If you can get it at invoice price you are doing pretty well IMHO. The dealer here is selling me the RAV 4 that I'm buying right at invoice price, and is throwing in a $100 gas card. He says he isn't making any money, but there has to be something there or it wouldn't make sense for him to sell to me at that price. My 2007 RAV-4 has an MSRP of $23,614, and we bought it for $21,964. There seems to be about 8% between MSRP and Invoice, at least on the models we looked at. This dealer actually showed me the invoice.
I just went through this in Boston. Bought a TCH with leather, nav, sunroof, heated seats, and the mat package. Sticker is $31,007 and paid $29,950, or about 1000 under sticker. They also gave me a few hundred off the extended warranty, which I think is very common. Toyota's price for that is less than AAA, for whatever that is worth. Take deliver in February. Good luck.
Looking for examples of price (excluding destination, tax, title, license, advertising) paid in down state Illinois for a 2007 4 cylinder XLE with leather (LA) and heated seats (HD)? I have been unable to get a response through internet pricing. Thanks!
Thanks for clarifying your point to my last post. It is well taken. I have received responses and surprisingly the lowest quote that I have received has been from a small dealership about 100 miles from my home.
I do acknowlege that when I purchased my last Camry I was ignorant in car purchasing and am determined not to repeat the same mistakes again, thus my compassion to find the best deal for my money.
Dealers will understandably will not give you an OTD price because they know you will shop around their price.
I do not understand why some people are affraid to actualy go to the dealer... you are making a major purchase and the purchase ca not be made upon the internet because at some point you will have to go to the dealer (most of the time).
The dealer is correct the price can change and they certainly wll not order a car based upon e-mail contact.
If you continue to shop via e-mail these are the type of responses you will get so and you will have a tough time purchasing a car.
Smart Key and Remote Start both Toyota installed? did not think that Toyota did both at the same time. If you paid $28,250 ($1733 ovr invoice) OTD you made an OK deal.... if $28.850 before taxes you should shop around. This is not a "loaded" car... did they tell you this?
Something I noticed in your post -- you might be mixing up "base" price and invoice price. The base price is the MSRP with no options. This might explain the discrepancy between your figures and the salesman's.
The TDA is an advertising fee that gets charged to the dealer for the car. It is an actual cost and to find the true invoice price you would need to add it to the edmunds invoice price. Holdback and Financial reserve are money that get paid back to the dealers from Toyota. They are part of the invoice and should never be a separate charge for you. If the dealer tells you they are not in the invoice or tells you you have to pay them, find another dealer.
This is a quote I got and I want to know if it is a good deal. The car is an XLEv6 with leather, sunroof, jbl stereo, vehicle stability, remote keyless entry etc..
Please respond because I need to complete a deal to replace an older vehicle. Thanks!
If any of us buys a any new camry 2007 and finds the hesitation issues, or transmission issues that people continue to complaint about, we must report it in this forum, and in the other forums, so people know, and are not being treated as ... we need to stick together. This includes those who just bought the car with "good deals" Thanks
Hey gasguy, I bought my Camry from an idividual (see my comments under Camry mpg), and bought it at a great price. NOW, I bought my 03 4R V8 Ltd new at $100 over dealer cost. I emailed the fleet dealer mgrs of all Toyota dealers in my state (Colorado) and all states adjacent for their best price. The then John Elway Toyota in Centennial (Denver) had the lowest offer ($100 under). I drove up there and brought the 4R home. I did my homework first to find the dealer costs and dealer incentives. There are many good books out showing you how to buy from a dealer for new and used vehicles and I used one called "Car Buyers and Leaser's Negotiating Bible" by James Bragg ISBN 0-375-70466-3. The dealers pulled every trick in the book and I was ready for them. I even got them to come down on an extended warranty (1/2 price they asked for). Now Toyota gives you one price no haggle. I don't go for that. Go to the Fleet mgr. Good Luck
I am purchasing an 07 XLEV6. Can the extended warranty be added after the sale of the vehicle or only at the time of purchase? (ie is there a time limit for adding the extended warranty?)
I expect the dealer will try to push this and the price will be much higher than that of midwest or others.
Additionally, can you supply the numbers or contact information for the dealers offering the cheapest and most competitive rates for the extended warranty? I believe one dealer was Midwest or something. Thanks.
You have a period of time after you post, to go back and edit your posting. Look for the "edit" option that would be available to you, for like 20-30 minutes or so. You can also delete it if you really mess it up.
Does anyone out there know if Toyota would have made a an SE v4 with just the moonroof package or will they always put other options with it? Is there anyway to get one with NO Toyoguard and just the MR package, just only pay about $1k for options? I have a dealer telling me it would be 90 days, that I would have to order it which makes sense. I just don't want to give up! I would pay a delivery fee for them to pick it up from another dealer...! Also, if I did have it ordered, are there a lot of extra fees and wold it really be 90 days? Thank you in advance for your help!
Thank you so much for your information. Though I've been posting fairly regularly, I'd obviously not been aware that I had an option to delete. I now am aware. :-)
I did all that you suggested, though since I'm a bit (like, 14 hours!) past the 30 minute limit, I'm unable to edit or delete. So ....
.... I've just e-mailed the hosts and respectfully requested that they delete my garbly post.
For a 2007 Camry SE v4, automatic, JBL stereo, Moonroof Package, and that studpid Toyo Guard, the final out-the-door price is 23,500 with $2k down. Am I getting screwed? I don't know how to do this and I feel like I should be dictating what I am willing to pay. Not having someone with you to take charge makes it really hard. I've been trying to research as much as possible but the dealer has an answer for everything. I want to believe they are being fair but we all know how that goes.
Need way more information. Would be nice to have all the option codes. Is the OTD price after you pay them 2k? Most importantly what state are you in? Taxes and fees vary greatly.
The best thing for you is to find all of the option codes and put it into edmunds. Add the TDA fee and this will get you pretty close to invoice. Add the sales tax and license fees for your state. You then need to decide how much you are willing to pay over invoice. For me it would be pretty close to invoice but anything (in my humble opinion) up to $400 would probably keep you in the ball park.
About dealers. Buy a car can be a scary and confusing time. My thing is if I don't feel comfortable I just bail out. It is your money. You don't need to be rude or anything like that. Just question everything and remember the dealers job is to make as much profit as they can.
Thank you for your reply! Yes, the $23,500 is after the $2k. I am tading a 2002 S 2.5 Altima in fair condition said to be worth $5,200 and that is what they are giving me,although it needs $3k worth of work that that I did not tell them about. Maybe they found it, maybe not. I have never traded a car before. Sorry, BTW, I am in Florida. I just said I am putting $2k down to keep it simple thinking that its the same thing anyway. I'm so confused.....and I think the dealer knows that. I appreciate your help!
Well I am confused too. You have a bunch of stuff going on here. I have never traded in a car and I never will. I can always get more money selling it myself. I know in some states there are sales tax advantages to doing it but not in California where I live. If you are afraid to sell it yourself, or if you have to have the money for the down payment, the trade-in is just another fee to the dealer to make it easier on you. I really doubt the dealer missed any problems with your car. If they have not checked it out completely yet they will lower what they offer you later.
If it were me I think I would start over with them. I would negotiate the price first and all of the fees. Florida is notorious for sticking you with fees. BTW I work for Florida Power & Light, but here in California.
I would then see how much they will give me for my trade. When you do both together it just becomes a slight of hand. More for you trade, more for the car. It is easier if you keep the two seperate. I would also find my own fianancing. Give them a shot to meet or beat it but this is another way to save yourself some money.
Like I said before if it gets too overwelming just kill the deal and find another dealer. Confused or inexperienced money almost always favors the dealer.
The TDA is a legit charge but the Whsl Financial Reserve is bogus. It is part of the original invoice and will be reimbursed to the dealer by Toyota. It is supposed to be used to pay the dealers financing charges on the car. If you are trying to negotiate from invoice it is just a way they can make you seem like you are getting a great deal but are really being less than honest with you. In essence you would be paying it twice.
I don't know about you but when bogus fees show up after we agree on a price they don't get a second chance with me. I simply get up and head for the door. Anything less is rewarding them for dishonesty.
Any help would be great since I just got my 07 Camry and the dealer was pushing the warranties from around 1500 and up which seemed excessive based upon my notes from the experts on this message board. Thanks!
Per the Forum rules, it's not permitted to give specific names, numbers or other contact information.
I dealt with the finance department at Midwest Superstore, and I was very pleased.
I will be purchasing the Toyota Platinum Warranty: 7 years/100,000 miles/0 deductible - this would have cost about $1600 elsewhere, but with them it will be $880.00.
I don't know about you ... but for the very same dealer-backed warranty, I'm diggin' the latter price. :-)
Thanks for the info and the instructions re: the forum rules.
Two last questions:
1.Is the extended warranty transferrable if the car is sold?
2.Is it true that if you do not make a claim under the extended warranty, the purchase price for the warranty is 100% refundable? This is what the dealer said yesterday in their showroom.
I don't think that I can fight $250 doc fee but definitely push for $233 WFR. I was also told that Toyota will be doing price increase next month about $170 for this car.
It is my understanding, that, yes, the warranty is transferable if the car is sold.
As to question #2, that's a bit out of the realm of my knowledge.
I encourage you to give them a call and speak with them directly. I would imagine they would be able to answer each of your very good questions much better than I. :-)
Hi all, just wanted to share with you my recent purchase as you are negotiating with dealers. On December 23rd I purchased the 2007 Camry XLE V6 from a VERY SMALL dealership in Central Va for $243 over invoice. My thoughts are if I can pay $243 over invoice ($3,213 off MSRP) at a small dealership, those of you in larger cities with higher volume dealerships should be able to get cars at or BELOW invoice. Don't settle!!
Here's what I got: XLE V6 Magnetic Gray Sunroof Heated Leather Seats Navigation Vehicle Stability Control Carpet/Trunk Mats XM Satellite Radio Rear Spoiler Smart Key System w/ Push button start Remote Start Rear Bumper applique Wheel Locks
Congratulations on getting such a great price but I guess there are some things that bother me about it. You said it was a cash price and you had no trade in? A fully loaded XLE has less than $1000 in financial reserve and holdback. Now it is possible that they just needed to make numbers for some kind of bonus but there is no way they could sell a car for that price without losing quite a lot of money on the deal. It is certainly not something the average person could ever expect. Are you sure you did not have some type of trade, crazy dealer financing or bought every warranty and service agreement known to man? Does the Camry have the recent college grad thing going for it? I am sorry but I just can not see how a dealer could have made the deal on a Camry and stay in business long without a lot of other things that were not mentioned. I am not doubting your honesty but I think you got a very special deal and certainly not something that we should expect to get from our local dealer.
I shopped about 15 dealers and the price started about $1,600 above invoice and by the end of the day got them to go $1000 under invoice with No trade or crazy dealer financing or warranty.I had them show me the invoice on the car which matched the one I had with me from the internet. Last june I bought a honda accord for $1,900 below invoice in northern california which was a 06' but the 07's were just coming out.
I just thought I'd report in with my good news, which is that I just returned home from the dealer ... driving my new XLE V6! :-)
I'm very pleased with the price I paid: $28, 217 without TTL; $30,498 w/TTL, OTD (for any of you inclined to to inform me I could have/should have done better, I respectfully request you refrain from sharing. First of all, it's a done deal; it would be completely moot at this point. And secondly ... I'm happy with my purchase, which is what matters most, right?) :-)
It has a build date of 12/22/06 (I'd requested the car I buy be built after November). The color is Titanium Metallic exterior; Ash Leather Interior.
It's loaded (Nav; HD; SK; WL; MG; Z1), with the exception of the VS. Apparently it's challenging to get cars in this region equipped with it, and since I'd rather not wait for one to be ordered (I could have waited; I merely opted not to), I chose to go with a car without it. I guess if you said I "settled" on anything this would have been it, and I'm OK with that. :-)
Our interactions via e-mail were friendly, mutually respectful and up-front ... just how I had envisioned it to be! Since we'd already established a rapport, it felt like knew each other; it wasn't like walking in to a total stranger. And my experience at the dealer was absolutely fun, light and pleasant. We laughed a LOT, and it was enjoyable for all involved.
The price was agreed upon before I went in; there was no haggling once I got to the dealership. They had someone come out to pick me up (40 minutes away) since I wasn't going to be trading in my current vehicle.
Once I arrived, we went for a test drive, and he walked me through an overview of the car (Navigation, etc...). He spent a couple of hours with me reviewing; it is this which has left me exhausted, not because I was wore down from the back-and-forth pricing stuff - there's a lot to know about this car!
I enjoyed the F&I guy, merely because I was prepared as to what to expect as a result of reading the forums here (you guys ROCK!); had I not been prepared, who KNOWS what I would have walked out buying!
I just smiled and repeated "No, thank you" a lot. :-) He was surprised I was getting such a low price for the Premium Warranty, and once he realized I wasn't going to alter my plan, he offered me the warranty for the same price! I politely declined; I'd already mentally committed to the gentleman from Midwest, as he was so helpful and informational.
I had gone in pre-approved for financing at an APR of 6.09%, but when he said that he could give me 6%,I took it. Though it's not that great of a difference, when it comes to things of this nature every bit counts!
I've left out a lot of the details of how I got to where I was and how we agreed upon the price, but I'm just too tired to go into it at the moment. Suffice it to say I'm satisfied.
I just want to thank you all, once again, for participating on these boards. I couldn't have done it without the various forums I've been regularly reading - the information here is invaluable - and what I've learned has turned what may have been unpleasant, stressful and unnecessarily expensive into an adventure over which I felt in control, informed and prepared. Yay!
It's so weird to see this new vehicle sitting side-by-side to my current car, but I think I can get used to it.
Just because I've bought the car doesn't mean I won't be keeping current with the boards; there's information to be learned with regards to ALL stages of vehicle ownership.
I shall now prepare (albeit later than I'd anticipated) to attend a New Year's celebration. I'm both ending and starting on a good note ....
I'm very pleased with the price I paid: $28, 217 without TTL; $30,498 w/TTL, OTD (for any of you inclined to to inform me I could have/should have done better, I respectfully request you refrain from sharing. First of all, it's a done deal; it would be completely moot at this point. And secondly ... I'm happy with my purchase, which is what matters most, right?)
Well sounds like you got a great deal and you hit the nail on the head anyway. You are happy with it. Congratulations it seems like just a couple of days ago (I think it was a couple of days ago) you were kind of depressed no one had answered your emails. Have a great New Year Cat and enjoy the car.
Wow - what a great experience for you. Your awesome, brand new car sitting in your garage. I know you're gonna be in heaven for the next few days with your new car, a brand new Toyota at that! Not a whole lot of better feelings than that I gotta say.
I too bought a new car on 12/31 - but last year. I know the feeling of going into a new year with a new ride with all the wondering of what that might bring.
Please keep current with the boards ( as I have) and let everybody know the ups and even the downs of your new ride. There will be some downs, but nowhere near the ups you'll have in the coming years with your great new XLEV6. Great choice.
I did not know you could get factory remote start with smart key. If you would have been persistant you could have pulled off the deal for less than 30k OTD in VA.
Yes, apparantly the remote start is an option with the smart key system, and let me tell you it's GREAT on those cold mornings! I'm not sure I could have gone much lower at this particular dealership, since it is so small, but had I been at a larger dealership I would not have left the lot paying more than 30k OTD. They can afford to lose a little more on a sale than my hometown dealership All in all, I'm very happy with my purchase. Curiousity has led me to check the no haggle websites like fitzmall and carmax to see if I can find my car for a lower price, and I havent been able to find one with ALL of the options I have yet. Even those that have most, but not all, of the options have been in the same price range, being within 1k of what I paid.
Again congratulations. I have never had the satellite radio but rode to Las Vegas with my friend last week in his new Honda. It is great going across the long and boring desert.
Catherine, I was just about to post some of the prices others have paid for a 'loaded' XLE V6, when I saw your post... so, no need, BUT Congratulations!! I hope you can enjoy the spoils of your resilient research and what seems like, a great personality too. Happy new year.
Hi, This is my first attempt to buy a car online. I have one offer so far on a plain le with mats. "The out the door price on the Camry will be $20,240 it includes every thing but your state tax." Thanks for any advice! DON
That seems a little high to me. I don't know what state you are in so it could be ok. I believe the Gulf States have a higher fee than out here in California. I would type it in Edmunds. Add the TDA fee to invoice and then a reasonable doc fee (for me less than $100) and the would be pretty close to what I would try and pay. In most areas of the country you can buy LE Camrys for invoice pretty easily now. Mostly if you are happy with it then it is a good deal.
If any of us buys a any new camry 2007 and finds the hesitation issues, or transmission issues that people continue to complaint about, we must report it in this forum, and in the other forums, so people know, and are not being treated as ... we need to stick together. This includes those who just bought the car with "good deals" Thanks
Thank you for your Congrats, and for your vehicular well wishes. :-)
I'm very happy with my new car. It's much different than my other car (5.0, 5-speed, V8 Mustang LX), which is what I was wanting, and I still can't believe it's mine. It's beautiful, stylish and classy ... and much less rumbly than my other car. :surprise:
I've spent a good portion of the past couple of days reading the Owner's Manuals (the Navigation/Bluetooth book is its OWN book, in fact it's even bigger than the "regular" Owner's Manual!). And, yes ... I started at page one and am working my way through; I want to be able to fully avail myself of that which it has to offer.
With regards to the Navigation System, I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with it - I've successfully navigated myself to my local latte place, as well as to Trader Joe's -and I know it's all about using it whenever I can - even if I don't need to - in order to become proficient.
If I may toot my own horn (to use an automotive term), I'm quite pleased to share with you that today I was able to pair my cell phone to the Bluetooth, transfer my phone book contents to it, set up the voice activation, and set up the speed dial ... all on my own!
Thanks to these Forums, I'd already known my cell phone was compatible with the Navigation system; I just wasn't sure I'd be able to do it. I read the manual, of course, as well as reading the Bluetooth forums, with the hopes of gathering more knowledge ... as well as being forewarned of possible problems I might encounter. I consider myself fortunate that it actually worked on the first try. Whew!
I am inclined to share (confess?) that I put new (chrome) wheels on today. I stayed with the 16s (that's one of the things I like about the SE: it comes standard with 17s), but I just wasn't feelin' the stock wheels - I tend not to be a stock kinda girl, anyway. I knew going into this that it would be something I'd want to change, and I opted to just do it now. I'm happy with my decision.
The only other change I'll be making is to get the windows tinted on Monday. I think with the color of the car (Titanium Metallic) it'll look sweet, as well as offering the other benefits of tinted windows (protection of the interior from the sun, privacy, etc ...).
I'll be working the next few days, but I will definitely be perusing the forum(s) as able!
As an aside, I am aware that nearly each of my posts has been rather verbose, and I appreciate your indulgence. I believe that over time they will be less so (let's keep our collective fingers crossed).
Warm regards, Catherine
PS: Myperez4jesus, if I encounter any of the flare-up problems some here have experienced, you can bet I'll be talkin' about it! That's what these forums are for, at least for me, is to share our respective experiences and knowledge, even if it ain't so pretty.
Comments
Thanks for clarifying your point to my last post. It is well taken. I have received responses and surprisingly the lowest quote that I have received has been from a small dealership about 100 miles from my home.
I do acknowlege that when I purchased my last Camry I was ignorant in car purchasing and am determined not to repeat the same mistakes again, thus my compassion to find the best deal for my money.
Do you happen to know what these fees are?
TDA .........................................: $ 359.00
Dealer Holdback .............................: $ 415.00
Whsl. Financial Reserve .....................: $ 207.0
Thanks for your insight,
Sheila
Dealers will understandably will not give you an OTD price because they know you will shop around their price.
I do not understand why some people are affraid to actualy go to the dealer... you are making a major purchase and the purchase ca not be made upon the internet because at some point you will have to go to the dealer (most of the time).
The dealer is correct the price can change and they certainly wll not order a car based upon e-mail contact.
If you continue to shop via e-mail these are the type of responses you will get so and you will have a tough time purchasing a car.
If you paid $28,250 ($1733 ovr invoice) OTD you made an OK deal.... if $28.850 before taxes you should shop around.
This is not a "loaded" car... did they tell you this?
TDA .........................................: $ 359.00
Dealer Holdback .............................: $ 415.00
Whsl. Financial Reserve .....................: $ 207.0
Thanks for your insight,
Sheila
The TDA is an advertising fee that gets charged to the dealer for the car. It is an actual cost and to find the true invoice price you would need to add it to the edmunds invoice price. Holdback and Financial reserve are money that get paid back to the dealers from Toyota. They are part of the invoice and should never be a separate charge for you. If the dealer tells you they are not in the invoice or tells you you have to pay them, find another dealer.
Please respond because I need to complete a deal to replace an older vehicle. Thanks!
I expect the dealer will try to push this and the price will be much higher than that of midwest or others.
Additionally, can you supply the numbers or contact information for the dealers offering the cheapest and most competitive rates for the extended warranty? I believe one dealer was Midwest or something.
Thanks.
You have a period of time after you post, to go back and edit your posting. Look for the "edit" option that would be available to you, for like 20-30 minutes or so. You can also delete it if you really mess it up.
Bookmark, reply, "edit", delete, e-mail
Thank you so much for your information. Though I've been posting fairly regularly, I'd obviously not been aware that I had an option to delete. I now am aware. :-)
I did all that you suggested, though since I'm a bit (like, 14 hours!) past the 30 minute limit, I'm unable to edit or delete. So ....
.... I've just e-mailed the hosts and respectfully requested that they delete my garbly post.
Thank you!
Catalina
You may add the VSA at anytime while the vehicle is under the original warranty (3 year/36,000 miles).
I received a great rate at Midwest Superstore in Hutchinson, Kansas (a Google-click away).
Catherine
The best thing for you is to find all of the option codes and put it into edmunds. Add the TDA fee and this will get you pretty close to invoice. Add the sales tax and license fees for your state. You then need to decide how much you are willing to pay over invoice. For me it would be pretty close to invoice but anything (in my humble opinion) up to $400 would probably keep you in the ball park.
About dealers. Buy a car can be a scary and confusing time. My thing is if I don't feel comfortable I just bail out. It is your money. You don't need to be rude or anything like that. Just question everything and remember the dealers job is to make as much profit as they can.
If it were me I think I would start over with them. I would negotiate the price first and all of the fees. Florida is notorious for sticking you with fees. BTW I work for Florida Power & Light, but here in California.
I would then see how much they will give me for my trade. When you do both together it just becomes a slight of hand. More for you trade, more for the car. It is easier if you keep the two seperate. I would also find my own fianancing. Give them a shot to meet or beat it but this is another way to save yourself some money.
Like I said before if it gets too overwelming just kill the deal and find another dealer. Confused or inexperienced money almost always favors the dealer.
Car with destination + $552 TDA + $233 Whsl Financial reserve = $22,249
then $250 doc fee, tax, plates, and title comes up total to $24200. How does this look?
I was also offered 4 cyl LE Auto with floor mats for $19840 before $250 doc fee/tax/title.
I need to know if price is right and need to deside between V6 or I4.
I don't know about you but when bogus fees show up after we agree on a price they don't get a second chance with me. I simply get up and head for the door. Anything less is rewarding them for dishonesty.
A $250 doc fee is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!
1. Who did you deal with @ Midwest
2. Which warranty did you take?
3. How much was the warranty?
Any help would be great since I just got my 07 Camry and the dealer was pushing the warranties from around 1500 and up which seemed excessive based upon my notes from the experts on this message board. Thanks!
Per the Forum rules, it's not permitted to give specific names, numbers or other contact information.
I dealt with the finance department at Midwest Superstore, and I was very pleased.
I will be purchasing the Toyota Platinum Warranty: 7 years/100,000 miles/0 deductible - this would have cost about $1600 elsewhere, but with them it will be $880.00.
I don't know about you ... but for the very same dealer-backed warranty, I'm diggin' the latter price. :-)
Hope that helps!
Catherine
Two last questions:
1.Is the extended warranty transferrable if the car is sold?
2.Is it true that if you do not make a claim under the extended warranty, the purchase price for the warranty is 100% refundable? This is what the dealer said yesterday in their showroom.
Thanks again!
It is my understanding, that, yes, the warranty is transferable if the car is sold.
As to question #2, that's a bit out of the realm of my knowledge.
I encourage you to give them a call and speak with them directly. I would imagine they would be able to answer each of your very good questions much better than I. :-)
Good luck!
Catherine
Here's what I got:
XLE V6 Magnetic Gray
Sunroof
Heated Leather Seats
Navigation
Vehicle Stability Control
Carpet/Trunk Mats
XM Satellite Radio
Rear Spoiler
Smart Key System w/ Push button start
Remote Start
Rear Bumper applique
Wheel Locks
OTD Price(incl TTL): $30,700
Happy Shopping!!
I'm very pleased with the price I paid: $28, 217 without TTL; $30,498 w/TTL, OTD (for any of you inclined to to inform me I could have/should have done better, I respectfully request you refrain from sharing. First of all, it's a done deal; it would be completely moot at this point. And secondly ... I'm happy with my purchase, which is what matters most, right?) :-)
It has a build date of 12/22/06 (I'd requested the car I buy be built after November). The color is Titanium Metallic exterior; Ash Leather Interior.
It's loaded (Nav; HD; SK; WL; MG; Z1), with the exception of the VS. Apparently it's challenging to get cars in this region equipped with it, and since I'd rather not wait for one to be ordered (I could have waited; I merely opted not to), I chose to go with a car without it. I guess if you said I "settled" on anything this would have been it, and I'm OK with that. :-)
Our interactions via e-mail were friendly, mutually respectful and up-front ... just how I had envisioned it to be! Since we'd already established a rapport, it felt like knew each other; it wasn't like walking in to a total stranger. And my experience at the dealer was absolutely fun, light and pleasant. We laughed a LOT, and it was enjoyable for all involved.
The price was agreed upon before I went in; there was no haggling once I got to the dealership. They had someone come out to pick me up (40 minutes away) since I wasn't going to be trading in my current vehicle.
Once I arrived, we went for a test drive, and he walked me through an overview of the car (Navigation, etc...). He spent a couple of hours with me reviewing; it is this which has left me exhausted, not because I was wore down from the back-and-forth pricing stuff - there's a lot to know about this car!
I enjoyed the F&I guy, merely because I was prepared as to what to expect as a result of reading the forums here (you guys ROCK!); had I not been prepared, who KNOWS what I would have walked out buying!
I just smiled and repeated "No, thank you" a lot. :-) He was surprised I was getting such a low price for the Premium Warranty, and once he realized I wasn't going to alter my plan, he offered me the warranty for the same price! I politely declined; I'd already mentally committed to the gentleman from Midwest, as he was so helpful and informational.
I had gone in pre-approved for financing at an APR of 6.09%, but when he said that he could give me 6%,I took it. Though it's not that great of a difference, when it comes to things of this nature every bit counts!
I've left out a lot of the details of how I got to where I was and how we agreed upon the price, but I'm just too tired to go into it at the moment. Suffice it to say I'm satisfied.
I just want to thank you all, once again, for participating on these boards. I couldn't have done it without the various forums I've been regularly reading - the information here is invaluable - and what I've learned has turned what may have been unpleasant, stressful and unnecessarily expensive into an adventure over which I felt in control, informed and prepared. Yay!
It's so weird to see this new vehicle sitting side-by-side to my current car, but I think I can get used to it.
Just because I've bought the car doesn't mean I won't be keeping current with the boards; there's information to be learned with regards to ALL stages of vehicle ownership.
I shall now prepare (albeit later than I'd anticipated) to attend a New Year's celebration. I'm both ending and starting on a good note ....
I wish you all a wonderful new year!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Well sounds like you got a great deal and you hit the nail on the head anyway. You are happy with it. Congratulations it seems like just a couple of days ago (I think it was a couple of days ago) you were kind of depressed no one had answered your emails. Have a great New Year Cat and enjoy the car.
I too bought a new car on 12/31 - but last year. I know the feeling of going into a new year with a new ride with all the wondering of what that might bring.
Please keep current with the boards ( as I have) and let everybody know the ups and even the downs of your new ride. There will be some downs, but nowhere near the ups you'll have in the coming years with your great new XLEV6. Great choice.
Happy New Year's Day!
Catherine
I have one offer so far on a plain le with mats.
"The out the door price on the Camry will be $20,240 it includes every thing but your state tax."
Thanks for any advice!
DON
Thank you for your Congrats, and for your vehicular well wishes. :-)
I'm very happy with my new car. It's much different than my other car (5.0, 5-speed, V8 Mustang LX), which is what I was wanting, and I still can't believe it's mine. It's beautiful, stylish and classy ... and much less rumbly than my other car. :surprise:
I've spent a good portion of the past couple of days reading the Owner's Manuals (the Navigation/Bluetooth book is its OWN book, in fact it's even bigger than the "regular" Owner's Manual!). And, yes ... I started at page one and am working my way through; I want to be able to fully avail myself of that which it has to offer.
With regards to the Navigation System, I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with it - I've successfully navigated myself to my local latte place, as well as to Trader Joe's -and I know it's all about using it whenever I can - even if I don't need to - in order to become proficient.
If I may toot my own horn (to use an automotive term), I'm quite pleased to share with you that today I was able to pair my cell phone to the Bluetooth, transfer my phone book contents to it, set up the voice activation, and set up the speed dial ... all on my own!
Thanks to these Forums, I'd already known my cell phone was compatible with the Navigation system; I just wasn't sure I'd be able to do it. I read the manual, of course, as well as reading the Bluetooth forums, with the hopes of gathering more knowledge ... as well as being forewarned of possible problems I might encounter. I consider myself fortunate that it actually worked on the first try. Whew!
I am inclined to share (confess?) that I put new (chrome) wheels on today. I stayed with the 16s (that's one of the things I like about the SE: it comes standard with 17s), but I just wasn't feelin' the stock wheels - I tend not to be a stock kinda girl, anyway. I knew going into this that it would be something I'd want to change, and I opted to just do it now. I'm happy with my decision.
The only other change I'll be making is to get the windows tinted on Monday. I think with the color of the car (Titanium Metallic) it'll look sweet, as well as offering the other benefits of tinted windows (protection of the interior from the sun, privacy, etc ...).
I'll be working the next few days, but I will definitely be perusing the forum(s) as able!
As an aside, I am aware that nearly each of my posts has been rather verbose, and I appreciate your indulgence. I believe that over time they will be less so (let's keep our collective fingers crossed).
Warm regards,
Catherine
PS: Myperez4jesus, if I encounter any of the flare-up problems some here have experienced, you can bet I'll be talkin' about it! That's what these forums are for, at least for me, is to share our respective experiences and knowledge, even if it ain't so pretty.