Toyota RAV4 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

lir

Are they still charging a fee to get blizzard pearl color on 2007 Ltd.'s? I had to pay an extra $200, and that wasn't even the color I wanted, but the only one they had.

jimd4

yes

felpa41

I just ordered my 2007 RAV4 2WD V6 Limited, Savannah (champaign), including delivery charges, $24,274

Tow package $128
Moon roof $720
Daytime running lights $32
Auto dimming mirror with compas $225
Full 5 piece floor mats $134
Mug gards $50

Total $25,563 (allegedly, this is dealer invoice)

plus $200 extra profit to Fitzmall
plus $19 for temp tags

Total drive out $25,772...will have to register and pay sales tax in Texas.

Refundable deposit to order $500.

Will drive it back to Central Texas, probably in February, 2007.

None available in USA.

Being ordered from Japan and estimated to take 4 mongth to get here.

I expect to like the vehicle. I hope to get about 25 mpg with 80% highway driving.

I've never owned a Toyota.

Decided on this one based on Consumer Reoports and other owner comments.

Local dealers have none in stock and will not order you one for less than $250 or so under invoice. They were not interested in ordering anything for me from Japan, but only offered to find something close to what I wanted from stocks that have alreadyh been ordered and are available from the regional supply of vehicles.

I offered several dealers $1,000 under MSRP and none would take my offer.

So, based on info on this forum, I went to fitzmall.com and got one for less.

Have to go to the Washington DC area to pick it up and incure extra cost in doing so, but I didn't mind doing that in order to get a good deal and exactly what I wanted (hopefully).

rscotts54

I live in Central Texas too. How does the State Tax work on that type of purchase?

Do you pay the tax in MD (or wherever you buy the car) and then pay the difference (if rate is higher) in Texas when you get it back here.

Or do you pay all of the tax in Texas??

leslienation

i am serious to get the sport edition, but donno should i get i4 or v6. which one do u get? can i add the JBL sound system w/ bluetooth on sport edition? this is the one of the main reason i want to get rav4 besides cr-v. and can u please teach me how to get lower price.

rae07

Looking for a 4wd ltd v6 in the states surrounding Colorado(5 hours radius of Denver). Has anyone received a deal in this area? Seems RAV4s are so scarce in Denver they are going for full price when they become available.

jimd4

You can get JBL in Sport if your region gets cars that way. NY does not for example. Go to Toyota web site, do a build and price using your zip code and you will see what you can get in your region. If no JBL there then you would have to go out of region to get it.

I got the V6 with out JBL in NY.

redtrain75

4 Cyl or V6.... It is a personal choice. We got the 4 cyl as when we drove it it appeared to be sufficient. But, we live in the middle of Ohio where it is all flat too. The best test is to drive both for about 30 or so miles and then decide. The MPG is so close that it really doesn't make that much difference. The only V6's our dealership had were high end models anyway.

leslienation

They are so stupid! why they don't do it in NY area. Maybe they think NYers earn more then anyone else?

felpa41

It is my understanding that when you get the vehicle back toTexas, you go to your local county tax office to register the vehicle and they access the sales tax and the license registration fee at that point. You will have to have proof of your insurance and pay both amounts at that time.

Both have to be paid before you can register your new RAV4.

jimd4

If you call the people at Fitzmall they will tell you exactly what you have to do. You only pay the tax once but when is determined on where/when/how you do the initial registraton and whether you have a loan or paying in full before you pick it up.

cjosephson

There are differences between the I4 and V6. Cash is a big one like $2,000 more for the V6. There is only slight fuel economy difference. I found the power of the I4 to be quite sufficient. I live in FL and mostly flat roads. We have some high bridges here and it had plenty of power going up steep incline. With full cargo or towing boat, that could possibly pose a problem. I also noticed nimbler handling and tighter turning radius with the I4 vs V6 during test drives. As far as hard acceleration, the V6 "snapped" me back into the seat. The I4 had a little less G force action than the V6 but the I4 still has more than enough power to blow away other similar SUV models off the line if need be. We shouldn’t be hard starting from a dead stop anyway. I don’t need a ticket.

I got the Limited mainly due to the 8-way power seats. My wife hates the knobs and we adjust the seat a lot. The Limited goes for around $1,500 more than the base model. We thought it was worth it with all the other standard equipment. We also got the JBL upgrade but the sound system is not overly impressive. It seems to be a waste of money. The ride and drive is! As far as the auto malls mentioned, go to a local dealership and show them the prices and printouts from Edmonds and Consumer Reports. The local dealer came close enough to my asking price (within $500) to where I got a fair deal and could deal locally without the travel hassle.

Good luck in your RAV4 project!

jimd4

I paid $300 under the total invoice with TDA for a 2007 RAV4 Sport V6 last week in NY. That price is about $100+ over Edmunds "invoice". $45 fee to register and bring it to my house. Took about 1 week to get it. Have about 350 miles now and vehicle is very nice with no problems so far. First tank of gas was 22.25 in mixed suburban hwy and city driving with lots of short trips. Driven with a light foot. The V6 is super!

We keep talking about Edmunds invoice. But it is not the invoice price that any car comes with as far as I know. Also remember that even if you get it at invoice, the dealer is making money since holdback and other things are in there.

leslienation

tkz for your infor.

gmarshall56

You did not have to wait long for your model. One week is great!

I will have waited about 31/2 weeks for the 07 RAV4 Sport V6 I ordered. They tell me the flint Mica on a V6 Sport is hard to find. I was luck to have a person in the internet sales dept at the dealer find this one. When she found it it was still either sitll in Japan or at sea!!!

What color is your model?
thx

gmarshall56

Hello!
My '07 Sport V6 is due in very soon. I would like to review the options I'm thinking about putting on this thing. Can anybody tell me where I can see pics of this Carbon Fiber Dash option? What is it and is it any good? Is it worth the price($400.00)? Why would I want this option? Thanks to all..
g

jimd4

Flint Mica. I was lucky, but I told the guy I would not give him a deposit till he found it and sent me the VIN number. I am in NY, he got it from a dealer in NJ about 100 miles away. Very happy with so far.

mkill2001

I just went to the Toyota dealership today and got a price of $24,863 (that includes all taxes and fees) for a 2006 Rav4 4X4 Sport...

Should I jump on it?

gmarshall56

Glad to hear your happy with the RAV sport so far. Can you give an idea of the gas mileage your getting?
thx
g

jimd4

I got 22.25 on the first tank. About 50% suburban highway 55-65 or so and 50% suburban streets with lots of short trips. Driven with a light foot mostly.

I have a Scangauge which shows GPH and instantaneous MPG among other things. I would say that 25+ is possible at 65 or so. When I get a few more miles (450 now) on it I will will make some measurements at 50, 60, 70 etc at steady speed.

When it gets into 5th at around 40+MPH, MPG is around 30 on steady suburban streets at 40+. It is the stop and go that really knocks the MPG down.

Power is terrific and cruise at 75 is effortless. V6 is very quiet at all speeds. You could get a ticket with this thing very easy!

cars7

Hi Im also in NY can you tell me where you purchased the rav 4 . Thank you

rav4_me

After a month of wheeling and dealing with over a half dozen dealerships in Florida I finally found the deal I was looking for. This time around I tried a different approach that, for me, greatly simplified the process.

Instead of negotiating over each and every item on the dealer’s purchase order form I used an "Out-The-Door" price. OTD is the absolute final cost which includes tax, title, tag, delivery, advertising, miscellaneous fees, prep, payola, whatever.

The advantage for the buyer is that it is much easier to compare offers from multiple dealerships, you’re getting the bottom line, apples-to-apples. You don’t have to worry about all those annoying “extras” that appear after you’ve finally agreed on a price for the car.

The advantage for the dealer is that he is free to discount the car from any and/or all of his sources of markup. Frankly who cares how he meets your price as long as he does. The dealer also knows that the price he gives you can’t be bumped up so all the cards are on the table.

Another plus for you is that you’re talking higher numbers than the salesman is used to hearing so there may be a subliminal edge to that.

The model I bought is a 2007 RAV4 LTD 2WD 4-Cyl with JBL, DRL, carpets. Total MSRP is $25,239, add FL sales tax and its $27,006.

The deal I got was for $24,475 out-the-door. Remember that this figure includes $1494 in tax so I’m well below invoice.

The unit is sea stock but will be ready for pickup in a week. Being a tad on the cynical side (ok slightly paranoid) I won’t consider it a done deal until it’s in my driveway. When it actually is I’d be happy to give more details of my experience if anyone is interested.

rav4_me

I had quite a different experience from Daytona Toyota. I offered them a bid on a RAV4 LTD they had on their lot and they practically laughed at me. Here's the actual text from their email response:

"Were miles away on that price. We are getting MSRP $24721 +++ on our Rav4's. Good luck to you."

I thought it sounded a bit arrogant, especially since another dealership did accept my bid. For "+++" less than Daytona Toyota.

cjosephson

RAV4_me,

Was this and Internet bid? If so, the best bet is to do your homework and go in person and show them you are serious. I thought Daytona gave me a good deal. Not as good as the one mentioned above. I wonder where he got that from. My calulations indicated the dealer lost profit and holdback at that price. My OTD price for a similar RAV4 limited for $25,488. I guess I got ripped?

jimd4

I got it from a fleet leasing company who gets them from Toyota dealers. I am on Long Island. You can get one from the same guy mabye but you have to be ready to take the truck aa soon as he gets it.

chucklap

In New England, I was quoted $27,607 for a V6 RAV4 4x4 Limited with Leather and JBL. It has all the options except the DVD. How did I do?

guest

If you got it for $2000 (more or less) below MSRP, you did just fine.

rav4_me

CJosephson,

The deal you refer to is the one I have pending. As I said in my post when the RAV4 is in my driveway I'll consider it a done deal and I'll be happy to share my story... for better or worse.

Until then it's a "pending transaction" as far as I'm concerned. Rest assured if this dealer tries to bone me I'll be only too happy to share the sordid details and save others from doing business at this location.

Let's hope I have a happy ending ok?

vivavegas99

Based on my experience with our Toyota dealership I wouldn't hold my breath on the price until you sign on the dotted line. Actually based on any dealership, i'm sorry but in my experience they really aren't that up front about a lot of things. I hope that your experience is much better than mine has been.

bigbird68

Hi,
I received a quote for a 2007 Rav4 limited I4 4wd with jbl and sun roof for $25000 + fees, which makes the total price to be $27300+. This is in the bay area.
Did anyone get a better quote than this around this area?
thanks

iwannarav4

Hey everyone,
I've been doing lots of work trying to get a good deal on a Rav 4. I think I now have one and we plan on checking it out this weekend:

2006 V6 Limited OTD for 25500 (including tax, title, fees)

I'm feeling pretty good about it... but I just want to see what everyone else thinks? It is an 06, but I just couldn't find an 07 to beat the price.

bigbird68

hi,
what accessories are you getting on this rav4?
thanks

cjosephson

RAV4_Me,

I understand. I've been misled by car dealerships in the past but I've learned from my mistakes. I did the research and, without dickering, I asked my Toyota dealer up front what was the bottom-line price on the RAV4 and it was $500 over invoice plus TTT. I called dealerships in the area (David Maus, DeLand, and Courtesy) and the ones that returned my call pretty much said the same thing.

The deal was that the car was for my wife and she wanted a specific color and in the Limited. The colorand model was nowhere to be found. It took 4 weeks to get here and it finally did, the price was what my dealer quoted, and my wife is very happy with the vehicle. I felt no pressure and was able to order the car without the toyoguard ($699 saved) and other unnecessary pricy options. The price rounded off came to $23,400 plus the $500 and $599 document fees. I couldn't get them to budge on the fees so I asked them for "value back" and got them to install window tinting (front windows).

I guess I didn't get the best deal the world but I didn't get ripped off either. I mean, by the time you just spent $25,000, what's the point of dickering over a few hundred dollars. I want a good relationship with my dealer. In a couple of months, I'm thinking of trading in my car for a new Solara. You think I would be getting a good deal if I had got ballistic over a couple of hundred dollars over the RAV4!

Anyhow, good luck with your purchase. Car buying is very stressful but it’s all how you think about it. If you get worried over a few hundred dollars, it ruins the fun and buying experience. You want and should get a fair deal. It just might not be the best deal on these message boards. I know mine wasn’t but it’s not worth worrying about it. Geez, I just saw some said they got a quote for a RAV4 Limited V6 for $25,500 OTD. That’s amazing but I bit unrealistic. In fact, my research indicate the 2006s are all gone so this must be a used or demo vehicle.

bigbird68

Thanks,
I finally settled on a red 2007 Rav4 limited L4 4wd for 26800 otd...

iwannarav4

I was initially going to get that 06 at 25500 (out the door), but the drive would have been about 3 hours. Dealer in my area about matched it for an 07 limited v6 with our preferred color!... By the way, all I wanted was the JBL and tint.

I dont think this was too bad... now if I have any problems with the car (knock on wood), I wont have to make the 3 hour trek every time.

And NO, it's not a demo

lir

If you have any problems with your RAV4 you can take it to any local dealer, not the place where you bought it.

swatson

I have been trying to buy a 2007 RAV4 Limited 4X4 4WD 6 cyl for some time now. I have been negotiating with several dealers. I finally had a dealer quote me a final price of $26,166 (St. Louis area). We were thisclose to "sealing" the deal...I was ready to put down a deposit (it was to be a special order as that I only wanted a moonroof and heated leather seats as options) and the dealer says, "oops, I meant $28,166!! I have his original e-mail quoting the $26,166 plus my acceptance of the offer. I have complained to Toyota and am planning on calling the manager of the dealership but what other options do I have? I'd appreciate some input and advice. Thanks!

evergreen

swatson....the Limited 4WD, 6cy, with only leather heated seats and moonroof has an MSRP of $29,455 according to Edmunds. I suspect most dealers would say their invoice is around $27,000. Your figure of $26,166 would be fantastic but not very realistic. Fitzmall, which offers generally the lowest prices around, would probably ask around $27,200 for that vehicle. $28,166 is about $1300 below MSRP which is a better price than most dealers are offering but not as good as Fitzmall. It would be hard to show whether their initial e-mail was just a typo or whether they were trying to play games with you. I am no lawyer but doubt you could force them to make good on their initial offer. You might tell the dealer you were banking on the lower figure but would be willing to split the difference between their two offers. Let us know how things work out.

rav4_me

Well Rabid RAV Fans I'm officially a RAV owner!

I took delivery of the 007 RAV4 Saturday morning and it was the exact model and options I wanted and at the price I asked for!

2007 RAV4 Limited 2WD 4-cyl with JBL, DRL, and carpets for $24,475 Out-The-Door. Not one peso more.

I was mentally prepared for them to try and bump me but the deal went through without a hitch. I can honestly say it was the best car buying experience I ever had (among many).

Kickbacks aren't just for the dealer! Since they allowed $5000 of the purchase price to go on my VISA card I'll get a $50 reward for that, and they even filled up the tank for free on my way out, a $30 value there. Heck I'm down to $24,395 if you want to look at it like that.

The dealership was Gettel Toyota in Bradenton, FL. My internet salesperson was Rick O'Leary. I would definitely recommend the guy, a real straight shooter.

I actually live in a different market north of Bradenton in Tampa. Tampa Bay has 12 independent Toyota dealerships in the area and you'd think they'd be fiercely competitive but that's just not the case. The other dealerships were anywhere from $900 to more than $2000 higher than Gettel. It's almost as if they have a little OPEC thing going on.

This may well be the best deal I've seen on the boards. Of course it's very difficult to compare deals without using an OTD price. Different trim levels, options and tax rates can be adjusted for, but since there is no standardized set of dealer fees the only way to properly factor these variables into final cost is by using an OTD price.

I think OTD price shopping really worked to my advantage. Since the F&I guy can shuffle the numbers a lot of different ways to get to the OTD I may never know how much I actually paid for the car vs the fees. Did they tap into the legendary non-negotiable and "inviolable" $695 destination fee or the $599 Southeast Toyota documentation fee? Heaven forbid!

The itemization on my bill-of-sale is deliberately vague. It only lists tax, title, tag transfer and the cost of the vehicle. No further breakdown.

I guess I can live with that!

I've read where people travel to Fitzmall to get savings like this, why not come to Florida instead?

-Brian

rav4_me

I think it all hinges on when the price correction came.

If it came while you were just exchanging emails and before you set foot on the dealer's lot then it's probably just a typo from a legal point of view.

If you went down to the lot and then found out the bad news then you could say that they used a false low price to take you out of the market and lure you to the dealership.

The FCC and the Federal Trade Commission have strict laws regarding internet fraud. If a dealer is guilty of "unfair or deceptive trade practice" involving the internet you could have their entire website shut down.

mixmanot

I'm trying to buy an '07 limited 4wd v6 in the southern california area (orange county) and have found this to be very difficult.

Most dealers only have one on the lot of this model and if they do the options included are usually JBL 6 disc CD, leather seat package with heated seats, daytime running lights, moonroof, floor/cargo mats.

One dealership, which has the car that also includes the tow package, has told me the msrp is $31,084 and is quoting me $29,000 including destination charge. Other places I checked have given me similar quotes w/o the tow pack.

I'm not sure this is a good price but it seems that this car is in short supply around here.

iwannarav4

Did anyone purchase that "Platinum" extended warranty? I had my mind set on not getting it, but the sales guy did a damn good job selling it to me... Should I give in and buy it? He dropped the price to about $1350

cjosephson

RAV4_Me,

You did great buddy. Looks like the invoice for the vehicle with options you purchased is $23,209. The price most folks pay (TMV) is $24,663. So, your OTD purchase price of $24,475 means, with 6.5 sale tax of $1,493, you paid $22,980 for the car! This is almost $300 under invoice. That's better than the automalls. My OTD price was $25,500
same car. I thought I got a great deal. I'm still happy with the RAV4. I am getting a free tint work and life time oil changes and loaner cars.

drx03

Where in New England did you find this? I am looking for a similar, V6 RAV4 Limited with Leather, JBL and sunroof. This selection is priced above 30,000 MSRP on the Toyota website, and I have found no leather anywhere close to the Upstate NY area. Did you actualy buy one of these for 27,600? Thanks for the help....

rav4_me

CJosephson,

Thanks CJ, I'm sure my wife is going to be very happy driving it --for a long, long time. She actually looks a bit younger when she's behind the wheel

Toyotas will last over 200,000 miles so with your lifetime oil changes and free window tint you could potentially end up with the better deal!

I'm sure Daytona Toyota is banking on people keeping their new cars for ~5 years (the average length of a car loan), after that they'll start wincing when they see you pull up.

I bought an '02 Camry with the "Tires-For-Life" program and I'm already on my second set of treads --much better than the originals by the way! You just know I'm going to keep this car until I get another set of tires for free. It's what America is all about.

-Brian

p.s.
The original email from the salesman accepting my internet bid was somehow filtered into my junkmail folder and sat there for a few days and was almost deleted!

jimd4

Well the guy made a mistake or low balled you but you probably have little chance to get a Limited V6 with leather for $26k. They are very hard to find and if loaded that price is under invoice.
Good luck.

rav4_me

IwannaRAV4,

It's interesting to me that they dropped the price because the F&I guy that tried to sell me the same warranty told me that the price was fixed, "... this is a form of insurance and it's against the law to negotiate on insurance rates in the state of Florida."

So I held off on the extended warranty because if I can't negotiate then I'm not happy. You can always buy one later from a lot of different sources and they don't even kick in until the factory warranties expire. Remember Toyota gives you 5-years/60,000 miles on the powertrain.

-Brian

rav4_me

MixManOT,

Sounds like a lot of pricey options that you don't want or need... heated seats in Southern California? Does CA still have unique emission control standards? If so then that would tend to limit availability and interstate sharing among dealers.

I cast a wide net when it comes to car buying. All Toyota dealerships have an internet department and you can use them to shop prices without ever leaving your home. Don't limit yourself to just local dealers. Contact twenty dealerships and make them compete for your business.

I got a great deal over the internet by using OTD pricing. Basically what I did was to offer them a specific figure for the model and options I wanted and tell them that I will lock-in at this price. That this number is my "buy today" price and any counteroffer from them is just a bid that I will compare to their competition, lowest number wins!

Always use an "out-the-door" price otherwise you won't be able to accurately compare deals. Remember that there are no standardized fees among dealerships and they all have a ton of fees after you've negotiated the final price on the vehicle. Many of these "fees" are just pure profit.

In my experience OTD price shopping is the only way to go.

When I lived in LA the airwaves were saturated with TV commercials from Cal Worthington, the dealer who said if he couldn't sell you a car he would "eat a bug."

-Brian

fnamowicz

I'm glad you are so ecstatic about your deal.
Until your friend or some guy at work tells you that he paid $300 less, enjoy it.
Remember dealers never loose.

gmarshall56

Picked it up 10/19/06. Its very nice...Got the Flint Mica. It looks sharp as the color is close to a gun metal grey with metal flake in it, working nicely with the 18" 5-Spoke alloys. Also got leather, JBL, sunroof, window tint, interior lighting package and a couple of other goodies, one of which I did not order: the carpet mats. The vehicle was delivered with them. I told my rep I didn't want to pay $139 bucks for those carpet patches, thats why I didn't order tham and I told him to take them out. Instead he let me have them by increasing my trade in amount and lowering the price of the RAV to compensate.

Sinc 10/19 I put 264 miles on it (is that alot over a four day period?) and so far no problems. No droning, no JBL issues and no wet spots under the dash. I still haven't been able to tell if these issues, other than the JBL issue, are isolated to the '06's. Theres one I thing happening thats got me watching closey...the movement of the needle on that fuel guage...