2013 and Earlier - Toyota Sienna Prices Paid and Buying Experience

impact01

Anyone has a computer can easily see that carmax in Laurel is already discounting Siennas on the lot by ~$800. So, supply is definitely catching up.

minivan_time

Been following the messages here and it seems there are some who know the DC area market. Any recommendations on good dealerships who may work with pricing in the Maryland/DC area?? I'm looking for an LE-7 PKG#7.

Also, I had a local dealer tell me he saw some LE's coming in with a sunroof. Thought that wasn't an option on the LE's, but he said he's seeing them. Anyone know about this? Thanks!

momofthree

Be careful of aftermarket sunroofs. Usually they are not as good as the factory, and they do not transfer in warranty. If you buy factory the manufacture warranty goes with it, even most extended warranties will cover the factory roof.

viping

I have had some dealers take $500 off the MSRP for the silver- LE+ BW+ CF+ RS2300 security. Have anybody had better luck in the tri-state area? I would not mind travelling out of state.

Yes most dealers in NJ here are arrogant, and refuse to discuss discounting..quotes like" we have people lining up to buy this stuff" are stated each time.

rtalasila

Doug,
   Would you be ok with sharing the dealer name? I am in Twincities too and looking for a Sienna at this time.
Thanks

dparler

bww2, you need to call 1-800 GOTOYOTA and complain. Then call your local dealer and kindly ask for an update. I ordered an XLE on 5/20 and have now waited OVER 5 months. Supposedly, my vehicle was built and shipped just as the recall reached the assembly line and now the gastanks are being retro-fitted. I have been told "end of October-- first week in November" but I'm not holding my breath.

pegldeedee

Douke

Please e-mail me at pegldeedee@aol.com with the dealership you were able to deal with re: MSRP vs. invoice price. Many thanks!

stever

It's ok to post the dealership name and city/state where you purchased. And that might save some emailing and spam harvesting.

Steve, Host

indyjones

as all of us would like to get a break in the price....

Im in the market for XLE AWD with GK package and am willing to travel up to 7 hours. ( I m in central NJ).

Thanks

kimo9

could you send me the information you have on the buying experience from the dealership outside of Boston,

little1stwo@yahoo.com

stever

Google and other search engines are indexing many of Town Hall's pages now so there's a good chance your posts will wind up where non-Edmunds members and guests can easily find them. Spam harvesters will be able to grab email addresses there too now.

A better practice would be to mark your email address public in your profile and ask people to contact you via the profile info. Click on the My Profile link at the upper left to change your info, and click on someone's name on a message title to get theirs.

Steve, Host

kinct

Depending where you are in central NJ, our dealership is about 4-4.5 hours away from you. In Jluy they accepted invoice + $850. Now, keep in mind that invoice to them includes TDA (dealer advertising charge - ~$410) and destination fee (~$540). Don't know if they would accept this deal again, but you're welcome to try.

The dealer is Toyota of Colchester (Colchester CT). I will email you the Internet salesperson's email addr.

vaeagles1

If you are willing to drive to Northern Virginia, I have a POC at Kern, Toyota, who sold me a LE w/ package (#7) at a really good price. Just contact me via my e-mail address in my profile.

Otherwise, Carmax in Laurel in selling Sienna's at $800 under MSRP. Kern Toyota will beat that price by a good amount.

viping

I am also looking to buy the Seinna LE and am in
Northern NJ, I am also ok to travel.

Can you share some of your dealership contacts that you may have delevoped in the area or may be we can buy together.. making our offer more attractive to a dealership. I tried to send you an email but your address bounces back.

please email me on the address in my public profile. thanks

suni2

Call Rice Toyota in NC. They will give you a good price. Or e-mail me for contact person. You can also get van on flatbed truck to NJ for around $350.

indyjones

Thanks for all the posts and info. I'll try all of them first thing tomorrow morning and post my findings. I did put a deposite on a AWD XLE with GK package over the weekend (MSRP, NJ dealer). If I get a good deal, there will be a XLE available if any one wants it ( artic frost).

missingchicago

We live in NJ and have had a Sienna on order from 2 different dealers at different times since March. We were about to give up and start looking at a MDX or XC90 when I called Motorworld Toyota Thursday morning. To my surprise they had the exact van we were looking for in stock unsold (wrong color but we are flexible). After about 5 minutes on the phone with the sales manager I had agreed to a very fair price, exchanged faxes, and made arangements to pickup the van that night. We did not want to take a chance that it would get sold to someone else.

I left work in NYC a couple of hours early that day and drove out to pick it up that night. The dealer is about 1hr from the NJ/PA boarder on I80 so it took about 2.5 hrs to get there. When we got there the salesman was very helpful and everything went smooth, exactly as the sales manager had said. They did not push any extras/warantes and even beat my Costco auto loan rate by 1/2%. We were in and out in just over an hour which is amazing with two small children. Without a doubt the most pleasant new car buying experience we have ever had. Highly recommended. NJ residents should consider calling because they claimmed to have several more comming soon.

As for the van it is everything we had hoped for. It drives nice, looks good (for a minivan), is very practical. The wife is very happy and I am happy to finally have this search over with.

chihsheng

Have anyone ever purchased Sienna from them?
The price listed on their web site is around $2000 off MSPR. Is it too good to be true?
I live in central NJ. If the price are correct and the salesman is honest, I would not mind travelling 4 hours to get the van

stever

Try the Advanced Search tool on the left; I'm sure you'll get plenty of hits, at least for Fitzmall.

Steve, Host

ilko

Any experience will be highly appreciated

indyjones

can you post how much discount did you got over MSRP?

Thanks.

bww2

"bww2, you need to call 1-800 GOTOYOTA and complain". I did call in September and actually got a response from the dealer, etc. However, with a port date already being given to me (Oct 18) and then reset to a BUILD date of Nov 17, I have completely lost patience. I have canceled my order and already received a refund of my deposit from the dealer.

I really believe that something "funny" happened and that the van was sold out from under me since I had negotiated a price that was less than MSRP. There are now Siennas in the local area that have the option package HO that I want so I'll start looking around. I'm still upset over Toyota's lack of communication, if this was their problem as the dealer claimed.

I wish there were honest car dealers who didn't try to play games with either the new vehicle nor your trade in value (not honoring Kelly Blue Book trade-in value as they claim).

mdell2

I picked up my LE 8 package #1 today. Thanks everyone in this forum. Your information helped my a lot. I sent emails to 10 Atlanta area dealers asking them to give a serious offer (itemized, drive out price), and I told them I will only consider the top three offers. Heyward Toyota at Athens, and Toyota of Roswell give me the best offers. I asked them if they can do a litter better, the internet sales manager at Heyward cut the price by $400, and I took his offer. I might play on to get a better deal, but I think honest people deserve reward. Two week later, I go the exact van I wanted. So I highly recommended Heyward Toyota at Athens because:

Most reasonable price in Atlanta area ($1200 under MSRP)
Quicker deliver
No inspection fee ($300-440)
No dealer advertisement fee (about $340)
No Toyoguard ($699)
Only fees are document fee ($189), title ($26), and insurance ($3)
He also helps me to get good deal in financing (3.30% 60 month)

I have never been in the dealer before; I spent only 40 minutes (including test drive, inspection). There was only 5 mile on the odometer. The dealer is about 50 miles from Atlanta, a mixture of highway and local drive, good for break in.

I can not name the wonderful sales person here, but you can find his email in their website as the internet sales manager, or ask the operator to connect you to the internet sales manager.

mikelamb

Does anyone have a link to a Toyota dealer site that has acutal photos of their Sienna inventory (if they have any inventory). I am interested in actually seeing what a CE looks like (since the windows aren't tinted), other than the pictures on Toyota's site. Can anyone help?
Thanks!

missingchicago

We placed a $500 deposit with @Bennett Toyota on 6/18/03 for a 2004 Sienna XLE pkg #16 at price of $850 over invoice . Our paperwork stated delivery of 3 to 4 months. As of 10/22/03, we still didn't have a van or committment as to delivery date. We regularly called for a status and were told it should be on schedule for beginning Oct. When we called 9/9 the date changed and by 9/10 the answer was maybe end Oct begin Nov. They blamed holdup on gas tank recall. We complained to Toyota corp (who will do basically nothing) and the sales mgr@ Bennett. We kept checking and complaining and were promised a XLE #14 on 10/9 by the next week. We even submitted a credit appl for financing. By 10/15 it was apparent they were stalling, as stated van had been pulled from line and had no date but assured by end OCT. However we discoved through another dealers printing the incoming inventory for their region that they had no incoming pkg 14s let alone anything else close to what we ordered for quite some time (Nov30th maybe). By pure luck their was a posting about Motorworld toyota that supposedly had our exact van (pkg 16)- we called, bought and picked-up our van same day(10/22/03). Any negative postings about Bennett are probably true (at least regarding XLE models)( see #1865, 1882, 1867, 1875,1879 ) . If you have $500 to let someone hold for 5+ months give it a try, otherwise try another dealer. If they don't want to sign the 'Accepted By' line for dealer or auth rep then don't expect they will honor the deal whithin time or terms promised. Also don't expect much help or sympathy from Toyota corp as they made it clear they don't intervene with dealers and buyers.

missingchicago

After trying to get the exact model 2004 Sienna we wanted since March and finally succeeding, here are some ideas:
- Followup on other peoples suggestions and buying experiences but remember circumstances with dealers, salesmen and inventory change daily.
- Complain if necessary - we ended up with a purchase rebate to be paid by Toyota corp independent of purchase price with dealership after our purchase was completed.
- How much money do you need to save to feel the deal was worth the time and trouble.
- If you live in NJ be willing to drive alittle and it may be worth it. However don't make the drive without complete assurance your car will be waiting upon arrival - get vin #, signed sales agreement, window sticker copy (anything you can get faxed) before leaving home.
- Check postings of information sources for suggestions regularly - in our case was pure luck and timing.
- Ask for a discount, worst they can say is no or give you a counter offer but be ready to buy and pickup immediately if you get a deal.

steveb84

I can totally understand your frustration and I won't try to defend the dealer.

But one little FYI :

Dealers can "hide" their incoming and on-ground inventory so other dealer can't see it. Maybe they had the Sienna coming that they mentioned but had it hidden.

shs

You advised Chihsheng to "use the advanced search tool on the left." Where is this advanced search? On this website?

kinct

Well, I don't know of any dealers with one right now, but we bought a CE 3 weeks ago. It looks precisely like the LE, except it came with no tinted windows (ours came w. the roof rack because of the package we got - roof rack & cruise control). The first thing we did was take it to someone w/ a great reputation for window tinting and got it done for $175.

Now we basically have an LE (except for different cloth on the seats, but the CE seems great). Also very happy it doesn't have the power doors (see topic for "Power Door problems" to see more reasons why you might not want power doors).

The CE is a great config for a great price. We're happy campers...

stever

Yes, the Advanced Search is linked on the left under the Search by Keyword button on most every Town Hall page. The Keyword Search quickly finds discussions with your keyword (i.e. "Sienna") in the title, and the Advanced Search takes you to a new page with various options that let you search within the messages themselves.

Steve, Host

shs

I thought you were helping him see inventory online.

I have just been hitting each local dealers website (half of which don't even work) Kindof a pain. But then I found one (Antwerpen Toyota) which seems to be listing inventory for the whole country.

Is there an easier way to do this?

stever

That is a problem, and not just with Toyotas.

Not much more you can do than what you are doing, unless you can get a Toyota salesperson to run stuff down for you on their proprietary system. And from what I've read around here, there are ways for dealers to hide inventory from other dealers even on the in-house tracking system.

We do have a quote service linked on the main Edmunds.com page that may be worth trying too. link

Steve, Host

Kirstie_H

A major news magazine is looking for an enthusiastic Toyota customer, preferably a buyer (or soon-to-be buyer) of the Sienna, Highlander or Tundra Double Cab. Please provide your daytime contact info and vehicle status to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday, October 28, 2003.
Thanks!
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

and for Newsweek posted yesterday:

imak

When I finally found the package I wanted, the dealer was charging $2,000 over MSRP. Is this legal? What recourse does the consumer have?

I called Toyota Corporate to complain and they said they have no control over what the dealers charge and attributed this to the law of supply and demand.

kinct

Yes, it's legal and has been done for years.

You're welcome not to buy. I sure wouldn't!

That's why I almost never even considered the Honda Ody. My past experiences with Honda has been as you described. "It's a hot vehicle and we can charge over sticker."

I experienced this with several Toyota dealerships on the Sienna as well. My reaction was the same.

If you search hard enough (and are willing to drive a distance) you will find someone willing to deal.

stever

I think that's why the S in MSRP stands for "suggested."

Like Kinct, I suggest you keep looking.

Steve, Host

indyjones

For Sienna XLE AWD with package 14, artic frost, auto dimming mirror, mat.

IS this a good deal for NJ?

The car is available by end of this week. ( I have the VIN number)

Thanks.

stever

TMV for a Trenton zipcode shows the XLE AWD running the same as MSRP (link).

They are going for ~$200 less than MSRP in Boise, fwiw.

So you're doing a bit better than what we calculate the average buyer is paying in your area, and I didn't plug your options in at all. Watch out for the ad fees and find out the out the door price before you get too excited.

Steve, Host

daron1

I'm trying to find a deal on this van, but the supply/demand thing seems to be keeping them at sticker. The TMV jives w/ my local(DE) dealer. I put out a search to a couple of NE MD dealers to see if they are dealing at all. Does anyone know of any less than msrp dealing going on within driving distance of Northern DE/NE MD ?

indyjones

If you are willing to wait, you can get about $2000 under MSRP from motorworld toyota in PA. Also, carmax in laurel MD is giving $800 off the MSRP. Dealers arnt discounting the vans which they have on hand (at least in NJ, specially on AWD models).

pnutmom

Just got my 2004 Sienna last Wednesday. We found the color I wanted through a dealer here who managed to find one promised to a dealership three hours away. We put a deposit on it a couple of weeks before it was built. It was built October 1 and was delivered to the port on the 16th. Had to wait til it was delivered to the dealership on the evening of the 20th. I wanted the 7 passenger LE (package #1) in Blue Mirage and nobody had one like that coming in here. We paid sticker price ($27,922). I was disappointed when we arrived and the salesman siad "There's your car". It looked gray to me, not blue at all. I expected it to look bluer like the photo in the brochure. But I love the car-very smooth ride and comfortable seats (execpt the third row seat which I find very uncomfortable, but we will rarely use it). Have power sliding door only on one side, so if something goes wrong we can still get in. The car came with the fawn interior, which I am not crazy about because it will get dirty fast. The rear seat could use some improvements to make it easier to stow. And I wish I had the power rear hatch-the door is quite heavy to push down (I'm used to the barn type doors on my Chevy Astro). I have heard of some people complaining about the sound system, but I think it's great. The folding tray console sometimes gets to rattling uncontrollably, but it really is convenient. Overall, I find the car very elegant for a minivan and I am very happy with it so far.

bobbya2

Toyota. When I went to pick up delivery, I just knew XLEs are even harder than LEs So when I saw another van in showroom which had been cancelled,
  I just got details and posted here and I am glad it helped you out. Because I know how frustrated one feels when you are mis-handled by
AUTO-SALESPERSONS who just about use every trick they can to make auto-buying process "HORRIFYING"
which is "Terrifying " already. I am not a good writer but hope the above line sends message across.

ANYWAY, I hope you got a good discount, because then their price was 1000 off but I also left a
Message that anyone interested should ask for more discount because it is expensive vehicle.
Good luck.

I didn't read anything about your shopping experience at Motorworld Toyota, PA . But I am sure it must have been good. That is what I felt about their whole dealership's "calm and friendly" culture.

daron1

I'm sure you meant $200 off in PA, right? $2,000 would be way too good to be true. That's good news about Carmax. I'll get in touch w/ them. You said, "if you are willing to wait..." What kind of time frame are you/they talking about? I'm already waiting to see the 2004 Mazda(Late Nov.?) before I commit anyway. Thanks for the tips!

bobbya2

Hello daron1 and Indyjones and others:
Infact, I am looking now for my nephews friend XLE FWD PKG 13, CE PKG #3 for my brother or Nissan Quest S if I can get atleast $3000 cheaper.

ON CE pkg # 3 at $1800 off is an excellent deal but I still think on XLE any pkg. it should be more discount.
The other good news is that as per TOYOTA.com ,
not only they have introduced Pkg. # 3 but also
they are making all CEs with Pkg. 3 only.
But indyjones , you posted $2000 off MSRP at MOTORWORLD in Wilkes Barre , PA. makes me wonder because I am sure you found them based on my post as I was the first to post about them here from other forum website.

SINCE MOTORWORLD'S Price is $1800 OFF MSRP on ANY MODEL as of Last Week, where did you get $2000 off.
DID YOU SPEAK TO THEM THIS WEEK OR $2000/= IS OFF ONLY ON XLE.
I tried to email you both but I couldn't email as indyjones email address posted is wrong & daron1 is not public.
THANKS & GOOD LUCK

multiplechoice

I don't think that you can get the XLE AWD with package 14. You can get package 17, but it does not come with the same plethora of features as package 14.

indyjones

Sorry, I meant GK package which is package # 17.

Yes, motorworld will give you $2000/- with much negotiation. (talk to Shannon). The wait maybe 2+ months.

When I told the NJ dealers that I was getting good discounts out of state, they told me that I'll never get the Van as those dealers are just "taking customers out of the market" and will sell your van to the next guy who is willing to pay a bit more when the van actually arrives. This may have happened to few people already here whose delivery dates kept slipping.

stever

No names of individuals, please.

Steve, Host

vaeagles1

Hey, I used to live in Delaware!

If you want to get a good deal, check out www.fitzmall.com, in Gaithersburg, MD, they are selling for a LE for about $1800 under MSRP.

I bought an LE from Kern Toyota in Winchester, VA, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Delaware, for about $1800 under MSRP. No additional fees such as TDA, ... They also provided a loaner when the Sienna did not arrive as promised.

E-mail me if you want my POC for Kern.

Good Luck. If you go to www.buyatoyota.com, you can see that the supply of CEs and XLEs is still limted in the Central Atlantic area. But, LEs have a good availability. You should be able to get a decent deal on the LE.

stever

"Toyota dealers? Oh, they're horrible," growls David Champion, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. "They've been used to having it their own way" because many customers are pre-sold on Toyota.

The dealers haven't scored above the industry average since 1991 on Power's Sales Satisfaction Index. The most recent SSI shows Toyota dealers beating only Isuzu, Kia and Suzuki.

"We're working on that," Press says. "That's one of the things we can do better."

USA Today

Steve, Host

dooper67

Apparently Chicagoland only gets package #2,14, and 16 according to the dealers and buyatoyota.com. What I want is #5. Some dealers are telling me they can special order this option. Can they, or is it a bait and switch?