Toyota Sequoia Prices Paid and Buying Experience

jeff88

It's just like Bill Clinton says, "It all depends on the meaning of 'is' is."

One dealer said their price IS $500 over invoice, another said it IS 1% over. this is for a ltd 4x4 with some options and a coupe of packages.

Neither were close to what edmunds and carpoint list as dealer invoice, both were much higher quoting all kinds of other bogus fees.

(BTW, the dealer packages are at a 40% markup. for instance, the extra mile lists at 1104 so take that number by .6 and that is the dealer invoice cost. am after the extra mile and a cargo cover on top of the curtain airbags, drl's, jbl cd changer and load leveler)

have stuck to my guns at 1% over any and all costs assaociated with procurement. meanwhile, back at the ranch, ford is willing to sell an expedition eb at less than edmunds invoice with another $3000 in a rebate to boot.

checking out feature/functions lists and road testing, I am darn close to buying the ford. only question to me is the the off-roadability of the eb though we have done substantially less of that since moving to these flat lands in east texas. other question is long term durability but I could afford a 7 year, 100,000 mile extension and still come in way under the toyo. we're talking more than $3k with an extended warranty.

any thoughts folks? what am I missing out on?

katzat

I am not sure about dealer installed options. Personally, I believe they are all bogus. Sticking with the Toyota stuff, you should be able to get the Sequoia for about $800 over invoice through the internet/fleet sales arm of one of your local dealerships. This is what the dealerships call $500 over invoice, but they include the regional advertising fees as part of their invoice price. Its still a good deal.

With regard to the Fords, they currently offer better option packages and the flat folding seats, which in my opinion are great. Better towing capacity as well.

It really boils down to whether or not you value the Sequoia $3,000 more than the Ford. I had a difficult time with this as well, but my wife wanted the Sequoia.

jeff88

My wife wants the expedition eb. If the toyota guys were to come back at 800 over and 60% of dealer options, I would have gone for it. It would have put me sub 45k with all options, TTL and truck. the lowest was 45.5 all up and in. I was standing firm at 44,790. The Ford is 40,750 with an extended warranty out to 60mos/75k miles. that's nearly $5000! the extra warranty put's one mind to ease with the supposed 'build quality' differnce...

stl_sequoia

I picked up a Sequoia Ltd. from Libertyville Toyota, Chicago with following options: RL, GY, EY, EJ, RF, CF and GN (cargo net). The sticker price is $47,777, got it for $43,000 plus $64.00 ( doc. + tag fee ). I had to go nearly 350 miles to get it, but was worth it. The local dealers wanted 1.5 to 2K more...

katzat

You got a good deal, but how did you go about it? The reason I ask is that I bought a similarly loaded vehicle for a similar price in the Chicagoland area by submitting requests for quotation from this site. There were three dealerships with internet/fleet departments willing to quote trucks, all far south of Libertyville.

I am surprised that a closer dealership would not sell you the truck for the ubiquitous $500 over invoice. Everyone smart enough to use this site should read the article posted here, “Confessions of a Car Salesman”. It is hilarious at one level and sad on another. One point that I have been scratching my head, pondering for a few years is the utility of the on the lot sales force. The expose’ regarding the car salesman’s life and role touched briefly on this point, but the author didn’t drive the point home in his conclusions. Why does anyone step foot on a lot other than to sit in a vehicle (test for size and comfort) and take a test drive? After that, the only thing left to do is buy the vehicle. To someone willing to do research here and in CR, the rest of the deal is so simple. Since the Internet/Fleet department is generally operated as a separate area of the dealership, the profit on the purchase doesn’t have to be shared with a salesman as commission, they don’t have to keep stock, and they don’t have to burden the price of the vehicle with the overhead costs of the inflatable monkey on the dealership roof, the kids playland, the big tent, or the wieners and brats for the Saturday blowout required to trigger the Tuna Run (from the article).

As the article stated (mostly inferentially) most of the dealerships are directly selling cars on the side via the internet sites completely circumventing the salesman. This leaves the salesmen to bilk only the most gullible buyers that walk onto the lot to look at cars.

I would be surprised if there weren’t a bunch of Toyota dealers between MO and WI more than willing to take your $1,000 dollars to put an order into their books and prep the truck when you arrived. Granted, that first 350 mile drive in your new Sequoia was probably pretty fun.

stl_sequoia

Thanks katzat, for your affirmation. I too requested a quote on this site from the Chicagoland dealers and got a response from two dealers. When I first talked to Libertyville, they had a Seq. with the color + options arriving in 2 about weeks.
I did give my local dealer a chance by -
1) willing to wait for the Seq. ( may be a month or so )
2) willing to pay up to $500 over Chicago price
...since they weren't willing to budge, I decided to head to Chicago.
Oh yeah, I did enjoy the 350 miles, except that it took me about an hour longer than usual as I was following break in recommendation of not going too fast ...not sure what's too fast. So far, we are very happy w/our decision.

stever

Confessions of a Car Salesman
 
There's also a link to the story on the sign-in page that lets you more easily view or print out a the 45 page .pdf version.

Steve, Host

tom1

Now that gas prices are sky rocketing, and the competition is offering high rebates and 0% financing... can I get a 4X4 Limited for $500 over invoice or BETTER?????

I noticed that the dealer holdback is almost $900 for this SUV. Maybe it's possible to secure a deal AT invoice??? AM I DREAMING.

Thanks

lostbear

I bought a new Sequoia SR5 4WD with following options ( CQ DR AG GY KE LF & RL ) at DARCARS Toyota in Maryland. They advertise this one at $33,999.00, with FTT added, which is lower than their internet price. You can negotiate a little down from there, but it is tough. Check their Web Site for similar cars. The add is in the Washington Post on a daily basis at this time. I added aftermarket leather later for about $1100 for all three rows at a separate shop. Good Luck

tom1

I forgot to mention that I am looking for the Limited 4X4 in the Los Angeles, CA area. Lots of choices, but people have $$$ out here. With all that dealer holdback, and gas prices soaring I am thinking the price should be lower.

A few hundred over invoice should be good enough...

Anyone out there with some ideas??????????

adolled

I purchased my 2004 SR5 for $400 below invoice at SouthCoast Toyota. Great dealership.

kinghooker

Check out Longo Toyota in El monte. $400 over invoice on Limited 4x4. Black W/Charcoal. Only
deal with Internet/Fleet manager. Was worth the drive. No one in O.C. could come close to the
price.

mallory45

I expect to buy a new Sequoia in the next few weeks. Will not use the car in the US, but will ship it immediately overseas from the dealer in Miami. One salesman told me I will have to pay FL sales tax (6%), even though the car won't be used in FL or anyplace else in the US. Do any of you know more about this -- whether sales tax is owed on cars that are exported? Thanks!

tidester

I think that if you're taking delivery of the vehicle in Florida then you will pay Florida state sales tax even if you ship it immediately after taking delivery.

tidester, host

sioktong04

i'am looking to buy in a month , but i would like to know here is anybody has the special edition package? and are they come with sunroof. the dealer gave me this price 34,221 plus ,tax del, proc., handling. the MSRP IS 37,269. thanks for all your help.

wip

Sticker was $41,832. I paid $37,496. I was told by the salesperson that it was $500 over invoice and included the TDA fee. I got internet quotes through Cars.com. The 4 replies were all within about $200 or so. Much bigger differences in the offers on my trade-in. Other salespeople told me they can't offer as good of a deal as the "internet" salespeople. Love the Sequoia - I have been researching and following this site for months - thanks to all who post for the great info. Drove the 4runner and just thought it was too small.

mr21

Bill Wright Toyota in Bakersfield will special order a Seqouia from the factory for you. Their internet/fleet department were very straight forward and great to deal with. I wanted the SR5 with factory leather but all of the dealerships in Ventura County only had cloth and they didn't want to order one for me. I paid about $800 above invoice and had to wait 6 weeks for the vehicle to be delivered. I was worth the 2 hour drive for me.

buck100

Well, with the help of this website I was able to make a deal on a Sequoia without even going to a dealership. Now, I need just a little more help before I take delivery of it. I ordered a 2004 Limited 4x4 along with a few of the options. Got it for 44,400 out the door. Now, do I need to arrange financing in advance or do I let them take care of it. I saw at the top of this website they have financing at 3.65%. Has anyone tried this and what was the experience? I will take any and all advice. Thanks for everything

stever

Here's an article for starters:

Financing Pitfalls and Solutions

and a link:

Capital One Auto Financing (was People First) - GOOD or BAD??

Steve, Host

mr21

buck100,
I would pre-arrange the financing with your credit union or bank before picking up the Sequoia. Then if you are up to it, let the dealer's finance and insurance guy see if he can beat the offer you already have. Some of the low-rate deals require immaculate credit and you don't want to be limited to only one option for your financing.

gasr5

I thought I would share my deal, as I had used this site to help me buy. I bought a o4 sr5 with wheel pkg #2
side curtain airbags
sunroof
bjl 6cd
convenience pkg
keyless
roofrack
daytimelights
foglights
Toyo pkg with towing
floor mats
Total out the door 5% sales tax $34,600.00
and I got $500.00 military rebate in the mail.
have had in shop 2 times for wheel balance, 1st time their machine was broke so they took to NTB and it made it worse. next time they did it and its smooth as silk now. I LOVE THIS SUV!!!

oxx93

I am assuming that it is 2WD?

gasr5

Yes it is, I'm sorry forgot to mention. Did I get a good deal?

akpanko

just bought 04 SR5 4X4 with the prefered package i added 17inch alloy wheel no 2 and a rear spoiler, cargo net, floor mats, came with leather and all other works apart from heated seats and leather trim on the doors that are standard on the LTD models which i don't care for, in phantom gray pearl at Turnersville toyota in NJ, all for 40779 and i kept the 16 inch wheels that the truck came with which i have offers to sell for $1500 is this a good deal?

eddiemac

I am interested in buying a 2004 Sequoia limited. What prices are people paying in the Washington, DC area?

bcfan

Hello,

We're in the process of "ordering" a SR5 using Edmunds' information to specify certain options.

My question is regarding the JLB Premium Combo options ("EJ" and "DJ"): Are these two options an upgrade to a basic radio/cd player included in the base price? Must I select either of these two options in order to get any music equipment at all?

Thanks for your help!!

bcfan

jjc

I am looking at the SR5 with most options which accding to Edmunds will cost me around $38.5K. Toyota is one of the few that still offers a true lease and I'm looking to see if anyone has had recent experience leasing a Sequoia of this type. My crude math suggests it should be around $500 per month even with the taxes rolled in. Any thoughts?

kennynmd

Just got my 04 SR5 in Blue Marlin Pearl with charcoal leather. Beautiful truck ! I got it from Beltway Toyota in Maryland. The sticker was $42,175 and I got it at invoice which is 37,625. Almost $4,500 off MSRP. They didn't have this color combo in stock and got it from another dealership without any problems.

tom1

Just picked up our brand new Limited 4X4 White with Oak Leather for under invoice. They took into consideration the holdback. This is from a Los Angeles, CA area dealer from their fleet department. Here's the deal:

Limited 4X4 White with Oak
- GY - Side Curtain Airbags
- EJ - Upgraded Sound to 6CD changer etc.
- RL - Daytime Running Lights
- Door sill protector
- Simulated BurlWood Upgrade for Interior
- RF - Rear Spoiler
- All Floor mats
- Wheel locks
- Destination charges

Price = $40,999 + TAX and License

*** Also, I then bought the Extended Warranty for $1,000 to Extend ALL WARRANTIES up to 7 years and 75,000 miles. (They started at $2K and I smiled...) I found out that this costs the dealership $800 and the lowest amount they can sell it for it $200 over the $800 or $1,000. That is exactly what I paid. They tried to get me to buy the teflon etc and I told them not interested. Now I have a brand new Limited 4X4 with a FULL 7 Year, 75,000 warranty.

Very happy and great experience. Research pays!

T.

mr21

What options did yours come with besides the leather? I bought an SR5 in Jan with leather, alloy #2 w/ tow pkg, side air bags, single CD/cassette/AM/FM stereo, convenience pkg, keyless, etc. for $34,000 (no sunroof).

kennynmd

My SR5 4x4 (MSRP Prices, $35,155) came with Leather package ($1,770) alloy wheel package#2 ($1,625),convenience package($255), roof rack($220),premium sound 6 disc changer($715), curtain and side air bags$(500), keyless entry ($245), Fog lights($110), daytime lights($40), and sunroof ($1,000), and destination charge of $540. Total MSRP=42,175 invoice =37,625 which is what I paid.

rap

Has ANYONE bought a Sequoia Limited in Blue Marlin Pearl? Do they even make any like that?

kennynmd, can you please post some pictures of your new sequoia in blue marlin pearl so that I can see what it looks like(in the pictures thread if you want) or here? Did your Sequoia have a DVD?

Thanks.

RAP

katetx

Hi RAP. My husband and I were with my sister and her husband last night as they bought a Sequoia Limited last night. We saw the Blue Marlin Pearl but found out that color was only available in the SR5 model. I hope this helps. Good luck.
By the way if it helps she paid $39,425 for Limited (2 wheel drive not 4x4). She got Phantom Grey (hard color to find by the way). Best of luck. It is a nice car...I wish I had that over my Pathfinder. The ride is superb.

klaracuente

Please tell me where you found one w/Leather at that Price... I am told the SR5's don't come w/leather, and I haven't seen one myself as of yet.
I am looking at a Salsa Red or maybe white, MSRP is 37,000 and change, trying to get it for 33,500 out the door, but I am being told, that toyota wont go below $1K under invoice. Any suggestions.

klaracuente

I need some advice in buying a Sequoia SR5. I am looking at one w/MSRP 37,686 thereabouts. One dealer locally can get it from another dealer semi-locally. The dealer invoice on this is $33,500.00. I want to pay $33,500 out the door (tax,tag,title, etc.) is this possible? I was told by one dealer that they won't go $1100 below invoice. I will be paying cash... the truck comes equiped w/the following
Alloy Pkg #2
Running Boards
Front Fog & Driving Lamps
Daytime Running Lights
Curtain side airbags
Convenience Pkg w/the power heated mirrors etc.
 Convenience Pkg w/the special mouldings
Keyless Entry
Roof Rack/Rails
Power moonroof
Exhaust tip by Valor
Auto-Dimming Mirror
Carpet Floor Mats

Then there are 2 other charges included in the invoice that I dont quite understand and I am told these are 'not negotiable' and are included in the invoice they are the TDA (advertising fee)$571 and the Whsl Financial Reserve $316.00. I am a single mom of 4 and the room in this is remarkable..Im not looking to do any off roading..just lots of room and major comfort. Am I being unreasonable by saying I want to only pay what the invoice states out the door? But then I was told I could order one and pay only invoice fees. Someone please help, lost in VA.

katzat

Some folks on this site have secured some pretty good deals, some bordering what you are asking for. Your deal may be possible with some help from factory to dealer incentives, etc., so you may want to check this site to see if any are available for the Sequoia. I don’t any have been offered since they incentized the moving of the last of the 2003s off of the lots last year.

With regard to the regional advertising fee, I have not seen them waive it. While it seems weird, it appears in my experience to be legitimate – the dealers may actually incur it as a cost. I believe it funds the regional dealership organization that pays for the advertising you see on TV that says “see you Tri-County Toyota dealer today.” Of course, this is not to say that they have to waive it to give you your deal. But, in my area of the country, these trucks sell pretty well, and you don’t see a lot of them on the lot. I recommend that you request quotations over the internet (from this site) for exactly the truck you want from as many local dealerships as have internet/fleet sales arms and see what you get. This was my best deal, although it was not nearly as good as the one you are looking for. Remember, the internet/fleet sales folks generally don’t dicker – they just move lots of vehicles at a very fair price to folks that don’t relish walking into a dealership and getting hoodwinked by a salesman. You can check my previous posts in this forum for more information and what to expect.

Otherwise, if you can wait, I am sure you will get the deal you are looking for or maybe better if you wait for the next model year to come out. If Toyota puts the navigation system in the 2005s or offers any other improvements, they will be blowing the 04s off the lot under invoice again.

mr21

I bought a SR5 with factory leather and it took 6 weeks to come in after special ordering it. Not all dealerships will do this. Also, I don't think the heated side mirrors are available on SR5's.

stomlinson

Paid 44,000 Cdn for 01 with 35,000 miles,new tires,no claims, these babies seem to hold their value. Make sure to tighten the gas cap 3 clicks

spearsbm

We just signed papers for an SR5 2x4 in Salsa Red with the following :

Allow wheel pkg #2
Preferred Package
Fog Lamps
Convenience Package
Keyless Entry
Roof Rack
Moonroof
Rear Seat Audio
JBL ETR/Cass/CD w/10 speakers
Floor mats

MSRP $38,613 Dealer invoice $34,508

After much negotiating, we are paying $33,498 plus tax and license. Is that a pretty good deal?

Also, I haven't seen any Sequoias in the Salsa Red yet? Anyone have one? Do you love it?

Lastly, I meant to ask about what color the interior is and the trim at the bottom exterior, but forgot (wouldn't really matter, b/c we'd have taken it either way). The code on the invoice is LB41...anyone know if this is charcoal or oak?

Thanks!

spearsbm

The above vehicle was sold out from under us (still don't understand how that can happen when the contract we signed had the VIN number on it). So after going round and round with every dealer in a 4-state region, we'd think we had one then it would not be available and on and on.

Now we are getting one that is being built on 5/17 that is exactly like the one we originally were supposed to get with the addition of side airbags, 6-disc changer, exhaust tip, and roadside assistance package. And they are giving it to us for the same price...$34,398 plus tax and license.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this one actually makes it to our garage!

bj21

This site was most helpful in helping me buy my Sequoia, thought I would share with everyone the deal I got. I bought 2004 SR5 4x4 with the following options:

Convenience Pkg w/ pwr heated mirors/etc.
Preferred Leather Package
Alloy Wheel Pkg #2
Moon Roof
Fog Lights
Keyless Entry
Luggage Rack
Daytime Running Lights
Side Curtain Airbags
Accessory Pkg

The sticker was $41688, invoice listed at $37065, bought it for $35878 + ttl. Salesman needs more training, I knew more then he did.

Awesome vehicle! Very happy!

charles2

The dealer in my area sent me an invoice that line items TOA (Toyota Advertising), Dealer holdback, and Whsl Financial Reserve after the invoice price. From previous purchases of domestic vehicals these fees were always included within the invoice. Is the dealer trying to charge me twice for these fees. They claim that Toyota always line items these fees. For those of you who paid invoice or saw the invoice were these fees listed at the bottom.

spearsbm

Wow, that sounds like a great deal to me. The best quote I could get on a 4x4 was $35,750 and that was for the same options as yours, only cloth instead of leather. I'm jealous!

What color did you get, and if you don't mind sharing, what state did you purchase in?

bj21

Phantom Gray Pearl. Bought it in Illinois.

woodrow

Just started looking around for a 2004 SR5 but have been told that it is next to impossible to find a 2-wheel drive in the northeast. Don't need 4-wheel capability nor initial expense yet don't want to lose bargaining power of having to special order one vs buying off the lot. Has anyone else run into this or do I just need to expand my search?

rob139

im interested in getting a sequoia 4x4 sr5, im interested in a base model with min options. i have been unable to find a dealer willing to sell for invoice- again was aiming for base without options. Has anyone had successful results with a new england dealer they would reccomend? what prices have you paid? I live in portland maine but would be willing to travel through new england.

sequoiasoon

Do a search on my name for past posts. $100 or less gets you to MANY airports on Jetblue. Southern States Toyota dealers have mostly 2WD and have to order 4x4. I bought mine from Fred Anderson Toyota in Raleigh. It's 5 minutes from Raleigh Airport (RDU). Did EVERYTHING on phone and e-mail and it was an EXCELLENT experience. Even counting the cost of the ticket he was cheaper than the NY dealers and ordered exactly what I wanted which the NY dealers couldn't / wouldn't. Picked up the Sequoia and had nice relaxing, break in the motor drive home. Stopped in Virginia and picked up a Toyota Factory Extended Warranty (service plan) from Cliffy who was also great to deal with and was 1/2 price of what the NY dealers wanted for an "aftermarket" company plan (search here for Warranty Gold BANKRUPT). Definitely Search the web and keep your options / mind open.

walt1

There are ads running now for all Sequoias being $4500 off MSRP and the dealer I went to said he could do $5k off.

mayur

Walt1,
Can you let me know which dealership it is. I'm looking for deals to purchase the vehicle. Some dealers are giving at invoice but with $600 added as TDA (Toyota advertisement fee). That fee is ridiculous as no dealers of other brands charge it.

stever

Agreed, but instead of concentrating on the TDA and other fees, worry about your out the door price. Get that one handled and you won't care about the line items.

Steve, Host