2013 and Earlier - Toyota Camry Prices Paid and Buying Experience

pat · September 2003

Hi westseattle - welcome!

You ought to check out the Tips & Advice section (blue tab at the top of the page) and also read through some of the discussions on our Smart Shopper board.

You'll find all kinds of help in both places. Good luck!

brwalter · September 2003

I hate buying a car under pressure. But I've just decided I should probably get a 2003 Camry (LE, V6 with VSC/airbag package). So... does this mean i need to hurry up, find the car, and make the deal in the next two days, before the rebate deal ends, if I want a good price? Or can I take a little more time and still expect to get a good deal sometime in October? Thanks.

nw1997 · September 2003

rcf8000,

Thanks for getting back to me. Would it be safe to say that your XLE is the 4 cycl. version? We put a down payment on a 04 SE V6 Camry with the following options and accessories:
1. Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror
2. Five piece floor mats.
3. RS3200 Plus Alarm System
4. SE Navigation Package -- includes perforated
    leather-trimmed interior; touch-screen DVD
    navigation system with JBL Premium AM/FM
    single-disc CD player, eight speakers in six
    locations and FM diversity reception;
    manually retractable rear sunshade; and
    trunk-mounted cargo net.
5. VSC and Side Airbag Package -- includes
    Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with
    Traction Control (TRAC) and Brake Assist
    and driver and front passenger front
    seat-mounted side airbags and front and
    rear side curtain airbags
6. Color-keyed rear spoiler with integrated
    center stop lamp.
7. Heated front seats
8. Power-adjustable pedals
9. Aluminum Rims w/all season sport tires.

     We obtained all of the above for $27,710.00 without taxes and Registration and DMV charges. Edmunds was a bit higher, and Cars Direct.com prices was $27,210.00. When I contacted Cars Direct they added a Documentation fee of $187.75 and a Registration Fee of $155.00. This brings their price to $27,552.75 plus taxes. Our dealer charged us $85.00 for Reg. fees and $20.00 for documentation fees and $10.00 for inpection. You are correct, because I do not know how these on line companies are coming up with these crazy prices before the vehicle is even on the road. Nearly every dealer I spoke to cannot come close to the $27,710.00 price we obtained. What's your opinion on how we did on our purchase and pricing.

Thanks

rcf8000 · September 2003

Yes, my XLE is a 4 cylinder. Sounds like your deal was very good, indeed. Congratulations!

danstime · September 2003

base price $19.875 options aw-wheels 410.00,rf-spoiler 435.00 cf floor mats184.00 gn cargo net49.00 delivery-485.00 msrp $21,438 89.00 doc fee 89.00 dealer is quoting $17,900 is this ok or can I do alot better midwest region. thanks

bpan · October 2003

Got 2003 Camry LE with automatic, ABS, floor mat set, trunk net, moonroof. MSRP Price is $21,793. My price: $18000 (including $1000 cash rebate). Plus 6% NJ tax, $79 registration / title, and $135 dealer conveyance fee. Grand total "out the door" was $19,354. Is it a good deal? How much is dealer's profit?

slov98 · October 2003

I think it's a little too late to ask if it was a good deal since you already took it, if you're happy with the deal than it was a good deal.
to be more specific, I priced the options you mentioned and the invoice price, not msrp, comes out to $19,395 so I think you did great, $1400 below invoice, before the fees.

deymayor · October 2003

who's your dealer? i got mine for 18102 +ttl w/o moonroof so you got a great deal. but then, i got mine 2 months ago so i guess they really dropped the price on this one with the 04 already in the market.

lamp · October 2003

After reading all the deals people have now, I felt I did really good 2 months ago. Purchased a 2003 camry LE with moon roof and mats on 7/31 in southern california. The sell price was $18,150 Out of door price is $19,150 (8.25% tax, ttl and other fees then subract $700 rebate).
It only took less than 40 min. time to haggle. Walked in to the dealership..test drove it..told the salesman this is the price i want...and i stood firm...got the price nailed down..then told him i would come back the next day with check. Went back to dealership, told the salesman that i wanted another $150 knocked off, took him 5 sec. to say "yes".

socalguy · October 2003

If my math is correct, the sticker on your deal was $21444, discounted $3294, minus $700 rebate. That is a good discount from MSRP. What dealer/city did you get the car? I'm looking for 2003 XLE discounted $4500, minus $1000 rebate. I missed ads earlier this month at $4500 and $4000 discounts. The closest a dealer has come is $3500 discount/$1000 rebate, so were $1000 apart. Let me know where you bought it. THANKS

lamp · October 2003

Hey socalguy, the dealer i purchased the car from is Longo Toyota in El Monte, i forgot the salesman's last name, he is a hispanic, his first name is osballdo(?).

After I got the price quote from longo toyota on the first day ($19,300 out-of-door), I emailed Matt from Puente Hill toyota's internet sales dept. telling him that longo toyota gave me a quote of 19150 out-of-door, i asked him if he can beat the price. He replied me with $19,300 out-of-door. So i went back to longo toyota the next day and gave final offer of $19,150 out-of-door, and they said yes, so i went ahead and bought the car from longo toyota.

Go search the website for longo toyota and puente hill toyota on the internet and email their internet sales mgr to see what deal they offer you. Then you can use the offer they give you as a weapon to haggle with the real salesman at the dealership. Good luck.

btw..when i did my haggling, i talked about out-of-door price not selling price, i guess that confused the salesman a bit maybe that helped a bit in getting lower selling price since they would have to calculate backward to get the selling price.

socalguy · October 2003

Lamp,

Longo was the dealer that wouldn't budge from $3500 discount/$1000 rebate over a week ago on 2003 XLE. Friday 10/4 he RAISED the price. ("These are in short supply and high demand" he says) The offer went to $3100 discount/$1000 rebate. No deal for me. Saturday I purchased a 2004 LE MSRP $20574 advertised at $17495 ($3079 discount) minus $500 rebate, net $16995. This is the same discount they advertised on the 2003 during September. The only difference is the $500 rebate on the 2004 versus $1000 on the 2003. In a year the 2004 with same miles will be worth $1000 more than the 2003, so the extra $500 for the 2004 was worth it. The dealer in Orange, CA advertised them with 20 at that price. Called Friday night to check availability and was told they sold 10 Friday, and to come in and pick your color Saturday. Cash deal and in and out in one hour. It was great. No attempt by them to bait/switch, sell add ons, add warranty, add lojack. Only had to have them remove alarm, which they put on all cars on their lot. They offered it for about $500. OTD at $18800. Once Davis is gone and the car tax refunded, my true OTD cost will be less than invoice. Previous cars I've bought were OTD for less than invoice, so that is where I set the bar in determining how much to pay for a car. No need to work off invoice plus $XXX. My rule of thumb. MSRP less 17% to get price after rebate. Add Tax/title/reg. to get close to invoice. AD cars/loss leaders is the way to go. Line up your own financing though, and be there early.

skiwv · October 2003

Unless I've lost my mind, I think I got a spectacular deal on an 04 Camry SE V6. Options include Premium Pkg, heated seats, rear spoiler, and mats. I traded in a 94 Honda Accord LX 5-speed that was in average condition. Kelly Blue Book trade-in value on the vehicle was anywhere around $2,500 to $3,100. I would have been happy with $3,000. MSRP on the Camry was $26,394. Edmunds TMV is $24,438, or nearly $2,000 off MSRP. They gave me $6,000 off MSRP (car and discount), which was $1,000 better than I expected. When picking up my car, they then told me that I also receive an additional $750 rebate plus 2.9% financing for 60 months. Did I get a great deal, or is the TMV a real measure of the purchase price? The other amazing thing is that this was the first price given to me, and did not have to negotiate.

alpha01 · October 2003

You got an awesome deal, congratulations!!!!
I don't really go by Edmunds TMV, I think carsdirect.com is a better indicator, but even by that measure, you did EXTREMELY well.

What color did you get?
~alpha

rk47 · October 2003

Wonderful deal you got, skiwv. Which dealership did you get your car? Is the $750 you received the owner loyalty rebate?

nw1997 · October 2003

SKIWV,

Sounds like a great deal. Let us know the dealership you went to. I placed an order on an 04 Camry SE V6 back in August. Here is what we got an how much we paid, I think Alpha01 knows of this already.

1) SE Navigation Package -- includes perforated leather-trimmed interior; touch-screen DVD navigation system with JBL Premium AM/FM single-disc CD player, eight speakers in six locations and FM diversity reception; manually retractable rear sunshade; and trunk-mounted cargo net.
2) VSC and Side Airbag Package -- includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control (TRAC) and Brake Assist; and driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags
3) Color-keyed rear spoiler with integrated center stop lamp
4) Heated front seats
5) Power-adjustable pedals
6) Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror
7) Five Piece Carpeted Floor Mats (Includes Trunk Mat)
8) VIP3200 Plus Alarm System

Catalina Blue Metallic
The vehicle should be delievered before the ending of October. Here is how much we paid and what was included.

$27,085.00 This price includes the $400.00 incentive for recent college grads. Also, we obtained 0% Financing for 24 months, which included one year free roadside asst. and 90 days deffered payments (so we would have 27 months to pay off). Of course in NY the tax is 8.125% which increases the final cost up a couple of thousand. Lastly, the MSRP as per edmunds is $30,033.00 and their TMV was $27,892.00. Toyota's invoice as per Edmunds is $26,272.00 How do you guys think we did honestly?

Later

skiwv · October 2003

I bought my Camry at Advantage Toyota in Barboursville, WV (outside of Huntington). They bought the local dealership three months ago, and are doing 3-4 times the business as the previous owner. They are expected to get 60 Camry's this month, which is a lot for an area's MSA of 300,000 people. This is my first Toyota (previously a Honda fan), but now I'm a loyal customer. I've never gone to a dealership and not expect to work the sales manager over. I had no hesitation to buy online, but felt that I couldn't do much better. I feel I basically got my SE for around $22,600. I guess the $750 is the loyal rebate. It only says rebate on my sales receipt.

The Camry's in Catalina Blue. I had ordered the Desert Sand Mica, but when I saw the Catalina Blue on the lot (with the tan leather), I changed my mind. I haven't seen many SE's in that color.

nw1997, I think your deal seems good. I think you could do better with the rebate that's being offered now. I don't know if the 2.9% financing for 60 months is something you'd consider, or if it's even offered in your area. I'd definitely research it. They did tell me they have more wiggle room with the Premium Pkg. ($500). In essence, the Premium Package almost pays for the leather itself, when considering adding the other options separately.

nw1997 · October 2003

Skiwv,

Good morning, I am a bit confused. Your saying that you purchased the vehicle for $22,600.00 before taxes and fees, and this price does include the $750.00 rebate and $3000.00 you got for your trade in? What is the amount you are financing?

Thanks

buddhaboy · October 2003

Hi all,

I live in Northern Virginia and looking to purchase 2004 Camry XLE with premium plus and heated seats. I was quoted out the door price of 24,378 which includes tax, tags, title, $199 dealer processing and $750.00 rebate. The net price, which doesn't include tax, tag, etc is $24,100. I think the price is a bit high. Can I get everyone's opinon on the price? Thanks everyone.

slov98 · October 2003

Hello
I'm from N.Va also, assuming you will also get floor mats+ what you said above, the invoice price before any fees is 22713
-750 rebate it's 21963
+199 processing = 22162
+tax of 3.2% I believe for the cars $664 = 22871
(find out what the exact tax is from dealer)
+tags+other possible fees max $100= 22971

I think you should try to get close to this price $22,971, out the door.
I had a good experience with my salesman,I can't guarantee you will get this price but I can let you know his name and you can e-mail him, but I'd need your e-mail, not allowed to post it here.

rueda · October 2003

Buddhaboy:
Is your XLE 4 cyl or V6?

motownusa · October 2003

How does the 04 Camry Se V6 feels in term of acceleration and handling? I drive a 03 LE V6 and although the performance is certainly adequate for most day to day situation I now wished I waited another year for the SE V6.

skiwv · October 2003

nw1997,

That's not the exact amount, because you can't tell when they combine the trade-in and discount.

Sticker was $26,349
My trade-in Blue Book no more than $3,100. They gave my $6,000 for trade-in, but also includes a discount off MSRP, which brings the total to $20,349. If you were to add back the $3,000 (trade-in), then subtract the $750 rebate, that comes to $22,600. I understand that the rebate is added after taxes (5%), but I was generally speaking. No costs were added on the sales ticket for inspection or processing fees. I just paid a $10 title fee, $5.50 lien fee and $5.50 transfer fee. I regret putting down another $4,000 after realizing that I could have borrowed it for 2.9% for 60 months. The 2.9% came from Toyota. Monthly payments are under $300.

Motown, I read where they say the LE and XLE are like "Japanese Buicks" in terms of handling. But I couldn't give you a comparison since I've not driven an LE.

skiwv · October 2003

If your XLE is a 4 cylinder, you're paying too much. I'd like to think you could get $3,000 off MSRP with the Premium Package. Personally, I don't know what more you get from an XLE when compared to an SE. I like the wood grain interior, steering wheel controls, and the leather looks better. But I can't figure out why it's priced higher than an SE? Can anyone explain to me?

motownusa · October 2003

More unnecessary BS (options) available.

zdeal · October 2003

I am shopping for a new Toyota Camry and found this deal on the internet:

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
2004 TOYOTA CAMRY 4DR SDN LE AUTO with ABS

MSRP Invoice Internet Sale Price
$20,690 $18,932 $$17,232

This is the "Internet Sale" price, the dealer wants $100 processing fee on this car.

So the final price, according to him is:
$17,232
+ $100 (Process fee)
+ $141 (Title & tag)
+ $110(Floor mat)
+ 5% State Tax

*** Total = $18,462.15 ***

I lived in Maryland; I already called in and planed to test drive the car on Saturday.

The current $750 rebate is already factored-in.

My question is: is this a good price???

slov98 · October 2003

I think it's a great price, 18529 is the dealer invoice price with ABS you're getting it for 17232 before the fees( 16.5% off MSRP) the title and tag seems excessive at $141? I don't think I paid that much but I did pay $198 processing fee so I guess it evens out

still the overall price is good I think especially since you have found one with ABS and didn't have to special order it, it doesn't usually come with the 4 cylinder engine

anyone have a second opinion?

zdeal · October 2003

2004 Carmy LE Seden AUTO
$17,900 drive out off the lot.
Very good deal, I feel.

motownusa · October 2003

yes, very good deal indeed. I was wondering wether you got ABS.

wildkid102 · October 2003

Listing price was nearly $22,900.
I purchased a '04 Camry SE 4cyl for $20,178 from Schaumburg Toyota in Illinois
On top of that I recieve $400 recent college graduate rebate & 2.9% (60 mo.)
In fact, the final price came to be $19,778.
I purchased Platinum warranty for $999.
This extends manuf.'s warranty to
3yr / 36,000 miles -->> 6 yr / 75,000 miles

'04 Camry SE 4cyl. Black exterior / Ivory interior

Features include,
- 2.4 & Automatic
- Cloth seat
- Air bags
- 16" Alloy
- Spoiler
- ABS
- JBL 3-in-1 w/ 8 speakers
- Sunroof
- Basically it has pretty much all options
SE model comes w/

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK GUYS......

epmusa · October 2003

Got the car on a Toyota Dealer in San Fernando Valley Area yesterday. This is an Ad car and suggested MSRP is $18k and something, took us 2 hours before driving the car. Just a word of caution be sure that when you buy a Brand New Car have the following ready:
1. Pre-approval from your bank or credit union, you could use this as a bargaining tool.
2. Know the price of the car you are paying either an AD car, internet research or fleet pricing.
3. Compute the amount of monthly payment so you know how much EXACTLY you are going to pay.

Read the article from this site "Confession of a Car Salesman" very helpful and informative.

I feel so sorry for people you don't do their homework before buying cause, I witnessed how they PAD the prices on the cars and you should be firm and knowledgable in the deal or else they will suck you to the last penny.

alpha01 · October 2003

You got an awesome deal on your car, congrats! Black and Taupe is a nice combo. How do you like the car so far! When you say "airbags"-did that mean Side Curtains? I havent seen any SE 4 cylinder models in my area with them. (The sunroof is standard on SE models, btw).

No offense, but that price is a little high for the Platnium warranty, though I may be wrong.

when and where did you grad from? I'm about to grad in Dec. I have a really good job lined up
but it doesnt start until May 31, and I'm looking to travel elsewhere in the US. What is the Illinois area like?

~alpha

wildkid102 · October 2003

hey, alpha01
is that possible to negotiate the price of warranty? i paid the price that is given by the manuf. which i think is reasonable ($1,000)--> this was listed on Toyota.com
i never thought about getting discount on warranty.
this is the first camry i ever owned, and i really like it.
there isn't much fun, but hey CUBS are WINNING.
i live in a suburb of chicago, ~ 25 miles away.
GO CUBS !!!

motownusa · October 2003

Came true last night. BO Rsox and CHi Cubs probably won't win the World Series in my lifetime and I am only 30 years old.

socalguy · October 2003

FYI

Current prices on Cars Direct for Southern California are $900 below invoice, minus another $500 rebate. :LE with MSRP $20574 is now about $17200 after rebate. It says limited time only. If your on the fence, jump now or you may miss this good deal.

socalguy · October 2003

FYI for those is Southern California in the market for Camry LE. Dealer in Orange advertised 8 LEs Automatics at $15995 after rebate. MSPR is not listed but it is probably $20574. They tend to run same ad weekly. Unfortunately for me 2 weeks ago it was $16995 when I got mine. The pot is sweeter by $1000. In Augaust the 2003 was at this price. Good luck to all.

masspector · October 2003

You may want to be more specific, i assume when you speak of the $900 below invoice you mean the 4 cyl. The same was true in my area in may and june when I bought my 03 xle. V6's were at invoice on CD. Also, is that an 03 or 04?

I saw ads in Fl in May for LE auto for 15.5K. The dealer said it was an LE only factory to dealer incentive.

"Unfortunately for me 2 weeks ago it was $16995 when I got mine." You didn't get yours at a dealer with a 30 day price guarantee?..LOL

md0591 · October 2003

I just bought my Camry couple days ago, and while we were doing the financing, they offered the extended warranty package at $500.00. This came almost at the end of the process and after we have refused the offer at full price couple times. Not sure if it would work like that everywhere else.

lok888 · October 2003

My dealer offered $585 after I have refused several times from $13?? then $6?? I didn't buy it because I intend to keep my 03 Camry until the basic warranty is up, maybe another year. $500 (if it is for 6 years) is a good deal.

velani · October 2003

I am looking for help in finding where I can start to look for the best deal for a 2004 Camry LE in Raleigh/Cary, NC area.

I am very new to this board and would love to know what is the lowest price I should pay, where can I get the lowest internet price, where do I find out the factory invoice price/dealer invoice price/MSRP on cars.

Any help would be greatly appreciated since I am hoping to make a decision before 10/31.

Thanks very much.

velani · October 2003

Hello,

Another question I need to resolve is whether to but a Camry LE or Accord LX?

Price, performance, size and reliability are of a key concern. From What I am reading here, there are many Camry LE satisfied lovers here. Any comments?

Velani

pat · October 2003

Hi velani - welcome!!

For best prices paid, you can read through the previous comments on this board. For negotiating and buying tips, you might also want to read through the articles under the "Tips and Advice" tab at the top of the page. And do check out the list of discussions underway on our Smart Shopper board.

For comparison discussion, check out our Honda Accord vs. Toyota Camry topic and be sure to look up individual discussions on each vehicle by using the make/model search on the left side of the page.

Hope this helps - feel free to drop me an email if I can help you find any other discussion in which you might be interested.

josel1138 · November 2003

Thank you to all who've posted their prices paid.........it was enormously helpful when I was shopping........my stats:

Freeman Toyota - Fort Worth Texas

4 cylinder 2004 auto Camry LE (nothing xtra but mats)

18473 plus TTL

njdesi · November 2003

Hi :

we are in the process of looking at 04 xle 4 cyl. We have been quoted a price of 21754 as the "dealer invoice" including ABS, alloy wheels, side and curtain airbags, mats.

They are stating final price is 21904 w/trade in (to be determined)and TTL.

What do you think of this price?

motownusa · November 2003

That's what I paid for my 03 LE V6. Personally, I think the XLE 4 cylinder is not much of a bargain when it comes to bang for the buck ratio. You can get a LE V6 for the same or lower price than a 4 cylinder XLE. Maybe you should think about that before making a commitment.

alpha01 · November 2003

mowtownusa- Does your LE V6 have the side airbags/curtains, though? In the central NJ region, this important safety option is most often seen on the XLE models, either 4 or V6. The 4 is also way better on gas, and more economical to run overall. Don't get me wrong, on the whole, I do agree with you that the XLE 4 isnt the best value compared to the rest of the Camry line (although the 02/03 LE V6 standard alloys are hideous... look like dog dishes to me..).

njdesi- which Toyota dealer are you using? I'm very familiar with Brunswick, Dayton, Freehold, and Hudson/DiFeo dealerships. Just so you know, ABS is STANDARD on XLE models, so dont let the dealers trick you into thinking its an option.

According to carsdirect.com, the 2004 Camry XLE 4 cylinder with following options: Alloy Wheels, Front Side and Side Curtains Airbags, and Carpeted Floormats has an MSRP of $24,054 and Dealer Invoice, of $21,760, so they ARENT lying about the invoice price. So far, so good.

HOWEVER, I believe a 500$ rebate is available on 2004 model year Camrys, so the "final price" they quoted you, if its BEFORE TTL and trade as you indicate, SUCKS.

I would recommend that you offer them Dealer Invoice of $21,760 + 100 for this vehicle, and then subtract the rebate, for a total sales price (including tax, but not Title or License)of $21,860, which more than fair.

Broken Down:
Negotiated Vehicle Price of $21,860
+ 6% Sales Tax = $1311.60
= Vehicle Price + Sales Tax of $23171.60
- $500 Rebate
= Vehicle Price + Sales Tax - Rebate = $22671.60
+ Title
+ License
- Trade
- Possible Downpayment
= Dollar Amt. of Vehicle to be Financed

Thats a bit detailed, but basically, what you need to know is that you SHOULD BE PAYING NO MORE than $100 over invoice for this car, and you SHOULD GET ANY INCENTIVE (REBATE) currently available in this region.

Please feel free to email me at jmc415@psu.edu if I lost you, or you have any other question. Dealers in Central NJ can be real a**holes, so you've got to be careful.

~alpha

PS- Please note the Accord EX 4 w/Side Curtains is as good or better a car in many ways than the Camry XLE 4, and you get more features (like pwr. moonroof to boot). Perhaps use this vehilce as bargaining leverage.

masspector · November 2003

I have to disagree with your posts. I have an 03 4 cyl xle.

Alpha, i totally respect your input here, but I did not have to go any further than looking at an accord ex in a grocery store parking lot to tell that it was no match for the camry. Wayyy smaller, in my opinion. It may have more features for the money, but the interior and trunk are smaller. This roominess was important to me.

Also IMHO the le is no comparison to the xle. It may be minor issues, but the interior of the xle is much nicer to me. I love the wood and I hate the parking brake in the center console of the LE. I also do not like the std climate contols of the LE. if you could get all of the xle features as options on the LE then I might agree, but the std equipment on the xle to me is worth the price difference. If you just need a good daily driver, the LE is perfect. However if you want a much cheaper Lexus clone, then the xle with the premium plus pkg fits the bill nicely. Another poster attested to the fact that she test drove the camry xle and the es300 and could hardly tell a difference except for the 10K price difference.

I drove the v6 and the 4 cyl camry. In my case getting the v6 was going to add 3K to my price. For that 3k I would have gotten the v6 and a sunroof. I could hardly tell the difference, the 4 cyl was fine. Having owned the 4 cyl xle since june I can say it drives as well or better than my old v6 sable. It is a little slower from a dead stop, but is still more than adequate. Once above 30 miles an hour I think it performs better than my old v6.

fsmmcsi · November 2003

I am 6' 1" and my wife is 5' 10" so we are taller than average, but not very tall. We found that Honda ('03-'04 Accord)and Mazda ('03 - '04 6) force you to have a sunroof if you want the side / head air bags. That would be OK, except that with the sunroof I do not fit in either car. I do fit with the seat reclined way back, trouble-maker style. My neck was hurting after a test drive of the Honda. The Camry is no problem - I fit just fine with the sunroof.

The best value Camry is the SE V6 - you get better handling than is available on the LE or XLE, avoid options which are not needed (e.g. automatic air conditioning, which still always needs to be adjusted, and leather seats, which are hotter and colder than cloth). The most expensive Camry of all is the Lexus ES330. A 2004 Camry SE V6 with options GU (side air bags and stability control), XV (power pedal), PV (floor mats), CM2 (automatic day/night mirror with compass), DJ (premium sound system), W7 (subwoofer), and WL (wheel locks) has a sticker price of just $26,312, and an invoice price of just $23,259. It is a far better car than many which cost far more.

nw1997 · November 2003

I have to totally agree with your post. The Camry SE V6 is a great deal. We had an RX300 with the automatic climate control, what a HUGE waste, it was never set correct and once you touch the settings the sytem comes off of auto-climate control and works like a manual system. We found that 90% of the time the system worked manually, because I prefered to run the system with the recirculation on especially during NYC midtown traffic. As I mentioned, once you touch certain items on the system like recirculation or fan speed the system becomes manual. Lastly, we are in the process of purchasing an SE V6 with nearly all the options that the ES330 comes, including navigation at invoice pricing which will include a reduction in pricing because of incentives and rebates at time of delievery.

Later

alpha01 · November 2003

Fssmmcsi and nw1997- I couldnt agree with you more. The SE has the right combination of features, ride, handling, and looks that really knock the LE and XLE down, espcially considering that V6 models now offer the outstanding 3.3L 225hp V6 with 5 sp. auto. Compared to their 4 cylinder compatriots, the SE Camrys also offer more than the LE and XLE also.

NW1997- Congrats on your new SE V6! If you dont mind, please give us a detail on the options, MSRP, and your negotiated vehicle price (including rebates, but before tax, title, license, trade). What color did you choose?

Fsmmcsi-"A 2004 Camry SE V6 with options GU (side air bags and stability control), XV (power pedal), PV (floor mats), CM2 (automatic day/night mirror with compass), DJ (premium sound system), W7 (subwoofer), and WL (wheel locks) has a sticker price of just $26,312, and an invoice price of just $23,259. It is a far better car than many which cost far more."

This is almost the EXACT Camry I hope to persuade my parents into purchasing when the lease on my dad's Corolla is up! They aren't speed demons, so they might opt for the 4 cyl, which will knock about $2500 off the price(since you cant get the VSC, but need to add ABS).

This said, I do feel that the Accord EX and EX V6 are good matches to the Camry SE and SE V6, since I'm not a tall person and I fit fine. (I especially like the Accord's telescopic wheel!).

Masspector- Yes, we do disagree and that is fine. Personally, I hate leather, have no problem adjusting the manual controls for climate or flipping the day/night switch on the rearview mirror, and I dont care if my passenger needs to manually adjust the seat. I find foot operated parking brakes an annoying Buick-like throwback, and the fake wood in the XLE is NOWHERE close to looking real. PLUS, the cloth is the same as the LE, and not as modern looking or grippy as the SE. So, we have different preferences. If you dont need the extra space (something like 3 or 4 cubic feet), the Accord EX is A LOT more car for the money at least at MSRP. But the Accord doesnt have the incentives, so then again, it comes down to preferences.

Whoever said they couldnt tell the difference between the Camry and an ES is crazy- the ES has an interior, with that beautiful dark wood and electroluminescent gauge cluster that rivals vehicles cost twice as much, and NO CAMRY comes close to it.

~alpha

2013 and Earlier - Toyota Camry Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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