By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Thanks
Carsdirect.com quotes $23,729 for this configuration. TMV says others paid $23,854, although I am not sure what this value represents (median, mode, average?). The APR certainly is good, but I am not sure if the car price is reasonable. I thought I would wait for the 05 model, but now I am tempted to buy the 04...
so did you test drive the highlander?
cclp- I'm a big fan of having the latest safety equipment available on a particular model, and if the SE you're looking at doesnt have side curtains and VSC, for me personally, Id skip it. Keep in mind, VSC is standard on the HL that you originally went in to look for. Additionally, that price is good, but not great. Carsdirect.com typically tracks close to what the current "deal" in your area would be. If you decide to go with the Camry SE V6, take the print out with you. This is a Camry we're talking about- 400,000 units per year- and I'd wager against the dealership holding firm on the "take it or leave it" stance. If you live in a populous area, its pure BS, as there are probably many other dealers not too far, willing to haggle.
~alpha
~alpha
I heard that there is no casssette player in the 2005, but I would imagine the workmanship is a bit better.
I haven't heard anything, but I speculate that the 2004 would be easier to get with ABS and side/curtain airbags... They may even offer 16" wheels and 4w disc, but this is all speculation on my part.
The nice thing is that if you wait until Sept. /Oct. you can drive both models, and get the 2004 a little cheaper, if you don't like the 2005.
FWIW
-Hank2
slov98: I did test drive the HL and *liked* it much better than the Camry, but my wife felt strongly that we should not buy it for safety reasons (rollover) based on her friends and family's feedback (we have a 2 year old) and because she felt we could spend the ~$5K elsewhere. Just got overruled
alpha01: You are right on more than one count. I called the dealer around 3:00 pm and said I'd take it for 23300. After 10 minutes, he called me back with 23600 "final" offer. I said let's meet in the middle at 23450, but finally we settled on 23525. I was tired by now. More importantly I figured I am only paying $23125 with the $400 graduate incentive for my wife's Masters. We didn't add the VSC or the side curtains. With the $1000 rebate and the 3.48% APR financing, the price worked out ok. The downside is we/I don't know what we are missing with the 05 SE V6. This is the first new car we are buying at a dealer. (Our previous new car was bought via carsdirect.) These forums are wonderful! Thank you alpha01 and other regular contributors for the many bits of useful information! We are taking delivery tomorrow. I will keep you posted if there is anything useful to add. Good night!
Just so you guys know what I experenced on my purchase. I live in Eastern North Carolina. I used the Consumer Reports printout on a 04 V6 LE with following equipment: These are added options and not part of any package and the CR dealer cost. Moonroof (720), Mats (112, JBL speakers (218) and Side curtain airbags (559. I paid $21328 for the car and used CR printout for my trade and got a little above adverage trade. I got the current factory rebate of 1500 too. Bottom line is that I paid the dealer about 7% over his cost for the car not counting my trade value. That is between the 4% and 8% recommended by CR as fair profit for the dealer. The rebate ends in two days so had to take the best deal I could get on a car that had the options I wanted on rather short notice. Hope this helps in your buying decsions.
~alpha
A friend has a '95 with 130K on it and it looks new. It would also easily meet your price requirements as well. However, it will be difficult to find one of these cars with low mileage. Check you local classifieds. Sometimes older owners don't put many miles on their cars, so that would be the best bet.
I have ridden in both a 97-01 series and the 92-96 series, and I didn't notice an appreciable difference in inside space.
In contrast to ramped's recommendation, our 1995 sucked. It consistently had problems with the brakes, and my parents didnt care very much for the design.
~alpha
sailfish- if you hadnt seen the ad, would you be happy with your deal and the car in general? If so...look forward to many happy miles and dont lament what could have been. I feel you still got a decent price on your Camry, though I dont know what the FL sales tax is.
Also, are you sure it was an LE that was advertised? Or was it a dealer advertising a Standard model as an LE (which I have actually already seen).
~alpha
I would also like to know what you think the Special edition would go for if the TMV, rebates, and tax comes to $19,189 and I can pay cash.
Thanks for the help. Sorry if I may have posted in the wrong section this is my first post.
--Bob
atlanta, GA.
~alpha
<edit> Forgot to mention that she also got the 1.9% financing.
rutger3- expect greater availability of side curtains and airbags on the 2005 Camry. SEs are the least popular model in NJ, but I wouldnt call them rare. If you are really interested in one, have your dealer work with you to try to find one (but again, the side curtain option is going to be rare on any LE or SE model- as you noted, the XLE 4s and XLE V6s are the models typically equipped with side curtains in NJ).
Your user name is Rutger3- are you a recent grad? If so, you're likely eligible for Toyota's $1000 grad rebate, which is offered until Aug 31, from my understanding. As such, my guess would be that its going to be applicable to 2005 Camrys, which begin (mass) production on Jul. 6.
~alpha
I don't recall the actual numbers now, but I bought mine for $400 over invoice... plus got the $750 rebate and the 2.9% financing, resulting in a price of $350 under invoice. Maybe I could have done a little better, maybe not. But I am happy with the deal, very happy with my experience at the dealership, and very happy with the car.
The internet sales person emailed me a quote for the only one they had on the lot, silver with a spoiler that I didn't want and ABS but no traction control or leather, which I did want. Still...the offer was invoice minus the $1000 rebate. I called her on the phone, we talked about the car, I asked about my trade and hidden fees. She said they would do Kelley, but not Edmunds or NADA, and she disclosed the $150 doc fee plus $65 to transfer the plates. My trade was a 2001 Accord EX V6 with all of Honda's options. It had 45000 miles on it and my mechanics were proposing brakes and tires for around $1500 which is why I thought I would see what would be the offer to trade. I like the car, but I felt I was at an inflection point as far as future trade in value. I like to try different cars, so why just get another Accord? I like to drive Audis, but they fall apart as soon as the free dealer service expires, and their repair estimates always have an extra zero at the end of the number.
Net out the door with Mass tax for the SE was under $9500, so I did it. In the test drive, I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the SE. Until now I've been a Camry hater, but the writeups on the SE tempted me, and as it turned out, I really liked the car. Nice looking too.
I did a little negotiating to get the trade offer up, but basically it was all painless, and even pleasant. The salesperson explained everything about the car and the deal as we went along, and the finance guy did not blink when I told him I wanted to finance the whole thing, but had no interest in undercoating or the extended warranty or Lojack. Very smooth and friendly transaction. I figure it was a reasonable deal. Mass dealers never give you Edmunds TMV on the trade in, but at least Bernardi didn't annoy me by saying, "Edmunds never bought a car."
As an internet customer I get 4 free oil changes, and they say when I bring the car in, that means the service is free. (Other dealers give you a "free" oil change and charge you to inspect the hoses, or whatever.) I go to pick up the car later, and of course, I will post an update. Sorry for the long post, but I feel detail is useful for anyone thinking of going into the particular dealer.
If you dont mind, can you tell us more about your Camry? What do you like in comparison to the Accord you traded? Dislike? What was the MSRP, including options, on your car? Color choice? I'm a big fan of the SE V6- the torque is outstanding on that car. Just pulls you away from a stop...
~alpha
I liked my 2001 Accord's handling and leather seats, and the visibility and the home link that let me hit a button in the ceiling to open the garage door. The Camry handles more like a Saab. At first it feels a bit wobbly by comparison, but I want to drive it for a while on the assumption that I will learn how the car reacts and adjust my driving accordingly. On the plus side, I could never really hear the stereo in the Accord, a combination of acoustics and road noise. The Camry sounds more like a concert hall, and for my three hour twice a week drives to Connecticut, I like concert hall.
The Accord I traded had great vision on the outside world, but the new Accords feel closed in by comparison. The Camry gives you a good look at the outside world, and this is important to me. Not quite as open and airy as the old Accord, but much better than the new one.
The Camry is much more pleasing to the eye than the Accord I traded. Unlike some writers, I really like the metal trim on the SE interior. Certainly better than fake wood. Nice cupholder design will reduce the chances that my morning coffee cup will tip over on a passenger, something that once happened in the Honda.
After I drive it a while I will post on another thread a more balanced comparison. You have to wait until the new car smell wears off to really know what you think.
I would recommend the Edmunds to Bernardi Toyota connection to anyone. I really felt that they understood how to sell to a knowledgable customer. No bull at all. An honest transaction at invoice minus rebate, and a trade that was Kelley plus #250 after I went back at them a couple of times. No attempts to sell me extras I didn't want, and no unusual events in the final paperwork. This last point is non-trivial, as it is the rule rather than the exception in my experience that dealers make "mistakes" in the end. Like the time the Audi dealer tried to get me to pay my $2500 deposit twice - the second time was buried in the finance contract. heh.
Happy motoring,
~alpha
need to add tax .Unfortunatly they do not have a color we like.Any suggestions from anyone who has purchased similar vehicle in this geographic area?
I currently own(don't laugh!)a 1990Camry bought new,and a 1989 Chrysler k car.We tend to hang on to them for a while.This will be my 3rd
Camry,(bought a brand new 1986 which was stolen and never recovered).Thanks for any suggestions.
Torch!
for Camry SE with premium package, ABS, & side curtain airbags as options.
Carsdirect gives me price of 19,900 (including destination & $1000 rebate). I didn't contact the dealers yet, so I don't know what is a typical TTL, but I guess it's about $130-150. So, what is a target price (exclusive local tax) I can request for a bid from dealers for this car? I face a really tough decision now since I need to buy a car within a week, and Honda Accord EXL for 21000 (everything exclusive local tax) is also a very good choice.
I am interested in a Camry LE 4 cyl. w/ automatic tran., rear spoiler,mudguards,side airbags and f/r sidecurtians.
I have a 1998 Chevy. Lumina w/42000 miles, Kelly blue book , $3250 trade in value.
What would be a fair price out the door /tax title/tag transfer?
Figure in a fair profit for the dealership and start your negotiations there. Try the internet manager and see where that will get you. I did this on my last 2 purchases, and it worked out very nicely.
Good luck and keep me posted.
The Sandman :-)
4 Cyl, Auto, ABS, Side/Curtain, Steel Wheels for ~$20K OTD. Great car, good power, quiet, clean, cool looks.
However: I ordered in in Feb. and it came in June ! I did a special order, because they don't sell that simple configuration in the Gulf States area. So, it took 4 months to get a factory order. Not sure if they built it just for me, or if this is when that specific configuration was scheduled to be built.
- Hank2
You can bluff and say I won't pay it, then when they say you must, you can politely smile, tell them that they have your contact info when they will be more reasonable, then get up and leave without looking back.
Either they will call you back then, or they will let you go. If they call you back, they can apologize and say no, they can offer a small reduction, or they can reduce all. In this case, I recommend taking any deal, because you will have to bluff better, or they can't do better. If they let you go, you can wait and hope they call, or you can come back and apologize, and let them have your money. It all depends on the deal and how much you want the car.
However, if you go back to the top ... I paid....
Good Luck .
-hank2
We negotiated a price of $18,200 for a black with taupe interior 2004 Camry LE, with automatic transmission, Anti Lock Brakes, Curtain/Side Airbags, and Carpet/Trunk Mats. Plus 2 years free maintenance, which is oil changes and tire rotation. The $499 dealer fee is on top of this.
Will it be very difficult to find a similar car at a different dealer?
What I do is ignore the whole mess, look at the invoice price of the car (especially if it is an LE model), factor in any rebates, and make an out-the-door offer which includes all fees and taxes. I don't care how they divvy it up, just so they accept my offer. When I negotiate this way, the fees seem to mysteriously vanish.