2013 and Earlier - Toyota Highlander Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Houston_Boy

(Sorry I don't have the options abbreviations for you all)

Bought a white 4-cyl with roof rack, Quick Order pkg, Extra Mile package (incl. upgraded security, wheel locks, pin stripe, alm. alloy rims, mats, cargo net, met, and tonneau privacy cover, interior protection pkg) in July 2002 for $24,400.

Sticker price was about $27,300, traded in my 1999 Acura 3.0CL, also added 7 yr/75k extended warranty.

Walked out paying $220/month for 60 months.

john_fonti

I haven't shopped for a new car in 6 years so I don't have recent experience but I am in the market now. I am finding Toyota dealership sales managers to be a lying and arrogant bunch. In the past I remember hearing of their bad reputation but I would have thought that they got more civil with competition. It doesn't seem that way. A couple of more of these experiences and I may have to look at another manufacturer. But I don't know if they're any better. And I don't want a Saturn. Any other experiences out there?

jhs70

2002 Highlander 4DR V6 4WD Limited with BE/EJ/HD/TO/VD/CF/GN/LA/SR/UQ. $32189 plus tax tags (OTD ~$33,300). I'm in the DC area.

cufishn1

I paid $22793 ($24046 with tax & plates) for the 4 cyl model with quick order package, roof rack, mud guards and running lights. I'm in the Milwaukee area.

raybear

John, I know plenty of Toyota dealers, where are you looking, and what are they lying about?

john_fonti

I am looking for a fair deal, somewhere between Edmunds-TMV and dealer cost. That boils down to 3% above dealer invoice which should be enough profit for them-according to everything I've read. (With 2% holdback that equals 5%. On a $30k auto that would be $1,500 profit.) So far I've had one dealer who gave me a verbal price commitment via telephone then he reneged in person. Another dealer who wouldn't even talk to me unless I took a test ride. I refused by telling that I've already been on a test ride and am ready to buy. Then when he said "Humor me, take a test ride" is when I said "Humor me, I'll take a walk instead."

This makes two out of three dealers who I will not deal with again. I can only assume that these dealers act this way because they do it all the time and they are successful at it. Another couple of dealers like this and I'm going elsewhere.

raybear

Remember they're not all bad. Try emailing a few dealers with an offer on a specific car. You can locate them right on Toyota's website.

Remember that there is a $300 TDA fee in Southern California that is a genuine part of the invoice. This is the lowest fee in the country for Toyota. I think if you were to give a firm commitment a dealer would find it hard to pass up.

pdalpsher

My experience last year was a dream, what part of the country are you in? I had the Edmund's numbers printed out on the car I wanted and a printout of the options pricing. I found a HL quite by accident that was very close to what I was looking for. As soon as the sales guy realized I knew what I was doing yet I was pleasant about it...things went great. I got my HL for TMV pricing and they matched my credit union's financing...they had computers on line and I just showed 'em what I could get. The other dealer in town wouldn't even talk lower than MSRP (they also only had one HL) so I made the decision to buy last summer rather than early this year. Sometimes it helps to not be on the offensive and obsess about every last $100 of profit. Saving another 1% on a deal for me isn't worth turning the experience into a bad one. I need to use a dealer for service and I'd been happy with this dealer working on my Camry. I sold the Camry myself to take the trade-in hassle off the table and the numbers were more straight-forward.

This upcoming weekend is the last weekend of the month and if business has been slow you'll find a good deal. Not all dealers or sales people are arrogant, give one of them the opportunity to let you enjoy the experience.

cufishn1

I paid a $256 TDA fee at a Milwaukee, WI dealership when I purchased my 2002 4 cyl HL last month.

raybear

Below a certain amount and the TDA is a percentage. Most HL's are V-6's and the TDA is higher.

fenwick4

FYI, I recently purchased a 2002 2WD Sequoia SR5 and a 2002 AWD Highlander Limited and paid 3% over dealer invoice on both. Of course I had to sit through the usual "dog and pony show". My understanding is that the dealers are targeting about a 7% over invoice price as "average". Furthermore, I negotiated this independently from my trade-in allowances. Hope this is useful.

rynzmom

I look forward to picking up my Highlander Ltd tomorrow or next day. I looked hard at the Highlanders and requested pricing from about 7 dealers (6 via email; 1 was a phone call). I found a dealer that was willing to go 2% over invoice. I found a vehicle that I wanted and when the time came to make the deal, he wasn't willing to negotiate his price anymore. We were within $133 of a deal and he wouldn't budge. I called the dealer I had originally called for a price quote and asked if he could do the deal and he was more than happy. We are in the New Orleans area and got a 2002 HL Ltd, premium sound, towing prep, and leather for $29,285 + tt&l. (MSRP was $31,673)I think this was an excellent deal and we couldn't be happier with it. If anyone in the area is looking, please let me know and I'll provide name of sales person.

cheezheadnga

I bought my Highlander V6 limited edition without leather back in March. Paid $26,900 MSRP was about $31,000 not including taxes, etc. I don't recall all the options but it has the limited package including a 6-CD changer. Love this vehicle! I think we got a pretty good deal . . . its white.

ash732

Just bought a HL 4WD Ltd (Metallic Silver) from DCH Toyota in North Brunswick. The details are as follows:

Ltd (LL package), FE, SR, BE, TO, VD, EJ, LA, HD, CF, GN, N1, WL, SD (what is SD ?) --> the invoice price was 31744. I added the Side Bars (SB) --> for a total of 33600. Then the 6% NJ state tax was added and the price before dmv fees and lo-jack (which I would like installed) is 35616.

Is this a good deal ? Basically I paid ( 31744 + 405 for the running boards + 4.5% (or 1462) over invoice ) for the 35616 total.

Please bear in mind that this is Central Jersey and there is a sizable population that can afford a car like this and therefore they do move out of the dealer's lot faster than most parts of the US). Any and all replies (any kind) are appreciated.

Thanks,
Sleepless in North Brunswick

john_fonti

I live in the SF Bay Area and just bought a new Base 6cyl 4WD. Got the color I wanted (white). Paid 2600 less than MSRP, 300 less than TMV, and 750 over invoice(invoice includes advertising fee of 400).

It was an advertised special so there was no negotiation (very nice!).

If it wasn't an "Ad-Car" I believe that it would have been tough (but not impossible) to get this price with negotiation. Previously from another dealer I had gotten to 2200 below MSRP but no deal. Bluestone is the most popular color so don't expect the best price for it.

BTW...be ready to walk when they try to jerk your chain. These dealers are all Pro's.

landdriver

You got a good deal -- the Highlander is a popular vehicle and thus dealers are generally able to hold out for higher prices -- you're lucky in that a year ago when I bought mine, Highlanders were in short supply -- I paid $1800 over invoice in the SF Bay Area and I consider myself a savvy negotiator (though maybe not quite as savvy as john_fonti)!

Not sure what SD is...

sender_green

In reply to John Fonti's take on Toyota salespeople, yes they are pros. I got a salesweasle who was playing the game, so it was time to play back. I kept asking for the invoice price at least 5 times before he finally gave it to me. Once we had the invoice price established, we haggled on the price above invoice. They wanted $1200 over but I wanted $700. The salesman finally got the GM's brother to talk to me. He said he couldn't give it to me for that much because these cars are so much in demand. I start to leave and he quickly said that we can still work on something. I said I wanted $700 over invoice and he said that the best he can do was $900 because the color I chose (Indigo Ink Pearl) was too rare to get. He also said that he has a HL himself and that it was a "SR-5". Now, I don't know much about Toyotas and this is my first Toyota car, but SR-5's are for the 4-Runners, not the Highlanders. Already I knew this guy to be a [non-permissible content removed]. Anyway, I noticed that there was a dark green colored HL with the exact same options next to the blue so I said to give me that instead. He went back to "talk" to the GM and then came back and congratulated me on the sale. Anyway, here is my invoice:

Toyota Highlander 4WD V6
base 23,904.00
FE N/C
DR 32.00
EH 24.00
SR 720.00
BE 215.00
TO 128.00
AG 728.00
CQ 256.00
HE 516.00
CF 109.00
total 27,798.00
over 700.00
total 28,498.00
MSRP 31,024.00

The TMV was $28,549. Good luck to everyone. Don't get too set on any one vehicle and be prepared to walk.

raybear

SR-5 isn't just on 4-Runners, it's on a lot of Toyotas, just not the Highlander.

dba2

Searching for a responsive salesperson in the New Orleans area. Little response to my email and phone inquiries, not much better response in person. The price quotes are currently $2000 over Edmunds TMV for a 2wd 4cyl Highlander. Very discouraging.

raybear

Make sure you're comparing apples to apples. The Edmunds site lets you build a car any way you want, but Toyota only ships them with option packages.

bigdad

My daughter is in NO and loves it. I am buying a HL from a Lakeland FL dealer (I live in TN and can't even get dealers to call me back, the Toyota dealers around here in Knoxville are terrible). Anyway, I got a great deal, ask for Renee at 863-688-5451 and mention Steve Anderson (me). I have a friend who bought a car from her who sent me to her....No one else would even budge off of sticker on the GTS he bought...got it from her near invoice. Mine is less than 300 over invoice. You have to travel a bit, but make plans to see the sights in Orlando, Tampa etc...turn it into a vacation with the money you save.

hl4wife

I debated whether I should post a message to this forum, but I decided to give back to a service that helped me aquire the best price offered from a particular CO dealer (I promised I wouldn't mention the dealers name).

OTD = Invoice - $60 + D&H ($249) + taxes

In my case,my purchase was a loaded limited HL with options SR,BE,TO,UQ,VD,LL,EJ,LA,HD,CF,N1,HP,V2.
Invoice was 32,162 including 2% TDA. Purchase price was 32,100 + $279 (D&H) + 2% state taxes.

How did I receive such a good price? I paid $29 to a service that provides information to perspective car buyers, www.fightingchance.com.
Most of you in this forum have paid too much for your highlanders. Pay the $29 fee and find out how you can win at the car-buying game. I'm not affiliated at all with this company, I could give you the information & strategy and save you the $29 fee. But I believe this company provides a valuable service and deserves the revenue from each person it serves. Thankyou fighting chance.

goldston

Not trying to start a battle here, I just ran the options listed and they don't add up to the invoice given. Since you didn't state if your Limited was 2WD or 4WD, I used the 4WD as base invoice and added the options you listed. (If your Limited is 2WD then I'm even farther off) I've list your options (at invoice price) with brief descriptions below.

Limited 4WD with TDA = $27,915
SR (moon roof) = $ 720
BE (side impact airbags) = $ 215
TO (Towing) = $ 128
UQ (Tow Hitch) = $ 232
VD (Skid Control) = $ 559
LL (Limited Pkg) = $ INC
EJ (Upgrade Stereo) = $ 150
LA (Leather) = $ 856
HD (Heated Seats) = $ 352
CF (Floor Mats) = $ 109
N1 (Auto Dimming Mirror) = $ 170
HP (Hood Protector) = $ 61
V2 (Glass Break Sensor) = $ 88

Total Invoice w/TDA = $31,155

Which is $607 over what you stated in your post #425 and I am trying to find what I missed (possibly a couple of more option you didn't list).

Either way... you got a great price and will love the Highlander.

Best Regards,
Philip

hl4wife

Phillip,

Your breakdown matches mine, but add 510.00 for delivery to your figure. Subtract option HP from mine ($61). The toyota invoice also has a $6 fuel/admin charge.

TDA was $662. base price was 27,405.

MSRP-35,841 invoice-32,162
purchase price 32,379 (D&H included).

I posted another message containing a list of fax numbers for each fleet manager for every colorado dealer. However one of the moderators to this site (KarenS) deleted it. I'll post no further messages.

goldston

Good morning Jewell,

I appreciate you responding to me, it's great to hear how each new owner negotiated their purchase price and (of course) the price they paid. I've posted here a couple of times due to the fact that I own a 2001 H/L and my wife owns a 2002 H/L and we love them both. Our deals were not quite as good as yours ($600 over invoice on the 2001 & $700 over invoice on the 2002) but I could not be happier with our Highlanders.

Happy Highlandering...

Best Regards, Philip

ront02769

hi all. am in providence, ri area and have internet dealer saying they will sell me 2002 highlander, any make, model, configuration, etc. for invoice +$700+ $83 document fee out the door.

question: is this a reaonable deal? I'm currently lookin at base 4x4, 4 cylinder, with quick order, floor mats, roof rack, mud guards, alarm and rear spoiler (this is apparently how all of the base ones come into this area).

thanks!

ront

mjs504

In July, I purchased the configuration you described + a running board and wood grain and paid 700 over invoice.

ebusan

sounds reasonable. Got my '02 for 500 over invoice. Don't know 'bout the doc fee however. Perhaps you could counter @ 700 over invoice including doc fee (and any other fee they may add). Of course that excludes T&L

suzyq44

Has anyone here ever purchase thru the Sam's Club program?

john_fonti

I screwed up in my previous posting from 8/11. So here is the correction.

I live in the SF Bay Area and just bought a new Base 6cyl 4WD. Paid 2600 less than MSRP, 300 less than TMV, and 350 over invoice(invoice includes advertising fee of 400).

haralick

Plan on purchase HL in next week. Any good dealer experience and price? Thanks!

jax4236

We recently purchased a base 2002 Highlander 4 cylinder at $24,400 + tax, tag & title (MSRP=$28,189) with the following options:

16 inch Factory Aluminum Wheels
Accent Stripe
Carpet Mats & Trunk Mat
Drop Hitch Receiver and Wiring Harness
Power Drive Seat
Remote Security System w/glass breakage sensor
Towing Package
Bug Deflector
Mudguards
Quick Order Package
Roof Rack
ToyoGuard protection group

Interested in any thoughts on this purchase price.

haralick

Talked to a couple of dealers this morning about
the HL "SR5". The invoice is about $27500-$27700
and they seem to be willing to sell it for $700
over invoice.

raybear

Try Matt Howard at Rotter's in Olympia also. He's a decent guy who I've worked with on occasion.

ront02769

hi. ok. found a dealer in MA who said would sell me highlande 4x4 4 cylinder for invoice +3%. sounded prettygood, but when I got there there was discrepency in the off=the-dealer-computer invoice that they showed me and the edmunds/kelle invoices.

specifically, their invoice included several hundred dollars in some type of "advertising fee" plus something called "whlsl something" adding about 300 total to the invoice.

so, question: 24933 + $20 documentation fee for 2002 4x4 4 cylinder with quiclk order, roof fack, carpte floot mats, daytime running lights, and mudguards in MA. deal is "good until the end of the month" (e.g. tomorrow). what think you all
ront

john_fonti

The invoice I was shown recently looked like an actual invoice with the Toyota logo on top. It looked like the real McCoy and the numbers matched exactly to Edmunds. The only difference should be the last item - Advertising which in the SF Bay area was $418. Edmunds does not show them because the charge is not fixed and can vary from region to region. If I were you I wouldn't pay more than $300 above invoice(including advertising).

edmundsdt

John,

Where did you get such a good deal? I also live in the SF area and am shopping for a good price.

Doug

john_fonti

Talk to no one but Carl Johnson!!!!! He is a recently laid off hi-tech marketing manager and not a car salesman by trade. He will be straight with you.

ront02769

yes, this one too matched edmunds but with additon of advertising and the whlsle something on it. but the saga continues.

went back to dealer sat early and said "add the v5 alarm (185 acc. to edumnds/kelley) and rear spoiler (200 acc to edmunds/kelley) and I'll add $400 to our previous quote of 24933 and write you a check right now. dealer comes back and indictes that alarm costs them 250 and spoiler costs them 500, adding 750 to "invoice" instead of 385 so I walked. but am wondering if they are right and I am wrong? MIGHT their cost be other than edmunds,kelley??

ront

sankofa

I paid a delivered price (before tax, tag, and title) of $24,529 for a 2002 model 6910 (4cyl 2WD) with aluminum wheels, side airbags, owners portfolio, luggage rack, mudguards, quick order package (keyless entry, privacy glass, tonneau cover), rear spoiler, and alarm pre-wiring. That price is $23,779 (invoice) + $525 (negotiated "profit") + $225 (VA dealer processing fee). I negotiated it based on price over invoice plus processing fee. The MSRP of the vehicle is $26,436. It was exactly the car (including colour, see below) that I wanted, and the only one in-stock in northern VA that day (or for the last 6 weeks that I have been checking). It had just arrived at the dealership with 4 miles on the odometer.

The Edmunds TMV for this vehicle as $24,299 (spoiler TMV estimated as $210), a difference of $230 nearly equal to the processing fee. That fee can be negotiated, I decided to forgo the pain and secure the car.

The dealer profit on my car was $1,896 = $525 + $225 + $477 (holdback) + $238 ("finance special reserve") + $431 (TDA - advertising). The last three were listed on the dealer invoice that I saw before signing the purchase order.

I belong to a credit union that offers a buying service (for MD, VA, and DC). If I had used the buying service then my price would have been $24,459. Their sole dealer in northern VA did not have the car I wanted so I couldn't use the service. The dealer I went to is the "Costco dealer" for the area. I didn't ask for the Costco price but took the gamble that I could do as well or better.

On the same day I went through a perfect storm: the last day of the last month before the new model year, a half hour before closing time, a rainy afternoon, and a dealer who needed 9 more cars to make his sales goal. He offered me a model 6910 at $20 over invoice with no haggling. It was the wrong colour.

And so it goes.

rl989

Thanks to everyone for posting their buying experiences. I read this board for several months before buying. It was a big help.

Here is my experience: I used the carbuyingtips.com web site and also bought the $25 package from fighting chance (they are online) to get the invoice & MSRP #'s for the highlander. I priced out the options I wanted and calculated the invoice price, figured out wholesale financial reserve and holdback etc... At that point I knew (as best as anyone can) what the dealer was paying for the truck.

I called 20 dealership fleet managers (those 20 nearest to sacramento, CA where I live) and asked if I could send them my fax request for a quote on a special order highlander. My fax contained a list showing the base model I wanted with the options, showing invoice and msrp for each. They all said sure, send the fax, but only 8 replied. The spread between low and high bid was $2200. Wow!

The low bid was from the fleet dept at Tracy Toyota. He was eager for my business and didn't try to tell me some story about how fast these things were flying out the door and prices were really at a premium etc...etc... So I went with him.

I ended up special ordering a V6 AWD 2002 nonLTD with CQ, TO, LD, EH, MG, UZ, SR, & AW on April 24th. He asked for a $500 deposit and I gave him my credit card # for it. He never credited me for it though. I asked him about that later on and he said he would have had I cancelled the order.

I got a call from the dealer about 3 weeks later saying that my order had been received and accepted by toyota. Then another call in mid July or so saying the truck had been built. Then I got another call in early August saying that it had arrived in port in Long Beach. It got to the dealer a few days later on August 9th. So the wait time was 107 days from the order date to vehicle pickup at the dealer.

I had a good experience with the fleet guy at Tracy Toyota and would recommend him. His name is Dennis Bruns. I walked in, paid for it, took the keys and left. No one tried to sell me vin etching, paint protection or any other extras. No BS at any point in the experience. That was nice.

One snag, this dealership does not accept bank drafts. In other words, my peoplefirst loan check was turned down, so be aware of that. We called peoplefirst from the fleet managers office and I had peoplefirst explain to the dealership manager how their system worked and that the check could be cashed without a problem and there was no paperwork to fill out etc etc. But the dealership did not budge. But he gave me about the same rate on a dealership loan (4.99% vs 4.79 with peoplefirst). So that was ok. It was a matter of $50 at that point so I took it. So Before you buy at a dealer, I'd recommend asking if they take bank drafts like those from peoplefirst, eloan etc..

I paid $29,737 including tax, fees, TDA, lic + the million other fees they have in CA.

Love the truck. I'm sure it will last longer than my s-10 (I won't even get into that)

raybear

A lot of dealers have been burned by site drafts, but I've never heard of a problem with Peoplefirst. I'm happy you got a good deal from Dennis, I've worked with him a few times before, but I may have to reconsider if they don't accept the financing sanctioned by my employer.

bigdad

I just got back to Tennessee from picking up my 2002 V6 2wd base from a dealer in Lakeland FL. I had a friend who had purchased a vehicle from them and found they were reasonable in pricing. In Knoxville and vicinity I got the usual lying and deceit from the dealers when I asked them to match (or at least come close) the price I had negotiated ("that's less than I paid for it", etc.). These guys didn't return calls, tried to pass used cars off as new (demos and program cars) and were generally arrogant and unprofessional. I had heard about Toyota dealers and the general opinion that they are less consumer oriented that most (I guess they have the cars people want so don't care about how customers are treated....I almost decided not to buy a Toyota because of the "attitude"). However, I digress. Lakeland Toyota was straightforward and I ordered the vehicle I wanted. They called and said they couldn't find exactly what I wanted, but had one that also had the power drivers seat...so I ok'ed the addition at $312 (invoice per Edmunds). When the arrived it did not have the appearance pkg I ordered, but did have the privacy glass part...so I asked them to put on the alloy wheels from another vehicle on the lot (which they did) and credit me for the mudguards (which was fine with them too). Obviously the deal was a little botched, but they did the best they could to satisfy me. The options I had were:
50 state emissions
Tow prep pkg
Convenience pkg
Privacy glass
Alloy wheels
Prewire for alarm
Pass. and cargo trunk carpet mats
Roof Rack
8 way Power drivers seat
Toyoguard Plus protection group (what a rip, but I never paid a nickel extra for this...my original quote did not take this into consideration...this car just happen to have it)
The total MSRP was $28,840 and I gave them $25,068....this is exclusive of taxes. I was pretty satisfied with the deal and they made a bit, so everyone came out ok...BTW my mileage on the way home to Tenn was far better than I expected....25.5 mpg despite my continually varying speed during the drive to assist in proper break-in..lots of throttle action, slowing up then speeding up...no constant speed. So far I really am pleased with this vehicle.

lzhuk

I got the following e-mail from a dealer in Tacoma, WA. Do you think I am getting fair deal? I am a first time new car buyer...
"Thank you for your Internet request concerning the Toyota 2002 Highlander 4x4with 4 cylinder engine. Jim will need to try to locate the indigo ink
for you if it is your "must have" color. He does have one remaining in stock in super white. For comparison, it is equipped pretty much the basic way Toyota sends this model. It has all the standard features plus mudguards, roof rack, tonneau cover, keyless entry, privacy glass, prewire for alarm, auto dimming rearview mirror, rear spoiler and Plus Security System. MSRP
is $27,613 and Jim is asking $25,012."

john_fonti

3,800 off msrp? 25mpg? This is difficult to believe. As to price, is the car custom painted purple and yellow? As to mileage, is it all downhill from Lakeland to Knoxville? With numbers like those you should get into the business. Then again, maybe you really are with Lakeland Toyota.

tielgirl

Bigdad is not so difficult to believe. The MSRP on my Highlander was over $33,300. I got internet quotes from several different dealers ranging from $29500 to $32500. This is in the same region of the country (Southeast Toyota Distributors) where Bigdad got his vehicle. The lowest quotes I received were several hundred dollars less than invoice. 25 mpg on the highway - I don't think that is hard to believe at all either. I haven't had my Highlander on a roadtrip yet but it gets nearly 22 mpg around town (mostly stop and go driving) and it's a V6. Maybe your experiences with pricing are from a different part of the country but I can tell you in the Southeast you can find a very good deal if you ask enough dealers and/or find the right situation. Getting internet quotes is the way to go - if nothing else gives you something to bargain with if you're determined to purchase from a local dealer. My Highlander is Sundown Red Pearl (not purple and yellow - yuck).

bigdad

Having lived a long time and bought many cars, I am pretty familiar with how the system works and I don't tolerate b.s from dealers...I just walk..or hang up when they lie to me...life is too short to waste time on this sort of thing. So when I ask them for their best price...they get one chance...Lakeland understood where I was coming from and I have already referred another sale to them. As far as the mileage, I was immensely pleased, having expected about 20 or so, to get 25+, especially on new engine and less than ideal conditions (changing speed a lot). My next two tanks here in Tenn were all local driving (going to store, etc.) and I got 22.1 on both tanks (premium Texaco). I am 56 and not a speed demon and drive responsibly but not a little old lady either (just sold my NSX and I do ride a large motorcycle too). My Highlander is Millenium Silver (my wife says "not another silver car" I like silver!). Like they say "old age and treachery beats youth and exhuberance all day"...I am sure the end of month sales date (8/31) and end of model year helped me on the price...I was just another fleet sale in their books that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise..so they made a little less on me & they made up for it on the next [non-permissible content removed]!

john_fonti

Let's see....700 miles from Lakeland to Knoxville then another two tanks of gas = another 800 miles. BigDad must be smokin/snortin something for only one week's ownership = 1,500 miles. At that rate BigDad will be ready for another new car while the Highlander still has that new-car smell.

darko1996

I have done all of my research. I have enough money saved up for a nice downpayment, and am now ready to go forward with the internet quotes.
I have all the email addresses from the local dealerships (I live in Baltimore, MD). My only question is what do I say in my email to these people? Do I tell them how much I want to pay? Am I supposed to spell out every item I want in the car? Or do I say this is what I want, what can you do for me? Any imput is much appreciated.

tielgirl

Darko1996 - I would suggest searching inventories of your region to find a vehicle like you want and requesting a quote specifically on that vehicle. You don't need names and addresses of dealerships (I would be willing to bet any direct emails would get bounced anyhow for too full mailboxes or some other reason)- just go into the Toyota website - search for all the dealers (can find all the ones in your state by just searching by state). Go to the dealer's website (there should be a link from the search result), do an inventory search and find the vehicle you want (should be able to search the entire region) and request a quote (there is a quote request button on the page that the specific vehicle will be on). You do not necessarily have to find the exact (ie. same VIN) vehicle for quotes from different dealers - as long as all same features you want (should be same MSRP). Do NOT offer up a price. Some dealers will come back high (though they would likely come down more) and those really wanting the business will come back low. Try as many dealers as you want to get the deal you want! If you're willing to drive outside of your area you may be able to get a better deal (like in a smaller town). It may take a couple days for some of them to get back to you (my experience has been anywhere from five minute response time to two or three days to one dealer never responding more than a "canned" response) - but be patient and wait to weigh your options.