting for Siennas and first you have to move to the top of the list. After that, the allocation that they receive from Toyota must be for your model. If it is not your model, your dealer should be contacting other dealers who have been allocated your model, to see if your dealer can trade the model they are allocated for the model another dealer is allocated. This is all done before the ship date.
If your dealer cant get a vehicle for you or a vehicle to trade for the one you want, I think something is wrong. Your dealer may be a low volume dealer who just does not get enough cars to be able to complete this deal quickly.
I just went through this whole thing for an XLE LTD AWD, a hard vehicke to get, and my dealer traded with another. the build date is 7/27 with a delivery of about 8/15. I ordered it on 6/23, so this is what I expect. For an XLE FWD it should not be as bad.
Hope this helps!
Finally on 7/7/03 ordered an LE-8 with package #6, running boards and mats through Toyota Center in Columbia SC. They quoted me $ 26,367 (MSRP - 28,339) plus tax and tags. Initial delivery quoted was 16 to 18 weeks, but they cut it down to 12 - 14 weeks later. Salesperson says that it will be 7-9 weeks before they will have details on their website and VIN # will be issued after that. Not sure if TC is a high volume dealer or not. Hoping that they can swing it within the promised time frame.
I was in a hurry to buy a mini-van, and this compromised my ability to deal - but there was no wait, and they had the color and style I wanted. Whole transaction took 90 minutes.
Steve, Host
Then, after the purchase comes the self doubt about how much money I left on the table. And, in this case, we all know that in about 6 to 8 months these prices will drop as supply rises and competing vehicles become viable.
By the way, the financing rate was pretty decent, I thought. If you have a credit score of at least 730, you can get a interest rate of 3.09% (looked like the dealer had an arrangement with Wells Fargo). The best rate I could have gotten at my bank was about 4.40%. Not a big difference, but every dolllar counts! Last time I financed a car was my old 99 Avalon, and the rate was about 7.50% or so.
Did you actually buy your van from them and did they have it on the lot or did they have to find it My local dealer says he can't find one and doesn't believe one is available. Was your experience a good one ?
Russ1928
Of course, the dealer also added on $344 (Wholesale Finance Reserve) and $689 (Holdback). I guess you can't avoid those, huh?
I think the better practice is to negotiate an out-the-door price that includes everything.
Toyota gets a lot of flack about this invoice item, and rightly so in my opinion. You don't see them breaking out electric costs for the showroom, and those costs vary by region just like ad fees.
That other stuff may be legit too, but since they tacked them on after you think you've agreed to a price.... well, maybe it's just me, but I'd cancel the order and start over.
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
To me that seems like the 18% that a restarant would charge automatically for a large party gratuetity. I just thought that was just interesting, sorry for the big deal. (BTW I sell cars too)
As far as the $5 goes, I was told that this was a line item on the invoice. We negotiated over the phone so I never saw the invoice itself, but obviously knew what would be on it thanks to edmund's & other sites. I felt the amount was so small it was not worth haggling over. After all, the dealer has to make some profit, but you point is well taken.
I live in NY, and negotiated with several dealers.
Nobody offered me less then MSRP(LE 7)
Does anyone have a better experience in NY area ?
We want this vehicle for as little over invoice as possible, and the price given will determine whether we purchase this vehicle or another make of minivan which would be more affordable for us.
I am thinking about ordering with Bennett, but cannot get delivery until 3-4 months!!! We NEED to have this car in hands by the 12th of August, and four months would take us well over that date :+(
We are planning on putting approximately $10,000 down. Please let me know if you need further details from me.
We are in Ohio, but willing to drive up to 700 or so miles in order to meet our needs!
Thanks!
-April
ajsako@earthlink.net
However, it is possible to get one if one is very persistent. I just placed an order yesterday for an XLE w/#14. This is the second time in a month that I have placed an order. The first dealer refused to do the extra work required to get a package #14 in the SE region and finally returned my deposit. (The dealer was Roswell GA Toyota, stay away from them.)
The order I placed yesterday was with Tuscaloosa, AL Toyota and I am cautiously optimistic of delivery by end of August.
Re: price, In 2 months of shopping, the best I was able to get was $1000 off of MSRP (after the dealer admin fees were added). If your goal is to get close to invoice in the next several months, you probably need to visit your local Honda dealer. At this point, it is just basic supply and demand. I am in the same spot you are in - I need a van now and could not wait 6-9 months for the early adopter demand to be satisfied and other manufacturers' models to soften the overall market supply.
Good luck!
After months of car shopping, my relative decided to go for LE 7-seater with LE package #7. The sale manager there didn't call me yet with the pricing. What would be the best deal I can get? Well! Not
The response I got seemed to relate to the size of the dealer. As a general rule, the big stores tended to offer no discount, or fairly small (a few hundred dollars) discounts.
The smaller stores, on the other hand, seemed more willing to negotiate (as a general rule; there were exceptions). I found eight dealers willing to offer a discount of $1000 or more. In two cases the discount was roughly $2000.
The problem is delivery. I want the vehicle exactly as specified (including colors). The smaller shops (offering higher discounts) were typically telling me I'd have to wait 3-4 months for the vehicle.
In the end I made a deal with Balise, in Springfield, which is not far from where I live. They're fairly large, but smaller than some of the huge shops in eastern Mass. I have confidence they can meet the promised delivery schedule (6-8 weeks). I could have gotten a bigger discount somewhere else, but I probably would have had to wait longer for delivery. Going for the bigger discount also would have required me to travel farther. I also found Balise to be particularly prompt, professional and courteous. I'm comfortable with the discount I got (over $1000). I put down a deposit today.
One suggestion I would make is to not focus on all the mumbo-jumbo about TDA, MAF, holdbacks, finance reserves etc. Just focus on the bottom line, the out-the-door price. One piece that does add confusion, though, is documentation fees. In MA the registry needs to get $94 ($50 for title, $15 for plate transfer, $29 for inspection). Dealers seem to typically bundle this into an overall "documentation fee," where the dealer adds profit ranging from $40 to $200 (in my experience). So this might be a good thing to ask about. A dealer might tell you a price that theoretically covers "everything," but they don't bother to tell you that they'll also need $150 to carry your $94 to the Registry.
I think perhaps it's possible to get a better deal if you're flexible about what vehicle you're willing to accept (equipment and colors). And you can get faster delivery, if you're flexible. I would be driving the vehicle right now if I had been willing to take gold instead of white. (That deal would have been through another dealer, and at a somewhat higher price.)
On the other hand, if you want (like me) to be very specific about how the vehicle is equipped, you could probably save money if you're willing to wait 3-4 months. I was willing to pay somewhat more in order to not wait quite so long.
And of course another tradeoff is how willing you are to travel. I placed some value on working with someone closer to home (for a variety of reasons).
So obviously price isn't the only factor. There's also how is the vehicle equipped, how soon can I get it, how far do I have to go, and how comfortable do I feel with the rep.
Decisions, decisions!
Anyway, here's my summary recommendation of dealers you should talk to, if you're in Mass, and if saving money is an important factor:
Eastern Mass: Westboro, Expressway, Wellesley, Lexington
Western Mass: Balise, K-M, Greenfield, Northampton
I think it's a good idea to ask for whoever handles internet sales.
Good luck!
Guess it pays to stop in at the smaller dealers.
Steve, Host