Lexus RX 330 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

njexpress · August 2003

WHOA!!! That sounds like a really swell deal! Congratulations!! Could you please give me more info? Is it an AWD? What state was this in? Who was the dealer? Was the price before or after taxes? How was the sales experience? My Yahoo! eMail ID is karthik_ts@yahoo.com. I would really appreciate it if you could do that for me...
If you feel uncomfortable mailing my personal account, I would still appreciate it if you could provide as much info as permitted in the town hall ;0)
Thanks in advance!

alanek · August 2003

I've had my RX330 w/Perf/Nav for a few weeks and so far its been great. Sometimes you have to play with the faster vs shorter route but it shows you the 2 routed and you pick which one. It is easy to use once you've played with it for a while. Far superior to my BMW.
The touch screen speeds up input to a point where I think i could do without the overly sensitive voice inputs like the Acura and BMW.
However two main problems are not being able to search while moving and not being able to search by City(if there is a way to do this please let me know).

jeffmust2 · August 2003

Had the RX300 Nav for almost three years now and it fails less than 1% of the time. Great system.

Lot better than reading a map and it does lots of stuff no map can do.

If you're the type that always know where you're going - don't buy it. For the rest of us, it's great. You do have to stop the vehicle if you want to enter a new go-to address and determine its route - but that's a legal decision by Lexus and it's completely overshadowed by how beneficial and vital the Nav becomes for most drivers.

adpcs · August 2003

I have the navigation system in my 2001 RX, and it is awesome. It works just about every time (99.9%) to perfection. I live in Houston, which is very detailed though. The next two cars I buy (a RX330, and a G35), both will have navigation, no question about it.

vasu_21401 · August 2003

Hi
I am in the market for new RX330. The color I want is Flint Mica or Bamboo Pearl with Light Gray interior. Options are Premium Plus + NAV + RSES. I am in Maryland area and am interested in getting quotes from VA, MD, DC, DE, NJ and NY area. Any interested dealers can send e-mail to vasu_21401@hotmail.com. Also, if anybody got leads (like other sites/dealers), please send it me also. Thank you for all your help.

Vasu

stever · August 2003

Try a blast email with the Get Free Price Quotes link on the main Edmunds.com page.

Steve, Host

cindola1 · August 2003

Hi all, been reading all your posts, very helpfull. I currently own a lexus, so when I checked via email just go get a quick quote on what price I could get, for the 330, white, FWD w/Premium Package, the answer i got was:
"A 2wheel drive with premium package is $39413. Your price is $36828 plus tax,liscense."

What do you all think?
Thanks for your input.

klcc · August 2003

Where is you location? If you are in Dallas/Fort Worth area, you should able to get another 400 discount.

cindola1 · August 2003

In Southern California, the dealership I emailed is in Torrance.

cindola1 · August 2003

PS
They did say the price was because of the Golden Opportunity thru Sept 2nd, and it would go up after then I think.

tomjava · August 2003

try to email Lexus of Oxnard. Last week, I bought RX330 awd, perf. pkg + nav for $4,000 off.

Good Luck.

mgabel2 · August 2003

I'm thinking of jumping from the 2004 Highlander to a base model RX 330 (with the roof rack and towing option). I was told it would be a 4 month wait and was quoted "around" 35K. Any advice here?

jeffmust2 · August 2003

You can do better if you're buying in the L.A. area.

I spent a few days on the phone and emails last week and surveyed most of the dealers in Greater L.A. - Lexus of Riverside's internet dept. was the most aggressive by far. They're getting 30-40 RXs per month but many are pre-sold, as at other dealers.

I take delivery later this week - so Good Luck to you and let us know how you do!

cotmc · August 2003

Correct me if I'm wrong, but at $39,413 MSRP, you are looking at a Premium Plus Package with the 18" wheels, correct? That is the exact same configuration I purchased at the end of June.

The good thing is that you are in the right place! The dealers in your area are discounting the RX's. I live in Arizona. The dealers in our state wouldn't come close to the Southern Cal dealer quotes. I had one local dealer quote me only $500 off of MSRP. Gee, thanks, but NO THANKS, eh? We ended up taking a vacation to San Diego, and on the way back, we purchased our RX330 in Ontario. (For the easterners reading this, that's Ontario, California -- not Canada!) All the details were worked out via email and a couple phone calls.

I think $36,828 is a pretty good price. But if you really want to save a few hundred dollars more, try some other dealers. The two lowest bids I received came from Crown Lexus and Longo Lexus. Of course, I wouldn't attempt this excercise until you are ready to buy. Once you're ready, let them know you already have a price of $36.8K, and that you are serious about purchasing right away. If you can wait a couple weeks, you might be able to get the very best deal near the end of the month. Good luck, and please let us all know how everything goes...

cindola1 · August 2003

Thanks for you guy's suggestions. I have emailed about 5-6 dealerships in my area, So Cal, including Oxnard, Cerritos, Riverside, Torrance, etc. I have gotten roughly the same quote from each, with Oxnard being the highest so far, and Keyes Lexus has given me the lowest quote - $36,428, $2985 off MSRP. I'm still waiting on responses from others

And cotmc - you are right, I had asked for a quote for the Premium Package, but it seems everyone is giving me the quote for the Premium Plus instead, and all said basically that there are no more nor are they making any more with just the Premium, only Plus and above models.

I'm hoping i'll get a response with a bit more off the MSRP, closer to $3500-$4000, as someone here got I think. I'll keep you all posted and thanks for the input!

cotmc · August 2003

Yep, back in June I was told that the western region of CA, NV, and AZ would not be receiving any RX330 models without a minimum configuration of the Premium Plus Package and 18" wheels. Ideally, I wanted to save a little extra $$ and buy one with the basic Premium Package, but I finally gave up and accepted the fact we were going to get that wood steering wheel and that power rear liftgate.

Regarding a $3500-$4000 discount, I think it ultimately depends on the option packages. I seriously doubt a $4000 discount is attainable with a Premium Plus Package 2WD model. There isn't as much dealer profit in it as, for example, a $45K Performance Package AWD with NAV, which has nearly a $6000 differential between invoice and sticker. In summary, I think $36,428 is a very good price. But if you enjoy working with these dealers, you still might be able to reduce this quote slightly lower. Based on my experience, as well as other data I've read, I don't think anyone will sell it at $36K or below. Please let me know if you prove me wrong!

Good luck!!

pdangdpm · August 2003

I just took delivery on 8/14/03 on a Neptune Blue colored 2004 RX330 FWD with premium plus package. MSRP $39,413. I got it at $36,528 plus tax, title and licience. In addition, I was able to get 3.59% financing from Lexus during the Golden Opportunities promotion going on through Sept. 2. This is in the Southern California Area if you are interested. Sofar, I love my RX

cindola1 · August 2003

I AM interested in which dealership you got yours at? It sounds like a great price and the best interest rate I've seen so far.

cotmc · August 2003

Congratulations, Peter! That is a very competitive price and an excellent interest rate!

Cindy: I'm always a little nervous about broadcasting specifics on my own purchase, as I don't want the dealers to get too upset with me. To give you another benchmark, my price was $36,228, before TTL. There was no trade-in. The circumstances surrounding this price were extremely favorable for my case. The dealer already had the car on the lot; it was a common color (flint) and configuration (2WD Premium Plus); I purchased on the last day of June; and there was some dealer rivalry involved.

serenoa · August 2003

That's about $1500 better than the best price I have been offered in FL. Did they add any "administrative" or similar fee? My best is 40K out the door on an MSRP of 39023. Sales Tax is 6% plus $50. That's about $1500 off sticker and they agreed to knock off the $489.50 ad fee. What do you think?

cotmc · August 2003

To answer your first question, there was a "Documentation Fee" of about $45 or so. Actually, I was thrilled to find out that fee is so low among the Southern Cal dealers, because most dealers in Arizona charge close to $300!! I can't believe the AZ dealers all get away with charging $300 for..., what would you guess? -- maybe one hour of administrative work?

By the way, your sales tax is significantly less than either Arizona or Southern California. We pay between 7.5% and 8.25%, I believe. (Tucson AZ may be slightly less.)

From what I can tell, that $489.50 fee sounds like additional dealer profit. Usually a dealer doesn't mention advertising fees unless you're negotiating from dealer invoice. When negotiating from MSRP, they shouldn't be mentioning any ad fee, imo! In any case, it is good they are dropping that fee for you.

As far as $1500 off of sticker, I really can't say if that is very good for your regional Lexus market. I only know the Arizona and Southern California markets. $1500 off MSRP would be considered very good here in Arizona and Nevada, but not so good in Los Angeles (due to all of the Lexus dealers and their sales volume). On the other hand, I've noticed among several forums that many dealers back east are discounting only $500 to $1000, even on the fully-optioned higher-profit models. Hence, $1500 may be a very good discount for your area.

sng · August 2003

Hi, everyone.

Thanks in advance for your input. I am in the market for a new RX 330 and would like to know where I can get the best deal in the San Francisco Bay Area.

mukkamala · August 2003

Bought RX 330 Silver exterior with Ivory/Black interior/AWD with premium plus & Nav & RainSensing Wipers with HS & Towing & 18" Alloy. Wondering if 2500 < MSRP
was a good deal considering this was
the only vehicle in bayare with this color
combination(wife badly wanted this combo).We were also looking for Nav without Rear Entertainment
One of my best buying experiences
so far..

-h

sng · August 2003

Hey Mukkamala,

Congratulations! Could you please tell me which dealer you worked with to get that great price?! If you want, you can email me at stsng@gene.com

Thanks!

devsbox · August 2003

Hi,

I am in the market for RX 330 AWD, Premium Package Plus, Millenium white. I got a quote back from 2 dealership in the bay area for 42,200 before taxes, lic. I assume that this was not a good deal from the your postings??? If any one who can give me some advise on how much should I pay, I will be grately appreciated.

Thank a bunch !

jeffmust2 · August 2003

...lot more competition in So. CA area between Longo, Crown, and Lexus of Riverside. Email all three and see who has got your congfiguration and color without a "sold" sign on the windshield.

And have a great 400-mile drive northward.

mukkamala · August 2003

Hi Sng,

Dealership where I bought was Magnussens Lexus
in fremont. I will send a email directly
with contact information. It didn't take
me that long with negotiation process and
they were'nt pushy at all. Overall my wife
and I were pleasantly surprised.

cheers
mukkamala

devsbox · August 2003

Thanks for the advise Jeffmust2.

Seems like the prices for the RX330 are not as competitive as I thought up here in the bay area.

tomtomtom · August 2003

Go to Lexus website and get all email addresses of the fleet/ internet manager from the Bay Area dealers. Send them an email stating what you want and how much you want to pay for it (resonable). Chances are you will get at least two calls by the end of the day.

JPham · August 2003

I just started selling Lexuses (Lexi?) and
devsbox, $42,200 is above MSRP for that config ... if I recall correctly. That's not a good deal at all.

Mukamala, that is a good price ... Sil/Blk is very hard to find.

superdon · August 2003

I just got mine with PP, AWD, 18's, heated seats for $39,000 out the door in Northern, VA I felt pretty good about the deal

njexpress · August 2003

That sounds like a wonderful deal!! I would drive to VA to get that deal anyday!! 39 FLAT!!! unbeleivably good! What was your price below MSRP? Could you also confirm the tax %age in your state of residence? How was the dealer? I can contact thm right away!!
I would genuinely appreciate your feedback.

njexpress · August 2003

I am really interested in making the kind of deal you just got; I would walk to Va from NJ to get that that price;0)
I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me more details.
TIA!
--njexpress.

sng · August 2003

Hi JPham,

Can you please share if you think $43988 MSRP - $2500 for a Black Forest/Maple, AWD, NAV is a good deal for the bay area? If not, what should I try to get?

Thanks

superdon · August 2003

I have change my original post. I paid $39,428 out the door. I got a Flint Mica RX330 with AWD, PT PACKAGE PLUS, HEATED SEATS, AUTO WIPERS, 18 INCH WHEELS. IT WAS STICKERED AT 41,4?? (LINDSAY LEXUS)

njexpress · August 2003

Thank You, Superdon!I will contact them next. Can I annoy you with a couple more questions?
1) When you say, 39,428 out the door - I am assuming there was no towing package, Correct?
2) What was the price below MSRP?
3) What is the percentag of taxes paid?
4) What additional fees did you pay?
It would really help if you answered these so, I can contact them right away!

Thanks once again!!

JPham · August 2003

That's a fair price ($2500 over invoice) for a relatively hard-to-find color Blk Forest/Ivory.
They don't make that many (maybe four a month?)out here on the left coast. The dealer has it in stock or is this an order?

tomtomtom · August 2003

Call up those dealers in S. Cal to see what kind of deal they offer. I am sure you can get a better one over there. $875 can ship a car from New York to here (Bay Area).

njexpress · August 2003

Hey folks!
After some 15 emails back and forth between me and the sales person from the aforementioned dealership, I was told that "none has bought a 2004 Lexus RX330 for that dollar amount from us. That is almost $3000 below market value. Someone is providing false information or there is some sort of miscommunication."
Superdon, I would rather beleive you, my good friend ;0)
My quest for the nex new car continues; I was prepared to buy either the FX or the Murano last week, if I could find a good deal on dealer demos but, everything fizzled. They are not being discounted enough...
So, here i am, back to prowling the forums ;0)
Cheers!
--njexpress

sng · August 2003

Hi, which dealer are you working with?

$3200 off MSRP is fantastic, even with $300 more, that is $2900 off! Please share your car stats and dealer.

Thanks!

JPham · August 2003

"Gave me a bunch of bs saying that the transaction from the port to the new dealer didn't process in time"

I don't know how much time transpired but this can happen. While the vehicle is onboard the ship, dealers can petition to reroute specific vehicles to their dealership (that's part of the $575 destination charge -- not shipping charge as noted). So if your dealer didn't do it in time or didn't get his request fulfilled, someone has to pay for the extra transport cost. Since he gave you all the discount he wants to give, he wants you to foot the bill. Still, $2900 is a very nice discount for a 4WD, Premium Pkg, 18-in wheels, Tow, Heated Seats, Cargo Mat, and Wheel locks. What color is it?

katherine6 · August 2003

Hi all-

I'm new to discussion fora, but have been watching this forum and find it full of great info. I'd like your input. I'm planning to buy an RX 330 which will be my first car purchase in 18 years. I plan to buy on the west coast where some of you have found discounts, and have it shipped to the Boston area where discounts are minimal.

Economically it makes sense....
But then I picture my RX being offloaded in front of my house and me trying to figure out how to unwrap it , understand the controls, etc. Will I even be able to unlock it? Aren't there things like keys to be programmed, etc.? (My 18 y/o car doesn't have to much in the way of gadgets that aren't pretty obvious.) What if it arrives with dings or smudges? What do/should dealers do to prepare both the car and the customer?

In addition, I don't want to annoy my local Lexus dealers. Before I make the purchase final I'll give them a chance to meet a west coast offer, but I'm doubtful they will sell at west coast prices.

Any thoughts or advice would really be appreciated.

thanks,
Katherine

tomtomtom · August 2003

Depends on how much you can save by buying the RX330 from the West Coast. You will need to pay $800-$1000 for the trucking from West to East. So unless the Bosox dealer charging you over MSRP or the West Coast dealer giving you more than $3000 off MSRP. You might end up saving only a little.

jeffmust2 · August 2003

But if she gets $3000 off MSRP in the West...and would have to pay $1000 extra freight to Boston...that's $2000 net off MSRP.

If her local dealers won't budge, say, more than a courtesy $500 discount below MSRP....she saves $1500 net for the time and trouble to buy 2700 miles away.

And I wouldn't worry about the attitude of local dealers - that probably refers to the sales folks and you'll be dealing with the service people and they (usually) don't care where your Lexus came from because they get paid the same. And it should arrive in perfect condition - after all, where do the Lexus dealers in MA get their vehicles from? Probably Japan-to-West Coast seaports - and then overland trucked or by rail to MA anyway.

That $1500 savings is probably in the area of three monthly payments. Important to some (like me!) and not too important to others. But if she's checking out this board...probably important $$ to her!

The internet manager I bought from (Lexus of Riverside) told me they sell about 50-60 units a month and ship many of them out-of-state.

Jeff

katherine6 · August 2003

From what I see here I can expect about $2,500 discount on west coast for AWD Prem+. Boston may give $500 discount. If I pay $900 for shipping I save $1100- a little more than 1/2 of the MA 5% sales tax. My real concern is what will I be missing by not picking car up from dealer?

katherine6 · August 2003

So I can have the RX delivered to my house and take it to the local Lexus service department to have all the new car prep done? Or should the selling dealer do all of that? And what does the prep consist of anyway?
Should I ask to have it delivered directly to the local lexus service dept? Sorry to be so obtuse. I guess you have to buy cars at less than 18 year intervals to know what you're doing.
Thanks again for this forum's help.

jeffmust2 · August 2003

Your best bet is to contact some of the West Coast dealer's internet managers to go over your questions. I doubt that they will want another dealer to get involved because that costs them money - but I have no first hand knowledge on this score.

katherine6 · August 2003

I'll ask the west coast folks and post any info here.
Katherine

rx4me · August 2003

I got Silver/Black w/walnut.

Btw, are you willing to disclose which Lexus dealership you work at?

JPham · August 2003

If you buy it from the West Coast dealer, make sure they PDI it (pre delivery inspection) so you don't have to peel the plastics, etc. before they ship it. All you have to do is learn how to use the car through reading the manual ... hell, call your local Lexus dealer for help. If they pride themselves on service as all Lexus dealerships do then they'll help you ... especially if you'll be their service customer.

Lexus RX 330 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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