My first day with my new car! I just posted photos I took this afternoon in my driveway of my new red HL. I posted them in the Yahoo HL forum, under the "Photos" page (duh!).
The Highlander is a solid winner for Toyota, as I have driven it and have a Lexus ES300 now and looking to buy the Highlander as I am keeping the Lexus.. Does anyone know a dealer who is will to give a decent deal in the Richmond area or Northern Va area. Looking for either a 4X2, or a 4X4 loaded. Let me know if anyone has any experince in this area. Thanks
I, personnaly, got burned by an aftermarket warranty, so I tend to shy away from them. That's not to say they are all bad, however...I just got (un)lucky. Have you tried getting a ECP price from another dealer or via the internet? My Toyota dealer wanted $1500 for the ECP 6 year 75k gold plan for my HL. I bought the 6 year, 75k platinum plan ("$ 0" deductable) from for $690. It's an official Toyota Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreement. There may even be better deals out there. You would have to inquire as to whether or not these plans from a US dealer would be good in Canada, or maybe there are some Canadian dealers on line. Good luck, -Steve
pwash19 - Glad you enjoyed the HL. Your experience certainly reflects what we have experienced. Mine has 3500 miles (V6,AWD, unlimited) and we have never gotten below 22 mpg, and have gotten as high as 25 mpg. I believe it is a quality vehicle that will serve us well for many years. I love the comfort, quality, fit and finish. Wind Noise - I am no engineer, but I believe the wind noise from the rear windows is nothing more that air compression. There is no place for the air to excape in the rear. Notice the windows are nearly flush with the metal siding. That makes for low drag, (improves efficiency, and reduces noise), however, it also permits the air to enter an open window. In the old days, cars had little vents to deflect the "slipstream" away from an open window. I am unconcerned. The vehicle is airconditioned for warm days, heated for cold days, and I would never ride with a window open at speed (any car) and the compression is not objectionable at slow speeds when I do open the window. I previously considered an Escape/Tribute, and many complained about the same compression noise in that club. Console - To each his own, but I have become accustomed to not having a console, and like it. At first I promised my wife we would find a console, now I do not think we will. Wish list - If I could add anything, I wish it had an outside thermometer (yes, I know I have mentioned that previously, but I REALLY do wish it had one.) Happy MOtoring all!!
Just a note of thanks to all who participate in this forum. Your information and knowledge have been invaluable. I picked up my Bluestone Limited yesterday after starting my seach last Thursday, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have found what I wanted in less than a week. I've owned many nice cars over the years, and I can say from my limited experience so far that this Highlander is right at the top!
To dmeyer2 re: windnoise. As you might have read from previous notes, I experienced significant wind screeching during one particular long drive (350 miles) with a vicious crosswind - it drove me bonkers. Since then, I also moved the crossbars to the very back. I haven't been driving much in heavy crosswinds so I don't know if it works. However, yesterday I did experience a significant crosswind during highway speed, albeit for a very short duration. I thought I heard the beginning of the screech, but am not sure. I'll let this forum know if moving the cross bars back works. By the way, I still haven't figured out how to take them off completely - anyone know??
Well my first day with the HL & we put it to the test. My wife's band had a gig, so we packed the HL full of PA gear & musical instruments (with packing blankets everywhere to protect the interior, of course). Then we had to drive over a winding mountain road 30+ miles from the San Jose area to Santa Cruz (CA) via hwy 9. That's a packed HL going over one hell of a curvey mountain & it was a dream! Though it's no sports car, it handled the curves well & it was quiet & easy to drive, considering it was carrying quite a load & we were "very" comfortable in it. And we were happy that we packed all this gear in it & had lots of room to spare. Just what we hoped for!
I haven't tried it, but there are set screws, (allen screws?) on the underside of the rails, my bet would be you have to take those out and the side rails off before you can move the cross members.
The HL already has a 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. It seems to me these "extended" warranties (6yr/75K) cost quite a bit to extend the manufacturers warranty by 3 years/39,000 miles and 1 year/15,000 miles respectively. Is that really worth it, especially if there is a deductible on top of the premium? I have three Toyotas (1983/170K, 1985/85K, 1992/98K) and there have been four others in my immediate family. I don't know what Toyota engineered the target life of the HL to be, but based on my experience, I wouldn't expect a repair that equals or exceeds the cost of these extended warranties until after 100,000 miles if even that soon. Do any other Toyota owners agree?
I completely agree with your analysis..... for that reason, I passed on the extended warranty. I have a great deal of confidence in the HL and Toyota, and feel the warranty is not needed. I have owned Toyota's previously, and my experience has lead me to my conclusion.
I disagree on the need for an extended warranty. You're talking about a highly computerized (traction, skid, VVT-I engine, etc.) car with Full Time 4 wheel drive. A single repair on any of these systems would exceed the cost of a $100,000 warranty (easily gotten for $825 on the web). If you were talking a 2 wheel drive model,I might agree. But again, the full warranty runs out at$36,000 miles. Any non-powertrain work will also have to come out of your pocket after this mileage.
Well, I don't know if I agree with the concensus here. My '97 Avalon needed a new steering box (cast housing cracked) at 58K (and 3 1/2 years old) and it cost me over $700 using a factory approved rebuilt unit. (Yes, I did let the dealer do the job because I have been very satisfied with the quality of their repairs. In fact, they offered me the factory new unit but recommended against it as it would make the repair go up by another $200 without the benefit of any additional warranty on the part.). I'm sure I could have obtained an extended warranty for less when I bought the car, even if it had come with a deductible. My Avalon was not a brand new model. It was the THIRD year of the first series, hence I chose not to go the warranty.
On my HL (still waiting for it), I will probably get the extended warranty (Platinum 5/75K) as the HL, although it has a lot in common with the current RX 300, has a few differences as well. Being the first year of the model, I'm still a little skeptical that not even Toyota can get EVERYTHING right the first time around (even though they obviously get more right than their competition). It's not the little things that I am buying the warranty for, it's the semi-major things. With the current labor rates as high as $60 / hr. , I'm willing to buy a little insurance for the peace of mind. Additionally, this is our only car and the Platinum warranty allows up to 5 days rental car (up to $50/day) when ours is in the shop. Guess it's a matter of how much risk one is willing to take......
A 100,000 mile extended warranty deserves different consideration depending on the number of years you get with it (6...10?) and vehicle usage. Also, can you sell or transfer the extended warranty if you sell the car early? The extended warranties being questioned earlier were 6yr/75K.
gwkiser, Sorry about your steering box. Being the third year of your Avalon model probably didn't influence the failure of your steering box, seeing as how it sounds like a component failure due to a flaw with that one part (maybe due to material or manufacturing?) rather than a flaw in it's design. Do you still own your Avalon? Did it require any other major repairs?
I realize all parts do not have 100% reliability. Even at 99.999% reliability to target life, ten parts out of each million will fail prior to reaching target life. That's why many tests on components and systems are performed to two and three times target life.
Considering how a vehicle performs and lasts is greatly influenced by how it is driven, treated, and maintained, I will not opt for an extended warranty if I purchase a new Toyota.
Everyone has their own level of comfort and confidence, but overall I feel it's a type of low risk insurance designed to make money for the provider. If nothing else, the provider is making money by investing your premium at least until your factory warranty runs out and usually longer.
Ok, So, basically I got screwed at $615 a month on a lease with no downpayment. But I've had the car now for 2 weeks. How can I get out of it now? Won't there be penalties etc...? As you can tell, I'm definately new to this. This is my first new car I've ever had. Please help!!!
I see cliffy has already contacted you. Beware those Canadian Highlanders in Richmond. I wasn't too pleased with my local dealership here in Staunton, until I told them about the deal cliffy put on the table, "and OBTW, we're running up to that other dealer in Harrisonburg this evening to talk to them". (No hard feelings, I hope cliffy - you are, after all, a good 2 1/2 plus hours away). Most of my somewhat extensive research (three or four weeks, about six or eight dealerships) turned up that in the Virginia area, if we can get a deal around Edmund's TMV (or slightly under, ~$220 lower is what we got), we're doing pretty good. My wife and I drove over to Richmond to look at a red Highlander first-hand last weekend. Finally did the paperwork for a red one (which I think may be the first red one in the Shenandoah Valley) last Monday evening with my local dealer. Its due into Baltimore the first of May, so hopefully it will get here a week or so later. Just as a side note, I opted with the dealership to trade in the stock tires for a set of Michelins. I hope that earlier post about the Michelin xterrains wasn't just some Michelin dealer trolling! If you can't get a deal like you want in Richmond, contact cliffy ... He at least makes other VA dealers more "responsive". BTW cliffy, how come you didn't tell ME about your friend in Richmond???
As you may recall I noted I had e-mailed Toyota re: the windnoise (post #1824). I just received a reply that said, essentially, talk to the dealer:
At 04/26/2001 10:04 AM we wrote - Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We apologize about your concerns regarding your 2001 Highlander and the noise you are experiencing from the roof rack.
In order to better assist you, we would like to refer you to the Customer Relations Manager at your local Toyota dealership since they possess specialized knowledge in diagnosis and repair.
Your comments have been documented at Toyota's National Headquarters under file # 200104260456.
Sorry, looks like you're stuck. The only way out would be to contact the lender (the bank) to see what can be done, maybe you can buy out the lease or refinance it, I honestly don't know.
I too am leasing a HL - 5 years, 15,000/mi per year. Residuals on the 5 year were 37% with the bank I used, and the payments were 20% less by leasing it rather then buying the car. And, since cars are NOT an investment (you will never make profit off a new car) due to the depreciation, leasing is the better financing option if you stay within the mileage and keep the vehicle in good shape.
My brother-in-law financed the HL for us - and he's been in the auto finance world for about 8 years. Between his comments and my experience, here's what I know on leasing:
First, the COST of the lease is based primarily on your credit rating. The finance manager makes commission of the amount he can sell the lease/buy to you above the amount the bank will give. Finance manager have many different sources of funding for leasing and buying - they do not have to use Toyota Motor Credit. And, each leader will have different rates.
The finances TYPE of the HL should have NO bearing on the price of the vehicle. Nothing says "you have to pay MSRP if you lease". In fact, a few shopping sites indicate you don't even tell them how you're going to buy until you've settled on the price in writing.
And, you can get someone to "buy out the lease", essentially buying the amount owed, and financing it to you. I don't know if the lease can be "rolled" into a new one. If you've got less than 1000 miles on it, i think a lease can still be drafted.
RE: other repairs to the '97 Avalon. The answer is no.
The car is going to be traded off for the HL. Re: care..... Well, I consider myself to be very very meticulous when it come to maintenance. The car was ALWAYS clean, inside and out. All maintenance was done by the dealer (to insure no claim of poor jobs) with the exception of the oil changes. There I used a synthetic. Maybe an overkill, but it was worth it to me.
Re: "the provider is making money by investing your premium". No doubt. That's the nature of the free enterprise system, the insurance industry being only one example.
The car has been at the HL dealer's lot (with me still holding the keys and title) as it was coming up on 60K and new registration. Part of the deal for the HL was that the vehicle would be delivered to me before either of those two things came up (I've been trying to get the HL since late February). Because they didn't deliver on time, I raised a stink and they gave me a rental Expedition for free until the HL comes in (latest word is sometime next week at port). Since my wife and I both work out of the house, we switched to using one car only several years ago and it has worked out well. Less gas expense, less insurance expense, etc.
We both will miss the Avalon as it has been a great vehicle overall. Mileage stayed a steady 20+ in town and 25+ on the highway . On the other hand, I'm sure we will LOVE the HL.
The HL we rented had the thermometer for outside temp in the dash on the auto temp control panel. I believe it was the info buttom on the right side of the controls. Ours was defaulted to the outside setting. I'm starting to have HL withdrawals after only two days without driving the HL. Being a current GM owner and not having the happiest of experiences with our Blazer and now reading about 2002 GM SUVs being recalled already has confirmed my desired to purchased a Toyota.
We bought our gold 2WD 6 cyl HL on March 17 for $28.5K including wood trim extra as it is not a Limited. It arrived at the Port of Baltimore the end of March. It has been there 3 weeks and the Fairfax dealer says it it coming any day. They have given us Corolla as a loaner. Is this normal practice? Should I be looking elsewhere? Are there any dealers in the DC metro area with a HL 2WD 6 cyl in gold or silver?
Just leased a limited, vintage gold Highlander and really enjoying every minute except a few minor problems. Has anyone experienced a grinding sound and feel when applying and releasing the brakes? The dealership said I need a brake booster (whatever that is) & they have to order it. Also, does anyone hear an occasional popping sound that seems to be coming from the right front dash area? I have had the best experience with my local Toyota dealer & would highly recommend them to anyone in the Atlanta area!
To rrmcdonald: I too received the same email response from Toyota. I would have started with the dealer, but I felt this something that might be better addressed by Toyota USA in a wind tunnel. I think it will be hard for the dealer to recreate and fix. I can't imagine being able to inspect the car inside and out while driving 70 mph in cross winds.
Hi Everyone! I just got my Bluestone HL on April 13th(LUCKY!) & I am busting with pride driving it around. I have seen more people eyeing it at stoplights. I pulled up to another HL at a traffic light... I honked my horn & the driver turned to look. She gave me the biggest smile & thumbs up I have every seen. She made me Smile! What a great feeling this HL gives you! :-)!
Warranty Anyone? I bought my Camry XLE in 1992. I was sold a Warranty package for 100,000 miles that I never used. I previously owned a Honda, what did I know! I wasn't sure if I needed it or not so I purchased the extended warranty. They tried the same senerio again when I purchased my HL. I said "NO!" This time, I remembered what my salesman told me in 1992...He said, "You see that triangle on this button...this is your Hazard Lights. This is one button you will NEVER TOUCH IN THIS TOYOTA." He was sooooooo right; I never did. When I purchased my HL, they tried to use the principle that "this is the first year HL is being made & it's track record has not been established." My response was 'someone is wrong...you or the brochure. The HL is suppose to be a Camry type SUV. Don't tell me Camry doesn't have a proven track record. I have experienced 9 years of a Toyota's track record. Please, let Toyota's Record speak for itself.' I don't know if he was trying to take advantage because I'm a women. I think he just wanted to make his commission. He told me he had 3 Toyotas & he had problems with all of them & he is an employee. I asked him if he was trying to talk me out of buying the HL.One thing I do know, I don't expect to touch that HAZARD Button on my HL either. Save your money to buy all those added EXTRAS that you might want to add.
When my HL arrived, it was missing the console, spoiler & I had asked for wheel locks. I was told they were back ordered & Toyota decided to release all the HL's as is from POE(Newark, N.J.). I received an IOU on these 3 items from my Dealer. Am I going to have a problem having these items installed?? What would be a reasonable waiting time? Please advise.
Another Question...Can one use a wind deflector when you have a spoiler? I live in New York. I planned to use the wind deflector during the Winter & early Spring until they clean up all that sand & gravel that is left over from the winter storms. Should I consider leaving the wind deflector on all year? I welcome your opinions. Thank you! Yomcas
OK you have had it for 2 weeks. You signed the papers. Enjoy the car. The dealer should really be kissing your _____/ Was there a trade in? Of course you know that you could have leased a loaded RX 300 for less. In fact you could have leased just about the nicest Lexus LS 430 for about that much. The dealer did you no favors. I would never buy from them again. What is your end of lease purchase option with 36,000 miles three years from now? INKY
As we have considered what options we'd like on our Highlander, the roof rack definitely is not one of them. In 15 plus years with wagons, we've never used them. Awful hard to find a HL without one. Anyway, we had a similar problem with our Sable wagon whenwe first had it. The fix was simple - it was to locate the crossmembers in the right spot. For that car, we left the front one all the way forward, and the back one about in the middle. In those positions, there is no wind noise. Perhaps there is an optimum location for the crossmembers on the HL to minimize the wind noise. I think there were also a couple posts about removing them altogether, another good idea for those people who aren't likely to use it.
Clify1 - You mentioned a post that was edited. I have entered one or two post that did not appear. Are they being deleted by someone, or am I doing something wrong and they are not getting to the site? (I do not expect you to answer that) Anyone else find their post are deleted?
I just purchased a new Gold Highlander V6 4wd Limited (fully loaded). I love it. I have 400 miles on it so far, and I have noticed no wind noise, and we have had a windy spring here in the midwest (45 mph gusts) My cross members on the roof rack were towards the back when I took delivery.
I seem to remember them that way on another highlander I looked at from another dealer. I wonder if Toyota is shipping the vehicles this way as a quick fix? I measured the cross members on mine, so others could try the same positioning. I measerd from the REAR of the roof rack. The last crosmember is 22 inches from the rear of the rack. The first one is 32 1/2 inches from the REAR of the roof rack.
I looked up your car on my TDN system and your HL is showing "Ground" status. This means it was released to the trucking company that brings them from Baltimore. Normally, these things don't sit at the port for more than a couple of days. There are two or three reasons they can get stuck at the port.
1. It is damaged and they are repairing it. This would be noted on our internal system and yours is not marked as damaged.
2. It was "lost". This means it got put into the wrong load line and the truckers don't know where to look for it. This is very rare.
3. Something is blocking it. My Tundra spent 6 weeks on a broken train. Various oddities like this can happen.
On the plus side, since it was released to the trucking company, there is a great chance you will have it by this weekend. This is a good thing because there are no other silver or gold 4x2's in Northern VA. We had one here in Springfield this week but sold it.
By the way, if your user name indicates where you live, I just sold a gold RAV4 to one of your neighbors.
She's baaaaack! I just spent a glorious 3 days in Palm Springs... on Toyota business, with a little pleasure time thrown in for good measure. Just in time for lot of HLs to hit the shores, I see!
As to the lease question, afraid that dealer got ahold of you with a $615 lease payment, but you leave out a few important details, perhaps? Trade value, if any, vs. payoff? Cash drive off? I can possibly better assist you with more details.. and you know how to find me with a little savvy! Dianne
Just picked up mu 4wd unlimited but loaded highlander yesterday. It seems that whenever the vehicle is in motion, there is a constant air flow coming from the vents. Everything else is off, the controls are set to off, but still some air. Is this normal for this vehicle. Also is the glove compartment suppose to be difficult to open. Mine sticks so that I must pull the small lever to open it?
A general note, maybe directed also to dianne and cliffy for dealer feedback to Toyota...
GM certainly can improve on a lot of things on their products, but I am really impressed with the GM Buypower site. I wish Toyota would have something that worked as well. It's true many Toyota dealers have their own inventory on line, but it is not convenient to do large scale investigation to see what really is out there, as it would be from a single site. I probably wouldn't have bought my '99 Grand Prix if the Buypower site didn't exist at the time. I really think that the consumer is more likely to purchase when given as much information as possible, and able to walk into a dealership with as much knowledge as they can find. (Note the popularity of Town Hall!) Certainly any dealer can do a search for you, but why not be able to do this on your own? As I am now considering a Highlander, I really wish I had "Toyota buypower" to use! Satifying the customer should not only be with the product, as Toyota's quality assures, but the entire process as well. If something like this exists, please let me know and I will remove my foot from my mouth.
Isn't Toyota experimenting with something like this in the Northeast? (or maybe it's only through the dealers....). Steve Host Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I just picked up my Highlander this week also. I've noticed, too, that even in the off position there is still airflow through the vents. There must be a way to shut the flow completely, but I've not found it yet. Anyone have an answer?
My glovebox opens easily. You might want to have yours checked. Great vehicle isn't it?!!
There is air flow in the vent when the fan is off. To stop this press the recirculate button that will stop the air flow. Its o.k to leave the recirculate button on. The air flow helps prevent windows fog up and to always have fresh air in the car. I have a 95 Chevey Monte Carlo it does the same thing. I hope this helps. Does anybody know what the speaker sizes are in the HL NON-JBL system?
Dealers would be VERY reluctant to go along with that kind of a program. I would be very reluctant to go along with that kind of program. If I have a customer looking for a specific vehicle and I have been working with them for weeks to select just the right one, I may not have it in stock. I can jump on our system and get it for them, but I sure as heck wouldn't want them noticing that one of my local competitors had it in stock.
Since I sell at a fairly large store (5th largest in the Central Atlantic Region), I would probably be on the beneficial end of this quite often. I would benefit from another person's work. Big stores would have an even bigger advantage as they do now.
I understand why consumers want this kind of information and I don't blame them. It might not end up as a consumer benefit though. The big stores would just stop trading with other dealers. You would be stuck paying whatever they asked because you would know the other stores couldn't get the car you wanted.
You may want to try the web site "www.DriversSeat.com" to search dealer inventories. It is sponsored by NADA. It may not include all dealers in your area, but should include most. You can search for any model or make, new or used. The listing of options is somewhat limited, but you can at least get an idea of how many cars are available in inventory (including colors and MSRP). Happy searching...
I am shopping like the rest of you. I won't pay more than invoice. This only an automobile. A want, not a need. If you are up front with a dealer and tell them what you will pay! I know there is a dealer out there that will sell the HL somewhere down the line at invoice. As this gas crunch goes, so these prices will have to drop. I am looking for maybe June or July. What's ya think "Highlanders" Classic bob
If it was a green or perhaps a white 4wd... even *I* could be tempted to do that for someone. It's important to take a few things into consideration when one wants to do something like that. A 4wd for me, in my region, isn't the cat's meow right now UNLESS it's a Limited. Therefore, one might find a deal like that if they know where to look. It's a matter of supply and demand!
I found a bluestone ltd at a dealer here in Richmond on Thursday and asked for 8% off the sticker and this Highlander was loaded. He went to his sales manager and came back quickly with the deal being approved, which made me wonder how much lower will they go. Took it home and really didn't like the color, so squelched the deal and now looking for a silver or gold. Thought I would pass this along to Gunny for his info.
On our website as well as almost everyone else in the southeast is linked together so you can see what we have in stock, coming in to us, and what is in the "regional pool". This benefits the consumer and the dealer by opening up more options and inventory to choose from. According from our research, 70% of our clients # 1 motive from buying from us is the salesperson. We are not concerned if the car our client wants is down the street, if the dealer is there to serve the needs of the client the rest will work out.
I put the entire SUV inventory we have up at our website, hand coding the HTML myself. With photos.
That way, folks can see how the cars are being built in SoCal, and as many know, we all do dealer trades. I think you are very right about it being the "person", because the inventory is available everywhere, some places more to look at than others.
I surely pity the poor soul who has to keep up with all of the inventory somewhere that's large... it's hard enough for me to keep up with it all but it certainly helps for folks to see how cars are typically built and what they look like when they hit the ground.
Well after a few weeks of annoying my dealer and asking around to different places, I have finally been informed that Toyota will begin to ship out extra center consoles for those who want to add them in, since the demand was so high. They are scheduled to arrive to my So. California dealer in June, and my name is one of first on the list of recipients (one of the agreements we made when I purchased my HL was that I would get a center console added in at dealer cost, but since its taking so long I get the console and installation for free). I thought this would be helpful to all of you who wanted to add in a center console, although I don't know when they are scheduled to arrive to the rest of the country.
SET updates the inventory for us and we pay them $5 to take a digital picture of the vehicle when it is at the "port" facility. This is helpful showing someone the exact vehicle they are buying before it gets to us. I do not know exactly how the whole thing works or exactly how accurate it is but it lets people know there is a lot of other options besides what is on the lot. We can then go to our own website and enter invoice info or sale prices etc. to customize our site. You guys at Carson are ranked # 4 ( I think ) in the nation in total volume and sell about twice as many as we do every month so you have your hands full maintaining your site if you are doing it by yourself.
I use the digital camera around here. We have a company that loads up the used car inventory (actually, we only post about half what we have because many are duplicates, we stock 250 used cars typically any given week) but I do all new car stuff.. and that isn't easy. Then there are the elusive cars and trucks that come in and outta here before I can get their photos!!
I use a Ricoh 5000 (love my digital!!) and have for almost 2 years now. Hmmm... I also have a flat panel monitor (View Sonic, TFT 15", gray color) that I found at CompUSA for $649 on sale, great screen and soooo easy on the eyes in every regard... barely takes up any space on my always-cluttered-desk!
I'm with you in the regards that the photo tells a thousand words. I just wish, at times, I had 2 more hours in the day to get everything UP and current faster and better!
OK, we all know it--dealers and buyers--the Highlander is hot. What's fascinating in these posts is reading about the ways dealers across the country behave when they've got a car that sells itself.
I'm in New England. Not long ago, a dealer told me, in so many words, hey buddy, Highlanders are hard to get: you want one, you pay my price, and if I do get one for you, I'll be doing you a favor.
After I laughed and left, I seriously considered an Explorer or Suburban, but I calmed down, went to another Toyota dealership, and am in the process of getting a pretty good deal on a Highlander. And the salesman has treated me like a valued customer, not a mark.
I guess the lesson here is that if you ever feel like a supplicant when you're buying a car, you are in the wrong place.
Comments
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/toyotahighlanderclub
It's the photo album entitled "My new red Highlander"
Check it out!
-Dave
Have you tried getting a ECP price from another dealer or via the internet? My Toyota dealer wanted $1500 for the ECP 6 year 75k gold plan for my HL. I bought the 6 year, 75k platinum plan ("$ 0" deductable) from for $690. It's an official Toyota Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreement. There may even be better deals out there. You would have to inquire as to whether or not these plans from a US dealer would be good in Canada, or maybe there are some Canadian dealers on line.
Good luck,
-Steve
Wind Noise - I am no engineer, but I believe the wind noise from the rear windows is nothing more that air compression. There is no place for the air to excape in the rear. Notice the windows are nearly flush with the metal siding. That makes for low drag, (improves efficiency, and reduces noise), however, it also permits the air to enter an open window. In the old days, cars had little vents to deflect the "slipstream" away from an open window. I am unconcerned. The vehicle is airconditioned for warm days, heated for cold days, and I would never ride with a window open at speed (any car) and the compression is not objectionable at slow speeds when I do open the window. I previously considered an Escape/Tribute, and many complained about the same compression noise in that club.
Console - To each his own, but I have become accustomed to not having a console, and like it. At first I promised my wife we would find a console, now I do not think we will.
Wish list - If I could add anything, I wish it had an outside thermometer (yes, I know I have mentioned that previously, but I REALLY do wish it had one.)
Happy MOtoring all!!
Happy Motoring all.
On my HL (still waiting for it), I will probably get the extended warranty (Platinum 5/75K) as the HL, although it has a lot in common with the current RX 300, has a few differences as well. Being the first year of the model, I'm still a little skeptical that not even Toyota can get EVERYTHING right the first time around (even though they obviously get more right than their competition). It's not the little things that I am buying the warranty for, it's the semi-major things. With the current labor rates as high as $60 / hr. , I'm willing to buy a little insurance for the peace of mind. Additionally, this is our only car and the Platinum warranty allows up to 5 days rental car (up to $50/day) when ours is in the shop. Guess it's a matter of how much risk one is willing to take......
http://www.toyotawarranty.com
(No I'm not employed by them or have I purchased from them....)
Happy Motoring....
gwkiser,
Sorry about your steering box. Being the third year of your Avalon model probably didn't influence the failure of your steering box, seeing as how it sounds like a component failure due to a flaw with that one part (maybe due to material or manufacturing?) rather than a flaw in it's design. Do you still own your Avalon? Did it require any other major repairs?
I realize all parts do not have 100% reliability. Even at 99.999% reliability to target life, ten parts out of each million will fail prior to reaching target life. That's why many tests on components and systems are performed to two and three times target life.
Considering how a vehicle performs and lasts is greatly influenced by how it is driven, treated, and maintained, I will not opt for an extended warranty if I purchase a new Toyota.
Everyone has their own level of comfort and confidence, but overall I feel it's a type of low risk insurance designed to make money for the provider. If nothing else, the provider is making money by investing your premium at least until your factory warranty runs out and usually longer.
At 04/26/2001 10:04 AM we wrote - Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We apologize about your concerns regarding your 2001 Highlander and the noise you are experiencing from the roof rack.
In order to better assist you, we would like to refer you to the Customer Relations Manager at your local Toyota dealership since they possess specialized knowledge in diagnosis and repair.
Your comments have been documented at Toyota's National Headquarters under file # 200104260456.
National Customer Relations
My brother-in-law financed the HL for us - and he's been in the auto finance world for about 8 years. Between his comments and my experience, here's what I know on leasing:
First, the COST of the lease is based primarily on your credit rating. The finance manager makes commission of the amount he can sell the lease/buy to you above the amount the bank will give. Finance manager have many different sources of funding for leasing and buying - they do not have to use Toyota Motor Credit. And, each leader will have different rates.
The finances TYPE of the HL should have NO bearing on the price of the vehicle. Nothing says "you have to pay MSRP if you lease". In fact, a few shopping sites indicate you don't even tell them how you're going to buy until you've settled on the price in writing.
And, you can get someone to "buy out the lease", essentially buying the amount owed, and financing it to you. I don't know if the lease can be "rolled" into a new one. If you've got less than 1000 miles on it, i think a lease can still be drafted.
Hope things turn out well.
RE: other repairs to the '97 Avalon. The answer is no.
The car is going to be traded off for the HL. Re: care..... Well, I consider myself to be very very meticulous when it come to maintenance. The car was ALWAYS clean, inside and out. All maintenance was done by the dealer (to insure no claim of poor jobs) with the exception of the oil changes. There I used a synthetic. Maybe an overkill, but it was worth it to me.
Re: "the provider is making money by investing your premium". No doubt. That's the nature of the free enterprise system, the insurance industry being only one example.
The car has been at the HL dealer's lot (with me still holding the keys and title) as it was coming up on 60K and new registration. Part of the deal for the HL was that the vehicle would be delivered to me before either of those two things came up (I've been trying to get the HL since late February). Because they didn't deliver on time, I raised a stink and they gave me a rental Expedition for free until the HL comes in (latest word is sometime next week at port). Since my wife and I both work out of the house, we switched to using one car only several years ago and it has worked out well. Less gas expense, less insurance expense, etc.
We both will miss the Avalon as it has been a great vehicle overall. Mileage stayed a steady 20+ in town and 25+ on the highway . On the other hand, I'm sure we will LOVE the HL.
Happy Motoring.....
I'm starting to have HL withdrawals after only two days without driving the HL.
Being a current GM owner and not having the happiest of experiences with our Blazer and now reading about 2002 GM SUVs being recalled already has confirmed my desired to purchased a Toyota.
I just got my Bluestone HL on April 13th(LUCKY!) & I am busting with pride driving it around. I have seen more people eyeing it at stoplights. I pulled up to another HL at a traffic light... I honked my horn & the driver turned to look. She gave me the biggest smile & thumbs up I have every seen. She made me Smile! What a great feeling this HL gives you! :-)!
Warranty Anyone? I bought my Camry XLE in 1992. I was sold a Warranty package for 100,000 miles that I never used. I previously owned a Honda, what did I know! I wasn't sure if I needed it or not so I purchased the extended warranty. They tried the same senerio again when I purchased my HL. I said "NO!" This time, I remembered what my salesman told me in 1992...He said, "You see that triangle on this button...this is your Hazard Lights. This is one button you will NEVER TOUCH IN THIS TOYOTA." He was sooooooo right; I never did. When I purchased my HL, they tried to use the principle that "this is the first year HL is being made & it's track record has not been established." My response was 'someone is wrong...you or the brochure. The HL is suppose to be a Camry type SUV. Don't tell me Camry doesn't have a proven track record. I have experienced 9 years of a Toyota's track record. Please, let Toyota's Record speak for itself.' I don't know if he was trying to take advantage because I'm a women. I think he just wanted to make his commission. He told me he had 3 Toyotas & he had problems with all of them & he is an employee. I asked him if he was trying to talk me out of buying the HL.One thing I do know, I don't expect to touch that HAZARD Button on my HL either. Save your money to buy all those added EXTRAS that you might want to add.
When my HL arrived, it was missing the console, spoiler & I had asked for wheel locks. I was told they were back ordered & Toyota decided to release all the HL's as is from POE(Newark, N.J.). I received an IOU on these 3 items from my Dealer. Am I going to have a problem having these items installed?? What would be a reasonable waiting time? Please advise.
Another Question...Can one use a wind deflector when you have a spoiler? I live in New York. I planned to use the wind deflector during the Winter & early Spring until they clean up all that sand & gravel that is left over from the winter storms. Should I consider leaving the wind deflector on all year? I welcome your opinions. Thank you!
Yomcas
Of course you know that you could have leased a loaded RX 300 for less. In fact you could have leased just about the nicest Lexus LS 430 for about that much. The dealer did you no favors.
I would never buy from them again. What is your end of lease purchase option with 36,000 miles three years from now?
INKY
I seem to remember them that way on another highlander I looked at from another dealer. I wonder if Toyota is shipping the vehicles this way as a quick fix? I measured the cross members on mine, so others could try the same positioning. I measerd from the REAR of the roof rack. The last crosmember is 22 inches from the rear of the rack. The first one is 32 1/2 inches from the REAR of the roof rack.
Try this, and see if it works
1. It is damaged and they are repairing it. This would be noted on our internal system and yours is not marked as damaged.
2. It was "lost". This means it got put into the wrong load line and the truckers don't know where to look for it. This is very rare.
3. Something is blocking it. My Tundra spent 6 weeks on a broken train. Various oddities like this can happen.
On the plus side, since it was released to the trucking company, there is a great chance you will have it by this weekend. This is a good thing because there are no other silver or gold 4x2's in Northern VA. We had one here in Springfield this week but sold it.
By the way, if your user name indicates where you live, I just sold a gold RAV4 to one of your neighbors.
I just spent a glorious 3 days in Palm Springs... on Toyota business, with a little pleasure time thrown in for good measure. Just in time for lot of HLs to hit the shores, I see!
As to the lease question, afraid that dealer got ahold of you with a $615 lease payment, but you leave out a few important details, perhaps? Trade value, if any, vs. payoff? Cash drive off? I can possibly better assist you with more details.. and you know how to find me with a little savvy!
Dianne
GM certainly can improve on a lot of things on their products, but I am really impressed with the GM Buypower site. I wish Toyota would have something that worked as well. It's true many Toyota dealers have their own inventory on line, but it is not convenient to do large scale investigation to see what really is out there, as it would be from a single site. I probably wouldn't have bought my '99 Grand Prix if the Buypower site didn't exist at the time. I really think that the consumer is more likely to purchase when given as much information as possible, and able to walk into a dealership with as much knowledge as they can find. (Note the popularity of Town Hall!) Certainly any dealer can do a search for you, but why not be able to do this on your own? As I am now considering a Highlander, I really wish I had "Toyota buypower" to use! Satifying the customer should not only be with the product, as Toyota's quality assures, but the entire process as well. If something like this exists, please let me know and I will remove my foot from my mouth.
Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
My glovebox opens easily. You might want to have yours checked. Great vehicle isn't it?!!
Di
Does anybody know what the speaker sizes are in the HL NON-JBL system?
Since I sell at a fairly large store (5th largest in the Central Atlantic Region), I would probably be on the beneficial end of this quite often. I would benefit from another person's work. Big stores would have an even bigger advantage as they do now.
I understand why consumers want this kind of information and I don't blame them. It might not end up as a consumer benefit though. The big stores would just stop trading with other dealers. You would be stuck paying whatever they asked because you would know the other stores couldn't get the car you wanted.
Classic bob
Not today.
Dianne
It shows assembly line startup/shutdown dates, and lead times.
Steve
That way, folks can see how the cars are being built in SoCal, and as many know, we all do dealer trades. I think you are very right about it being the "person", because the inventory is available everywhere, some places more to look at than others.
I surely pity the poor soul who has to keep up with all of the inventory somewhere that's large... it's hard enough for me to keep up with it all but it certainly helps for folks to see how cars are typically built and what they look like when they hit the ground.
Di
I use a Ricoh 5000 (love my digital!!) and have for almost 2 years now. Hmmm... I also have a flat panel monitor (View Sonic, TFT 15", gray color) that I found at CompUSA for $649 on sale, great screen and soooo easy on the eyes in every regard... barely takes up any space on my always-cluttered-desk!
I'm with you in the regards that the photo tells a thousand words. I just wish, at times, I had 2 more hours in the day to get everything UP and current faster and better!
Di
I'm in New England. Not long ago, a dealer told me, in so many words, hey buddy, Highlanders are hard to get: you want one, you pay my price, and if I do get one for you, I'll be doing you a favor.
After I laughed and left, I seriously considered an Explorer or Suburban, but I calmed down, went to another Toyota dealership, and am in the process of getting a pretty good deal on a Highlander. And the salesman has treated me like a valued customer, not a mark.
I guess the lesson here is that if you ever feel like a supplicant when you're buying a car, you are in the wrong place.