2013 and Earlier - Toyota Sienna Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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  • dgb05dgb05 Member Posts: 1
    I live in Illinois and am looking at a Sienna XLE with no options and a trade in of a 92 Previa with 149,000 miles. The dealer gave me a price of $26,819 minus $3,000 for the Previa which leaves a final price of $23,819 plus tax title etc. He will throw in a Gold Package trim. I think this isn't too bad when you consider these vans are selling like mad in this area.
  • karengillkarengill Member Posts: 6
    Thank you for all the valuable advice on ordering a minivan. Looks like we need to get busy soon. We feel the same way, if we're going to pay that much for a van we want to get what we want and in the color we want. I went to carsdirect and their price was about 31,700. It would be great to get it for lower than that. Again, thanks for the help.
  • lncd07960lncd07960 Member Posts: 7
    I learned that carsdirect has part ownership of other dealers. In my case, the car was picked up at Hudson Toyota at Jersey City where they did try to sell additional items to me. Stick to your original game plan and don't give in to things they throw at you when you are ready to close out the deal. They are building plenty of LEs with VSC in this area. Insist on getting the car with this option. Make your dealer do some homework to earn his profit. I believe that VSC is being offered on all Toyota SUVs except the RAV4 for 2001. Consider this, BMW and Mercedes are the only two car companies that offer VSCs as standard options in their vehicles. I think the $440 option is well worth it.
  • lottanervelottanerve Member Posts: 3
    I am going to buy a Sienna van in the next couple weeks. Anyone have good/bad experiences with dealers/service in the VA/DC area??
  • grplavloffgrplavloff Member Posts: 138
    "Consider this, BMW and Mercedes are the only two car companies that offer VSCs as standard options in their vehicles. I think the $440 option is well worth it. ..."

    It's standard equipment on all Honda Odysseys.
  • lamm9733lamm9733 Member Posts: 37
    According to Honda's website, traction control is standard only on the EX. Edmunds has it listed as standard on both the EX and LX. If I remember correctly from my shopping, it is only standard on the EX. But of greater importance...Honda has traction control ONLY -- not skid control. The VSC system option on the Siennas incorporates traction control AND skid control.
    This is detailed on the respective manufacturer web sites.
  • fischdafischda Member Posts: 272
    I had good luck with Kay Jennings Toyota in Springfield, Va. They have a good sales staff, and I specifically liked the service manager I dealt with. I recomend you first walk into the service department and ask for the name of their most knowledgeable sales person.
  • grplavloffgrplavloff Member Posts: 138
    "According to Honda's website, traction control is standard only on the EX. Edmunds has it listed as standard on both the EX and LX. If I remember correctly from my shopping, it is only standard on the EX. "

    It's stanard on both.
  • dlusgerdlusger Member Posts: 8
    We got an LE from Koons Arlington. Liked the salesman - knowledgeable and attentive. The finance guy is pretty awful. He tried hard to push me away from using my lender who gave me by far the best interest rate. We give the salesman high marks but the finance guy definitly spoiled an otherwise excellent experience.
  • lamm9733lamm9733 Member Posts: 37
    Regarding the traction control being standard on both the EX and LX...How do you know (this is NOT a test or an attack)?...I kept finding conflicting information. Honda's website says no, Edmund's says yes. When I was looking (99 Odyssey), only the EX had it. At any rate, my larger point was the difference between the two systems.
  • grplavloffgrplavloff Member Posts: 138
    "Regarding the traction control being standard on both the EX and LX...How do you know (this is NOT a test or an attack)?...I kept finding conflicting information. "

    It was added to the LX for 2001. The Odyssey brochure lists it, as do Edmunds and other car sites. The salesmen at both dealerships I visited made a point of it, and you know you can bet your money on them :-)

    The Honda site doesn't say no, it only says that the EX has it. My guess is that it's verbiage carried over from last year.
  • lamm9733lamm9733 Member Posts: 37
    Thanks...
  • karengillkarengill Member Posts: 6
    Has anyone had a good experience with a dealership in the D/Fw area. We'll be living about two hours from there when we want to buy, but the dealership where we will be moving was not that impressive. The lady didn't even know you could get an XLE with a video system. She insisted it had to be an add on until I pulled out my Sienna brochure and showed her. She also insisted that all the XLE's come with side air bags and would not even consider going any lower than 800 over invoice. Well, I knew I'd have to look elsewhere. So I'm starting my internet/e-mail search today. Thanks for all the great ideas.
  • maz22maz22 Member Posts: 1
    The retail price for the LE Extra Value package is listed as $302 on Edmunds, Kelly, and MSN Carpoint. The sticker on the Siennas in the lots I've visited show a price of $1,302. Do I smell a rat? Did Toyota just decide to add a cool thousand dollars to the option price? Did Edmunds and everyone else just forget the "1," in front of the price? Any ideas...
  • carolina4carolina4 Member Posts: 5
    If you look at the bottom of the sticker, it'll have a "$1000.00" discount on the Extra Value Package, so it really ends up being $302.
  • inkyinky Member Posts: 370
    Like me you live in Gulf states region. My 2001 XLE has LL package, entertainment center and lots of other stuff. You can go out of Gulf States region to avoid Gulf States extras like fabric protection, window ecting, tow hitches, running boards, pin stripe, The list could go on. You can go to MO or KS dealers. I have gone out of state from OK in the past. You can ask the dealer to get you an XLE just like you want without extras-it takes a little time that way. BTW my loaded XLE does not have side airbags but I know for a fact that on certain production runs Toyota will make all XLE with same equipment. This is efficient and makes sense so I am telling you it is possible that such a run is being made now. However, I have seen dozens of Gulf States vans without the side airbags. I would have taken side bags if available in December.
    INKY
  • tinker3tinker3 Member Posts: 8
    I've been reading this board for some time now and have read many posts from a Toyota salesman....cliffy1... He works somewhere in VA close to DC from what I have read. I don't think he would answer your request,but... have the feeling he is very knowledgeable and sincere in his dealings on Toyotas. Give him a post here and ask for his phone number... I believe he's one of the "good guys".
  • fischdafischda Member Posts: 272
    Are you in the DC area? Yes, they are notorious for the "regional advertising fee." Other regions don't have that fee. The salesman will tell you that it's something they have to pay the factory, thus you must pay. But in reality, it should be negotiable. You could travel to another region to buy for $400 over invoice instead of $800. You'd still save in the end. If you're really down to that point, $400 over invoice sounds like a great deal. I've never had much success playing the "holdback" card, but maybe you could say, "Look, you forget the advertising fee, and keep all your holdback. Then your advertising fee is more than paid for, and you still get a profit. Otherwise, I'll walk...so do you feel lucky, Punk!" Everything but that last part...
  • karengillkarengill Member Posts: 6
    Well, I sent out 14 e-mails yesterday to inquire about the XLE I want. I've heard back from about 5 of them. I thought that was good. Most agree that I will have to order the van, but that's what I figured would happen. This is such an easy way to shop. I'm so glad I found this forum and thank you all for your help and advice. Oh, I have two that will sell the ordered van for 500 over invoice plus TTL. No extra ad fees etc. What do you all think about that for a deal?
  • tf_dawsontf_dawson Member Posts: 3
    I just purchased a Sienna XLE from Fitzgerald Toyota (www.fitzmall.com) in the greater Washington DC area (Gaithersburg, MD).

    The van had the following options: AJ (power sliding door); EF (rear bumper protector); HF (upgrade pkg. #1, leather and stereo), UF (towing package), WL (wheel locks), BE (side airbag), TR2 (destination charge). Total cost: $27,792 (invoice price as posted on Edmunds) + $519 (Toyota Dealer Advertising) + $239 (dealer profit) = $28,550.

    Other costs: $200 for title and tags; state tax.

    Would very much recommend this dealership. Good people to deal with, low pressure (they claim salespeople aren’t on commission), and a good buying experience. Much better than other dealers we had visited in the area.

    Prices are posted on their web site. The dealer’s invoice listed on the Web is different than the invoice price listed on Edmunds. They said it was due to the Toyota Dealer Advertising (which, according to Edmunds, is to be expected and is generally not negotiable).
  • zhhuangzhhuang Member Posts: 1
    I am going to buy a Sienna van in the next couple weeks. Anyone have good/bad experiences with dealers/service in Seattle area? Thanks
  • tpmcolotpmcolo Member Posts: 4
    I am trying to buy a Sienna XLE in Colorado with the following options: LL (luxury package), BE (airbags), VD (vehicle skid control), UF (tow prep package), RB (running boards), HD (heated seats), EF (rear bumper protector) and SD (sunroof wind deflector). When I run these options through the invoice calculator, I come up with $29,977. However, the best I have been able to get in dealing with Colorado dealers (both online and in person) is $31,600+TTL. Based on what I am seeing here, that is way higher than a reasonable price. All dealers locally insist on the TDA of anywhere from $500 to $700 and none will budge on that. I have one offer from a dealer in Ohio for $30,400. Picking it up there would line up with some summer vacation plans, but I'm not sure that I want to buy that far away.

    Does anybody know of a good dealer in the Colorado area that would offer a reasonable price for this vehicle? I am thinking that reasonable is anywhere from $30,000 to $30,500. Am I just way off base?
  • lottanervelottanerve Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the direction both fishda and tinker3!
    I did buy my Senna EL from Steve Clifford (cliffy1) at Spring field Toyota.

    He listened well to my needs, was patient during the test drive, and gave me a fair deal. He was respectful of the fact that I had good information from Edmunds. I shopped with 3 other dealer peps in the area, and I would recommend Steve.
  • ssoto1ssoto1 Member Posts: 66
    Hi to all, need help just wondering what are people paying for a Toyota sienna le with the following options un,ur,BE,AND vd In the tri-state area NY QUEENS AREA. Got a quote from a dealer in queens for 26,000 what do you think to much or not.
  • scottatfsuscottatfsu Member Posts: 1
    I agree with ft_damson. I walked into Fitzgerald and knew what I was paying for my new 2001 XLE Senna within minutes, $200 over invoice. It is a wonderful system. Actually, I knew before I entered the dealer what I would pay from browsing their web site (www.fitzmall.com).
    Another dealer, who I had been to previously acted as they were doing me a favor at $500 over invoice and that was after 2 hours of intense negotiations. I don't want to mention any names but I believe they call themselves Younger Toyota (Hagerstown, MD - www.youngertoyota.com).
    If you want my advice, visit Fitzgerald even if it is a drive. It's worth it!!!
  • cynannecynanne Member Posts: 1
    I ordered my new 2001 Sienna with evey option available on Jan 26, 01 and was told it would be here the end of Feb at the latest, then they said March 10 - 20, now they are sayng end of March, beginning of April.... arugh.... this is Miller Toyota in Manassas VA, I have not been that pleased with them. Is this an average time to wait for one ordered from the factory? Thanks!
  • marc36marc36 Member Posts: 8
    I was hoping to pay a dealer Edmund's invoice plus two hundred dollars, figuring this would give the dealer the hold back (about $800) + $200 profit... apprx $1000 in total. But advertising (TDA) of $250 to $500, is getting in the way of negotiations. Dealers say my inv+200 offer is below their invoice (insisting TDA is part of invoice). Are my expectations reasonable?
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    Is a genuine part of the dealer's invoice and may vary by region. I think it averages about 1.2% of the invoice price.

    Since the dealer is unable to remove this mandatory fee from his costs you are not likely to find one who will just eat it.
  • marc36marc36 Member Posts: 8
    The following is speculation... I don't know how this all works, and any input from someone who knows the true picture would be appreciated: On some web site, I found a map of Toyota "regional advertising areas" which geographically showed the areas within which (I guess?) dealers are forced to participate in the regional advertising program, and must get the TDA added to their invoices, making TDA a true invoice cost. The areas appeared to cover most major metropolitan areas of the country; however, it appeared that if I travelled to a non-metropolitan area (rural), they were not included in a regional advertising area. Thus, for maybe a 3 hour round-trip journey for me, I could get out of a TDA area. Not a bad trade-off for $500. When I mentioned travelling to buy a van, one dealer told me that "of course local convenience is important". I'd probably rather have the $500! Any thoughts?
  • fgriecofgrieco Member Posts: 7
    I am looking into buying a Sienna and live in the DC area (actually, in Springfield). What price did you pay? What was the financing they offered?

    TIA

    Fred
  • jimiyejimiye Member Posts: 8
    I bought a Toyota Sienna LE with option UN around the invoice price without paying
    regional advertising fee. The name of the dealership is: Pauly Toyota. It locates in downtown Crystal Lake, IL. The sales person is Greg. He is very professional and very easygoing.
    After exchanging several emails, we made a deal. Then I came to the dealership. It just
    took us less than one hour to settle everything down. I strongly recomend this dealership
    to Chicago land buyers. His email address is: PaulyAuto@aol.com.
  • avfanavfan Member Posts: 17
    What is your e-mail address. I will tell you how I bought my sienna in the Denver Metro area.
  • tpmcolotpmcolo Member Posts: 4
    Hi avfan,

    Would love to know more about how you bought your Sienna in the Denver area. Please send to tpmcolo@aol.com.

    Thanks
  • rxanandrxanand Member Posts: 33
    I just went over to take a look at Hudson Toyota in Jersey City, NJ. They claim to sell at invoice. I found a car on their huge lot with the options I wanted. They will be faxing the invoice for this car to me on Monday.

    I noticed from a posting by lncd07960 that carsdirect supplies Toyotas in this part of NJ from this dealer. I reasoned that some money could probably be saved by working directly with them rather than through carsdirect. I hope there are no surprises waiting when I go to make the purchase!
  • buy77buy77 Member Posts: 5
    You may in fact get that. i went through carsdirect and paid about $300 over invoice. They mentioned they are trying to double their monthly sales thru put.
  • sushiricesushirice Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had any experience with Toyota dealers in Phoenix, Arizona? We are moving to Arizona and plan on buying a Sienna LE when get there this summer. Sure would appreciate any advice on local dealerships. Thanks!
  • charlieliucharlieliu Member Posts: 80
    I went a dealership last Friday. When looking at the numbers, there's a $447 TDA (advertisement) fee. Salesperson said all buyers are charged this. I don't recall anyone mentioned this fee in this forum. Is this a legitimate charge? Thanks for any response.
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    See above posts.

    Yes, Toyota Dealer Advertising is a genuine part of the invoice, though it sounds a bit high. Perhaps they'd be willing to show you, but I thought TDA was about 1% of MSRP. It does run higher in some regions.
  • fritzpfritzp Member Posts: 1
    I am looking at a Sienna XLE with leather package, power side doors, vsc, side bags in San Francisco. Does anyone have any experience on 36, 48, 60 month lease pricing (payments and residuals). I am also looking at Acura MDX base and Volvo V70 2.4. (Apple vs. banana vs. orange)
  • stkgatorstkgator Member Posts: 16
    For a loaded 2001 XLE, the addional "Invoice charges" are as follows:

    TDA $500
    Gasoline $6
    Dealer Holdback $568
    Whsl. Financial Reserve $284

    Although I belive that some of these costs are accounted for in the Edmunds Invoice cost as their total invoice price was only $505 lower than Toyota's. I assume that mostly has to do with the TDA fee - which is regional.
  • tracyd1tracyd1 Member Posts: 1
    Just purchased Sienna LE $24,900 from Harrelson Toyota in Rockhill SC.
    - extra value package (UN)
    - upgrade package (UP)
    - towing package (TO)
    - security system

    They had to go to Florida to find one with exactly what I wanted (and nothing else). Plus gave me a loaner until they could get it in. Even delivered the car to my doorstep.

    Bottom line... best experience I've ever had with a dealership. I will definately go there first for my next purchase.

    ps. Jon Baker was the guy I dealt with.
    pss. I never made a trip to the dealership, everything was taken care of over the phone with him delivering the loaner and then the van.
  • afriend99afriend99 Member Posts: 2
    buy77, did you buy your car through cardirect.com
    or went directly through Hudson dealers?

    I'm in the same situation as you. I'll have to pay $400 over invoice I/ John Kim. Is it a good deal? I could get similar bargain I/ another dealer in Brooklyn.
  • rxanandrxanand Member Posts: 33
    I am picking up my Sienna LE (with side air bags and VSC) tomorrow directly from this dealer. I am paying exactly invoice. Even the TDA seems to be a bit lower than what some others have reported. If you go through the Internet, they have a no-haggle invoice deal for the Sienna. They actually faxed me the actual invoice to me and it had exactly the numbers reported on Edmunds. Anyone living near NY city should definitely check out this dealer. They are located in a rather grungy neighborhood but they have a huge inventory. Do not go on a Saturday as they are swamped with customers. Their web site is http://www.hudsontoyota.com.
  • ssoto1ssoto1 Member Posts: 66
    Can someone help (please) looking to buy a toyota sienna le with the following options un ur fe be vd in the tri-state area. Plus also looking to buy on top of that a camary and a rav4 thats three cars total. Best price was $500 over invoice on each car so thats 1500 for them is that to much I seen people do a lot better just buying 1 car can someone help. thanks
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    You could call the dealer who posted above yours or you can try an online service to locate the most dealers. I can't spam myself any more than that or this post will get kicked.
  • rxanandrxanand Member Posts: 33
    I am amused that any description of a good experience with a dealer is automatically treated as a "shill" posting.

    FYI: From what I observed, casual walk-in customers at Hudson Toyota were treated as in any other dealership (i.e. badly). The floor salesman were as pushy as any I have seen.

    Their Internet division seems to be quite separate from regular sales and is a lot easier to work with. I am not a great negotiator so I really made no attempt to go below invoice or to knock down the TDA.
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    I meant he should try the same dealer, that's all. And let's face it, there's plenty of spam to go around here.
  • pbl1pbl1 Member Posts: 3
    I'm looking to buy a used 2000 or 2001 Sienna LE with LE Xtra value package with less than 15k miles. Local dealer won't take $21,350 for 2001 with 10k miles. Invoice for new is $23,198 (accounts for holdback). I add a dealer profit, $800, and subtract depreciation of $2650 (my estimate). Do these numbers seem reasonable to everyone or am I asking for too much?
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    just buy new? The Sienna doesn't depreciate much apparently, and you can get one for less than $800 over invoice.
  • rc_richrc_rich Member Posts: 3
    My local dealers offering new 2000 XLEs for the same price as new 2001 LEs. They have about a hundred miles on them and they are from Canada. I wonder if there is anything about this that is noteworthy. Such as, are there any different specs for Siennas made for Canada? I presume that servicing, maintenance, and parts exactly the same. Can anybody confirm this? Is any dealer in America going to tell me that they can't handle anything about it because it was made for the Canadian market? Thank you.
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