2013 and Earlier - Toyota Camry Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • hank2hank2 Member Posts: 76
    I'm not from the NC area, but here're some general observations:

    1. Go online to Edmunds and Carsdirect to get an estimate of the base price of the car.

    2. Note local incentives and rebates.

    3. Spend a little time looking thru previous prices for similar car.

    4. My observation is that Internet sales will pull about $2000 off their price immediately. My opinion is that gives them roughly $600 - $1000 above cost, which is an average profit.

    5. Go in VERY confident with a specific price in mind and options. I haven't found that Internet will negotiate more than a few hundred dollars.

    6. When you talk price, you want the "Out the Door" price. If you get them to show you the TTL, that gives you a better idea of their profit.

    7. In general, end of the month is a good time to bargain.

    8. Finally, if you can, try avoiding any of the hassle and go to: www.costcoauto.com ( post 840 in Buying Experience ) if you have a CostCo in your area. Sometimes Credit Unions, Sam's Club, and your specific company may have deals.

    Keep us informed.

    - Hank2
  • nss167nss167 Member Posts: 8
    Try going to Darcars.com and checking their internet specials it will give you a good idea of what prices are in the northern VA/ DC area.
  • tony4tony4 Member Posts: 3
    Hi All,

    Thanks to all the folks who have shared their information,experience and also to Edmunds.com. This was the only place I did my research and bought my car. I feel that I got a good deal $17,500 drive out,includes ABS and Z1 package. I think, I could have got the same car for $17,300 but definetly not less than that. Its only because of my mixup in my final calculations, I had to be satisfied with $17,500. Neverthless, I am happy the amount I paid for my car.
    Good Luck to All,
    Tony4
  • johnfromncjohnfromnc Member Posts: 10
    Hank and NSS 167, thanks for your good advice. I'm amazed at the results so far.

    Again, this is for a 2004 Camry XLE V6 with leather heated seats and the stability/side airbags package (in effect, a below market Lexus ES300).

    Recall that the Consumer Reports invoice (not MSRP) came out at $25,136. And this was after subtracting the $506 dealer holdback (just another form of profit in my view).

    Merely by sitting at my friendly computer and following your advice, I've come up with the following offers.

    Carsdirect.com $26,998
    Modern Toyota - Winston-Salem 26,441
    Miller Toyota - Manannas VA 25,433
    Ourisman Toyota- Fredricksberg 25,218

    The MSRP is just under $29,000.

    I'm going to work a bit more on the price, but a low $25,000 number sounds pretty good. Prices are definitely lower in Northern Virginia, and they are more accustomed to Internet sales.

    Thanks again.

    John
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Tony4- Congratulations. Keep us posted as to your observations and experience with the car, and how well you like it. You got a great price.

    Johnfromnc- You should probably just bite on the offer from Ourisman. I highly doubt you will be able to find another dealership willing to go much below that figure. Is another hundred or two dollars really worth the added search cost? (Especially if you can have the color of your choice from Ourisman). I am actually VERY surprised that carsdirect.com is tracking as far off the dealer offers that it is- are you inputing the zip code of the dealerships that you will be shopping? (Toyotas incentives vary by region).

    For what its worth, carsdirect.com shows the combination you detailed (Premium Pkg+VSC+Side SRS) in the Greater NY region for $25,043 (MSRP $28,755). I think when using carsdirect.com, you may have actually chosen the Navigation Pkg instead of the Premium Pkg?

    ~alpha
  • nss167nss167 Member Posts: 8
    Take a look on darcars.com and see the internet specials on the rockville dealer (a.k.a 355 Toyota in Rockville) .

    I see that they have 3 cars with the options you describe ( VSC, Side Curtains and heated seats etc.)

    Price listed is $23601 plus freight and $100 processing plus taxes/tags.

    It might be worth taking a look.
  • johnfromncjohnfromnc Member Posts: 10
    Alpha01, your hunch was correct. I was using the local NC zip code when I called up the carsdirect.com price. That price was $26,998.

    When I used the Northern Virginia zip code, where Ourisman and Miller are located, the carsdirect price came down to $25,924, a rather significant difference.

    About half of the difference reflects the higher rebate in Northern Virgina ($1000 v. $500 in NC). What's your guess as where the rest of the difference comes from? Lower sales volume per dealership down here in NC?

    Thanks again.

    John
  • cheech63cheech63 Member Posts: 2
    I'm looking to buy a 2004 camry xle with the following options:premium plus pkg.,preferred accessory pkg.,heated seats,and drivers/passengers side-curtain airbags. The quote I got from a local dealer in central Connecticut was 23,050 including a $1000 rebate,before taxes.the list price was 26,746.Does anyone think this is a good quote?
  • monoclonemonoclone Member Posts: 4
    I am looking for a camry 2004 LE with moonroof, ABS, and Carpet floor and Trunck Mat set. I got the quotes from two main local dealer are both
    $20,000 excluding tax and rebates. The invoice price for this car is $19,810, and MSRP is 21774. So at last the Drive-out price will be $20,847($1,000 rebate, $1,650 tax, and other DMV fees). I am in Rochester, NY. So, do you guys think the price is reasonable? Is lower price, say $19,500 before tax and rebate, possible?

    Thanks
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Welcome to the boards. After your Camry purchases, let us know how you like your cars.

    To get an idea of how your deal stacks up against others, you should try visiting carsdirect.com, input your zip code, and configure the car identically to the one you will be buying. This will show you the Invoice price of the car, and what carsdirect.com (one of the largest internet sales venues) would sell the car for.

    Monoclone, for your situation, to compare it to the $20,000 you were quoted before tax and rebate, you will want to add the $1000 back to the "carsdirect.com price" to see if your $20K offer is better or worse than what you could get on the internet. If its worse, you can print the page and use it as a bargaining chip if you so choose. Note though, that sometimes, a difference of 100 or 200 dollars may not be worth the haggling effort (at least not in my opinion).

    Best of luck.
    ~alpha
  • cheech63cheech63 Member Posts: 2
    alpha1,I checked out carsdirect and found that the price they quoted on the camry xle was $23,277.The dealer quote of $23,050 is a little bit better.Do you think I should take that offer? Any input would be a help to me. Thanks,cheech.
  • monoclonemonoclone Member Posts: 4
    I just visited Carsdirect. They gave me 20472 before $1000 rebate. So According to you, the dealers' prices are both acceptable. I will haggle with the salesman tomorrow to see if I can have a lower price. I will definitely share my experience here. Anyway, this is my first time buying a car.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Cheech, if you're happy, I say go for it. Let us all know what color you chose, and your initial impressions.

    Monoclone- Personally, I feel you are getting a good price from your dealer, based on the fact that carsdirect.com is showing a sales price $400 greater than your dealer quote. You can press for lower pricing, but I think it might only net you another 100 or 200 dollars tops, which may or may not be worth it to you.

    ~alpha
  • monoclonemonoclone Member Posts: 4
    I just visited Carsdirect. They gave me 20472 before $1000 rebate. So According to you, the dealers' prices are both acceptable. I will haggle with the salesman tomorrow to see if I can have a lower price. I will definitely share my experience here. Anyway, this is my first time buying a car.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Yea, um....I pretty much understood you, so Im not sure about the repeated post?

    ~alpha
  • monoclonemonoclone Member Posts: 4
    Hey, alpha0, I just made a deal with the dealer. The price is $19,880, as predicted by you, just $120 lower than $20,000. Anyway, the cheaper, the better. My camry is a Red one with Moonroof, ABS, and the Cargo mat. I will pick it up on Tue afternoon. I hope I will enjoy it.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Im sure you will enjoy it, you certainly did a great job of negotiating the price. I hope Tuesday is a sunny day where you are, so you can go for a nice long spin and show all your friends :)

    Regards

    ~alpha
  • colinzcolinz Member Posts: 22
    I was wondering if the basic Toyota Camry LE 4 cylinder (no extra options) for $17,500 was a good price. Please let me know. I live in NJ and this dealership gave me the best price, better than the price on carsdirect.com
  • hank2hank2 Member Posts: 76
    Colinz -

    The posts (alpha01) gives good advice about checking carsdirect.com and edmunds.com for the price with all the options. It looks like tough negotiation may only get a few hundred dollars better than Internet sales.

    If you like the car, this is a great price ... be sure to ask the "out the door" price (TTL, etc.).

    If you like to do research and you are an experienced negotiator, you might be able to get a few more hundred dollars off. Also, this is the end of the month, so the dealer may take a little off or add some sweetners to close the deal, if you ask. Sweetners can be mats (Altho' Wal-Mart has a good selection), free oil changes, free inspections.

    Good Luck and keep us informed,

    - Hank
  • gigglesgiggles Member Posts: 1
    I just got a 2004 Toyota Camry LE with the moonroof, ABS, Power Driver seat, side curtain airbags etc. I LOVE IT!! I had been driving a 1998 Dodge Stratus that was on it's last leg. It had 142K miles on it and things were starting to seriously go wrong (bad oil leak, brakes? yah right, power stearing pump gone, etc). I think I got a fairly good deal and YES, I did use Edmunds to get that deal!!
    I got it from Darcars of Frederick, MD...sort of. They didn't have the exact model/color I wanted, so they got it from thier 355 dealership in Rockville at NO extra charge to me!! They paid off my Dodge (still owed $1500...bought used...long story, they wanted to only give me $700 but I insisted!!), and I drove off the lot paying only $21K on the road price!!
    How'd I do???
  • drjasdrjas Member Posts: 3
    Got a 2004 camry LE V6 with spoiler, gold package, moonroof, floor mats, door sill enhancements, jbl radio, sports pedal, air deflector, xhaust tip, 15" star spoke wheeels, alloy wheel locks, ABS, stability and skid control, all the airbags front and side, at $23463 with a trade in for $2000 (98 altima GXE with 140,000 miles, terrible condition), this is the out the door price with 6.5% sales tax, $515 destination, $716 worth of dealer add-ons (spoiler, gold package, door sill enhancements, sports pedal, air deflector, exhaust tip) and all Ohio related registration fees, but the car was purchased from a northern Chicago suburb.
    Am I am getting one hell of a deal?
  • hank2hank2 Member Posts: 76
    If giggles got a 4Cyl for $21K loaded, that sounds like a good price. A base Camry LE 4 Cyl out the door appears to average about $20K. ABS and Side Curtain airbags cost about $1K together using MSRP (which is very high)... so with all the other goodies, 21K is terrific!

    drjas, ditto from above and add $2000 for 6 Cyl... It sounds like you paid $23K and almost got an XLE in the deal.

    If ya'll are happy with the car, and satisfied with the looks, color, feel, and smell, then you both definitely got one hell of a deal !

    Now take good car of the car, with oil changes around 5K miles (?) and good washes after snow and ice... 'cause it can last you for the next 200,000 without even breathing hard.

    - Hank2
  • kj1kj1 Member Posts: 2
    Just bought a 4 cylinder automatic Camry LE with a sticker of $20560 for $16852 + 698 tax(4% where I live) + $16.50 title for a total of $17567. It is the last day of the month and they had 7 or 8 at this price. No negotiations were involved. The whole process took about 30 minutes. I hope that this helps.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    MSRP was $20,560? Thats interesting. What was the one option it had on the sticker? Around here, the bare-bones Camrys are $20,574 (base + floor and trunk mats). Was there a price adjustment to base, and your car lacks mats? Which is your region.

    ~alpha
  • kj1kj1 Member Posts: 2
    No mats (offered at $128 - declined- I use the large rubber fluid retaining SUV mats from Walmart ~ $20), Southeast Distributer options were an ASHTRAY (AT1) at $79.00 and destination fuel surcharge of $7. The car had 5 miles on the odometer when purchased so I don't believe it had been on the lot very long. I had a choice of any color I wanted. Good luck.
  • waitinginsfwaitinginsf Member Posts: 5
    Hi all,

    Thanks for all the helpful info here. On April 30, 2004, I helped my dad buy a desert mica '04 Camry LE V6, side side bags, mats, gold package, wood trim, after market leather seats for $24,000 out the door. We started out at another dealer with the costco price..which was $25,000 for essentially the same car (w/spoiler and no gold). The salesman said he wanted to make one more sale and sold the car at invoice and then took $450 off the price of the aftermarket options (leather (1100) wood dash(400) and gold lettering). I'm pretty sure I got a good deal, but my dad is interested in the useless paint sealant and undercoating :(

    Does anyone have experience with these options at the dealership or at some other supplier?
    I really want to talk him out of these options especially in mild climate San Francisco
  • hank2hank2 Member Posts: 76
    My opinion is that cars "come off the boat" ready for the road, so sealant and undercoating don't add any value. Here are two other opinions:

    http://www.consumerlaw.org/publications/manuals/content/samples/M- 1udap_305-313.pdf

    BTW, I do not recall the article's source, but these underbody coating sealants that some dealers try to push can be damaging. They can potentially block drainage and/or trap moisture. The article's recommendation is to avoid this kind of option. Notice that this that these optional "underbody coating sealants" are NEVER applied at the factory. If it were good, then the factory would have done it. It's all pure profit for the dealer. It's like some dealers who push upholstery (sp?) protectent. They will gladly apply a $5 can of 3M Scotch Guard to your upholstery and charge you $150 for it, or you can do it yourself for only $5 worth of Scotch Guard.

    -Hank2
  • vettedreamervettedreamer Member Posts: 10
    I just bought a new Camry LE Auto, just the basic stuff-21300 MSRP, paid 18050 for it. I then bought 7yr/75k mi extended warranty for $980. I was wondering how much if anyone else paid for extended warranty, if so, how much.
    thanks
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    On www.toyotawarranty.com

    7/75k

    $875 $0 deductible
    $825 $50 deductible

    I don't know if that is great pricing for the Toyota warranties, but it seems reasonable.
  • vettedreamervettedreamer Member Posts: 10
    Thanks so much for the response. I thought I got a decent deal on the car, but wasn't sure about the warranty. After I came home, I was second-guessing myself. With your quote, I overpaid about $150, but I got it from dealer, so that's expected. So I guess I didn't do as bad as I thought. I can sleep now. :)
    thanks again
  • vettedreamervettedreamer Member Posts: 10
    Is it possible to cancel my extended warranty and and get the money back? If so, how long do I have to do it after I bought the car.
    I thought I read somewhere that you can cancel the extended warranty if you decide not to keep it.
    thanks again
  • lee_wlee_w Member Posts: 239
    Hi and Welcome, Also might find some information on our Warranty message board?
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    Has anyone heard if the $1000 rebate on the Camry will continue this month?
  • rampedramped Member Posts: 358
    I'm in Florida (Southeast Region) and saw a $1,500 rebate advertised for LEs on TV today.
  • azguyazguy Member Posts: 23
    Do NOT deal w/internet guy Micoletti @ Precision Toyota in Tucson. Arrogant,condescending, disinterested man. Can't believe he sells anything. He knew I knew the invoice and wholesale price and went on about how I didn't know what I was talking about and "he is making no money on the car". His best offer was $20,800. I ditched him and dealt w/ an independent commercial fleet guy named Leonard who was super and the deal was done in 2 phone calls, a total of 15 min and car delivered the next day to my house. Camry LE Special Edition w/ abs, bags, and moonroof for $20,300 + tx, lic. period.
  • s2kmr2s2kmr2 Member Posts: 28
    I am in the northern NJ area. I am looking for a Camry V6 LE 2004 model year. Most dealers around here have very limited V6 LE's and colors are only silver and beige. All come with the JBL eight speakers and floormats. I only want those two options. The best price I have gotten so far is 21,000. - out the door, EVERYTHING included. Is this a good deal? NJ has 6% sales tax so the price of the car comes out to around 19,500-19,700. Most dealers around here charge anywhere from 200-300 for "doc fees" and "motor vehicle fees". Yeah, those fees are way too high. Anyone did better than 21,000 (out the door) in the northern NJ area?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Do not settle for a color you do not want. If there is not an LE V6 in inventory in Northern NJ at the dealership you are working with, ask them if they'd swap with another dealer to get the color you want. This is a $21,000 purchase we're talking about, and you should be happy and get what you want, without having to settle- ESPECIALLY since we're talking about a car that sells 400K units a year. (Personally, I think silver Camrys are unattractive, light colors do not compliment the cars styling in my eyes. Same goes for white. The styling of the Camry works better with Black, Stratosphere Mica, Salsa Red, Aspen Green, etc. I find the Beige tolerable on models with alloy wheels.)

    A sales price in the range of $19,700 is VERY competitive, even with doc fees in the $200-$300 range, OTD at $21,000 is a steal on this car. Go for it if you can find the color you want.

    ~alpha
  • slov98slov98 Member Posts: 112
    my out the door on 03 le v6 was 21700 in VA, I think you're getting a good deal, as alpha said pick the color you want. my dealer located one 50 miles from me and delivered it with no problem. BTW the color is white and I love it.
  • s2kmr2s2kmr2 Member Posts: 28
    Okay, it's done. I drove it home last night. 21k OTD. It's beige. That phantom gray looks really nice, my first choice, and the dealership had one. But it looked like it had been test driven extensively, around 50 miles on the odometer. Besides, it's really not my car, it's my brother's car, so I defer to his color judgement. I felt like we could have done a little better on the price, perhaps 20,700 or 20,800 was doable. But nevertheless it's done. V6 drives REAL smooth and quiet. Even more so considering my daily driver is a rust bucket 1987 MR2 with a leaking exhaust and muffler :-) Camry feels and look big in the garage.

    Initially we were looking at 4 cylinder LE's but after shopping we just felt the V6 was a better value. The V6 is about $2500-$3000 more than the 4 cylinder but the car comes standard with so much more: bigger engine, standard ABS, standard alloy wheels, rear disc brakes. Although if I was buying one for myself I probably would have been perfectly content with the 4 cylinder.

    Hopefully, this will serve as a price reference point for Camry V6 shoppers in the tri-state NYC area.
  • mean1mean1 Member Posts: 15
    my current Ford lease is up in June and I like the Camry but I have two questions: the $1000 rebate ends June 1st and since the '05's are supposed to come out in July will there be even better deals on the '04's during the month of June? ( what happened in previous years?). Also, I like the SE-V6 ( but I didn't test drive one yet) but some posts I read imply that it has a bumpy, rough ride because of the different suspension. It this true? Is it noticeably harsher than the LE or XLE?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    First, your alias is awesome.

    Second, Toyota's incentives are regional. Other things being equal, leftover 04s should be available at reduced prices compared to the 05s, which are being upgraded/refreshed and may not have incentives at all initially. At which point the 04s become "left over", is tricky.

    Third, the SE V6's ride is firm. It is not harsh or uncomfortable, and the added torque of the SEs engine will keep your mind on the throttle. You should really try out both the LE/XLE and the SE though, so you can make the judgement for yourself.

    ~alpha
  • citron001citron001 Member Posts: 3
    Tony4 -
    I'm also in the DC area and looking for a Camry LE auto with ABS. I think you got a very good deal on your Camry. Could you let me know your dealership? Thanks.
  • hank2hank2 Member Posts: 76
    Guys -

    I believe that ABS on the LE is drum and disc brakes. I don't think that it is 4 wheel discs.

    Could you check for us, please?

    Thanx,
    -Hank2
  • harshharsh Member Posts: 1
    I want to lease a Camry XLE or LE, with leather and a 6 CD changer and cassette, for 36 months in the Bay area

    I want to pay $2000 upfront and monthly lease rental of about $250-$275.

    Any ideas where can I get this. A friend has got this deal of an Accord EX with leather in Boston.
  • hcirhcir Member Posts: 2
    Hi All, I got $18400 OTD on a New 2004 Camry LE with ABS on 4/30/04.
  • hcirhcir Member Posts: 2
    I would add to my previous post that the price before tax was about $17350. ABS runs about $300, so the price of the base Camry LE (before tax) would have been about $17000.
  • azguyazguy Member Posts: 23
    Just wondering if anyone has purchased a 2004 Camry LE Special Edition <NOT the Camry SE> and what they paid? Thanks..
    zguy in AZ
  • citron001citron001 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, all,

    Last night I got my new Camry auto with ABS + extended warranty for 6yr/75k miles ($50 deductible) for $17784.70 (OTD).

    dealer (355 Toyota) is offering $200 coupon to internet customers. The best part is no negotiation at all. But it took 4 hours to process everything.

    Good luck.
  • mwrussellmwrussell Member Posts: 5
    I received a quote from a dealer today via carsdirect;

    - Sunroof
     - JBL Stereo
     - Side & curtain airbags
     - Preferred Accessory Package
     - Auto-Dimming Mirror
     - Black Pearl Emblems

    Sticker price is $25,971 and invoice is $23,134. I would sell the one
    out of stock for $23,500 - the $1,000 rebate = $22,500

    Considering this is the only quote that I have received thus far I wanted some input from others that have priced/purchased a similar car? The color is not what I wanted but it's the only V6 currently in stock.

    Thank you
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    That is somewhat a rare options combination for an LE V6. Typically in NE, for example, the LE V6s have only floormats as options, or floormats, JBL, or floormats, JBL, and moonroof. I have yet to see one on dealer lots with side and curtain airbags.

    That seems a VERY reasonable price for the car, so if you want an LE V6 with Side Curtains, it may be your main option. Black Pearl Emblems look odd on some colors though, like the Desert Sand.

    ~alpha
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