2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Prices Paid and Buying Experience

glavinsolo · August 2005

Just bought one.

2006 Corolla S --- BASE 14,344
----------------------
Phantom Grey Pearl
Automatic
ABS---------------------------------------------335
Extra value package 1--------------------810
Window Tint----------------------------------149
Leather seats--------------------------------824
Power Moonroof with side airbags--1159
carpet floor mats/cargo mat--------------98
VIP plus security system----------------219
=$18,957.20+$300 mark up above invoice

Did I do good?

Kirstie_H · August 2005

A reporter is interested in speaking with former VW owners who switched to Honda, Toyota or Hyundai recently. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday, August 30, 2005 with your daytime contact info and a few words about your decision.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

misskitty · August 2005

Can you tell me which dealership you purchased from?

Thanks,

glavinsolo · August 2005

Sure, Precision Toyota off of Fletcher. It is apparently coming straight from the factory since you can't find one with all those options in it in the southeast.

baltychen · August 2005

I paid 13,588.00 (out-of-door) at Claremont Toyota, California on June 15, 2005 which includes the following:
1. Auto 2. Air 3. Floor mat 4. Life time oil change 5. 3 days 2 nights cruise
Love this car. With air on I got 32-34 miles per gallon. :P

tiroteo · August 2005

I recently bought a Corolla and had every trick thrown at me. Bait and switch, false disclosure of fees, lack of availability. The dealer even had the wrong amount computed for tax (of course too high). Make sure to bring a calculator with you when you buy!

human · August 2005

Sounds like you got a great deal! "out-the door" means tax included right? How did you go about getting that deal?

As of today, for the same area (Claremont, CA), CarsDirect.com lists the price for $13,216, which includes $540 for destination but no options.

To match your setup I would have to add:
$740 for auto
$55 for floor mats
$1300 approx. for tax, title, and lic.
Total = $15,300

I'd be happy to pay what you paid even without the lifetime oil change and cruise bonus.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

baltychen · September 2005

My price include minus $500.00 rebate. I saw the ads now it increased $800.00 so now the out of door price is 1,4388.00.

Out of door meant I hand them a check and drive the car home.

The sales department I purchased the car was from Asian Sales Dpt.

Good luck.

redacr · September 2005

here's the deal i got today, and take delivery wednesday 9/7...
silver 06' S manual trans with:
FE-federal emissions
CK-all weather guard
EV-am/fm 6 cd
AB- abs
SR- sunroof
VP- extra value package
msrp is 17,900
got it for 16,500minus 10,250 trade in allowance on my 56k mile wrx with extensvie key damage.
not included is my college grad rebate of 400, 45 doc fee and ttl.
it was tough finding a stick car as many 06's are arriving.

sv7887 · September 2005

Hi all,
I actually am a Lexus LS400 owner that was on his way to the Lexus dealer today to get another car to replace my aged 1992. I decided to stop by at the Toyota dealer that is next door (Owned by the same people). I saw a little car in the corner and asked the salesman to let me drive it.. What a great car! I leased it on the spot!
I ended up getting a CE listed at $15570. The deal was $230 Mo including all taxes and gap, plus $750 down. (Agreed price was $14520) I also paid an additional $232 for new plates, runner's fee, tax on the deposit and dealer fees. It's an 2006 so I'll have to wait a few days before I can get it. This is the first time in a long time I've been so excited to get a car! The dealer is Toyota of Watertown in MA.

SV

lottoguy · September 2005

Here is the following information that may help others:
Purchased a new 2006 Toyota Corolla S
Options selected:
Automatic
Extra Value Package
Moonroof
Price paid: $16,838
Price out the door: $18,071 includes all taxes, fees, etc.
Where? Libertyville Toyota, Illinois

Only had 3 on the entire lot and this car is a very hot seller right now because of the high price for gasoline. Salesman told me the average time a new Corolla stays on the lot is 48 hours. By far their best seller, and the reason why you will not see any kind of rebate on this vehicle right now. Very happy with the purchase and sales staff. Would do business again.

dhfran · September 2005

I received a price of $16,900 on a 2006 LE with ABS, Side airbags, cruise control,all weather guard package . This does not include tax. Is this in the ballpark?

sr45 · September 2005

Ordered 06 LE with Anti Lock brakes, rear spoiler, JBL sound, mude guards, mats, Dim rear view mirror, cruise control for $17,029.00 before taxes and dealer fee ( $499.00 here in Florida ). Once it arrives, I'll try to get it down a bit more, but I think you are in the ball park with your 06.

I did not get the side air bags or all weather guard or fancy wheels either

corolla4kiki · September 2005

Tomorrow i pick up the 2003 corolla le i put a down payment on the other day. I checked out other cars but fell i love with the corolla le., i liked the ce, too, but with little children i wanted power windows that i could lock (little hands love rolling windows down!), so anyway, i didn't really haggle as well as i could have b/c i love the car, i can't afford brand new LE, could afford brand new CE, but like i said, i want an LE, so we are going for the 2003 model with 38,000 miles on it. The sticker price was 16,999, but we got it for 13,300, plus i put 2000 down and 500 for my sentra trade in, so our out the door price was about 11,800 (including PA tax, tags, etc). The car has cruise, and is a certified preowned with one previous owner. Edmunds lists it worth about 13500, just checking to see if this is the usual going rate for a 2003 LE? I was willing to take whatever they threw at me b/c i loved it too much, and b/c they had about 15 on their lot 2 weeks ago and now they have only 2, they said that with the gas shortage it's getting to be more competitve buying a fuel efficient car...i'm happy with my buy regardless, at least i didn't pay that outrageous sticker price! Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow and call it mine!!

sr45 · September 2005

You are paying about $4,000 less than my brand new 06 Corolla LE, anti lock brakes, Dim rear view mirrors, JBL system, Floor mats, Real spoiler, cruise control, and Anti-theft system. Thought it should be less for the 03 model with 38,000 miles.... Just thinking out loud..... Good luck :confuse:

sdjosh · September 2005

Not to stir up more controversy, but I need some advice on waiting for 06 Civic prices to come domn versus buying a Corolla LE. I posted this today in a couple of forums.

(posted at Edmunds and TOV) Hope this information is helpful

My wife and I test drove a silver, automatic 06 EX sedan in San Diego today at about 2pm. The dealer weve been speaking to was nice enough to call to set up a test drive after the exact model we put a small down payment on came in early. These models were built in Japan, instead of the US. There were several at the dealer we went to, and supposedly some at another dealer further south. No sedan brochures out, but I was able to get the coupe/si one a few days ago.

Driving Impressions: Overall, an excellent car. A lot of this is subjective, but I am guessing the car will be well received after people start seeing more of them. It seemed Substantial in person in terms of aesthetics, but compact overall. It is very aerodynamic, even on the inside. The body is somewhat Prius-like from some angles. The dash appeared huge, as did the digital odometer display. No flickering, no sunlight wash-out, just nice. The alloy wheels looked beautiful, and quite large. It was spacious inside, but not much more so than the 05 Corolla or Civic. Storage and armrest comfort appeared great, and the steering wheel position was much better than the Corolla. Trunk is smaller than the Corolla, but the rear seats fold more flatly. The Ipod aux jack seemed well placed, but I couldnt figure out what kind of cord it would be mated with (not a Y cord).

The drive was refined, and pick-up seemed at least adequate. Road and engine noise was expectedly noticeable, but improved compared to the last Civic. We did not clock any freeway time, but got to drive it at about 55mph (forgot to look at the cruising tach reading). All controls and instruments worked well. I would have liked to have seen the interior at night, but even a brief glimpse of it in a well shaded area evoked a wow, cool. The engine compartment is tiny. Our salesman seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the car and its features, and was not aggressive. By the end of the test drive and other snooping around, we both agreed that this model/color was likely to be our next car but when?

Well, not too soon it appears. We knew they were going to be asking MSRP, and the previously posted prices ($19,060 plus $550 destination charge) were spot on. We asked for $18,500 and the dealer did not move one cent, admitting that the next test drive appointment was likely to buy the car today if we didnt. We were prepared for this, and ended up asking them to call us later if some compromise could be made. This was, of course, predictable.

The thing is, we really liked the car, but that price doesnt seem fair when looking at similarly equipped competition, and especially in considering that the novelty of being the first one on the block wears off pretty quickly. Not to mention the risk of reliability issues in buying a first year model after the redesign, and the lack of published crash safety results (although they should be good). Yet another bummer is the higher APRs offered by both the dealer and our credit union. 2.9 for a Corolla, 5.9 for the Civic.

This is not to say that the price was obscene, just a little out of range for the moment. We expect other buyers will be reasonable, and that prices will drop by or near the end of the year. Any advice or input on how to get closer to invoice would be greatly appreciated, and we hope this information is helpful. Thanks, and good luck!

corolla4kiki · September 2005

Hi. Thanks for your reply...i would've liked a brand new car, but $17k was out of our price range right now (i'm a stay at home mom finishing college), so we're on one income and could only afford a certain amount, and couldn't go over it. We looked everywhere for used 2003+ Corolla LE's and there were only two in our 50 mile radius, and then there was one, and we grabbed it before it was gone, every other used Corolla in our year range was CE's or S's. Seems the LE owners don't want to give them up. I mean, it is a nice car and feels new, they are right when they call it a "baby lexus", it did come with all the extra options except moonroof, abs, and side airbags. I was glad to pay the tmv for it and no more, i would've liked about a thousand less, but i'm happy overall with the buy considering it was the only one in our area and had everything i wanted (although a moonroof or sunroof would've been nice!). In a few years when another baby comes along, we'll be trading in our Jeep for a Sienna, so we'll see how that goes, maybe we could at the same time trade in this car and get a newer model w/ moonroof, i know dealers like Toyota loyal 2 car families. Anyway, thanks for the input!!

sedanguy · September 2005

Looking to purchase a 2005 Corolla CE from dealer stock as its year end clearance time. Can anyone share their recent purchase price from a Michigan Toyota dealer (or other Midwest Toyota dealer) for this model? Want the standard CE model with Weather Guard package. Will also consider an LE model depending on how good the deal is.

Thanks to all
Sedanguy

lotus8 · September 2005

Hi everyone, its been a long time since i have had to buy a car. I have had my civic CRX for the last 16 years, 235k miles on it and its time to look for a new car, (the CRX is getting tired or i am tired of It) anyway I was at Toyota looking at the Corolla CE, sticker was i think 15,900.00 and i got them to agree to zero money down, No down payment All tax tag title and whatever else they would charge out the door for $270.00 a month for 72 month term. Is that a good deal? I am asking if figure that the tax is just about 1k and everything else must me about 500.00 so i think the total finance price would be just over 16k that would mean i am getting the car for 14.5k i am thinking, Toyota guy said he is losing 1100.00 dollars on the deal. i dont know. but anybody have any thoughts?? Oh yea the Ce had power door locks, and cruise, with a cd player, that i can remember. it drove very nice and in Florida there are not many new 05 on the lots this is one of the last ones. what do you think.

Kirstie_H · September 2005

Are you currently shopping for a vehicle? If so, a reporter would like to talk with you to learn how important fuel efficiency is to you as you make your decision.
Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, September 14, 2005 with a few thoughts on the subject.

sr45 · September 2005

In response to the 03 corolla le, I just thought 13,000 was too much, but I guess they do keep the value longer than many other vehicles. Hope my new one will as well. I had the 03 model and it ran and ran without problems. Good luck with the 03 corolla4kiki

corolla4kiki · September 2005

Thanks...Have had the car since Saturday and i just can't wait to get out and drive it and see what kind of great gas mileage i'm going to get (our other vehicle is a Jeep!), and i also think it's fun to drive (i'm no sports car driver), it's just fun for me-and my husband who prefers it over the jeep! Anyways, thanks.

rosetta · September 2005

I want to buy a used Corolla, everyone suggests it to me. But all dealer's used car are really over priced. a 2001 corolla with 86k mi costs around 9,000. Can't believe it.
Anyone knows where i can post my wanted and may meet some private seller?
Thanks!

kyfdx · September 2005

Try Autotrader

Your impressions about used Corolla prices are right on the money, though... Very expensive as a used car... You might also check out the Chevy Prizm. It is a virtual twin to the Corolla, and is usually several thousand dollars cheaper as a used car.

regards,
kyfdx

rosetta · September 2005

Thanks,kzfdx!
Any information for 2006 new car?

kyfdx · September 2005

Sure...

Start here: 2006 Toyota Corolla

regards,
kyfdx

ghulet · September 2005

I don't know where you live, but a few comments:

$15900 MSRP sounds like a lot for a Corolla CE (even an '06; this is the base model); was it a stick or automatic? Any options?

When negotiating a price, try not to get the PRICE of the car entwined with the financing terms or the tax or the fees. These are separate issues; I mean, if the car is $15900, then at 6%, the tax is $954, but if you live in Chicago like me, we pay 9% so it's $1431. Even if you do 'no money down' (that almost never happens, you'll still likely have to pay at least the dealer's fees), the dealer is certainly making money off the financing ($270x72=19440, or ~$3500 over that $15900 sticker, without tax).

Find out the TMV (here on Edmunds) of the 'exact' car you want (trim level, equipment, transmission type), then take that to the dealer, know what tax you should pay, find out the dealer's fees (some of which are negotiable), have financing ready (you're not likely to get the best rate if you have bad credit or with no money down). Good luck.

lmbethke · September 2005

We recently bought a 2006 Toyota Corolla LE, Silver Streak color w/ Audio Upgrade, All-Weather Package, Cruise Control, Floor Mat Package... for $15,344 before destination, tax, title, license and before our incentives were discounted... total cash price, $16,306.75. I feel like we got a great deal.

We're in Milwaukee, WI, taxes run 5.6%.

sr45 · September 2005

We recently bought a 2006 Toyota Corolla LE, Silver Streak color w/ Audio Upgrade, All-Weather Package, Cruise Control, Floor Mat Package... for $15,344 before destination, tax, title, license and before our incentives were discounted... total cash price, $16,306.75. I feel like we got a great deal
------------------------------------------------

That is a great deal.... I was told that my cost for the same things would be $ 15,620 before taxes. This includes Doc fee of $499.00....What incentives did you get anyway, before I put down the bucks... ?

I have a vehicle ( 06 LE ) on order for $ 17,024 with ABS, Spoiler, Mud Guards, Mats, Auto Dimming mirror, and the JBL sound. Thats without shipping cost, Doc fee or tax. I just wanted to see what the cost of a vehicle on the lot while I waited for my vehicle to arrive, and I was quoted the 15,620. Of course, no negotiations at the moment, so the price should come down a bit. But your cost out the door seems very good.

lmbethke · September 2005

Okay, let me know if I did this right:

Sorry I misquoted myself before, the negotiation price was $15,344 which includes the $540 destination fee (all we paid on top of $15,344 was tax, title, license and a service fee), so we paid $14,804 base price for the LE and a few extras (not bad as invoice for ours is $14,787.00) - Is that right, when you guys say what you paid it's before all the destination, fees and ttl?

Then we got $400 added to our down payment for the Recent College Grad incentive... which is from Toyota for any model.

It's my first new car

priyadarshi · September 2005

Hi Recently bought a 05 LE white with sun roof/moon roof, Alloy wheel, 6 Cd changer, cruise control, mats and cargo net for 14400 without tax and fees. I could ger CE 06 with AT and A/C for 13100 without tax and fees , but decided to buy other as it has more feature just for 1300 more. I think it was great deal???

sr45 · September 2005

Wish I were in college and not an older person to get the price break....What am I saying...Don't ever want to be that young again. Too many mistakes made

lmbethke · September 2005

Lotus,

You didn't mention your interest rate, but I am guessing about 6.75% to have a payment like that per month. Not too bad depending on your credit but there are incentives out there if you qualify (2.9%-4.9% depending on loan term). Also, 72 months for the loan seems too long, I have only heard of 24-60 months.

I got the LE model for about $14,800 just over what you are paying for the CE (which is a lower model).

Figure out what your invoice price is on the car you paid (also find invoice price of the options you mention (remember 1-disc CD player is not a bonus as they are standard in all the Corollas)... if you paid near invoice then great.

Also, never negotiate your car price based on monthly payment, as there are many ways they can throw in fees and still make your mo. payment be low (by increasing the loan term which it looks like they did)....

priyadarshi · September 2005

How good is mine deal?? -- LE 05 white, with JBL 6 CD changer and 6 speakers, Cruise control, Aluminium Wheel, power tilt/slide monnroof with inner mirror, carpet floor mat and cargo net - all for 14400 including destination and excluding TAX and fees. I also got 2.9 APR for 36 month. MSRP of this car is 18174 and Invoice was around 16500.

sr45 · September 2005

I thought the JBL system would have 8 speakers not 6 as is my new 06 model. Just a question. How does it sound ? Have not recieved my car yet, and interested... Thanks

m00gambo · September 2005

priyadarshi,

Where are you getting this deal ? I am just starting looking for corolla's in DFW area. I am afraid the dealers here are not discounting corolla's this much.

beantown · September 2005

That deal is bogus. There is no way a new Corolla will sell for $2,000 less than invoice. It just won't happen. Carmax can only do a couple of hundred below invoice and they are usually the cheapest by far.

This is either the quote for a demo/test drive model or he's just making it up.

lmbethke · September 2005

The JBL Audio upgrade is a 6-disc CD-player with 8 speakers
The Value Audio upgrade is a 6-disc CD-player with 6 speakers

They differ in price, my '06 LE has the Value Audio Upgrade and I think it sounds just great.

priyadarshi · September 2005

This is 05 LE, and the car sticker says " JBL 6 CD changer with 6 speakers". 06 LE might hane 8 speakers but I donot have any idea. Any how the sound of my car is great! better than music system at my home.

priyadarshi · September 2005

This deal is not bogus. This is brand new carolla, not a floor model. I actuallt went to buy a 06 Corolla CE and about to get in 13100, but than I saw this car and liked it better. I was able to bargain to 14,400. I even bought my 05 Cienna CE for 19600 including destination and excluding tax and fees, that is about 1900 below invoice(include 1000 cash rebate from factory).

priyadarshi · September 2005

I bought this car in California, ventura county region.
Thanks,

lmbethke · September 2005

Yes, there is a "JBL Audio Package" and "Value Audio Package" for the upgrades on the Corolla.

Both of these packages includes a JBL 6-disc CD player but the difference between the two packages is the 6 and 8 speakers... as I mentioned before. Someone made a comment that they got the JBL upgrade but it only came with 6 speakers or something... well that is called the "Value Audio" upgrade, not the "JBL Audio" upgrade.

sr45 · September 2005

The JBL audio upgrade is $531.00 invoice with 8 speakers, over the normal 6 speaker audio upgrade, but does not mention the JBL name, and going for $180.00 over the $531.00 for JBL. Confused yet ? :confuse:

jeffery88 · September 2005

I'm looking for a 06 Corolla LE auto with Audio value package (VV), All weather guard (CK) and carpet mat.

When comparring the price online, Edmunds gives me $15,327 (destination fee included). But Carsdirect shows a higher invoice of $15,658. MSRP on both sites are the same, $16913. Why is there $331 difference between two? When you guys said you're buying XXX below or above invoice, which one did you refer to?

Thanks

sr45 · September 2005

NADA and Edmunds and the Consumer Reports vehicle print out all have different Invoice prices on the same Corolla LE, and cannot figure for a moment why they are different. Two of the reports have the same MSRP, but one ( Consumer Reports ) is slightly different... Cannot figure out why either. Maybe some are referring to the Invoice that was provided by the Dealership. Thats the one I want to look at and have my copies as well, when the vehicle arrives from Japan.

sr45 · September 2005

Update to my ordered 06 Corolla LE with spoiler, JBL sound system, ABS, mats, splashguard, auto dimming mirrors....I ordered over a month ago, and was told it would be here within 4 to 6 weeks. That has now past, and have been told it may take a couple of more months, not sure. They say its difficult to get the ABS, and JBL on a vehicle from the factory... Ya, right.... I think they just want me to purchase from whats on the lot...

Anyone else have this order delay, buy whats on the lot gimmick ?

beantown · September 2005

I can actually see this happening around here too. For some reason, the 8 speaker JBL isn't immediately available around here because it's not part of any of the set option packages yet. Add on ABS and you're talking even more rare. Just try and ask for the front and back airbags and watch them laugh.

dantheman03 · September 2005

Just got it for $15,078 + (tax, tag, and $99 processing fee) from Carmax at Laurel, Maryland.

priyadarshi · September 2005

What options did you get?

garcia5 · September 2005

I'm looking to buy a corolla S type 2006 and none of the dealers in the TIDEWATER area in virginia carry a 6 CD CHANGER...why is that? do i have to ask for the UPGRADE ??? :confuse:

2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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