Lexus RX 450h Prices Paid and Buying Experience

Karen_S

Share your RX 400h purchase experience here!

mzuckerman

I paid sticker, treatment was neutral but dealer gouged me on trade in. Dealer figured out sales tax difference and and added about $1000 for convenience factor so I traded for the car instead of selling for cash.

louiein99

I can get a RX400h with Heated Seats and Mark Levinson for $50705 plus some $600 in fees. Am I tracking? Is there any chance that prices are likely to drop closer to invoice in the next year or so? Just checking, and I would like to hear how long people are waiting and what prices they are getting.

love2scuba

I paid sticker $50,863 that included Heated Seates, Mark Levinson Audio, Cargo Mat and Wheel Locks. No problems with the dealer. I actully moved 70 miles away since I had put my name on the list last year and he drove the car out to house with all paper work completed.

bioya4

I paid sticker and that was OK and could I even live with the low ball price on the trade-in but the fact that the Lexus dealer just pockets the $1,000 deposit without crediting it to the sales price is really pretty sleazy. I like the car and all but it will certainly be the last Lexus we buy.

mirex

My dealer called me about 10 days before Memorial Day and told me my vehicle was headed for the port in Japan. He asked me to come in and make a $5,000 deposit which I put on my Alaska Airlines credit card. I took delivery on June 3rd and the full deposit was applied to my purchase price (Full Sticker). The credit card transaction occurred just after the cut off day for the month and I did not have to pay the credit card payment until a week after I took delivery on the car.

I was able to sell my 2003 RX300 for $32,500 to a private party which was about $5,000 more than I would have received for a normal trade in. I paid my dealer $250 for them to certify the car and they delivered it to my buyer for the same $32,500 I had agreed to. It worked similar to a trade in so I saved a bunch on state sales tax.

Don't be down on Lexus because of the uncalled for absconding of your deposit by the dealer. I suggest you contact Lexus directly and tell them about your deposit treatment.

briegel

Wow! That transaction worked out really well for you! Based upon some of your other posts and a reply to one of mine, I'm guessing the dealer you are talking about is Lexus of Bellevue...is that right? That is good info to know, since I am in Redmond and may want to do the same thing with my 2005 RX 330 sometime in the next year or so and go to the 400h. Enjoy yours!

maxhonda99

You should have just walked out of the dealership and called your credit card company about the $1K deposit you paid. The dealership has no right to take the $1K deposit. After all, a deposit is just that a *deposit*, which means it is refundable.

stevedebi

" It worked similar to a trade in so I saved a bunch on state sales tax. "

I don't think it affected sales tax at all. The buyer pays sales tax on the agree-upon price of the new vehicle. So you would have paid the same if you traded the old car or sold it to a private party.

gagrice

Some states deduct the value of the trade-in and you are only taxed on the difference. CA is not one of the states that does that. It takes some of the bite out or buying a new car.

sellalexus67

I know if you call your Lexus dealer they will have no problem refunding your $1000 because it is a deposit and at my dealership your deposit is refundable or applied to your deal. Good Luck

mirex

The private party that purchased my 2003 RX300 paid sales tax on that purchase. The sales tax that I saved was that the $32,500 was deducted from the purchase price of my new RX400h so I paid less in sales tax than I would have if I had delivered the used car directly and not transferred title to my Lexus dealer.

mirex

Your guess is correct and I have a great no pressure salesman who I have bought 2 previous RX300s from.

stevedebi

"The sales tax that I saved was that the $32,500 was deducted from the purchase price of my new RX400h so I paid less in sales tax than I would have if I had delivered the used car directly and not transferred title to my Lexus dealer."

Hmmm, I'm not sure that is the way they compute it here in California; it is based on the actual sale price, if I remember correctly. But (thank goodness!), I'm not an auto salesman or (egads!) a finance rep...

Did you actually do a look at the sales taxes paid vs. the price paid before trade-in?

gagrice

You don't get a break in CA. You pay sales tax on the full sale price of the vehicle. Only certain states allow you to deduct the value of your trade-in and pay tax on the difference.

Kirstie_H

Since we don't allow information about specific salespeople to be shared in the Forums, we don't permit posts requesting such info.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions

ultra64

I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a discount on the rx400h by a regional dealer. Are others getting discounts on the rx400h?

volara

Just traded my Rx330, 8 month old, 8000mi for RX 4000h with heated seats.
reason: very good car, terrible milage-15.7 overall (mostly city driving)
deal: my car +10k.
would appreciate your thoughts.
Volara.

stevedebi

This actually sounds like a pretty good deal to me, but I haven't checked the used car values for those vehicles.

Enjoy your car!

gagrice

My thoughts. I think you should give your sister a big hug for marrying into a Lexus dealership. That would have been a good deal if you were trading for a year newer RX330.

omtradelaw

good for you, most people do not know that they can sell their car on their own and still show as trade to save on sales tax if you have any questions please let me know, i work at a lexus store will be more than happy to help anyone

horns1976

We got $1,000 off sticker and a fair trade-in for non-Lexus vehicle from dealer in Dallas. In TX, you save tax on trade-in (6.25%) and only pay tax on net purchase. Vehicle has heated seats, Levinson, RSES and cargo mat. Black w/ivory interior. The dealer had several 400h on the lot and we were never on a waiting list. I contacted the dealer on Thursday, purchased the car on Friday. Personally, I think there will be deeper discounts in the near future but that's just my opinion. The car is just now being advertised on TV. That will generate additional interest and could drive prices up, which would be good for those who have already bought.

elainet

On June 29, per phone, I was promised by Lexus Mission Viejo (California) that, provided my 99 RX300 with 43,500 miles was in good condition (as defined by Kelly Blue Book), I would receive $16.7K as trade-in on a new 400h with an MSRP of $50,863. I explained I would be driving 48 miles up and down a mountain to get there and would only make the drive if the deal was for real. Assured it was, I made the drive only to have a sales manager offer $14,000 for my RX 300 with no explanation as to why the person who had made the phone deal could not show his face to me or as to why suddenly my car was no longer worth $16.7K (it was definitely in good condition, perhaps excellent condition). When I angrily walked out the door, the sales manager rushed out after me to offer $15K. I kept on walking, drove the 48 miles of mountain road back home with a developing headache from the stress of having been ruthlessly scammed (didn't my time, over 6 gallons of gas, and my human need not to be lied to mean something to those two sales persons?!) that turned into a migraine that kept me in bed all of the following day. After recovering enough to type on the day after that, I sent faxes to three other dealers telling them of my experience and stating I would not drive to another dealership without a written commitment to buy my RX300 at full Kelly Blue Book value for good condition unless a qualified person could show me why it was not in good condition. Lexus of Riverside (California) responded, in writing, with just such a promise. By the time the migraine was completely gone and I felt like driving again, it was July 2, so the Kelly Blue Book values for the year's 3rd quarter were now out. The KBB value was now $16.5K, which I did receive from the Riverside dealership toward purchase of a 400h with the exact same MSRP that Mission Viejo had used ($50,863), and there were no "surprise" fees or costs tacked on to it.

Financial death to dealerships who permit their staff to lie!!

horns1976

elainet...I don't blame you one bit for getting upset about the way you were treated. Obviously, the Mission Viejo dealer thought they could take advantage of you but they were wrong.
I'm assuming that the $16.5K value you received for your trade was the KBB average trade in value for your vehicle in good condition in CA. Is that correct? I'm asking because I'm trying to decide if we got a good deal or not. Thanks.

kenbt

I would love to know how to save sales tax.

I am located in San Pedro, CA

gagrice

I would love to know how to save sales tax.

Move to Oregon or Alaska! In CA you are going to pay sales tax even if you are a resident of a state that does not charge any tax. A definite reason to shop elsewhere for non-residents.

dmbflorida

Please post re: selling your car yourself and "show as trade to save on sales tax".

It is impossible for me to report my actual buying price for my RX 400h because of the extras I received (free) which were reductions from the MSRP.
I had a high trade-in on my car and this also saved me sales tax.
I received three years/20,000 miles free maintenance after purchase.
I received window tints.
I received hand-painted pin-stripes on both sides.
I received a $100 referral fee for referring a relative for a RX 400h purchase.

The car was on the lot without assignment to someone on the Waitlist and the dealership wanted to sell before Saturday.
The "story" I was told in giving me the incentives was that future allocations depended on how many 400h models were not sold during "inventory" on Saturdays. Anyway, I was and still am happy with the "bottom line" price.
The only feature I received which I have no use for is heated seats... I live in hot SW Florida and will never use them.

btw, my car color is silver so the tires were Michelins, probably OEM.

elainet

Hi - kbb.com quoted $16.5K on July 2 as the "Trade-In Value". The word "average" did not appear next to the figure quoted. I typed in my zip code (yes, California), the current mileage, and selected "good" condition.

Do you happen to know what RSES means in this excerpt: "Vehicle has heated seats, Levinson, RSES, and cargo mat" ?

Thanks.

elainet

Just wondering what RSES stands for since, from your post, it looks like it's included in the MSRP price and I want to be sure that I recevied it, too.
Thanks.

briegel

Rear Seat Entertainment System

horns1976

Sorry...RSES is Rear-Seat Entertainment System which is a fancy way of saying DVD player and small flip-down screen. Lexus charges you an additional $1840 for this option. By the way, the heated seats are $540 extra and the Mark Levinson stereo will set you back an additional $980. I'm pretty sure that the heated seats are mandatory with the Levinson stereo. Also, I think you can only get the RSES if you get the Levinson and heated seats. According to our dealer, if you get all 3 of the above options on your 400h--we did--that is called the "C" package.
Personally, I don't think the RSES is worth the price. I think a DVD system with headrest mounted monitors, a la Pimp My Ride, is far superior to the Lexus system.
Also, for those of us who live in TX, the heated seats are pretty much useless.
Finally, I think the 400h, a $50K ride, should definitely offer satellite radio.

horns1976

dmbflorida...First of all, I think you got a pretty good deal. Obviously, the free 20K maintenance and window tint are worth something. And, of course, $100 is $100. In my opinion, the hand-painted pinstripes have zero value. My brother is t'd off that the dealer put them on his vehicle. But, we were not charged for them. I'm still not convinced that the stripes don't come from the factory.
As I have posted previously, we got a high trade-in on a used GM vehicle, $1,000 off sticker, free rear cargo mat and no add on charges. Still a ton of money!!
Now, regarding selling your car yourself and "show as trade to save on sales tax," here's how that usually works:
You are buying a new car from a dealer. You make an agreement with a private party that he/she will buy your current vehicle. The dealer from which you are buying the new car shows your current vehicle as a trade-in. Then, the dealer sells your used vehicle to the private party at the agreed upon price (plus sales tax, etc.) So, you get the price you wanted for your car plus save the sales tax because the dealer shows your car as a trade-in. It's basically a paperwork transaction. That's the best of both worlds. I hope I've made this clear.

maxhonda99

" I'm still not convinced that the stripes don't come from the factory."

Did your brother's RX400h have the pinstripe option listed on his factory window sticker? If definately didn't. Does Lexus have it as a available option anywhere on it's website? It definately does not. The fact is dealer's install the pinstripes. Actually, the dealer's subcontract it out to mobile painter's who come to the dealer and paint the pintstripes on the car within a 1/2 hour. They do this with random cars on lots because it is a huge profit center. Generally pinstripping a car costs the dealer about $50. But they end up trying to charge the consumer upwards of $300!! And then off course, they give away some for free, because it ends up making a customer who likes pinstripes feel great that they got $300 pinstripes for free!!

horns1976

Max...The pinstripes and window tint were on a separate dealer add-on sticker. Price - $395. Our salesman told us that the window tint was not installed and the stripes would be gratis. Good thing, too. I was going to tell him where he could put the $395. By the way, all the 400h's had the add-on sticker on the windshield.
If I recall correctly, there are two pinstripes. The top one is gold and has the Lexus "L" logo in it. The bottom stripe is solid and matches the interior color, ivory. The vehicle is black which, in my opinion, is way too hot for Texas. But, he wanted the black. Like I said in my other post, he is ticked that the stripes are on the vehicle and is planning to cover them up with some sort of tape stripe.
As an aside, he also wants to install a center grill guard on the vehicle. As of this post, I haven't found one that will fit. WAAG's center grill guard for the RX330 will not fit. I already checked with them. Waiting for response from T&H.
Also trying to find a non-Lexus trailer hitch for the vehicle. Lexus dealers are too proud of theirs although I have seen a couple of posts from owners who successfully installed the hitch for the RX330.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks the 400h color choices are pretty lousy?? The dealer we purchased from had only black, flint and bamboo...no blue or silver. I sort of liked the bamboo but it was like a chameleon. In certain light, it looked sort of green.

maxhonda99

Yes, the the 2nd window sticker is for dealer add-ons.

BTW, your brother can have the pinstripes removed. Have it take it to a detailer and they can usually remove it, no problem. Or a auto body shop can do it for cheap also. It won't damage the paint job underneath either. Also, he may want to ask the dealer to get it removed. Usually their detailing department can do it.

bioya4

The $1k was paid a few months before so contacting AMEX wasn't really an option.

bioya4

Lexus was very pleasant to talk to but stated that the dealers set the terms of the deposits. Like any other large company, they already made their profit on this sale and don't really care much what happens down the road.

bioya4

That isn't how this dealership viewed it. The $1,000 to get on the waiting list is considered separate from the purchase price of the vehicle.

horns1976

Try contacting your state's attorney general's office. They might be interested in this. Don't know if there's anything they can do but it's worth a shot.
Here's another thought. Does one of your local TV stations have a group of people that investigate complaints like yours?? If so, contact them about your situation. In many cases, the negative publicity (or threat thereof) incents the merchant to make things right.
Good luck.

400h4me

My local dealer in Santa Rosa, California has keep me waiting a very long time. My salesmen has kept me well informed as to when he thinks I will get my hands on one. On April, 2004 we signed to put our name on a list that was being cut off at #35. We were #25 and were told this car was coming out sometime in November the same year. Well that didn't happen because Lexus changed the release date to April, 2005. I called and talked with my salesperson and was told that they are only getting a few a month since they went on sale, but the good news is that we have moved up the list and should be getting the car we ordered soon. This is the largest dealership in Northern California. Can someone explain how some dealerships in other states have them sitting on lots waiting for customers to come in and buy? I did get a call from the salesperson asking if I would consider a RX330 and he could deep discount the price. He also by some chance had a white colored Rx400h that someone backed out of the deal. At that time we were #11 on the list which makes me feel the others didn't want that color either. He offered it to us, but my wife said if I'm paying $50K for a car I should get the color I ordered! So to make a long sad story short "WE ARE STILL WAITING"

dmbflorida

Thanks for the reply. I will consider the "trade-in" approach if possible later.

My salesman offered me this procedure: If I arranged with a private buyer to buy my trade-in immediately and everyone completed the appropriate forms, then, for a $500 fee, that private party could buy my car at the trade-in price. I thus saved the sales tax on the trade-in.

I did not do this, just negotiated as high as possible tradein price and saved the sales tax.

Comments: The RX 400h was on the lot and did not have pin stripes or additional window tints (driver and passenger) in addition to the existing rear tints.
I talked to the "painter" and he customized my hand-painted pin stripe colors. It looks great to me.
The free maintenance was stated for 3 years/20,000 miles because I do not drive cars very much and have a pattern of low mileage.... Likely, it will be 3 years of free maintenance unless I make some extra highway trips. I had to bargain with the sales manager to increase the time for free maintenance in addition to the other bargaining points.

Initially, I told the sales manager and salesman that I would buy an extended warranty and get a car loan from them. I imagined that I would get a better bargain if they thought that they would get money from these purchases. At the end, though, I told them I would pay cash and did not want the extended warranty*.

* I know of several Toyota dealerships which sell greatly reduced in price extended warranties for the Prius. Does anyone know of Lexus dealers that will do this?

btw, I assume everyone has read the article written by the former car salesman which I think is available at Edmunds.com. So, all the tricks and "closing" techniques were expected. I already knew what I wanted and was waiting for them to get to that point. I used the Internet Dept and ended up at the dealership for final negotiations. With several other new cars I bought recently, I negotiated with the Internet Dept and only went there once, to test drive the car and pay for it. The last car I bought using Internet only was a Prius and I got $500 off MSRP. Before that, I have surveyed maybe 25 dealerships in Florida to see what price I could get.

I would want to comment on the dealership I used: Scanlon Lexus of Ft Myers, Florida... this is the best dealership I have ever used in terms of service and "white glove" treatment. Perhaps this is the standard Lexus treatment but I really liked it.
I get free car washes weekly if I want to which is nice mostly because I don't like to put a hybrid car through the mechanical car washes.

horns1976

dmb...Sounds to me like you got a pretty good deal on your 400h. Evidently, they were "motivated" to sell the vehicle. That's obviously good for you.

I chuckled when I read that the dealer would let a private party buy your "old" car at the trade-in price for a "$500 fee." Obviously, that was their attempt to make $500 on that deal by doing basically nothing. Also, had you done such a deal, the person who purchased your "old" vehicle would, of course, have had to pay sales tax on that purchase. You save the sales tax...the buyer pays it.

It goes without saying that everyone wants to get the best possible deal on a new car purchase. After driving out of the dealership in the new vehicle, everybody out there has probably wondered if they could have gotten a better deal than the deal they got. Personally, I know I have done just that. But, wondering and worrying won't change anything.

Unfortunately for those who want to own a 400h now, the dealers are making a really nice profit on the ones they are selling. Later on, once the new wears off a little bit, they'll be "hungrier" and their margins won't be so great. It all comes down to whether or not you want to delay gratification.

ultra64

At carsdirect if you enter a south CA zip code you get a price quote that is $3000 more than a LA(state) price. RX330's are cheaper in CA than LA.. Are 400h's in short supply anywhere else than CA.?

horns1976

If you enter a central TX zip code, the price you get is sticker.

Most of the sites I have checked have no participating dealers in my area. So, right now it's kind of a moot point.

By the way, there are a bunch of 400h's for sale on ebay. So far, none have sold. On the completed items, I have seen a bid of $52,000 and a bid of $56,500 from the same bidder on two different vehicles. Very strange. Reserve not met on either vehicle. Crazy!!! Most bids are in the $40 - $45K range. (I am in no way affiliated with ebay and am not endorsing or promoting its use.)

m2inor

MSRP, 52,053 + 650 for delivery + 695 for Tow Hitch install:

Flint w/black interior, Mark Levinson Audio, RSES, heated seats, rain-sensing wipers, cargo mat, and wheel locks. +$650 for delivery.

My additions: Lexus installed Tow-hitch.

Dealer offered at additional charge: 2 alternatives for extended warranty, credit insurance, gap insurance, NW Protection package (clear nose mask + Tough Guard Ext/Int Protection), Lo-Jack

Declined all for now, except wanted to get more info on the Lo-Jack option.

Have been on wait-list since Spring 2004; formal deposit made May 2005 ($1000); delivery yesterday.

Lexus of Portland - very pleasant to deal with. Even had ability to check on custom plates (LTL GAS), and made selection as part of the closing process. Got what I expected for a 98 Audi A4 Quattro in trade.

Mike

katzjamr

I signed up with a dealer in Tacoma because their waiting list was shortest. They told me late summer and started calling me in June, to see if any of the ones coming in fit my requirements. The first week of July when i was picking mine up, a lady walked in and purchased one on the spot, someone on the list had passedit over, she was never on any list. U can go to the dealer give them a totally refundable deposit, and it would surprise me if you didnt have a car within two weeks at this point. The lists are very changeable, people dont always take a car when it is available or it is not the right color, you just have to show them you are serious at this point and they will find u a 400h

putao

I got a quote from the manager of the dealer in New Jersey, $3000 off the MSRP which is $46883 with standard options. What do your guys think? My friend bought 6 or 7 Lexus cars from this guy and recommended him to me. What do your guys pay for this car recently? Can anybody share with me? Thx. I'm planning to sign the contract tomorrow evening. Any info is appreciated.

hendjaz

Katzjamr, I think that Tacoma (Fife) and Bellevue Lexus are under common ownership although they perhaps have separate allocations of vehicles. We have put a deposit down with Bellevue and the indication is that it could take 60 days although they hold out a bit of hope for earlier. Hope your guess at two weeks or less is correct. Sounds like you had a good experience with Tacoma.

I would not recommend Seattle Lexus in Lynnwood. Very un-lexus like sales service imho. Much runaround about the 400h and too many wasted trips to Lynnwood. I can't conceive of giving them a deposit.

katzjamr

They are the same owner. When i called Bellevue august a year ago they already had a list of over 200, Tacoma made me number 28 when i drove down with a check. Because they are more out of the way i think they try harder. The sales people took alot of time with me, let me drive the demo three times in addition to the car i finally purchased in july. One sales man who had the most knowledge on the 400h told me to buy an RX 330 if i did mostly freeway driving. I appreciated that, however when i drove the 400h i was sold. I have no financial relationship with them however i would buy a car from them again and have sent other people there. I called the Seattle dealership and was in close contact with a sales lady. She was helpful however at that time they would not even put me on a list as they were reserving cars for 'previous customers'. Oddly enough she called one day after i purchased the 400h from Tacoma and said she had a car if i wanted it. Im sure Bellevue will take care of u, its my feeling Tacoma will get u a vehicle faster.

jmb741

Dear Putao,
That sounds like a great price. Tonight I got a price of only $1,000 off for a RX400h at Lexus of Cherry Hill. What dealer gave you the $3,000 discount?
Regards,
JMB741

wwest

Sorry, don't remember the salemans name but he is stationed at the repair center next to the old Bellevue Journal building. He quoted me 7 top 10 day delivery if I could accept what was available in transit. Six to 8 weeks otherwise.