Lexus RX 450h Prices Paid and Buying Experience

apg97ss

I too tried to deal with Lindsay because that is where i did the test drive of rx400h, and thought i had to give them a shot to pay back for their time.
Once i knew from Rockville1 that i could play at about 1,000 over invoice at Towson, i shopped same deal w salesman at Lindsay who did test drive. on phone, i offered him 1,250 over invoice, and his comment is 'we are close' however he never would commit to firm price and i had feeling he had other tricks in mind once he had me in his space at showroom. turned out he didnt have color i wanted anyway, so i just did the Towson deal, and no regrets. good luck

apg97ss

a P.S. to last message. I found Pohanka in Chantilly more pleasant to deal w than Lindsay. However, when i shopped same Towson deal to them (1,000 over invoice), the lowest they would go was 2,000 over invoice. at least they were willing to give firm price over phone. i think these guys actually have science to what is lowest they will go. if they do too low to some customers, they know word will get out and it will cause dilution of their higher margin deals. also think it is related to consumer disposable income in local area. Manhattan Lexus doesnt give good deals because they dont have to. 60k to an investment banker is like a cup of coffee to middle class. Same w Pohanka in Fairfax Co, one of richest counties in USA. they can keep net prices up. demographics in Towson MD a bit more subdued and it works in their favor to poach market share away from DC dealers. all speculation of course

rockville1

I agree with apg97ss' experience with Pohanka. I found them very pleasant to work with, but in the end wouldn't come down to what Towson offered. The salesperson at Pohanka told me that they had no problem moving their vehicles so they did not need to come down any further. The salesperson at Towson told me that Towson has the largest inventory of RX400h's in the area primarily because they move more of them than other dealers. Apparently Lexus will only dole out a certain number of vehicles to each dealership based on the volume moved. The more a dealer moves, the more they can order for their lot. So if this is true, then other dealers may not have any problem selling at higher prices because they have a lower volume (and thus more customer competition). Towson moves more and can offer lower prices.

Again, this is just anecdotal based on what I gleaned from the sales persons at the dealerships, but it makes intuitive sense.

ravlegend

hmm just wondering ...

You guys being outside of Towson demographic area, maybe Towson could give you a lower price since they know price is the ONLY factor when competing with your nearby competiitions.

I should have took my NJ price back to Towson but I was so turn off in the negoiation of a 2006 then, there's no way in my thinking they could even lower that much for a 2007.

rockville1

No, I don't think so. They had no idea where I lived when I was negotiating as my only identifier was my email address (they didnt know my last name until I showed up to buy the car).

My guess is that inventory is higher now as the 2007s aren't selling nearly as fast as the 2006s (lots of pre-orders for the '06s as the hybrids were new then).

pic4

Is my invoicing info correct?

Invoice info i have for a FWD

36,648 - FWD
715.00 - Del
1120 - Premium Package
2225 - DVD Nav
Total: 40,708 +TTL

Thanks

paddyc

With only one Lexus dealer in Kansas City, I went in figuring that they would hold out for MSRP on a 400h. The Edmund's data was very helpful. They were reluctant to give me their invoice amount, but they opened up when I showed them my Edmund's output. They also knew that I am a road warrior and could easily purchase a vehicle in a more competitive market.

I had reviewed the messages on this forum, and that gave me a feel for a reasonable settlement. I offered $1250 over invoice, and they took it while insisting on a $299 administrative fee. I should have started with $1000 over invoice and then settled for $1250, but I caved and bought a fully loaded 400h for 46K. It is a very impressive vehicle.

jez1

All of you guys/gals are great help. Thank you so much! It sounds like Towson may be a winner. I have gotten quotes either over the phone for a 350 (I can't justify paying the extra $$ for the hybrid). Lindsey quoted me $45,600, but told me they could take at least a couple grand off if not more since they want to move them. Pohanka said they have no 2007's, but would quote under $45,000 for a 2008, with navigation.

I've test driven the vehicle (although need to see how it works with a baby car seat, meaning is it easy to get in and out of ,so if any of you know from experience how it works let me know).

What do you all recommend as a next approach? I hate the games dealers can play. Also, do dealers give better deals if you offer to pay cash, vs. financing?

Thanks

rockville1

Your next price will be to nail down a final price - to the penny. I stopped dealing with Lindsay because they would only quote ballpark figures - nothing specific. Towson quoted me an exact price (+T&T) and there were no games. It was very straightforward purchasing experience.

Get the final price before going to the dealership. You can negotiate with several dealers to see how low they will go.

It will not make any difference in the price if you finance or pay cash. The dealership gets 100% of their money up front no matter which way you purchase.

If you end up going to Towson, feel free to use me as your referral! I wouldn't object. ;-)

Brian Pike

daloosh

We have a Britax car seat in the 400h, and take it out occasionally to use the whole back trunk area, like when we picked up the little tikes playhouse for our daughter. No problems at all, and there's plenty of room to get in there (we moved up from a small sedan, and it's much harder to work in that backseat).

Just move the front seat, for us it's the front passenger seat, all the way up, and either use the shoulder belt to secure the carseat, or the LATCH system to buckle it in. You really have to make it super tight, so it won't move at all. Then put the top tether thru the headrest in the back. Either way, with practice, we can now install the seat in less than five minutes.

Of course, there are a million different car seats, so I recommend going to your nearest carseat safety station, often at the police or fire dept. or city hall to have a certified technician install and inspect your car seat. Here in NYC, you can make an appt for someone to come to your home and help you. Depending on the model, it may not fit right, and need some kind of support behind it, like a cut-up swimming noodle (that's what our P.D. uses).

We have not used a snap-out baby seat/carrier in the car, but that should be fine, it's the base installation that's critical.

Best of luck,
daloosh

jez1

Well Towson said their msrp for the 400h, premium package (no Mark Levinson), AWD, is $49800 (+ Tax, Tags and $100 Dealer Fee)however they are offering a $3200 off (internet price) thru March 31st. The earliest I am going to be able to even get a car is probably mid April. What do you think of that discount, thus the price being $46,600, and do you think they'd extend the offer beyond the expiration date. Also they don't have any in stock, so I'm going to have to pay for transportation costs most likely.

gtoph

Doesn't seem that great. 46600 is what I paid for mine, and it had nearly everything except the RES (51350 msrp).

In addition, the "price through march" I would say is also bull and why would they make you pay extra transportation costs just cause they don't have any in stock?

I would say shop around more.

jez1

Towson and Lindsey Lexus said they'd come down to $45,700. Pohanka wouldn't even come down off their sticker price.

Total with taxes tags and dealer processing they are saying my on the road price would be $47,725

Also, does the 400h include the XM radio, is it included in the premium packagage, or do you have to pay additional for that?

gtoph

XM is extra to the best of my knowledge, it's definitely not in the premium pkg.

rockville1

The $45,700 + T&T that gtoph quoted from Towson is a very reasonable price on the premium plus package 400h.

You can not buy the premium or premium plus package without the Mark Levinson sound system, so I'd double check on that.

Also, you will not have to pay any extra for them to ship you the car and color you want. Everyone pays the exact same destination fee and that is built into the base price.

It sounds to me that perhaps the salesperson you are working with is not that knowledgable. If I were you, I would contact their internet sales manager (his name is available on the Towson website). I worked with him and he was great to work with and very knowledgable about the RX.

Finally, I would also get a quote for Len Stohler Lexus which is just 5 miles from Towson.

daloosh

I haven't lived in Maryland in many years, isn't the tax 5%? That would bring you to $47985 before tags and dealer processing, which might bring you up another hundred or two, to $48200 or thereabouts. At any rate, make sure you nail down the out the door price, so they can't tuck in any extra charges like more "processing" or "paperwork."

rockville1

State sales taxes are irrelevant to the negotiated price. If people want to make an apples-to-apples comparisons across states, you have to leave out fees for taxes and tags. That's why I said $45,600 + T&T.

Everyone should always negotiate the final selling price of the car and know that you will have to pay state taxes and tag fees. However, if you are working with a reputable dealer, there should be no hidden fees and you should make sure you know what the final price will be going in.

The Towson dealership I worked with included the $100 processing fee in their final quoted price of $45,600. There were no surprises.

simplyj

I'm just starting the journey to buying a RX 400h. I also live in the DC/MD metro area. Premium Packages for the 400h do not necessarily include the Mark Levinson system. Just today I was at Lexus of Towson and I saw their only 400h with a premium plus package, with nav but no ML sound system. I verified this by looking at both the sticker and asking the salesman. According to the RX brochure, the ML system option is separate from the premium and premium plus packages.

Right on the lot the salesman told me I could expect to pay about $47700 + TTL. The MSRP sticker gave the price at around $49800. Specifically I'm looking for a AWD 400h with a ML sound system and navigation. I'm thinking of asking for $48700 total out the door price. Am I being unreasonable?

The salesman didn't say anything about a 31MAR07 deadline for $3K off. The only signifigance I see with the 31st date is that this is the last date to buy a Lexus hybrid in order to get $1100 tax credit. After the 31st that $1100 gets cut to $550.

dgrahamr

In the Boston area, I have been told by multiple dealerships that the ML system simply can't be bought on the 400h. That's in conflict with lexus.com, but I have learned well enough at this point that the options available on lexus.com are not consistent with the cars available in a particular region. Seemingly this is the case even if we are willing to order the car -- does anyone know why that is, or whether I'm getting BS from the dealers?

rockville1

Lexus does make different options for different regions of the country. As for the ML sound system, I really can't comment except to say that every 400h I looked at had it (and mine does - says so right on the stereo).

Back in the old days when I was shopping (Jan '07), all of the 400h's with premium+/nav & AWD were the same. They all had an MSRP of $49,866. This made shopping for one really easy. A few had the RES upgrade on the laser guided cruise control, but most were the $49,866 package.

Maybe things have changed a bit.

nickelpete

Please tell me that my wife can (eventually, somehow, someplace) have the RX400h she wants: Prem Plus with HID, Heated Seats.

We hate paying thousands for a nav screen, when a $500 Garmin (with remote control) will do nicely. The little RX400h LCD info screen (I assume it looks like the RX350 screen) is classier (IMHO).

From what I'm reading, my wife can either have a base ($43k) or loaded ($49k) model. Is this true?

kfrenck

I've been lurking on this site for a while and wanted to share a great deal I got on a new 2007 400h, as this site has been quite helpful in my quest to get the car I wanted at a great price. I just picked up a Neptune Blue, ivory interior 400h AWD with premium plus package, including ML sound and NAV system (but no rear entertainment), for total drive off price of $44,294. The original offer was $1000 under invoice but I was able to talk her down to $1,500 invoice by agreeing to pay a little more up front.
I'm leasing for 36 months, 15k pr year, with monthly payments at $543. I had to put $5400 down to get the monthly payment down, but it was well worth it. I know a lot of people say you shouldn't put any money down in case something happens to the car in its early months, but on the flip side of that argument, the more you can put down at signing, the less interest you'll be paying on the car over the long term, and thus your monthly payments will be lowered. I'd be happy to share more info if anyone's interested.

dgrahamr

Is this a decent price to pay?

RX 400h, Premium Plus, Navigation, Heated Seats w/ Rain Sensing Wipers, Wood Trim, All Season Floor Mats, and XM Satellite Radio for $46,255.

rockville1

That's not a bad price at all. You could probably do a little bit better, but if you don't feel like haggling anyomore, then jump on it and don't worry about it.

kfrenck

Not bad, about $500 over invoice. If you have the time and are willing to negotiate, you could probably shave another $2,000 off of that.

whitney10

Final price offered by dealer was 47,350(including tax & title). This included Mark Levinson audio/navigation and premium plus package. I still think this price is too high based of other people's comments on the board. Any thoughts? I'm trying to buy this week!

rockville1

It's hard to know since you included the tax and title in your price. I don't know what the tax rate and title fees are in your state. What is the MSRP on the vehicle? What is the dealer invoice price? Just stating that you have nav w/ML and preimium plus doesn't tell the whole story. There are other options that may or may not be included on your vehicle. That is why you must know botht the MSRP and dealer invoice to determine if your negotiated price (+ taxes and title) are a good deal.

If you can get the vehicle at 4-5% above dealer invoice (+ taxes & title), then you have made an excellent bargain.

Some people have posted getting deals below dealer invoice, but this is the exception to the rule. The dealer does have to make some money afterall.

whitney10

Don't know what the invoice price is but the MSRP is roughly $51k. So that being the case, what should I expect to pay?

rockville1

To be clear:

If your final out-of-the door price (with taxes and tags in the price) is the $47,350 price you listed, then that means you are paying perhaps a little less than $45K on a $51K MSRP. That is an excellent price!

If you must add taxes and tags on top of the $47,350, then that is not a good deal.

simplyj

I'm assuming that 400h you are looking at is the AWD and not the FWD. If so then $47,350 including TTL is a very good price.

Bear in mind that different dealerships around the country will have different leeways on how much of a discount they'll give. Heck, even in MD there are dealerships within the state that have wide differences in price quotes! Just because a forum member in CA was lucky enough to get invoice doesn't mean your local dealship will be willing to do the same for you!

kfrenck

You should also know that there's a $850 dealer holdback on the 400h right now (or at least there was until this past weekend,) so even if the dealer sells it to you at invoice, they're still getting at least $850. So you should be able to negotiate a bit to get it closer to invoice. But other posts are correct when they say that prices vary by state and even by dealerships in the same city. While I was able to get $1500 under invoice from the dealer I ended up going with, another dealer in S. Cal told me there was no chance they were dipping below invoice. It also helps to go through the internet managers, since they're not paid on commission like the guys on the lot are, so they're more willing to lower the price to get the sale.

endotoothdoc

Hi,

I am in the military and am looking into a RX-400 for my wife. After searching the internet, I stubbled onto your website and found a lot of great information. What is a reasonable price to negotiate for an:

RX-400 with Navigation and Premium Plus package with:
- Heated front seats with Rain-sensing windshield wipers
- 18-in alloy wheels
- Wood interior finish
- Towing Prep Package
- Cargo mat
- Wheel locks

I am willing to travel anywhere in Georgia or Texas to get the best deal. Thank you in advance.

Kirstie_H

Make sure to check some of the previous posts in this discussion while you're waiting. If you look at the top of the message list, there's a little box that says "search this discussion." It might be worthwhile searching for some of the larger cities to see if anyone has recently posted about a good deal in TX or GA.

janedoe10

Has anyone seen a black 400H with the standard fabric interior? I can't seem to find one in black.

jattnj

THIS IS MY STORY.....4000H AWD INC.
NV, WL, WU, TO, PT, HH, C1, FT
BLACK WITH IVORY INTERIOR....
$45,200 PLUS T&T

SHOULD I GO FOR IT OR TRY AND GET IT CLOSER TO INVOICE ($44,672)?

:confuse:

rockville1

That is a very good price. You could always try to go lower, but if you feel you are getting a fair price, then go for it.

akg

What are people paying in California for this vehicle with the premium plus package [no backseat entertainment center]? I have been offered it for $48,300 plust tax and licensing.

dsrtrat2

New on the site. What state is Westminster in? Looking to buy end of May somewhere in NYC (large) area.

pat

Unfortunately, that post was a deceitful solicitation. Perhaps someone else here can honestly help you find a good place to buy.

goinggreen

Hello,
My husband and I are looking to buy an rx400h. We want the aluminum trim, not wood, so we have to order. One dealer near us told us that if we order we will have to pay sticker. I think this is crazy. Can anyone comment on what I should expect to pay (full sticker or can I negotiate)if I place an order? Thanks so much.

jattnj

Just wanted to share my final experience in NJ. I got a final price of $44,900 plus 7% tax, and $370 Motor Vehicle fees. This includes the premium plus package, navigation, heated seats/rain-sensing wipers, towing packing, cargo mats/net, wood trim & wheel locks. I have the VIN# but am waiting for the car to arrive at the dealership - black onyx with the ivory interior. I am sooooo excited.
By the way, I never stepped foot in a dealership - everything was done over the phone or via email.
Good Luck!

billc112

I was just offered a 2007 RX 400H with premium plus, nav, 18" wheels, heated seats, auto wipers etc MSRP 48.3K for 43.2K. I believe this is close to or at invoice. I will probably have the car delivered tomorrow. Please warn me if I am not getting a good deal (doesn't have to be rock bottom, but I don't want to get taken either).
Thanks.

rockville1

Awesome!! You will love your new 400h. I've had mine for 4 months and I like it better now than I did when I first bought it.

rockville1

That's an excellent price! Jump on it! I paid $45,600 (+T&T) on an MSRP of $49,866.

mdntcallr

Can you please let me know what dealer?

Sounds like a very good deal. i am in LA, CA and am looking for the same. minus the special wheels.

hell, anyone who knows a dealer who deals at invoice in socal, i would love to know.

billc112

Lexus of Riverside.
They dropped off the car yesterday.
I was amazed at how easy they made this purchase. I never stepped into the showroom. Make sure you ask for the "internet sales department".

P.S. 18" wheels are a "forced option". Good luck finding a premium car without it. All the RX400h's in Southern California seem to have the same option package and an MSRP of $48,306.

briegel

The Internet Sales gang at Lexus of Riverside are great! I got my 2005 RX 330 AWD from them a little over two years ago. It was shipped up to Portland, OR for pick-up. A very pleasant and smooth transaction! Highly recommended!

relie

I am purchasing a Lexus RX400 AWD for $46,827 dollars plus T&L but I have to fly down to LA to pick it up . Is this price worth it.

relie

May I ask what you paid for your car. Was it an RX400AWD and how far did they deliver.

billc112

I paid 43.2 for a FWD (MSRP 38,306).
They delivered to my house about 90 miles from dealer.

Of note: I did just get an email from Misson Viejo Lexus offering me the same car for 42.8K. Wow! I cannot speak of the quality of their service. I was very pleased with the way I was treated at Riverside.