By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Good luck!
As Dec. wore on, we learned that H/Ls w/o the Limited package were not being equipped with side bags (this was when an H/L equipped ALMOST as requested-- no side bags, and had expensive power seat pkg.) came in. We then told him that we would accept the expense of the Lim. pkg. in order to get the bags (and such as heated mirrors and DRL).
Next news: all Limiteds had moon roofs and leather, further escalating the price (and the ivory color does not go well with Bluestone).
Chosing 2WD was a cost-controlling decision. So, I decided that if I couldn't get much of what we wanted except on a heavily-loaded unit, I would at least switch to a 4WD, which I communicated to our salesman.
Now, January is nearly 1/3 gone, and we do not have what we want. Getting what the brochure implies (choice) is the victim of N. Calif. dealers' ordering decisions. We would like to buy from our local dealer, with whom we've done business since 1988, thus we've not shopped out-of-area.
So: maybe an acceptably-equipped car will be in another shipment; or we'll inquire in other areas; or we'll wait for the '03 models (maybe all will have side bags). For certain, though, we are not going to be "forced" into taking options (leather and moon roof) we neither want nor are willing to pay for.
These services have national dealership contacts/connections and that is you best chance of getting the car YOU want, through a "hungry" dealer or one who the manufacturer "favors", huge, HUGE sales volume, or like Honda, money under the table for GOOD product allocations.
There was a specific MY2000 car that I wanted so I made a deposit on it at a local dealer in July of 98. In the fall of 2000 I gave up, dealer wasn't high enough on the product allocation "list", and salesman nor manager just simply didn't know how to configure the product. I used Greenlight who not only managed to get me a car, it was through a dealer saleman that knew absolutely of what he was doing.
See the car at http://www.hobbypage.net/porsche/whatever
NOT... hobbypage.net
Is it because tires are not warranted by the dealer or the manufacturer? Nothing in it for them to tell you the truth?
My question is, has Toyota always been so confusing with their option packages?
Maybe confusing isn't the word, but is just seems difficult to for some of you people to get exactly what you want as far as options. On the other hand, maybe there is an advantage. Let's say you want an Accord V6 with leather, but don't want a sunroof, forget it! So I probably won't be so frustrated when I purchase my next Toyota and consider myself fortunate that I can get exactly the options I want. One negative is finding the car with the options and the color that you desire. It still seems that ordering a 'Lander takes way too long compared to other makes.
As far as my experience after 8.5K miles, well lets just say that I always figured that Toyota was comparable to Honda, but now I feel that Toyota is a step above in quality and style, especially compared to Honda over the last few years. My '99 Accord V6 and '00 S2000 were the worst Hondas (out of 12) that I have owned. This is why I don't feel so excited about the new Honda Pilot.
wwest - Regarding your comments about dealers not being frank, you do have point my dealer was reluctant claiming it is normal and its the crown not the tires.
Advice to rest IMO, go for a drive with the mechanic and then ask him to switch tires and go for a drive with him again.
Regarding the almost 10K mileage report, mine has ran flawlessly as well, mechanically speaking. Only compliant that I haven't remebered to ask the dealer to fix is the moonroof shade popping noise. This is getting to be annoying, but I'm the only one who is bothered by it since, I've read about it on this board. But it is a real problem not a imagination of my mind.
The engine is truly a fabulous work of art in engineering it is very smooth and with miles it only gets better. This is the same engine I have in my 96 Camry (1MZ-FE).
FWIW, they also had a used 2000 Spyder, marked at $24,995.
All I want to know is whether this is an anomaly with my car only and if it can be fixed somehow?
Its very irritating to manually have to shut off the A/C each time you want Auto climate control.
If the OAT is below 55F but above 38F the system will perfrom some minor level of dehumidification, and that will help, but once you exit this mode the moisture just previously condensed out of the incoming airflow will soon begin to evaporate back into the airflow, substantially increasing the cabin's humidity level from where it was when you first activated the the defog mode.
Ther safest thing to do, and the least irritating, at least during the colder months, is to have someone remove the A/C compressor clutch relay and then place a small piece of black electrical tape over the (irritating) blinking A/C indicator.
You will be automatically reminded to replace the relay when next spring you want cool airflow and there isn't any!
I use to find my Ford Explorer absolutely irritating the way the doors would auto lock ... I appreciate the fact that the HL does not ........ but others have asked if there is a way to program the HL so the doors will lock. To each his own.
Happy HL'ing to all.
Luckily Bosch, and others in europe, have been around long enough to know that you don't go off and implement cutesy new gimmickry without some long hard thought.
That's why, when you turn on the windshield defog/defrost/demist in a BMW, MB, Porsche, etc, you will instantly get a blast of very hot, discomforting, airflow in your face even on the hottest day of summer.
But some really sad news. Bosch is now attempting to use the A/C below 55F for dehumidification, in conjunction with heated airflow, to defog the windshield. A step in the wrong direction.
Gas - to - liquid - to - solid - to - liquid - to - gas.
State Change, remember?
It's midnite and I must get some sleep so I'll finish this tomorrow.
New subject, does anyone have any experience with this "INVINCA-SHIELD" stuff? I would like to know if it works well and how "invisible" it is. Maybe an alternative to a hood protector?
As a side note, I traded in my 99 Accord Coupe EX-V6 and my personal experiences with said vehicle were very positive. Other than one minor recall and the occasional annoying sunroof rattle in the headliner, the performance, reliability and Honda service were above par. I was especially impressed with the paint quality, after three years of heavy use I only had a few minor paint chips on the vehicle. It was the best value for your money vehicle I have ever owned and I personally believe that the HL is somewhat overpriced for what you get although that did not stop me from purchasing one.
Hopefully the HL will be equally enjoyable and reliable in the long run as the Accord was.
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/toyotahighlanderclub
\
I drove our 2001 RX up to Bellingham WA the other day during a terrific gusting crosswind from the east. What seemed to happen was once in awhile we would get hit with an especially severe wind blast.
My impression was that this wind blast was creating enough suction on the west side of the RX that the window(s) were being slightly pulled from their seals and that resulted in a very loud, but brief, whistling nosie inside the cabin.
Could this be the same as the screeching sound you describe?
Can someone point me to this previous post or repost this info?
I had a invinca shield dealer install invinca shield over all forward facing surfaces. I think there were around 17 pieces. Total cost was over $400 and the dealer said he lost money since the pieces weren't an exact fit. Whether there have been improvements in the fit I do not know. Overall I am very satisfied with the end product. If you notice the little piece of clear 3M tape on the back doors then you would notice the shield on the front. But it does make for easy cleanup and doesn't distract from the appearance of the vehicle, IMHO.
Wally
Bill McGuinness
Internet Sales Manager
Acton Toyota
(978)263-1500 ext. 213
(You can tell him you know me, James Foster)
Please, I am sure we can find less colorful metaphors to describe someone's anxiety!
Regarding the sunroof popping, I didn't see last year's posts on the topic. From what you said here, it seems the problem is the temperature gradient as opposed to the temperature. (hot outside/cold inside & vice versa).
You could try heating (cooling in the summer) the inside of your HL a little less quickly and see if that has any effect.
tidester
Host
SUVs
Insulation, Sun Roof
The TSB: NV014-01
The part number: 08231-00801
The Description: "Noise Kit"
Factory Cond. Code: 91
Fail Code: 57
BTW, although Toyota would PREFER that you have all your recall/warranty issues performed by the dealer from which you purchased the vehicle, you ARE NOT required to do so. I have in the past taken a vehicle to a separate dealership in order to obtain warranty service. I simply informed the dealer that the one from which I purchased the vehicle was not providing service to my liking. They had no problem whatsoever in helping out. You might try this approach.
Either way, I would file a complaint with Toyota US at http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/home.php
There is a very good chance that this complaint will be forwarded to the dealer and a record will be created at the national level. There is also a phone number which you can call to speak with someone immediately, 800-331-4331, 6am-6pm PST, Monday-Friday.
Boy oh boy tidester, aren't we being just a trifle to critical?
Have you bothered to look up the dictionary definition of 'pissed'?
Although many may NOT approve of this type of language, it IS in common usage today, like it or not!
Good post gwiser. We don't go back to the dealership where we purchased ours either. Longo is a little further to drive, but they do everything so well, and with such efficiency, why go anywhere else? They treat us as if we bought our HL from them.
I ended up purchasing my HL at Autofair in Manchester, NH. No one else, including Acton, could come close to the price they gave me there.
i have also noticed that the engine vibration is very evident in the steering wheel at idle, and that you can feel the engine on acceleration. i don't remember noticng this on the test drives i took before buying the hl, and i don't think my friend's hl has it either. thanks for any advise.
Can soewmone give me the prices they have paid for these models.
I'm trying to compare between the Highlander and the Honda CRV. I don't need the HP or the towing ability.
Also comapring to Hondas new Pilot coming out this summer. Looks like still competition to the HL.
Hope this helps.
Mike Roberts
I don't feel vibration in the steering wheel, but have noticed an occasional thump in the steering wheel and, in general, more steering feed back than I had in my Camry.
All websites had email address for internet fleet managers. You might try the same thing for your region/state.
I would think that you should be able to buy a brand new 2002 equipped exactly the same as that 2001 demo for the same price or less as they are asking for that used demo depending on your area, of course.
Here in SoCal, there is a dealer that is selling LTDs for one thousand dollars over invoice!
Why settle for an abused 2001 when you can get a brand new 2002 in the color of your choice and with the equipment you want for about the same or less money?
I got the dealer names from toyota.com and sent the email late Thurs. night requesting a quote on a specific configuration for immediate purchase. I rec'd only three real responses on Friday, the next day (and one from a seller who wouldn't quote without my name, and when I provided it, provided an 'example' of what they could sell, and although the seller implied that it was exactly what I requested, it was for a non-LTD. He never did provide a real quote although we exchanged a couple more emails.)
On Saturday, I called the dealers who hadn't responded, asked for their internet or fleet manager, told them I had requested an email quote but hadn't rec'd a response, and asked them to check their email & get back to me. This yielded five more email responses (one of which followed a conversation with a fellow who at first just wanted to tell me that he'd give me the best price but didn't want to discuss numbers. When I said I was going to proceed on the basis of email quotes, he sent me something & we also had a phone conversation.) Some of the email responses offered to look for the vehicle I wanted & some just stated what they had on the lot or coming in.
One of my original emails bounced back to me as undeliverable & I called the dealer to check the address. I explained that I was soliciting email quotes only, and the fellow I talked to said he'd give me an email quote but would sell any HL @ invoice plus $500 + $289 admin fee, whether it was on his lot or he had to get it for me. (The admin fees I was quoted ranged from $199 to $399.) He followed up w/ an email quote. This is the guy I ended up with. He told me that in order to get the configuration I wanted (see below)he'd have to catch it at sea or when it hit port to avoid ToyoGuard & get the mirror I want.
This morning (Monday)I called the $500+ guy & ordered the car. He called me back this afternoon to confirm (with a VIN) that he got what I want from another dealer. The car is still @ sea. I timed this for when the new allocations came out, which really helped.
Silver 2WD Limited
2 factory options: Tow prep & 6 cd changer
3 PIO options:
LA10 leather (not LA @ MSRP $1070; this is PIO @ MSRP $1429 that has perforated leather seats for those hot Florida summers)
PV50 Carpet & trunk mats
and
CV20 electrochr. mirror w/ compass
$29,282 (incls. TDA) + admin of $289=
$29,571 plus TTL
The highest offer over that was $1850 higher for a vehicle without leather, AND that dealership charged a $399 admin fee + very high doc fees.
The hardest part of the process was trying to compare the quotes. Despite my request for itemization, some folks just didn't want to do it that way, probably bec. it would take too long. If the price was in the ballpark, I called or emailed back to get clarification. If the price was too high, I didn't. The final step will be to send an email back to all who provided a quote to thank them & let them know that I rec'd a lower quote elsewhere & concluded the purchase. (My original email said that if my price was met, I wouldn't shop between dealers; perhaps they'll take us internet shoppers more seriously if they find out we actually buy cars & mean what we say.)
If I had to do it again, I'd fax instead of email. Some dealerships don't seem set up for efficient email quotes, and others don't seem to take them seriously. A fax is harder to ignore.
Sorry to run on so long, but I spent hours doing my homework in advance & perhaps somebody else can benefit from the experience.
Thanks to all on this board whose advice & experience helped me decide on the HL & work thru the purchase. As I mentioned before, special thanks to tedreyes, who provided me with a copy of his email blitz letter.
However, you still need to be careful with scams. The ole bait and switch was tried on me at my local Lexus dealer. The guy called and said he had our color on the lot. After I told him I was on my way over, he called me back 30 minutes later and said it was sold. Sheesh! After he realized I was gonna walk, he found the vehicle I wanted. LOL! You still need to be careful even if you decide to email or fax attack.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
new cars for my family. After an exhaustive search, I decided on the Highlander. We were
ready to start shopping for best price when we
found out about major problems with the V6 Toyota
head gaskets. I'm so disappointed!!! My question
is this; with a family of four would I be foolish
to go for the 4-cylinder just to get the car I
want? We started looking at midsize wagons
(Outback, Passat) but they're so small.
Has anyone heard if the head gasket problem
involves any 4 cylinders? Any ideas/advise?
Thanks
Are one very effective "wallpaper" hanger?