Toyota Avalon Prices Paid and Buying Experience

rxdoc · October 2006

NHK,

Since not much has changed between the 2006 and 2007, go to Edmunds website and build the 2006 Avalon Limited with options you want on it and during that process you can punch in the zip code for Phoenix. It has more detailed info on the TMV price than if you try it with the 2007 model. I am also in the Phoenix area and planning to use the "Costco Auto Program." From what I have been told, when you go to the dealer, they will show you the MSRP and the "Costco Members Only" price. Just an FYI, don't forget the 2% holdback of the MSRP the dealer will get when they sell the car in considering your offer to the dealer. The Toyota dealer Costco sent my request to was Larry Miller Toyota. The dealer does not have the car in the color and features we want in stock, so he is working on it. I am not meeting with him for another week and a half. My email is on my profile if you want to compare notes. Good luck.

aj2 · October 2006

After reading all the posts on the Toyota Warranty, i also contacted Greenfield, very good quote from there. However I also contacted Crown Automotive in Kansas, and their quote was even more then 100 dollars less then Greenfield!! for the 7yr/100,000/0 on my Toyota Corolla 05. I would recommend the Crown Automotive in Kansas for the Toyota extended warranty!! Best quote out of at least 5 dealerships i've contacted.

fadil · October 2006

Today, I almost got a deal for an Avalon 07 XL. The deal breaker was a dealership offer (after I asked them)to install leather on an XL for a fantastic price of 2,900 dollars and heaters for 400. After my initial surprise with the leather price and my confrontation with the dealer about it, they went down to 1,449 dollars (there explanation was that an Avalon is a large car and that they had to put a leather inserts in the doors too).

fadil · October 2006

Sorry, I forgot to post a question. What would be a good price for leather and hiters to be installed by delarship on an XL?

tjc78 · October 2006

Just my 2 cents but wouldn't it just be more cost effective to try to strike a deal on a Touring model? It wouldn't be that much more than the XL with leather and comes with a lot more features. 17" Wheels, HID headlights, nicer trim inside, leather wrapped steering wheel, etc.

maniax · October 2006

I just bought an Avalon 2007 limited with 0.0% financing last week. I just want to know if I got a good deal. I got the limited with the following options: dynamic cruise control, navigation system, VSC, alloy wheel locks and the carpet rugs. On edmunds.com, the invoice comes out to 33,221. I paid for the car (before taxes) 35,000. With taxes it pretty much came out to MSRP. I started to get this gut feeling that I got a bad deal, the only thing that consoled me was that I paid about $2500 under TMV. It seems that if I really busted my [non-permissible content removed] I could have got the car for 34,000, but I don't think I could have gotten any better than that. What do you guys think? Did I get taken?

smith1 · October 2006

Is 0% financing a current Toyota-sponsored incentive on Avalons, or just a dealer-specific thing?

fadil · October 2006

Where did you get 0% financing?

smith1 · October 2006

There is no Toyota-sponsored 0% financing at the present time. The current Toyota deal on 2006 and 2007 Avalons is 3.9%/3 years, 4.9%/4 years, 5.9%/5 years.

"Zero percent" dealer financing just means the dealer is paying part of the interest out of his profit, which he can do when selling at $1700 over invoice as with maniax's deal.

steve326a · October 2006

I'm about to leave MA tomorrow night or Fri early AM for VA. I'm finally gonna go to hopefully get my 97 XLS! It has all the toys. Don't know about VSC or not until I get there. I will examine the car from bumper to bumper with a fine toothed comb. If all goes well and we agree on an OTD price, I will have saved between 1400-2000 even after travel expenses. For those who are looking for a used Avy because you can't afford new or even close to it, look around. Don't be afraid to scan any distance. You can get the car for at least 1000 less than where you are. I don't know why New England is so high on prices. One dealer wanted 10k for the exact same car with higher mileage than mine. Stay tuned folks. I'll give an update after I get back.

Steve

smith1 · October 2006

Only Mercedes, Cadillac and (I think) Vettes had VSC in 1997 -- Avalon did not.

tpalmer1 · October 2006

I purchased a similarly-equipped 06 Limited about 5 months ago and paid invoice ($34,108) with no notable junk fees. I think invoice is still the going price. Assuming you paid invoice and the $1,700 that you paid over invoice was effectively a finance charge, your effective finance rate is 1.95%: $35,000 financed, with an average balance of $17,500 over a typical 5-year ammortization gives you an annual finance charge of $340/year. 1.95% is less than half of the best credit union rates.

In sum, you did just fine. Even if you had paid cash, you'd be foolish to pay cash when you can finance at 2% and invest in a 5-year CD at over 5% today. You effectively paid invoice and financed the principal at 1.95%. You did better than I did. I paid invoice and effectively financed at 3.9%.

rxdoc · October 2006

I went through the Costco Buying Program and met with a sales rep with Larry Miller Toyota here in Phoenix. The Costco members price for a 2007 Avalon is $1000 over the invoice price, but it is not the invoice price that you get when you build the car on Costco's or Edmunds website. They go by the "Toyota manufacturer's invoice price." This includes the addition of $604 for TDA (advertising fee), $10 for 3 gallons of gas, $681 for a holdback fee and $340 for a financial reserve charge to the invoice price you get for the car from the price on the Costco Autobuying website. This raised the invoice price by $1635. Their standard document fee charge is $369.90. I told the sales rep that I would not be paying for their advertising fees, it is absurd that they are charging me a holdback fee for about the same amount they will get from Toyota when they sell the car and that I will not be paying $369.90 for "doc fees." The sales rep said that there was nothing he could do about any of these charges, and with respect to the "doc fees," he even said that it is illegal in Arizona for an individual to registier a new car, implying that it could only be done by the dealer and that I had no choice, unbelievable. Needless to say, he did not get a sale today. Just thought I would pass this along to try and help anyone else from going through the same disappointing process.

rpfingsten · October 2006

Hello Gentlemen: Let me just say that I have now had my XLS for alittle over a month now, and I think this car is wonderful. As a rule, I don't buy cars very often, about once every ten years... yes I tend to keep them awhile, but then again, I also treat them with TLC.... Since I don't buy and sell cars very often, I'm not sure that my deal was a great one ( or even a good one for that matter ) or not..
The sticker on my XLS was 33,320 After what seemed like pulling teeth ( toyota really dosnt like to dicker ) the most I could get them to come off the price of the car was 3,389 dollars bringing the cars cost to 29,930.93 Of course you have to add back in taxes and other fees, which brought the car back to 32,241.36 less a 6 grand trade in I ended up financing 26,241.86 but the actual haggled down price of the car, not including all the other crap and trade in, was 29,930.93 I don't know if that's considered a good price for an avalon or not, I do know that I could have gotten the buick lucerne for about 2,000 less, but that was an 06, and my avalon is an 07. Not to mention that even though I liked the Buick, the Avy was my first choice.

Roland

bobwiley · October 2006

Roland: What options did you get on the XLS? The MSRP for an 07 XLS is $31,325--so if your MSRP was $33,220--you got approximately $1,900 in options. The invoice price on a "plain jane" XLS is $27,565. Even if the dealer sold the car as a"plain jane" model, there's a 3% Holback on the MSRP--so on the $$31,325 XLS invoice, the dealer made $31,325 X .03%=$940 in his pocket--plus what he makes off your trade. So figuring your vehicle with $1,900 in options (retail--not invoice price) added to the XLS invoice of $27,565 you come to $29,465--you paid $29,931.
I'm sure with a bit more haggling and quote from another dealer you cpould have saved a few bucks. But, are you happy--if so--keep smiling cause ya got a great car! Just go on the Edmunds site and you can see what the invoice price of your car would be with the options you have--I bet there's only a few bucks difference! Enjoy the Avy!! The only BEST DEAL is if you have a rich unvle who owns a car dealership and is willing to sell the car for TRUE INVOICE---he sells it to you and forgo's the 3% Holdback--then ya have a REAL deal!! If everybody got the BEST deal--the dealers would be out of business!
Bob

guest · October 2006

Hello Bob...

Thanks for the reply... after reading your post, I pulled the paperwork on my avy to find out just what extra options I did have... you were right, the msrp is exactly what you quoted, 31,325.00 Installed options came out to 1360.00 and then I discoverd a charge of 635.00 for delivery, processing and handling.. those figures bring it back up to the original 33,320. As for liking the car... yes, so far so good... I"ve only had it for about a month...but we also have an 06 GMC Envoy that we bought new about 6 months ago. And as of yesterday it has now gone back in the shop 5 times for a 'service engine light". Hell, seems like there's a loaner in my garage more than my wifes envoy.. I was kidding her last night telling her she should have bought a toyota.. which by the way I tried to talk her into at the time, but noooooooo...she wanted an suv that gets 18 mpg on the highway...well she got it. and it's all hers. :-) by the way, a quick question for you, I noticed on the bottom of the sticker of my avalon, the dealer name and address where my avy was apparently shipped to is not the name or address of the dealership from where I bought the car... why would that be? Is it possible I was sold a 'used" car as "new". the odomoeter reading was less than 300 miles on it when i picked it up.

Roland

Roland

tjc78 · October 2006

"I noticed on the bottom of the sticker of my avalon, the dealer name and address where my avy was apparently shipped to is not the name or address of the dealership from where I bought the car"

It was most likely a dealer swap. Most times the dealers will drive the car to save time getting it to the customer. I had the exact same senario you had when I bought my '06 Av. It had 277 miles and the dealer name on the tag was about that mileage away.

steve326a · October 2006

Well folks, as of Fri afternoon, I finally became the proud owner of my 97 Avy! Except for the headlight washer, it has all the toys (YES it has VSC)! It has a few issueswhich need to be fixed bt they can be handled. 1st thing I did before I even left VA to come back home to MA is I did an oil change with Mobil 1 Synth oil. I did a milesge check after I got home and I got 33.4 mpg averaging 60-65. If I didn't have some heavy traffic and slow downs, it would probably have gotton 34-35. The struts are weak & mounts are shot, steering knuckle making noise, needs front & rear stablizer bushings, rotors & brakes, windshield, tranny flush (fluid seemed dark). I already planned on 1000-1200 for repairs when I got the car. Even after that, I still saved 1000-2000 if I bought one up here in New England. I only paid 3100 for it. I am so pleased that I finally got myself a real car. More updates later. Bye for now.

Steve

smith1 · October 2006

No, your 1997 Avalon does NOT have VSC (vehicle stability control.) It has TRACTION control--which is not the same thing. True VSC was first available on the Avalon in 2000.

steve326a · October 2006

Would you please enlighten me what the difference is?

smith1 · October 2006

Briefly, traction control cuts power to the drive wheels when slippage is detected. VSC adds yaw sensors and lateral accelerometers that integrate with ABS brakes and traction control to prevent the vehicle from sliding sideways.

Here's a good explanation of the difference:

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/45992/article.html

Kirstie_H · October 2006

A reporter seeks to interview people who switched from a GM model, Chrysler 300C, or a Ford to a Toyota, Honda or Nissan. Please reply to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, October 18, 2006 with a few relevant comments and your daytime contact info.

smith1 · October 2006

Nobody buying an Avalon these days?

steve326a · October 2006

Well we need to fix that don't we. Last weekend 10/13 - 10/15, I went on a road trip to Manassas, VA and finally bought my avalon. Took me over 3 months of searching ad after ad, call after call to find the exact style I wanted. Maybe I was picky, but I would not get a 2nd chance to buy another one being on disability and I finally realized I wasn't gonna find it locally and was willing to wait and if necessary, travel any distance to find the right one I wanted at the right price and found it. It's a 97 XLS full leather, CD player, moonroof, theft system, Shadow Plum Pearl in color, 180k, traction control, & bench seat. Needs some work but I expected that. I bought it from a dealer from Manassas, VA. 1st thing even before driving it back home to MA I changed the oil & filter using Mobil 1 synthetic. The car got an amazing 33.5 mpg on the trip home. The dealer originally asked for 3695. I got out the door with 3100 w/ 3 mo-3k mile power train warranty. I expect to put in 1000-1200 in repairs to return the car to perfect condition. Even after this plus the trip expenses, it will still stand me 1000-3000 less than if I bought the identical car with same or even more mileage up here in New England. I tracked down the previous owner who I had the pleasure of talking to for almost an hour giving me the car's history. The 1st thing I'm gonna do is get a new timing belt put in pronto. He replaced it at 90k and it's got 180 now so it's due now. Next struts & mounts, & stablizer bushings, tranny flush, 2 o2 sensors upstream, brakes & rotors. Even with all these things bad, it still rode 5x better than my old car. Makes me wonder what it will be like when all is done. Oh well, more updates later. God Bless!
Steve :shades:

fadil · October 2006

I would like to ask if anybody can suggest any good dealerships in Cincinnati, Ohio or Kansas City.
Thank you

87turbobuick · October 2006

I am located in Long Island, NY & looking to buy a 2000 Avy in the next few weeks. Friend crashed my pristine 91 Cressida (loved that car) on 10/13/06 no less. Been checking cars.com, autotrader, carbuyersmarket, etc. Anyone selling or know of one for sale, please let me know. I prefer private individual over Dealership. Thanks!

rpfingsten · October 2006

Sorry to hear about your Cressida... If I'm not mistaken, the 91 models had an in line 6 didn't they? Anyway, one place you might want to check in your search for a 2000 Avalon is AUOTOMOTIVE.COM They have a box in the upper right hand corner that allows you to put in what your looking for, as well as your zip code so they can bring up classifieds of similar vehicles for sale in your general area. hope this helps.

Roland
07 Indigo Ink Avalon

87turbobuick · October 2006

You are correct! My Cressida had a 3L inline 6 with 190 HP. Very smooth engine & overall smooth ride for 15 year old car. It was a medium blue metalic color & paint was flawless. Previously I had a Honda Accord that gave me 235K miles but the Cressida was significantly more luxurious! Will start checking automotive.com & I also started to widen my search & foresee me driving a few hours or getting on a plane to get the 00 Avy of my dreams! thanks!

JC

jhavign · October 2006

I am shopping for a new Avalon in the Boston area. It seems they will sell at dealer invoice. Has anyone else gotten a better price? The auto show is coming to Boston next week, I may wait until after the show to buy.

steve326a · October 2006

I found my 97 avy through autotrader.com

bobwiley · October 2006

Be sure and try www.ebay.com---lots of cars on that webste--good luck!

87turbobuick · October 2006

Thanks again I found some nice leads! Will be busy for a few days seeing these 00 Avy's! I am excited to return as a Avy owner!

JC

steve326a · October 2006

As you may have read in my previous post, I just recently became an Avy owner myself. Even though I have well over a grand of work to do to it, it's by far the best car I've ever owned. My only regret is I didn't do years ago. Good luck finding your Avy. PS: The only reason I stuck with the 1st generation is I liked it better looks wise. The newer ones seem to boxy for me.

Steve

niteone · October 2006

and the earlier ones seem boxy to me.

I would bet that the majority of people would agree, the earlier versions were boxy (that's why I never bought one until I purchased the 2006) and the newer versions are more sleek.

The earlier ones looked like everyone said they looked like: old man's car. Just a Camry but boxier, with more options.

bobwiley · October 2006

Prior to the 05's, I always thought of the Avalon as a Camry in a fancy dress. Great cars--but--too plain Jane. Friends have an 03 and when she saw my 06 Limited--WOW was her first impression---now they have a new one also!

steve326a · October 2006

Please forgive me I made a minor boo-boo. I meant to say that the later ones seemed boxy to me. I like the 95-99 style better hence I bought a 97. Sorry for the mixup.

Steve

avadoc · October 2006

2007 Avalon Touring with VSC, Sunroof, 6 disc.
Purchase price $28,370
Full OTD:$30,600

Always alot cheaper -thousands- to buy near a major city. I bought mine in Chicago.

I used internet to solicit bids from 20 dealers in my state.
I kept a couple out of the loop, I walked into one and the dealer beat my lowest internet quote by another $300.

Only 3 mile on odometer. Don't buy a new car that has been beaten with a couple of hundred miles on the odometer.

Dealer experience was great.

j_hbrock · October 2006

I paid $30,281 OTD on my '07 Touring. No VSC but Z1 package, sunroof, and JBL Sythesis. Sounds like you got about 6-700 below invoice. Nice!

fadil · October 2006

Hi, avadoc! Can you tell us what what is the dealership name you purchased your car from?

misterfinch · November 2006

after checking out all the info here in the forums i finally bought my avalon touring edition.

msrp: $31,914
SR Moonroof
EJ JBL Synthesis Audio w/In-Dash 6CD Changer
PC Special Color (blizzard pearl)
CF Carpet Floor/Trunk Mat Set

paid: $28,637
OTD = $31,192

purchased @ toyota of cerritos, ca

Thanks for all the info here, hope I got a good deal. (too late if i didn't hehe)

j_hbrock · November 2006

Well,I bought mine in So Cal too and you paid $1600 more than me. Sorry. (unless the blizzard pearl cost that much)

Considering you live in Cerritos - you should have contacted John Elway's Crown Toyota in Ontario. They quoted $30287 OTD.

Not trying to discourage you though...you'll love your Avy!!

avadoc · November 2006

This dealership is Toyota IN Chicago. Not the suburbs.
That leaves only a few dealerships to do your own due diligence. But...... my second lowest offer was from Schaumberg Toyota 300 below invoice -interent pricing-

Only get the fresh cars! I picked mine up with 3 miles on odometer don't get a beat up one with miles! Remember you are buying new!

armydave · November 2006

Most of what you pay for an extended warranty is PROFIT for the sellers. You should NEVER buy an extended warranty when buying a reliable vehicle. All Toyota cars are in that category.

When you subtract the regular warranty from the extended warranty it sure hacks the heck out of it. Cars can go 200K miles without a major repair with normal maintenance. I have never bought an extended warranty and I am many thousands of dollars ahead over 40 years.

People who buy these things are not thinking it through. The more they pay the better they assume the warranty to be. That is WHY delaers push them so hard. A lot of things are normal wear items and are not covered.

armydave · November 2006

In some states it is legal for a car delaer to MARKUP a loan. This markup can be 3% or more. They will keep or split the extra profit with the finance company. This can cost you $1-2K more over the loan period.

I NEVER do financing at the car dealer. This is the back end sales area. Going in that office can cost you many thousands of dollars more. Go to a credit union and find out what you can borrow money for before you go to the dealer.

bobwiley · November 2006

For the most part you're right. However, for those of us who keep a car 4-7 years, the extended warranty can be a blessing. I have an 06 Avalon Limited. I bought a 7 year 75,000 mile "0" deductible Toyota Extended Warranty for $695---I know, you'll say the dealer price is much more than that. I know a 7 year 100,000 mile "0" deductible is normally $1,650. There are a couple of Toyota dealers who discount the extended warranty. One is Greenfield Toyota--www.greenfieldtoyota.com I know there's another one--I think in Kansas---it is referenced somewhere here in the Forums. What I like about the Toyota Extended Warranty is this----it is a "FULL, ZERO $$$ DEDUCTIBLE"---just like the original 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. Car breaks down in the middle of Montana----Toyota has to get it to the nearest Toyota dealer. Of course its a "crap shoot"--Toyota is betting their car won't break down. I figure for the $695 I get an additonal 4 years of "FULL" warranty for $173.75 per year or $14.48 a month--REAL CHEAP insurance as far as I'm concerned. Toyota's warranty covers--O2 sensors, defective hood struts, ALL the electronic gadgets, i.e. laser cruise, VSC & stability control, Nav System, CD player, which I've already had replaced, so the extended warranty is a must for me. I can RELAX knowing that until Jan 2013 or 75,000 miles any problems are Toyota's! Just replaced the water pump at 54,000 miles on the wife's 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd---$268--fortunately I have an extended warranty with a $50 deductible. Once again, if ya trade every 2-3 years, its a waste of $$$ to buy extended warranty. Toyotaa's a certainly great cars--but--like anything made by man---an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I certainly hope you do not have any problems. I'm not as optimistic since our Avalon is "loaded' with all the gadgetry available and therefore prone to "Murphy" raising his ugly self.
Bob

johngreis · November 2006

Bob, does that warranty transfer to a new owner if you sell the car after say 5 years?? If it does, that would be a big selling point if you are selling instead of trading in.

Thanks.

guest · November 2006

Bob, I whole heartedly agree with you. I wish I had been able to get my dealership to discount the extended warranty on my 07 avalon like you did.. but that didnt happen.. I bought my avy 2 months ago and I took out the extended warranty. In my case the warranty cost was double what you paid, $1595 but it was explained to me to be a 6 year 100 thousand mile warranty with a $50 deductable...Since I have never traded in a car before it was 8 to 10 years old, I decided the extended warranty was a good insurance policy. I hope I never need it.. that way when I buy my next toyota I'll just bypass the ext. warranty altogether. btw, my extended warranty is transfereable, so thats a good point.. not sure who issued your ext. warranty but I just checked the paperwork and mine is from some company called LDS, and its their LDS ULTIMATE COVERAGE PLAN. It is supposed to be pretty much a bumper to bumper plan.. and upon looking over the literature it covers just about everything except tires, batterys, wear and tear on brakes, upholstery.. the only thing I see that's not covered that I wish was covered is the exhaust system, including the catalytic converter...Those things can be expensive, in fact saw a piece on the local news last week where thieves are crawling under cars in store parking lots and stealing the converters...can you believe that?

Roland

bobwiley · November 2006

johngreis: Yes---that's why I got the 7 year 75K mile warranty---after 5 years and I figure I'll put on somewhere between 50-60K miles, I can sell and the new owner has at least 2 years and what mileage remains of the 75,000 mile warranty. And, remember--it is still a FULL "0" Deductible Warranty--just like they were buying a new car--O2 sensors, laser Cruise, VSC, nav--all the electronic gadgetry, engine, A/C---etc!! Not too shabby and I believe if I remember right it only costs $50 to transfer. Again, a cheap price for such a comprehensive warranty backed by Toyota. I DO keep VERY accurate maintenance records--not only for the warranty but, it show the next owner the Full Service history of the car.
Bob

bobwiley · November 2006

Roland: Where did you get your warranty? You can get the following Toyota warranty's thru Greenfield Toyota: 7 year, 100K Mile "0" Deductible $990--that was the last figure I had. I understand there's a dealer in Kansas--it was listed in the Forum awhile back--and they even sell for less than Greenfield. I just looked up my quotes from Greenfield---7 year 100K--$990 5 year 75 K $595 7 year 75K $695--6 year 100K--$875--ALL "0" Deductible!! LDS sounds like an after market outfit--not that they're bad--just that you can get a Toyota backed warranty for much less!! Like I said in my previous post, with the Toyota warranty they're responsible to get the car to the nearest dealer. Checkout other warranty's--they might cover $50 worth of towing----$50 doesn't get ya very far if you're broken down in the middle of Montana and the nearest Toyota dealer is 150-200 miles away. I'd check with Greenfield on the price and then see what it would cost to cancel your existing warranty and buy the toyota 6 year 100K mile Waranty for $875--or cheaper from the Kansas dealer. You paid $1,595--less the $875 + $700 savings----so even if it cost you $100-$200 to cancel old warranty--you'd still be ahead--twice--$$$$ & quality of the warranty! Good luck!
Bob

rpfingsten · November 2006

bob... thanks for the heads up.. and i'm going to look into the toyota warranty. I can't even begin to tell you why my dealership didnt offer a "toyota" extended warranty. The LDS Warranty was sold to me by the Toyota dealership where I bought my car. Go figure. But I'm going to look into it since it's less than 60 days old and see what recourse I have. And even if I can't get out of it I still have the peace of mind of knowing I'm covered for up to 100k miles. But I sure would like to get some of my money back and have that zero deductable. thanks again.

Roland

Toyota Avalon Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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