Toyota RAV4 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

iamnotaweirdo · January 2007

Sticker:
07 Flint Mica Sport V6 4X4.................$25,740.00
50 State Emissions .........................
AM/FM 6-Disc In-Dash CD Changer w/ 6 .......200.00
Speakers, and MP3 / WMA Playback Capability
Cargo Area Tonneau Cover with ..............140.00
Multipurpose Cargo Net with Support Poles
Daytime Running Lights ..................... 40.00
Power Tilt/Slide Moonroof w/Sunshade.........900.00
Towing Prep Package - V6 3,500lb. Towing ...160.00
Capacity - Includes Upgrade Radiator, Fan ..
Coupling, Alternator, and Pre-Wiring ......
Carpet Floor Mats/Cargo Mat ................199.00
---------
Total
Accessories ............................: $1639.00
Destination Charge .....................: $ 645.00

Total MSRP.............................$ 28,024.00

I paid $25,900 + TTL from Jaffarian Toyota in Haverhill. I think I did pretty well. I originally wanted the JBL stereo but didn't get it so the dealer (after a struggle) took $600 off of my original offer. Was told it could take up to 8 weeks to get this Rav4. I "ordered" it on 12/12 and picked it up 1/16.

I have to say... I LOVE this vehicle!

captain8 · January 2007

Just a note - also to add to Raj's comments. I think one issue becomes how much TIME do you want to spend? In other words, part of this is what offer is "good enough" - Raj is right, these vehicles are in high demand.

As to the comment above - it is true that you have to special order the SPORT version, in order to get the option package without the tow righ and WITH the JBL speakers (and steering wheel radio/cell phone controls). I had one dealer tell me, though, that they could get it in as little as six weeks.

Finally, I bought the exact same model outlined above with one primary exception - I got 4X2, not 4X4 (and, in black).

My price was $24740.00.

I think I could have gotten lower, but the dealer was very friendly and their price beat EVERY other initial dealer price in Northern California by an average of $1000.

Hope that helps.

Captain P.S. I love my RAV 4 (now named Beauty) too

chili3 · January 2007

Just an added note to my post asking if 23,000 was good deal, the sticker price was 27,900 - but that seemed very high to me for a used vehicle, however low the mileage.

ritteh · January 2007

Is there any reason to wait for Toyota-thons to buy a Rav4? I currently have been given a price of a bit less than $200 over invoice on a base Rav4. Would waiting for a sale help with rebates, lower APR, or general lower price or is the Rav4 a vehicle that won't get these types of savings?

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Usually you don't get that kind of rebates or low APR's on RAV4. They don't have to do it, there is a plenty of us that love the car and they don't need to throw in the rebates. And remember, the more rebates you get, the lower the resale value of the car later on.
And for the record, I love my RAV4 too. I just can't believe how powerful that thing is. I hit the gas and it takes off, pinns me against the seat and it just doesn't stop accelerating. The more it accelerates I noticed my eyes get wide open. It is scarey what that thing can do. I just love it!

carnivore · January 2007

Are you aware of any upcoming Toyotathons or other incentives (zero finacing etc.) coming up anytime soon? I'm sure Toyota stays pretty tight-lipped about these things until the day they start but since you mentioned it I thought I'd ask.

phillipm1 · January 2007

Living in a rural area the local Toyota dealers are quite limited in their inventories. The only colors I have seen firsthand are the white, silver, & Savannah. The brochure shows a Pacific Blue and a Barcelona Red that look quite nice. However, color charts often don't look the same as a real vehicle painted that color. Could someone please give me some feedback on how these two colors look in the real world? Also, I am leaning towards a base RAV 4,4-wheel drive, with the 6 cylinder engine, no moonroof or 3rd. row seats. I have found a couple of these on Autotrader. com and wondered if this a package that would have good resale value or would it be treated with aversion? In other words, should I avoid a loaded Base model and lean towards a Limited or Sport Package? Thanks.

banjolaya1 · January 2007

I am not aware of any upcoming Toyotathons but if you know what you're doing, if you have done your homework, if you know how to negotiate - every day is Toyotathon.
Let me illustrate:
I walk into a dealership. They say MSRP - $27,100, and I know that Invoice price is $25,000. I negotiate hard and I get let's say final price $26,000. Somebody else walks in and they tell him that because of Toyotathon he'll get $500 off of this new shiny RAV4. He says, that's not enough and they come back with a special, they'll take off another $300 (what more would one want) if he'll take delivery today. Not, quite enough, give me another $100 off. They agree. So, the sale price is $27,100-500-300-100=$26,200.
Who just had Toyotathon?
The point is - do your homework, figure out your top number you want to pay and stick to it and you'll do just fine. Who needs Toyotathon? And I think Toyota dealers are willing to wheel and deal right now.

homerfan · January 2007

I bought my first RAV4 in '96 right after they hit the showrooms, and put 140K miles on it before selling it. Two weeks later, I ordered a black '99, which has about 170K miles on it now, but still runs great and has never given me any trouble at all. Last week I decided it was time to upgrade again.

After doing a LOT of research, I decided to buy the v6 Limited, and proceeded to get quotes through the Costco Auto Program, and via online quote requests. Unfortunately, even the Costco program is only good for $500 off MSRP around here, and the two local dealers act like nobody should even dream of getting a better deal than that.

So I decided to cast my net a little wider, and sent Toytota.com quote requests for an '07 RAV4 Limited 4x4 v6 to every dealership within 300 miles -- stating in the request that I would not pay more than $500 over invoice. Exactly ONE dealership (Rogers Moters in Lewiston, Idaho)responded, with a nice email stating that they would be happy to comply with my terms.

Today I ordered the following with a $250 deposit, and was hoping ya'll might provide some feedback about the deal:
2007 TOYOTA RAV4 LIMITED,4X4 V6 BLACK w/GRAY LEATHER INT.

Factory Installed Accessories: FE EJ HD LA RL SR TO MF
Port Installed Accessories ..: CF DI
Vehicle Base Model ..........................: $23337.00
50 State Emissions ..........................: 0.00
JBL AM/FM 6-Disc In Dash CD Changer Upgrade .: 480.00
Seat Heaters ................................: 352.00
Leather Seats ...............................: 840.00
Daytime Running Lights ......................: 32.00
Power Tilt/Slide Moonroof w/Sunshade ........: 720.00
Towing Prep Package - V6 3,500lb. Tow Cap....: 128.00
Towing Receiver Hitch with Tow Pgk ..........: 545.00
Carpet Floor Mats/Cargo Mat .................: 126.00
Mudguards ...................................: 50.00
Destination Charge ..........................: $ 645.00
TDA (Advertising Charge).....................: $ 499.00
Gasoline ....................................: $ 10.00
Dealer Holdback .............................: $ 528.00
Whsl. Financial Reserve .....................: $ 264.00
Markup ......................................: $ 500.00
Documentation Fee ...........................: $ 79.00
Title Fee ...................................: $ 7.75
--------------------------------------------------------
OTD Total Price .............................: $29142.75

I didn't get the $500 over invoice deal since they were able to tack on the damn Holdback, Advertising and WFR, but even with those included my price is $2497 less than MSRP with the Doc and Title Fee.
So, did I do OK, or did I end up getting snookered?
I think maybe a little of both.

banjolaya1 · January 2007

What?
TDA (Advertising Charge).....................: $ 499.00 ???
Gasoline ....................................: $ 10.00 ???
Dealer Holdback .............................: $ 528.00 ???
Whsl. Financial Reserve .....................: $ 264.00 ???
Markup ......................................: $ 500.00 ???
Total .......................................: $ 1,801 :mad:
May I tell you something my friend. You just got taken for $1,801 of your hard earned money.
1. TDA - Toyota pays some money to dealers for advertising. You shouldn't be paying for that.
2. Dealer Holdback - do you know what that is? You pay for the car and the dealer gets 2% off of Invoice. That is holdback. Toyota is holding it back and quarterly sends it back to dealership. And they charge YOU for that? That's called DOUBLE DIPPING!!!
3. Gasoline - Toyota has already paid the dealer to put some gas in it before they sell it. That is not your responsibility.
4. Wholesale Financial Reserve = Pure Profit!!!
5. Markup = Pure Profit!!!
I would recomment that you call and get your $250 back right away or have them drop all/most of it. Sometimes you can't avoid some extra charges but this is outrageous. And that is an insult to anyone who's ever done any homework i.e. research.
Please read this before you do business with these guys:
Homework
(But first call and get your deposit back!)

captain8 · January 2007

Hey there -

My brand new Black Rav 4 got a scratch the second day I owned it. Still don't know how.

I went to Kragen Auto Parts. They have a paint section with rows and rows of little bottles, organized by manufacturer. Just a little brush up and it looks fine. you can find any toyota color.

IT's easy - it ain't perfect - you can see it if you really look. But, it's much better than a scratch

Captain

banjolaya1 · January 2007

I still think some people just can't stand the fact that you have a new car and they don't. Open your wallet people and you'll have the same thing I do. Ah, well. I'll just take it as - people are jealous that we have good cars and they let you know it. Some day they'll buy a new car too. Maybe. Those lowlife that do that probably never will because they will know that there is someone out there just waiting to scratch their new car too. They should know it. Anyway, I heard you can go to one of those Super-wash places and if you can't feel the scratch under your finger, they can buff it out. Has anyone tried that? Did it work?

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Has anyone bought a RAV4 lately? Let me hear from you people. I see only every once in a while someone will post a price and that's all. Does anyone buy RAV4's anymore? Come on, give me some good deals. Help your fellow buyers. Let them know what's happening in the market.
Tell us about your negotiations too. Was it difficult? Did you get the price you wanted? Did the salesman squeeze every drop of blood out of you? We want to know everything.

justa232 · January 2007

We have 3 dealers within a 40 mile radius of our home in North Florida. They all have a Document fee that they charge which varies by dealership. They are as follows: $599, $499, and $365. What is a Document fee? Thanks...

phillipm1 · January 2007

Thanks for the info. about your Pacific Blue RAV4. What kind of gas mileage are you finding in real world driving conditions? Is there a big difference in mileage figures between the 4 cyl. & the 6 cyl. engines? Is 87 octane the fuel of choice or will higher octanes increase the performance?

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Gas mileage - I haven't checked that. They are rated 21 mpg in the city but who knows. It doesn't show up on my dial unless there is a button that I need to press that'll show me that instead of outside temperature. But I always use 89 oktane gas, it's a bad habit from when I owned a Jetta. Every time I used 87 octane gas in jetta that oxygen sensor would go out and I'd have to pay $500 to get it fixed. I don't see a big increase in what I'm paying at the gas pump over Jetta. Let's say to fill it up takes about $25.
There is a HUGE difference between V4 and V6. The acceleration with V6 is unbelievable. It is - fuuuuunnnn!

homerfan · January 2007

Well, I decided to see if it was possible to get a better deal than the one Roger's Motors was offering me, so I visited a local dealership, Roger's deal in hand, and asked them to beat it. They said, and I quote, "the best price we could offer you would be several hundred dollars more than that, so you should buy it from them." Then he stood up, shook my hand, and let me know that he wasn't interested in talking to me for a second longer. So maybe in your part of the country the market is different, but around here the dealers (apparently) have no desire to sell the v6 RAV4 Limited for much under MSRP. And trying to get them to negotiate their dealer holdback, TDA and reserve? Fugeddabout it. Now, if anyone else in Eastern Washington/Western Idaho has had a different experience, I'd love to hear about it!

banjolaya1 · January 2007

I am only one state down south from you in Utah. If it is not too much trouble to you, I would do just what the man says. I'd go to Roger's and buy there. Then I would honk my horn as I am driving by the dealership. If you are in Spokane, you have two dealerships there. Go down on the 30th. If they have a quota to meet, they might be a little bit more willing to negotiate. I see, there are a few other dealerships within 100 miles. Try all of them. Chances are you'll find one that's willing to deal. Remember, if they are double dipping on holdback and charging TDA and RESERVE, you're not paying MSRP, you are paying way more. Don't let that get you down. Keep working. People are still recovering from Xmas and not buying cars that much. Now is the best time, just before the end of the month. Again, don't despair. You'll see, there is always someone willing to accept your offer.

Kirstie_H · January 2007

A national news magazine is looking to interview recent Toyota car buyers that switched from owning a GM vehicle (Chevrolet, Pontiac, GMC, Cadillac, Saturn, Buick, Hummer, Saab). If you are interested, please send an email to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Monday, January 29, 2007 containing your daytime contact information.

homerfan · January 2007

If you re-read my original post (#1244), you'll see that I already contacted every dealer within a 300 mile radius, and none of them was willing to accept less than $31K -- and this was at the end of last month, when presumably they would have wanted to fill quotas.

Also, MSRP on the v6 with all the options I want (and with the inclusion of $79 doc fee and $7.75 Title Fee) is $31,639.75 - so please explain how my OTD price of $29,142.75 could be considered "way more" than MSRP? Granted, it's no where near invoice + $500, but it's still better than $2400 less than MSRP.

On the other hand, if anyone is aware of a dealer within 300 miles of Spokane, Washington that IS willing to sell a 2007 RAV4 Limited v6 4x4 with all the options specified in post #1244 for significantly less than Roger's quoted price of $29,142.75, I would very much like to hear from you!

homerfan · January 2007

Justa232: The dealer's "Document Fee" is a fee they tack on for paperwork and filing. My local dealer charges $79, so it looks like dealers in your market are charging way too much, and I would demand that they justify it. I suspect that the vast majority of that $599, 499 and $365 is pure profit for them, and thus open to negotiation. Good luck!

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Did you build your vehicle on toyota.com? Were you able to get the MSRP with all the options just like they quoted you? Maybe I am wrong, maybe Toyota does tack on all those fees and hide them inside Base MSRP (which for RAV4 you described is $26,520? In any case, you can confirm on Toyota's website that the MSRP they quoted is true, then maybe you are getting a decent deal. I just don't want you to pay again for something that's already built into the price of the vehicle like that holdback. Just trying to help. Sorry if I misunderstood your numbers.

banjolaya1 · January 2007

You know what I noticed. Document Fee is usually determined by F&I manager. If you are buying any of the things he offers (rust protection, insurance, ext. warranty etc.) they charge you $50-$100. If you don't want absolutely anything, they charge you $350 and up. Maybe I am wrong again but that was my experience. Just don't beat me up again if I am.

homerfan · January 2007

OH, I understand your viewpoint now; you were thinking the Holdback, ADV, and WFR are included in the DEALER'S INVOICED COST, and Roger's was trying to double dip by ALSO adding them in seperately on top of the $23,337 base cost for a V6 Limited 4x4. That is not the case. But those charges ARE factored in to the RETAIL MSRP of $26,570 for that trim.

Yes, I built the vehicle on Toyota.com to get the total MSRP with options (and the Destination Charge), then added the Documentation and Title Fees to get the final MSRP OTD price, but I did NOT negotiate from that figure. I negotiated from the Wholesale Invoice of $23,337 + the WHOLESALE cost of all my desired options, and the (non-negotiable) Destination Charge. Roger's Motors then tacked on the Holdback, ATD, Fuel, and WFR charges because they were not willing to negotiate those either. SOME dealers might let you haggle at least a percentage of those tacked-on charges away, but NONE of the MANY dealers I contacted here in the Pacific Northwest are willing to do that right now -- not on a V6 4x4 Limited anyway, because the demand for them is still too strong.

There is a small chance that, if I were willing to lock horns with the salesman I'm dealing with, I could have gotten the gas and WFR knocked off my total, but to be honest it just wasn't worth it to me to fight that much, since so many other dealerships I approached weren't even willing to drop more than $500 off RETAIL MSRP. Buying from any one of them would have meant a final OTD price of around $2000 more than I'm getting WITHOUT a fight from Roger's Motors. So I'm happy. And thank's for your input! No apologies necessary.

firewire · January 2007

when figuring out the Out-The-Door price does that already include all the dealer fees and your sales tax in your area or is that added after the OTD...im confused if OTD is the total amount you pay the dealership.

One last thing, i too am looking to buy a RAV4 Limited V6 in South FL without sunroof or 3rd row seats. i wonder if FightingChance really is worth my time and does it take long to study it since i need to buy my car before February? why do they push fax attack? would sending out emails work the same way? Any suggestions is greatly appreciated from all of you! this is my very first post in this site and im nervous and confused lol

moe16 · January 2007

Firewire-

I chose to just print out some of the prices that have appeared off this forum and asked the salesman if he could match it.

I bought the V6 Sport with sunroof for $24,600 with no problem. IMO this unit is a steal compared to others in it's class-

OTD includes tax, title and lic- That equates to an additional $1800 in Chicago-

Enjoy your Rav- You are going to love it!

bob

wolfzr2 · January 2007

My wife swears we can get a RAV4 for invoice. We're looking at a V6 Limited 4wd, no leather, no 3rd row. Sticker is 29,079. From what I remember, that puts invoice around 26,200. I'm saying there is no way we'll get it for the invoice price. I'm thinking a more realistic goal is invoice + 3%, which would be right at 27,000. My only problem is, this is the ONLY RAV4 with the options/color I want at any of my dealers within 150 miles.

Is 27,000 a realistic goal for this? Or is invoice even worth trying for?

phillipm1 · January 2007

After a week of E-mailing dealers, phone calls, and trips to 4 different dealers I finally bought a 2007, RAV4, Base, 6-cylinder, 4-WD, Pacific Blue, Ash int.,with options of Carpet Floor/Cargo Mat, DT Running Lights, Roof Rack, Tonneau Cover, Tow Prep Package. Window Sticker was $25,689 and I paid $24,000 plus tax, licensing, and a $149 Document Fee (which I had to fight to get down from their normal $349). Being in the "boonies" I will have to drive 130 miles tomorrow to Memphis, Tn. to get it. I know this isn't the hottest price I've seen here at Edmunds but it was the best I could negotiate from any dealer within 200 miles. I also found that the Base Model with 6-cyl. & 4-WD were quite limited in availability, especially without the Moonroof & 3rd. row seats which I didn't want, and in Pacific Blue color which I did want. Most of the smaller dealers I contacted simply wouldn't negotiate more than $500 off Window Price since this car is in such demand. I was also surprised that only about half the dealers I contacted via E-mail even responded to my E-mails requesting info. So, I'm excited about my trip tomorrow and become a fellow RAV4 owner and affectionado! Thanks for all the help and info. I have received from this site.

firewire · January 2007

ty moe for your info. can anyone else confirm the Out-The-Door price is the total price when buying the RAV4 or do you still have to pay Sales Tax, Tag etc. i just would like to get others to confirm this so dealers wont try to pull the wool over my eyes.

anyone used FightingChance to get a better deal? is it worth it and is it a quick study? i need a car very soon and dont want to make a hasty decision while negotiating! thanks for your replies!

homerfan · January 2007

Congratulations!
You were able to get exactly what you wanted, at a price you can live with, right? That's great!

And don't forget that a lot of the really amazing-looking deals you'll read about here and elsewhere include trade-in allowances that artificially reduce the actual price paid.

homerfan · January 2007

Firewire: USUALLY, the OTD price includes everything - the price paid for the vehicle, the sales tax, title and any other fees paid at time of sale. HOWEVER, if the deal is with an out-of-state dealership (as mine was), Tax and License Fees are NOT included in the OTD price, since those costs are paid later in the buyer's home state at time of registration.

Actually, for comparison purposes, you can't use the OTD price, because there is just too much variation in the taxes and fees paid by buyers in different geographic locations. Same thing goes for deals involving trade-ins; since you don't know the true resale value of the vehicle traded-in, it's impossible to know how much profiteering the dealership shifted to that part of the deal instead of fighting for a bigger markup on the new vehicle's price.

You'll find it difficult to find reported deals with sufficient detail to enable you to make a direct comparison with the one you want to make, but if you start your negotiations from the dealer's invoice price + destination charge and let them know up front that you aren't fooled into thinking that "Dealer Holdback" and "Wholesale Financial Reserve" are true costs for the dealer, (THEY ARE NOT - because Toyota reimburses them after the sale is completed), then you will do just fine. You may not be able to get those charges (or the Advertising charge), eliminated since the V6 Limited is in high demand and short supply, but it doesn't hurt to try!

If you NEED to buy your new RAV4 V6 Limited before February, you may have to be a little less aggressive in your negotiations than you could if you had more time to play the game. And yes, in my experience, a no-nonsense email campaign is just as effective as a "fax attack", and probably better, since you can get a dialog going by email that you can't by fax.

Good luck!!

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Yes, I think I got mixed up and I apologize anyway. I probably just skipped the fact that you were talking about V6 Limited in which case that IS a good price. I mean, $2497 off of MSRP is a decent deal when you get up to that level. I see you did your homework and you know what you're talking about which is very good. Now that I know that I know you won't get screwed. Just trust your knowledge and don't let anybody in the dealership tell you otherwise.
However, all this mixup brought a couple of good things to the surface that might help our fellow RAV4 buyers.
First thing that threw me off was your base vehicle price: Vehicle Base Model ..........................: $23337.00.
That's why I thought you were talking about something less than Limited because as soon as you click on Limited on Toyota's website it starts from $26,000+. Then you list all these things:
TDA (Advertising Charge).....................: $ 499.00
Gasoline ....................................: $ 10.00
Dealer Holdback .............................: $ 528.00
Whsl. Financial Reserve .....................: $ 264.00
Markup ......................................: $ 500.00
If you add them all up you get pretty much sticker MSRP. So, THAT'S how they calculate MSRP! I did some pretty detailed homework but I didn't realize that (I wish I did) before I went to the dealership. I guess you learn something new every day. That means I paid these darn things too without even knowing it. If somebody had told me that before I am pretty sure I'd have gotten even better deal. But anyway, it's good that other now have the oportunity to use this information.
For one - I don't think you will get them to drop holdback on RAV4. I mean, they don't have to. The vehicle sells. Markup is the one that's completely bogus. Why didn't anyone tell me that before? I would have fought a little bit harder. It's not the fact that I would have saved another $100-200 but the fight is what matters.
So, even if they sell you the vehicle at the advertised Invoice price, they ARE still making a plenty. But knowing about them will give you power. They can't cry on your shoulder how they are not making any money and you're stealing from them etc. When they point out to you how good deal YOU are getting with their offer you can politely point out what kind of good deal THEY are getting with your offer. In some cases you'll find they are a little bit more willing to negotiate. It helped me and I hope it'll help others too.

banjolaya1 · January 2007

In a nutshell the fax attack works this way. You send tons of faxes (20) to different dealerships then you wait for responses then you see who gave you the best offer and respond to others that they are not the highest bidder and ask them for a new bid. The reasoning is - if they know they are bidding against each other you'll get a better price etc. You don't have to buy fightingchance packet, you can also buy their book. And everybody knows about the fax attack (including the dealers) and they have found some ways to fight back. So, from 20 dealers you might get a response from 2 that offer you $500 off of MSRP. And things like that. And yes, you can do the same thing via email. Keep in mind that those offers are on the high side because they know if you have it in written then you can go around and shop that offer. IMHO it'd be better to call the dealership directly and ask to talk to the sales manager or something like that. You might get a better offer over the phone (no paper trail).
Another thing about fightingchance, they do a good job of educating buyers but their strongest point is market evaluation. You purchase the package and they tell you how that vehicle stands and where, does it sell well or not, if not how to ask for lower price because they have to sell etc. Well, nobody needs to tell me that RAV4 is selling well and that I won't get much discount for $39. So, I don't think it's worth it for RAV4 or Honda CR-V.
Better you go to carbuyingtips.com and get some good info on what to watch out for, quickly and in easy terms to understand. I hope this answers your question firewire.

firewire · January 2007

thanks homerfan, banjolaya and others for your rapid fire responses. i appreciate your thorough explanations. i will try the email method first and see what happens. when sending out my email besides putting the RAV4 trim level, color and options i want should i put down my real name and address or just phone number and other suggestions i should put in the email???

should i wait to see their quotes or give them a ballpark figure? i think its better to see what they quote before i put down a number as to not give them a way to bump me?

homerfan, where did you get the price of $23,337 for the Limited V6...is that the invoice price you found online? im looking for the same vehicle but 4x2 ($1400 less) by doing the math. so im looking at $21,937 for a Limited V6 w/o 3rd row and moonroof. that sounds too optimistic lol

banjolaya1 · January 2007

I think you can put your name and phone # because once you start it's a real time game. You want them to know that you're serious and if you get a good offer you'll take delievery the same day. You might mention that you have done your homework and you know what you should be paying for that vehicle.
I think you're right, let them come to you with a figure, try to lower it as much as you can but what you might find is that they won't lower it that much but they'll rather say - come down and let's talk about it. When you decide to go in be prepared to negotiate and drive home in a new car the same day. I bet you you'll get home fast if you buy a V6.

wolfzr2 · January 2007

Turns out my wife is right. ( do NOT let her know I said that ).

Got a quote today for a Limited V6 with sunroof, tow prep, jbl six disc changer, bumper protector, cargo net, and floor mats.
Barcelona Red with Ash cloth interior...

MSRP is 29,079. They quoted me 26,275 right off the bat. They do charge a 399 "processing fee", so I might try and talk em down to 26,000 or lower...but worst case I still get my RAV for 2800 off MSRP.

Sold my 2001 Accord today for 11,900. Heading to another Toyota Dealer tomorrow to see if they can match or beat the 26,275 offer. Hopefully I'm driving my RAV4 home tomorrow!

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Very good! $2,800 off is a good deal. Just watch out. That beast is fast.
Happy tickets!

captain8 · January 2007

Hi there -

I thought I would add my two-cents worth, since I just bought. RAJ told me about fax attack, but it was too late, as I was already deep in the negotiations and I didn't want to back out. Dealers have their own BS to deal with and that includes lots of folks who are shopping, not buying. The only thing I could have done better is wait until the end of the month - but again, I was deep into it by then and getting tired of the time and effort.

I DID do the email thing, though, and it seemed to work just fine. I did emails to about twelve dealers in my area, then got the best price, did some research on line regarding invoice/msrp, etc, and then emailed them all back with the bottom-line price.

A few things I learned - they often did NOT respond to email, but called instead. I think that this is so that they DON'T have to put a price in writing. In each case, after the conversation or voicemail, I did make sure that I emailed AGAIN so I had a written record ("Per our call today, the price for the RAV 4 is $XX,XXX.XX.") I think that's a good thing to do because on two occassions they came back with higher prices than they quoted me on the phone (slimy).

Interestingly enough, the first best price I got was never beaten by anyone else. So, then I took that and negotiated directly with the dealer. They refused to budge the first time. When I asked again, though, they surrendered.

I got a few hundred above invoice and I am fine with that. I also got a far lower average price than any I have seen in the Bay Area - and I am fine with that, too.

At some point, I think you have to recognize that they need to make money, too, and consider the time-value of your own time in the process.

In short, email worked fine and seemed to work like the fax attack. In short order I had the best price from a responsive dealer. I gave everyone else a chance to beat it and when they didn't - and when the best price promised weekend delivery in my time frame - I took it.

Mine was a Rav 4, Sport, v-6, TWO-wheel drive, option package b (six cd changer but not JBL, moonroof, tow package) with rear bumper aplique and cargo tray. I didn't want the tow package but had no choice, so on the last day I bargained that amount off of the out the door price.

My price for all of above was 24,740. That is a few hundred dollars above invoice - but they gave great service and have given great service since, so I am happy.

I hope this rambling helps.

Captain

firewire · January 2007

thanks for your info captain8 it really helps as i plan to do the same thing in the next few days. is the $24,740 you paid also include the Sales Tax and all the other misc. fees?

BTW i been hearing some RAV4 owners have been having problems w/ their Audio.

if our RAV4 comes already w/ the 6 CD changer and the bluetooth tech. already included can we later on swap that out for a better brand? or are we stuck w/ the JBL nightmare?

homerfan · January 2007

Firewire: Glad to know that some of my posts may have been helpful! To answer your first question; it's probably a good idea to include your phone number and address, since a lot of car salesmen are not as accustomed to or as comfortable with email communications as they are by telephone. In my case, I have an unlisted number and was contacting over a dozen dealerships, so I opted not to provide my phone number, but since only one salesman even bothered to respond, that may not have been the best move on my part. On the other hand, my dearth of replies may have been due to the fact that I specifically stated in my broadcasted email quote request that I wanted an "Invoice + $500" deal (which I ended up not actually getting) and that eliminated a lot of them since virtually no dealership in Washington state is willing to go that low on a V6 Limited right now. The one respondent was a dealership located 100 miles away, and just over the Washington/Idaho border in Lewiston.

As for the $23,337 invoice price for the Limited V6 4WD, that came directly from the dealer invoice the salesman at Roger's Motors sent me a copy of. I too was suprised at this, since until then the lowest "invoice" price I had found for this trim level was $24,132 -- the price shown on the COSTCOAUTO.COM website, (which is a great resource for information by the way). I think that MAYBE Costco factors the Dealer Holdback and Advertising charges into the "Base V6 4WD Limited" invoice price (since those are difficult to negotiate away) and that might account for the $795 difference between the two.

CostcoAuto.com states that the 2WD V6 Limited has a BASE invoice price of $23,235 so yes, $21,937 might be a bit too optimistic for one with options added!

homerfan · January 2007

Wolf: That's a GREAT deal!
I ran the numbers too, and $25,458 is close to the dealer's TRUE invoice cost, so with the Dealer Holdback, ADV, etc., they are making a profit of about $817 PLUS (most likely) an additional $300 profit built in to the "processing fee" -for a total profit to the dealership of about $1,100 at their offered price. Knowing this, you might be able to negotiate them down another $300 or as you suggested, since they still stand to make around $800 on the deal, and that ain't bad. Good Luck!!

homerfan · January 2007

Firewire: Regarding the JBL head unit; only time will tell if the one you get will have the problems you've heard about, but yes you can later replace it with something else. To do so, you'll need a double-din kit specifically designed for the '06-'07 RAV4, but even that will not look quite right since even that won't match the color, texture, or (more obviously) the curvy lower edge of the stock JBL unit.
But the short answer is NO, we aren't stuck with the JBL.

homerfan · January 2007

banjolaya: Thank you for your always interesting and insightful contributions -- you are a real asset to this forum, and I'm sure there are a LOT of others who feel the same. Keep up the good work!

wolfzr2 · January 2007

Well, I just put my deposit down!

Got it for 26,275. They would not budge from that number, but it was 1300 lower than one dealer, and 500 lower than another dealer who didn't even have the floor mats or cargo net.

I pick it up tomorrow afternoon. My new V6 Limited in Barcelona Red will look nice in the driveway over the weekend. Thanks to all who gave me advice on this. You guys rock.

2007 RAV4 Limited V6 4x4
Ash Cloth
JBL
Moonroof
Cargo net / carper floormats
DTRL

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Good deal Wolf! You and all others that plan to buy over the weekend Welcome to the RAV4 "Many Tickets Club". You'll love your new fast and shiny baby. A welcome addition in any house. But I do have a word of caution for you. You have your price all worked out and agreed upon on both sides. That's okay. But once you shake your hands with the salesman he'll turn you over to the F&I manager. And that's where you can save THOUSANDS of $$$, not just a couple of hundreds!!!

carnivore · January 2007

Sounds like a great price, must be pretty close to invoice. Plus tax, title & license, right? Does that include the TDA (advertising) and Financial Reserve shown on the invoice? Will your dealer tack things like a processing fee or document fee on top of it? You didn't list 50-state emissions and the tow package...were they included?

captain8 · January 2007

Hey Homerfan -

That prices does NOT include California sales tax, but does include ALL other fees.

Again, the more I read here about certain deals on limited's, etc, it ain't the best price, but according to my research, it's a good one.

Can't help you on the JBL - though the JBL I listened to (and wanted) was great sounding.

Captain

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Thanks homerfan. I hope your new baby arrives soon. After you take delievery you will have fun. The thing is so fast before you know it you could be down here in no time flat. We can take both RAV4's and go to the LHM racetrack and see what our babies can do.
Have fun.
Say hi to F&I manager from me and don't buy anything you don't want no matter how good he makes it sound.

banjolaya1 · January 2007

Now, how did you guys do there? Did any of you buy things like extended warranty? How much was it if you don't mind me asking? Other things (rustproofing, VIN etching, paint sealant, undercoating)? Insurance?

homerfan · January 2007

Hey banjolaya1,
Thanks for the invite

I recently bought my son a 2002 Subaru WRX with about $20K in aftermarket upgrades so the thing is literally a (392 WHP Stage 4 Turbocharged) race car. Now that I've driven that around for awhile, even the V6 RAV4 might seem a bit tame - but I still can't wait to see what it'll do!

Yeah, those F&I people sometimes make the Lot Lizards look like good guys by comparison. That's why it's always a good idea to secure funding for your new rig before you even step foot on the showroom floor. Since I will be walking in with a check for the agreed-upon OTD price, (and not a nickle more), I expect to have very little contact with the F&I manager. On the other hand, sometimes it's fun to spar with them too!

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