2013 and Earlier - Toyota Highlander Prices Paid and Buying Experience

gaembay

The price of $550 seems about right for the Toyota platinum coverage - see www.toyotawarranty.com
I believe that you can buy the warranty any time before 3 yrs/36000 miles.
I am interested to hear whether others found the extended warranty useful. (I did buy the extended warranty for my 89 camry, and never used it.) Any comments?

2003tls

I've seen better prices on official Toyota extended warranties from other dealers on-line (in particular, on a 7 yr, 100k one). No need to rush and buy it from the dealer that you are purchasing your Highlander. Just keep looking for the best price.

ohmygosh

Thanks for the info. The dealer actually offered me a bumper to bumper 5 year/60,000 miles extended warranty for $550. He came down to $520. I checked out toyotawarranty.com as you suggested and they are offering this coverage for $705. Based on this I think the $520 is a good deal. My only concern before I move on this is the question,,,,Are extended warranties a rip off?? Do you really need them??

flyer01

Hi,
My wife and I are looking at purchasing a Highlander. Is there much of a difference between the '01, '02 and '03 models? I know the '04 model has a 3rd row seat, but it seems very small. We were thinking of getting a loaded '01 or '02, to have the features but not pay so much.

Is this a wise approach or has the Highlander improved significantly through the years?

Thanks!

2003tls

$550 for a 5/60k warranty sounds like a good price to me. Just be sure that it is a $0 deductible. In terms of is an extended warranty worth it, it all comes down to this: Will something go wrong in year 4 or 5 (or between miles 36,001 - 60,000) that will cost more than $550 to fix. Usually, that is just one major part (radiator, transmission, even the radio). Also, don't underestimate the peace of mind. I am planning to get an extended warranty (7/100 - $840) on my 2004 Highlander when I finally take delivery so you know how I feel.

landdriver

Difference in interior between '01 and '02/'03 is '02/'03 have a center console for storing things, while the '01 does not but thus has an easy walk-through to back seat or handy place to put briefcase (some '01s have optional Toyota stand-alone center console completely different style from that of '02/'03). Also '02/'03 have a fold-down rear seat center armrest whereas '01 does not. '01 has an issue with side wind noise around front door weatherstrip (only noticeable when wind hits Highlander from side) that can be fixed for free if car is still under warranty (but 3-year/xxx? mile warranty is fast running out on '01s!) via Toyota TSB; not sure whether this has been fixed on '02/'03s.

Subtle changes to exterior front, rear bumpers and front grille styling on '04; biggest change to '04 is it has a larger 3.3 V6 (compared with '01-'03 3.0 V6) which has a much nicer feel in my opinion (not an issue if you're going for the 4 cyl available on '01-'04), and the third-row seat option.

To my knowledge other than somewhat minor side wind noise issue mentioned above there are no quality issues between '01-'04s -- all are fine automobiles (I have an '01 and am 100% satisfied with it!). Decide whether you want the '02-'04 center console or the more powerful '04 V6 and make your choice based on features. Hope this helps!

flyer01

Thanks so much for the info landdriver. You are right, we are finding it very difficult to find a low mile '01 or '02 in the color we like. Sounds like there were not any major changes across the years. We will just use it for commutes to work and long highway drives, so the 4 cylinder might work for us. Your info was much appreciated.

dmbst68

Can anyone recommend a dealer from Western Pennsylvania? Actually, a good one west of Harrisburg would be nice. Most dealers ask for MSRP, on both Highlander & 4Runner, while in Maryland, I've found dealers willing to sell at invoice. I'd like to give my business to a local dealer, but I'd drive 3 hours to save $3,000 or more.

FVP - I saw you're from western PA too. Any recommendations? thanks...

fvp

My dealer is Rohrich Toyota on West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh. I bought two cars from them last year - a Sienna van for my wife and a HL for me. I believe they are one of the highest volume dealers in Western PA, and they seem to be more willing to put a deal together than the smaller volume guys.
At this time of year I don't know if you will see invoice pricing on HL's [they seem pretty popular in Western PA] but you should get close. Just do your homework like you would with any dealer. I drove by there the other day and they have a bunch of HL's on the lot.
Let me know if you need any further assistance.

bikeman3

As for Rohrich, they are OK but their are better choices, several dealers in area, who don;t charge for pinstriping and other add ons like paint protection, I suggest you go to web site at Toyota and pick ot three or for dealers and have them compete for your business. I drove to the Columbus ohio area and saved quite a bit at Germain.

shawn

I just bought an '04 Highlander from Marion Toyota. We like the vehicle but will never buy from Marion Toyota again. I've already had customer service problems with them (less than one month after the purchase) on a $35 part that should have already been installed on the vehicle. Next time I will try dealers in Mt. Vernon or O'Fallon IL or Paducah KY or Cape Gird. MO.

fvp

I know Rohrich has their sticker with the ad ons you mentioned. However, I pay no attention to that stuff and when you call them on it they make it go away in a hurry.
The reason I mentioned them is that they are a high volume Toyota dealer and move a lot of iron. Before buying I spoke to many of the local Toyota dealers and they had one or two HL's on the lot and were treating them like gold. Rohrich had at least 12-15 HL's sitting there and were ready to deal.
Also, they have a great service department which I didn't mention to dmbst68 because he is in Central PA. When any service takes longer than 1 hour you are provided with a rental car and sent on your way.
That said, approach them like any other dealer and make sure you do your homework. My strategy was to negotiate with a couple other dealers to get my best price then go to them and had them beat it. They did - twice.

zzaps

Do you know you can negotiate your extend warranty service? The only reason you can negotiate is the price are VERY flexible, meaning, The greater amount of a contract the more profit the dealer makes, dealer gets 68% of that.. 30% goes to the sale person. Furthermore, you better have ALL the recommended maintainance to your vehicle (Done by a certified shop) in order for the service contract to be effective... As far as I know, the 3 years 50k miles factory warranty is ALL good enuf, Ohh, by the way, the "Service Advisor" are also work on commision, so the next time you bring your car into a dealer, better watch out for those "oh btw you need new hose soon, better do now......". Also, know your credit score and shop around with finance, those finance Officer will go great lenght to "fit" you in a bank that charge you a higher interest rate but give the "Fincance Officer" big bonus, ...Just something I learn in the DEALER business.. Good luck all....
Oh by the way.. Does anyone have a price for a AWDv6 w/3rd seat lately? I got a quote of 26927.00 from a dealer down here in TX. Options are: AG, CQ, DJ, NE, PE, TO, M5 and WT.. Let me know, Thanks in advance

lite112

After several months of research and finally deciding on the HL (husband really wanted Toyota)we purchased ours on Feb27. Salsa Red Pearl w/gray interior! Has options DJ NE PE AG CQ and TO. MSRP 28,720 got it for 25,800. Invoice was 25,408 and there was $400 cash back. Dealer was Hampton Toyota in Lafayette, LA. I had a price quote from another dealer about 30min away for similar vehicle with a few added options for the 25800. My husband preferred using the local dealer which is where we will service the vehicle. I told them of the 25800 quote and asked them to match it. Hampton came back with 26,000. I refused and was standing up to walk away (my husband with a surprised look on his face cuz he was willing to take the 26 but not me)when the sales manager came over and agreed to the 25,800.
They also gave us a lower rate in financing than our bank or credit union so we went with them. All in all not a bad experience and I am loving my new HL!! OH, and when looking over the vehicle we realized it had pin stripe, glass etching and side door guards not listed as options!! So I think we got a great deal!! Of course, now there is a 1,000 cash back for HL. Always my luck!!! I have my trailer hitch on order from etrailer.com after reading several post here. Hopefully the installation will go smoothly. I will post a note after it's done!!!!

bmurray

Just purchased our Silver 2004 Highlander V6 AWD 3.3L with a 3rd row seat. Took about 2-3 weeks negotiating with dealers in the Columbus, Ohio region. We wanted one equipped with side airbags but did not want to spend the $ on a Limited. This was probably the toughest option to find on a non-Limited HL. We were told by numerous dealers that Toyota stopped offering the side airbags as an option on non-limited models because they had too many customers who wanted all options found on a Limited with the exception of the leather and JBL system. Any that we could find were not equipped with Preferred package (power seats/homelink/etc). Finally found one up in Akron, Ohio at Ganley Toyota with everything wanted and picked it up for 100 over invoice. Best we could get any Columbus dealers to was 500 over invoice.

Base Invoice (FE) - 23555
Convenience package (CQ) - 432
Heated/foldable mirrors (EH) - 24
Appearance package (AG) - 480
Driver/passanger side curtain AB's (GY) - 583
Preferred package (HE) - 508
Running Lights (RL) - 32
Moonroof (SR) - 720
Tow prep (TO) - 128
Sunroof wind deflector (SD)- 41
Carpet & mat set (CF) - 124
Owners portfolio (DK) - 6
Destination chg - 540
Holdback - 547 (would not work with us)
Finance chg on lot - 273
We added steel tube running boards - 495

MSRP was 32,276
We paid 29,089 + 6.5% tx + 100 doc fee
Financed at 1.9%

Beautiful car. Hope this helps.

Brian

zaphodatl

Can you negotiate away the "doc fees?" Some in my area range from $100 to $300.

And, btw, what is a "WRA" fee - and is that negotiable? I always see that in the small print of newspaper ads, but it's never explained.

stever

I don't know what the WRA is; finance or recycling fee? Limited to Georgia maybe?

One way to avoid negotiating the line items is to get an out the door price and let the dealer divvy up the money as they wish. But you have to be ready to walk when they start adding on to the out the door price as you are herded into the F&I office.

Steve, Host

zaphodatl

Steve:

Thanks for the suggestion.

So, for instance, is this the tactic: "I'll pay you $21K for this vehicle - car +any dealer fees."

And, when you say "out the door," do you mean everything except taxes, or do you mean a final drive-off-the-lot price?

stever

That definition varies around the Hall too :-)

I prefer to think of out the door as including everything, including taxes. That makes it hard to compare OTD pricing with others on the boards, since taxes and registration fees vary so much.

Assume you're paying cash and need one number to fill in on your check to leave the lot. That's the OTD number I look for.

Steve, Host

2003tls

In the end, the price you write the check for is the final price. Let the dealer allocate it anyway they want. What I care about is what comes out of my wallet.

mikefm58

2003 Highlander, used, 12K miles, 2WD, 4 cyl, Edmunds certifed used vehicle price is $22743.
.
2004 Highlander, new, identically equip'ed, Edmunds TMV new vehicle price after incentives is $21465.
.
What am I missing here? Even Toyotas don't appreciate. Are the prices listed by Edmunds reliable? Is the Edmunds certified used vehicle price a dealer asking price?
.
I don't think so. When I click on the link, it says "Vehicle has been inspected, reconditioned and warrantied as part of a manufacturer or authorized reseller program. You could expect to pay this amount if this vehicle has been certified as part of a manufacturer or authorized reseller program"
.
We went to the dealer this past w/e looking at the RAV4's but fell in love with the Highlander.

stever

Sounds like something the data people need to know about. Please fill out a Contact us form and don't forget to include your zip code. Thanks!

Steve, Host

lamontbond

i live in Md. and bought my first new car, the 04 fwd 4x2 v6 highlander with 3rd row. i think i got a great deal on the car but i am not sure which option packages i got. it has cloth seats, third row, privacy glass, 8 way power driver seat, alumunim wheels no sunroof (it took away from my head room and cost 1000 more and i never used my previous sunroof anyway). however there was no tounneau cover or mats and i don't know if there are mudflaps. i think that this is the appearance package and convenience package with an invoice of 25,412 and an msrp of 28,139 (carsdirect which includes the destination charge) i paid 23,944 +540 destination + 5% tax +title and i was an idiot and bought the extended warranty for 900 7yr/70000 with a $400 REBATE on financing. i got a horrible finance rate of 7.9%. i am going to refinance with my credit union for something around 3.75% in 3 months. so i paid a grand total of 26500. my dealer was darcars and it was an internet quote

dcsys

Just purchased Highlander in MA, I expected to pay more, was my expectation wrong or is this a good deal.

Boch Toyota.

Highlander 4-DR 4X4 V6 SUV Silver/Stone

Factory Installed: FE CQ EH EJ AG GY HD LF LP RL SR TO
Port Installed : CF R7 GN

  Base Options Total
Retail $27,390.00 $ 6930.00 $34,860.00
Dealer $30,801.00

Web Invoice $30,382.00
Sell Price $30,300.00
Rebate -$500.00
Final Price $29,800.00
                             +Sales Tax 7%
Doc Fee +$149.00

Apparently this is a normal Internet Sale at Boch that you can get every day.

jstraw

It would be "very convenient" to buy a planned Highlander within 50+ miles of Ft. Collins, CO during an early summer visit. My search is converging on a Limited 4WD with LA, HD, TO and several accessories.

I'm hoping for an experience like those posted about Rohrich Toyota, Boch Toyota, etc. Any good leads in the Front Range?

tmagda

Just signed on a 2004 4x4 Limited, MSRP $36,140, no haggle internet price $32,377, financed for 5 years at 1.9%.

ssamir

Greetings,

We got the 2004 HL 4WD Ltd Black exterior with Ash leather, SR, TO,FE,EJ,GY,PE,HD,LL,LA for 30,800 even and with 1.9% financing. The MSRP was 35986.00. We bought this vehicle in PA.

There was no high pressure sales at this dealership. Infact Toyota has the high pressure dealerships. I know some may not agree, but due to our personal experiences, I have made the statement.

Anyway the sales was pretty good. They also threw in Shuttle, Loaner(if more than a day) and lifetime state inspections.

abm

Just purchased a Millenium Silver V6 AWD LTD
MSRP: $36,475 w/ freight and mats
Invoice: $32,664 w/ freight and mats

Options: SR (sunroof), FE, RB (Running boards), TO (Towing), GY (side airbags), LL, LA, EJ (JBL stereo), HD (heated seats, AG appearance, RL, RF (spoiler,

Added Floor mats for dealer cost ($143)..so they said

Total $36,475 with freight and mats
Invoice $32,664 with mats and freight-(no sure if freight included in this price)

Paid $31,075 + freight
Total $31,615
Processing $99 +T/T/L
Financed at 1.9%

Used the internet pricing ....www.darcars.com at the Silver Spring, MD dealer

My wife is happy and she loves the car. I am happy with the price. Thanks everyone for the posts and the information provided here at Edmunds.

mark64

I was wondering if anyone can tell me about their experience (good or bad) with purchasing a new Highlander at Woburn Foreign Motors in Woburn MA.

I am thinking about getting a 2004 AWD V6 and they are pretty close by. Also wondering if anyone has had better experiences at other dealerships north of Boston MA.

I have dealt with WFM before and they seem ok but just trying to see if there is a better buying experience out there.

Thanks

dcsys

Boch Toyota is south of Boston so may be to far, but you should look at their website and call them for a price to compare against. Subtract $100 from the invoice price on their website (does not include destination charge) and I think thats what they are selling for. See my post 1028.

mikefm58

Does anyone know if the Toyota advertising fee that the dealers like to charge in the SE (actually Florida) is legit or not?

jstraw

Seems like you got a good deal. Do you mind sharing the dealership name? (I'll be visiting PA soon, and I might be interested in following up...) Also, was there any particular reason that the dealer offered you a price that wouldn't apply to another vehicle? For example, several of the same options in stock, holding that one a few weeks or more, etc. - Thanks!

stever

Do a Discussion Search in here for TDA (and SET too maybe). People say that TDA is on the dealer's invoice therefore it's legit. All I know for sure is that it irritates people. Southeast Toyota (SET) is a distributor that adds fees (or unwanted options, mop & glow, etc.) that the dealers try to charge. Also irritating :-)

Don't get too hung up on the fees - concentrate on the bottom line amount so you get the best out the door price you can. Let the dealer worry about how to allocate the money you pay.

Steve, Host

mikefm58

Thx Steve, yeah I did that and pretty much got what you said. TDA seems like just another way to charge the buyer more. Now another "fee" I've been seeing is called Toyoguard, which is the under coating, paint sealant, etc., just another way to make more money selling uneeded stuff.

mikefm58

Looking for a new HL, base 4 cyl. Can anyone in the central Florida area (Orlando and vicinity) recommend a dealer and salesman that is "reasonable" to work with? I've talked with two dealers locally and what a royal pain, would not even discuss dropping the TDA, Toyaguard, and other doc. fees.

mzopinonated

I had good luck last year with my Highlander at Central Fla. Toyota. I drove from Tampa to do business with them. I do know they have vehicles without toyogaurd. If you want the name of a salesman you will have to post your e-mail address.

stever

You can mark your email address public in your profile and people can click on your name and contact you that way. And you'll avoid most spam harvesters that way - if you post it in the discussions, you're fair game for spammers. I think Mike's email is already public.

I wouldn't even bring up the Toyoguard or TDA - just make an out the door offer and work your way up to what you're willing to pay. If no local dealer wants to sell you a car, expand your search a couple hundred miles.

Steve, Host

collins14

Went searching tonight in the Houston area for a highlander V6 FWD 3.3L. The dealer said we had to get the power drivers seat and upgraded sound system. He said all V6 came with these two options and we had no choice. Is this true?

He also had numerous fees attached. His price included us paying him $700 for the dealer holdback, also had about $1000 in misc. advertising and dealer fees. He would not give us the $700 rebate- he said they got to keep it.

Is this padded price the gulf coast area or this dealer in particular?

Does anyone have a price they paid for the V6 FWD with the options CQ (convenienc package),PG (privacy glass), RF (spoiler),TO (towing prep) and GY (side curtain airbags).

Any help would be appreciated. If we have to pay all the extra fees we will probably look at another type of car.

mzopinonated

I checked and I did find them without the upgraded radio system in Florida, so they do come without them. Unless you drive around without your radio or do not care about music at all I would recommend the radio upgrade. I bought one without it about 11 mo's ago and have slowly upgraded mine as the budget would allow. I would recommend getting on the internet to get several prices and go from there. Don't be afraid to drive a little ways if it will get you a good deal. I drove 80 miles to pick up my car but it saved be about $1,000.

newhart

I am interested in knowing if anyone has had a good experience with a Toyota dealer in the Chicagoland area.

bikeman3

Buy Your Highlander in Ohio, they are not allowed by state law to charge you for add-ons like paint sealant and such unless you agree at time of sale to have it done. The fines are very heavy if they do

loucapri

I got an used 01 Highlander which is a 4-cyl 2WD with 79000miles for $13,750 + tax an lic.

Do any of you think it is a good price or did I paid too much? It has power driver sit, remote entry, homelink, alloy wheels and roof rack.

thanks

siennalooker

I'm shopping for a HL for my teen and found a dealer thru the web - DarCars in MD that has an internet special (list of toyotas) on sale for $1600 UNDER INVOICE, not MSRP but UNDER INVOICE. To me it sounds to good to be true, I'm real skeptical. Has anyone ever heard of such a deal? They say the HL is on the lot, has 41 miles on it. I'm wondering what is wrong with it, why someone hasnt grabbed it yet. Could it be a real deal? I'm shopping for a Sienna for me but the HL for my son.
Any thoughts??

loucapri

do you know what trim is that HL?
What option does it has?
You are right, sounds little "too good"

siennalooker

Its HL 4x4 AWD Black
  AG APPEARANCE PKG -inc: (5) 16" 6-spoke...
  CQ CONVENIENCE PKG -inc: remote keyless...
  HE PREFERRED PKG -inc: 8-way pwr driver seat...
  FE 50-STATE EMISSIONS
  RL DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS
  EH HEATED PWR MIRRORS
  TO TOWING PREP PKG -inc: upgraded radiator,...
Msrp: $29,935
Invoice: $27,026
Sale: $25,426 ($1600 under invoice)
 they add tax/tags +100 processing, +dest charge.

Hmm , think I'll go check it out and test drive it.

loucapri

Yes, go check it out, test drive it and remeber to keep us updated!
I think we all want to know what's your final decision.

Good luck

lamontbond

i purchased my HL a month ago at darcars check out my post in the other forum where you posted the same message
P.S. there is another fellow that purchased at darcars in this forum just do a search for darcars

lgjava

Gatorland Toyota
'03 V6 AWD LIMITED MILLENIUM SILVER SUNROOF CLOTH SEATS $31,800

The Highlander is a very impressive and luxurious car. The millenium silver and limited package make the car appear far more expensive than the price paid. The dealership was fantastically clean, and my brother and I were immediately impressed at how the dealers were willing to deal on the prices. Also, the dealership had an "opener" feeling than the other dealerships that we'd visited, and the dealers themselves were cool guys. My brother's bought a lot of expensive cars (a Mercedes and BMW for his wife, for example), but he was impressed by the quality of the Highlander's interior. The staff were working on a Sunday, and they really tried hard to do a good job. What I got was a really "tight" looking car. The only problem that I've seen so far (after about six months)is that some of the clear coat has come off two of the panels (appearing as a cloudiness or hazy-whiteness of the metallic silver on the bumper and front side panel.) But looking on the internet, I've seen that the price of replacement fenders is only about $160, so that's pretty cheap. The ride is excellent, and the interior (especially the back seats) are so roomy you just can't imagine the difference from a Jeep, for example. Watch out though if your washing the front windshield glass because it scratches easily even with only a soap sponge. I managed to put some feathery scratches on it like nothing! Overall the experience of buying at Gatorland was great; they managed all the paperwork quickly and were fantastically friendly. I've been to the service department for a tow hitch, but they were too busy at the time (you'd expect that on a Friday, though!) All in all, I'd rate the Highlander (even with the clear coat problem) a big "5." Have fun!

tangerine17

Just purchased a 2004 Highlander with the following features:

FWD
V6
Salsa Red/ Gray Interior
Daytime running lights - RL
Heated & foldable rear view mirrors - EH
8 way power driver's seat - PE
Appearance Package - AG
Convienence Package - CQ
Preferred Accessory Package - Z1
Spoiler - RF

List was $28,405 with delivery fee
Invoice $25,093
Paid $24,600

Car had to be swapped with another dealer and took a few days to get in. Thanks Edmunds!

jimtarheel

highlander is the worst I've seen for nickel and diming you to death for extras, but this looks to be a pretty good deal. The only thing that may keep me from going to look is that this dealer charges that rip-off 'doc fee' charge of $300. I may just skip the whole darn thing and stay off their property. When are they gonna learn to put the customer first (and not add on charges that insult the buyer's intelligence?) Sheesh