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Toyota RAV4 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • wolfzr2wolfzr2 Member Posts: 20
    With the 3% title tax here in va ( 800 ), plus dealers processing fee ( 299) etc etc, it came to 27,414. I'll just pay them by check, as I'll finance it myself through my credit union.

    It does have 50 state emissions and tow prep pkg.

    No other dealer in the area could come CLOSE to that. I pick it up tomorrow at 1PM!
  • jimdrewjimdrew Member Posts: 84
    You will love the V6...I have had mine for a few month's now...the dealer put a hurting on me. :mad: ..but now I don't care. The car is terrific. The V6 is the only way to go. I use 87 octane and get about 24mpg...and with all that power...can't be beat.

    Jimmy
  • lafortuslafortus Member Posts: 5
    We got the base model with a V4 (sorry banjolaya1 but I was looking for convenience and I am not so interested in performance (I am a family man!)). The negociations were easy: we were really hesitant because we were not initially plannning to buy a RAV-4 and the guy went to 500 under TMV and it seemed to be fair to me (again, I know that many of you would do better!). Furthermore, we felt really good with the guy. We have our RAV4 for 2 weeks now and we are really happy with it. We used to have a jetta but it is now so easy to put the kid, the stroller AND my hockey gears in the car.
  • phillipm1phillipm1 Member Posts: 21
    Picked up my new RAV4 yesterday. Had a flawless 280 mile round trip to the Memphis dealer. Wife's 2005 Sienna got 27.4 mpg for the trip (mostly 70 to 75 mph on I-40). RAV4 was a great ride. Smooth, quiet, and peppy. I think it's a lot of bang for the buck. Spent this morning reading the owner's manual, checking for correct tire pressure (dealer had 39 lbs. in each tire and I lowered them to 32 as specified), a little cleaning & waxing and a lot of admiring. One question I haven't been able to answer is where is the oil filter loacated on the V-6 motor? I've looked on top, side, and under the motor and just haven't been able to see one. Also, what is the Toyota part # for the oil filter? Any info. provided will be appreciated. Signed, a very happy and smiling new RAV4 owner!
  • evergreenevergreen Member Posts: 213
    I've been on vacation so just catching up a little here.

    Congrats, homerfan. You got a very good deal. If you had bought from Fitzmall you could have saved an addition $300 but it wouldn't have been worth it if you live in Utah. You say you didn't really pay $500 over invoice but in dealers lingo you did. You paid $500 over the Toyota invoice which is the only invoice a dealer will talk about. It is true the dealer cost was only $23,337 but the Toyota invoice will include gas, dealer holdback, WFR and advertising and the dealer will have to have a pretty good reason to go below Toyota invoice. Fitzmall is $200 over Toyota invoice and it is exceptional to get better than that. A few have but it is rare.

    I live in Bend, Oregon, and found that the Costco price in Denver and LA is the same as what you paid, $500 over invoice. In Salem, Oregon, it is $500 under MSRP. Here in Bend it is $1400 under MSRP. I can't really justify going to the east coast so I am probably going to have to pay what you paid. I still have a few places to check in Northern California, Oregon and Washington but I doubt I will do much better.

    Question: Was your RAV on the lot in Lewiston or was it a special order/dealer swap, etc. Also, if this was a special order, did you order the Towing Receiver Hitch? I don't think I've seen one with that option.
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    > Congrats, homerfan. You got a very good deal.
    > If you had bought from Fitzmall you could have saved an
    > addition $300 but it wouldn't have been worth it if you
    > live in Utah.

    Thanks, Evergreen! Actually, I live in Spokane, Washington.
    Around here, the Costco discount is a (lame) $500 off MSRP.
    That's why I expanded my search to dealers in Western Idaho, and ended up buying from Roger's Motors.

    > Question: Was your RAV on the lot in Lewiston or
    > was it a special order/dealer swap, etc. Also, if
    > this was a special order, did you order the Towing
    > Receiver Hitch? I don't think I've seen one
    > with that option.

    No, I special ordered it -- I never found one at any dealership within 300 miles that had everything I wanted and nothing that I didn't. I'm driving a '99 RAV4 that still runs perfectly, so waiting for the new one isn't a hardship. I'm glad, really, since it gives me time to clean up and sell the '99 before the new one comes in. And yes, I ordered the Hitch -- I've never seen one with that on it either. Kinda strange, since so many DO have the Tow Prep option. I'll post photos over on RAV4WORLD when I take posession, so you can see what it looks like.
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    Thanks, Evergreen!
    Fitzmall is WAY to far away, since I live in Spokane, WA, and around here the Costco discount is only $500 off MSRP so that didn't help either. Living close to the Idaho border paid off though, since dealerships over there are more willing to bargain. I did have to order mine, but mostly because some of the things I wanted were not commonly available (like the Tow Hitch), but that just gives me more time to sell my '99 RAV4.
  • torodieseltorodiesel Member Posts: 16
    Just wanted to let people know about the vehicle the wife and I will be picking up tomorrow. It is a Classic Silver w/ Ash interior RAV4 Base 2WD 4cyl with the following options: 17" styled steel wheels, roof rack, tonneau cover, daytime running lights, 5 pc carpet floor/cargo mats, cargo net, and rear bumper applique.

    Our out the door price that we got is $20,589 + TTL (Invoice $20,556, MSRP $22,338...all the prices include destination charge of $645 in the upper midwest region). So, about $33 over invoice, but we got what we wanted and the dealer made a slim profit deal.

    I used the fax attack from fighting chance, information from carbuyingtips.com and internet quotes from dealerships to get to the final price. I ended up getting the deal thru the dealerships internet sales manager. For some reason the dealerships new car sales managers ignored my fax (or it got tossed by the receptionist). Even though I did not get the final price from the fax attack alone, I thought it was still a very informative package that gave a lot of good suggestions and examples on how to get the dealers to compete against each other. The RAV's are a very well selling vehicle and the dealers around my area where not willing to go below invoice. I am just glad to have this whole process behind us and to enjoy our new ride (which my wife will be driving most of the time ;) ) :shades:
  • carnivorecarnivore Member Posts: 19
    torodiesel, how much were the TDA & WFR fees on your invoice? Did you have to pay a processing fee, document fee, etc. on the contract?

    It's good to see some reports from people who have bought at close to invoice now. Before the New Year the best I was seeing was 200+ over invoice. Congrats.
  • torodieseltorodiesel Member Posts: 16
    carnivore,

    All fees are included in the price. Not sure what WFR stands for? Like I said, this was a slim profit deal that I got. Meaning, the dealership is willing to sell the vehicle at basically no profit so that they can meet certain sales quotas or a certain customer service index level to earn bonus money from Toyota. All manufacturers have these programs for all dealers and by using methods like the fax attack, etc. you can smoke out these deals.

    edit: The invoice price that I listed is just the invoice of the vehicle plus the invoice price of the options...I did not add any other "fees" into the invoice price that I listed. My purchase price includes any fees, except for state tax, title and license. I basically emailed the internet sales manager telling him that I had a quote for $20,589 on a same configured vehicle (from an out of state dealer that quoted me $20,500 + $89 service fee) and he matched it. No other dealer wanted to beat that price, but only match it. I actually had a couple dealers that I informed of where they stood congratulate me on the good deal that I got. :D
  • carnivorecarnivore Member Posts: 19
    >>Not sure what WFR stands for?

    Wholesale Financial Reserve. It may be itemized on your invoice. It's essentially an amount Toyota pays to the dealership for showroom floor space. Basically it's profit for a dealer, along with the the holdback and at least part of the advertising fees (TDA) which can be big. That's how they can sell vehicles at invoice and still make a profit.
  • torodieseltorodiesel Member Posts: 16
    oh yea...that's part of the "holdback" that the dealer gets (1% of base MSRP). I haven't seen the dealers actual invoice price yet. I'll try to get a copy from the dealer tomorrow when I go to pay and drive away the new rav4.

    I wanted to restate a part of the last paragraph in my previous response:

    edit: ... He had the car on his lot and most of the other dealers did not. None of the other dealer wanted to beat that price (one did by about $20, but his didn't have the RBA nor cargo net and he would have had to get it from another dealer in nautical blue), but only match it. I actually had a couple dealers that I informed of where they stood congratulate me on the good deal that I got. :D
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    Congratulations, torodiesel!
    To borrow a line from Borat, that deal was NIIIIIICE! ;)
    Let us know if the dealership (F&I Dept. in particular) tries to play any games with you when you go in to wrap up the deal, ok?
  • banjolaya1banjolaya1 Member Posts: 88
    Homerfan,
    Just verify your document prep fees upfront. Sometimes the F&I manager will pull one form (around $75) if you're buying something from him. If you don't he pulls out another form with dealer prep fees of $350. Watch out for that. And yes, they don't appreciate when you say - I have made up my mind, I am going with my Credit Union on this one. "What if I told you that I can get you lower interest rates"? What do you reply to that?
  • banjolaya1banjolaya1 Member Posts: 88
    Congratulations wolf. We are expecting a full report on delievery, how it all went and how you were treated.
    And don't forget on your way home - no sudden accelerations in the first 1,000 miles...
  • banjolaya1banjolaya1 Member Posts: 88
    Lafortus,
    I am glad you like your V4. I am a family man too and it is actually my wife that decided we should go with V6, not me (although the daddy didn't mind it either). She has had this Suzuki Esteem '98 since, well - '98 and she's always been complaining how slow that thing was, she had problems merging in trafic on the freeway etc. And I had a 96 Jetta too! (How much $$$$ per month did it cost you to keep that money sucker on the road?) I was smiling when I was handing the keys over to the dealer...
    Anyway, my wife took the RAV4 from me (she has the baby with her all the time so "I don't need it"). Now I am stuck with Suzuki Esteem and all of its 89 hp...
  • banjolaya1banjolaya1 Member Posts: 88
    Congratulations phillip.
    I don't know much about that as I plan to have it serviced at the dealer (no matter the cost) if that'll keep me from having so many problems like I had with that damn Jetta.
    A question for you - after you lowered the pressure did the ride become any smoother? I haven't checked tire pressure in mine (my wife's to be exact) as I get to drive it only on weekends when I go to pick up some groceries.
  • phillipm1phillipm1 Member Posts: 21
    Since I lowered my tire pressures to the correct 32 lbs. the ride is noticeably not as bouncy & rough as it was. The 38 & 39 lbs. when it came off the dealer's lot was just too much. I took a 150 mile round trip in it today and fueled up for the very first time. 322 miles on the odometer ( about 250 miles of 75 mph interstate driving and 75 miles of 2-lane hwy. at 55 mph. Very little city stop & go.) Used 12.25 gallons or 26.3 mpg. I was very pleased with that. I'm now shopping for some body side moldings (Pacific Blue). I have found 3 sources: Sportwing-$139, McGeorge-$115, and Lawnmaster7-$169. Have any of you installed body side moldings? If yes, which do you recommend? Is the PB color match closely, if anyone has bought them in that color? Thanks.
  • firewirefirewire Member Posts: 7
    anyone in here recently bought a RAV4 2WD Limited V6 (Daytime Running lights and carpet mats)? if so would you share what prices you paid?

    the couple of responses ive received recently from email quotes, the dealers must think im on a different planet because our numbers are way off :( i went thru edmunds invoice pricing, kbb and other online sources. im working from invoice up and asked for an OTD based on invoice and 2 of the dealers questioned my math and another said i was in la la land...lol i havent heard from the other 10 or so and wonder if i will even hear from them based on those 4 or 5 responses...:( did my email scare them off? did they laugh at it and then pressed delete? lol

    i know there is a dealer holdback of 2% and wholesale finacial reserve too plus they love to tack on unnecessary markups just to beef up their bottom line. they always win even when you think youve beaten them.

    can anyone throw me a rope and lead me to solid evidence to stay firm with my numbers and not stray too far from there? $26,000 OTD a good price or too good to be true? thanks for your replies. will keep in touch hopefully have a RAV4 before presidents day! lolol
  • janer91janer91 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, all!
    I am getting ready to purchase a pearl white Limited V6 4x4 with the moonroof, tow prep, auto dimming mirror, JBL 6 disc stereo, and preferred accessories package. The dealer invoice price for this is $27161 (includes delivery fee of $645), and they are going to sell it to me for that price. They also have a $500 processing fee. Is that a common fee for most dealerships to have, and is it usually that much? The first Toyota dealership that we worked with did not have that fee. I think I am getting a good deal (??). Thanks! I'm glad I found this forum!!!
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    Janer:
    They aren't actually selling it to you at Invoice + Processing fee, but you are getting a good deal anyway.
    Here are the numbers I used to determine that:
    V6 4x4 $23,337
    Options $1,910
    Dest. $645
    TDA $500
    Gas $10
    Holdback $529
    WFR $264
    Fees $100
    Markup $366
    TOTAL $27,661
    At this price, the dealership is making a true profit of around $1,400 so they aren't being as generous as they want you to think. But you are getting a good deal - Congrats!
  • janer91janer91 Member Posts: 3
    So you think this is pretty good anyway???? On the invoice, the price listed for the Limited 4x4 V6 is 24,041, but you have $23,337 (the total MSRP is 29,592). Are they being honest with me? ALSO, I HATE the $500 fee that they are charging!!! This didn't happen the last time I bought a vehicle( okay, that was 5 1/2 years ago!), so is this just another way to increase profit? I understand that these people need to make a living, but I also don't want to be ripped off! Thanks for your help!
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    Yes, I think you're still doing fine on the deal. The variance on my invoice and yours could be due to geographic price differences, or (less likely, but certainly possible) they forged an invoice to get you to think they were actually selling the vehicle to you at cost. Don't get too hung up on the allocation of the dollars though; it's really just the bottom line that counts.

    If I were you, I'd try to get them to knock off half of that $500 fee. Hey, it can't hurt to try! ;)
  • torodieseltorodiesel Member Posts: 16
    An update to my buying experience:

    Today, the wife and I picked-up our new vehicle. I got a look at the dealer invoice, which was $20,939. So, we paid $350 UNDER dealer invoice. The TDA for our region is $373, Gasoline $10, Holdback (2% of base MSRP) $417, and WFR (1% of base MSRP) $208. We bought our vehicle from Bruce Smith (Internet Sales Manager) at Toyota City in MN. We were very happy with our experience and Bruce was very professional and made it all worthwhile. My wife drove the vehicle home and she couldn't be happier! :)
  • firewirefirewire Member Posts: 7
    Janer - that $27,661 also include the Sales Tax in your state? is that an OTD price? im having a hard time with my pricing too. there are so many fees and markups you wonder about the disparity among deals.
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    Toro:
    Congratulations on a great deal, and thank you for sharing the information! I was wondering what the true base price of the 2WD 4cyl was.
  • evergreenevergreen Member Posts: 213
    firewire....The Edmunds invoice does not include the TDA fee which is between $300-$500 depending on where you live. Edmunds would have to publish an invoice price for every city if they included it and that wouldn't be reasonable. The Toyota invoice, therefore, is Edmunds plus whatever the TDA is for your city. That is the invoice Toyota dealers refer to when they negoitiate from invoice price. Fitmall in Maryland sells the RAV4 for Toyota invoice + $200. It is rare you will find a better deal than that but it is possible. In some cities, the Costco deal is Toyota invoice + $500 and that ain't bad either unless you live close to Fitzmall. I suggest you price out your RAV on Edmunds, determine the MSRP, then go to fitzmall.com and find a vehicle in their inventory with a similar MSRP and check their internet price. If you can get close to that, you've got a good deal.
  • evergreenevergreen Member Posts: 213
    Janer....The $23,337 figure homerfan used is the basic cost of the vehicle to the dealer. The Toyota invoices I have seen have always showed this figure as the first item under the Dealer column. If you add the Dealer Holdback and WFR, you get the Edmunds invoice for that vehicle. If you further add for gasoline and advertising you end up with the Toyota invoice. Of course you have to add the destination charge in there somewhere, too, as well as the invoice price of the options to give you the total Toyota invoice price. Anything added to that is additional profit. Fitmall adds $200 plus a processing fee of $99. Their processing fee is to handle the paperwork with the DMV. If you buy from them and are out of state, they will waive the processing fee if you want to deal with the DMV yourself. If your dealer is asking invoice plus $500 (regardless of what they call it), that's not a bad deal if it is reasonably close (400 miles or less) to your home.

    Good Luck.
  • rav7rav7 Member Posts: 1
    I am looking to purchase a Limited 4WD/4 cyl/moonroof? MSRP is $25,600. Invoice is $23,755 - what is a realistic price to pay?
  • ct_428ct_428 Member Posts: 2
    Congratulations! You got a good deal. I'm about to buy the same exact model (same colors, same everything), and my base price is $24,700, plus $300 finder's fee. I'm buying it at A1 Toyota in New Haven, CT. I guess I'm getting ripped off because I wanted such a particular color, and it was hard to get. I wish I had seen this forum before I had started my car search.
  • evergreenevergreen Member Posts: 213
    $200-$500 over invoice would be reasonable targets, depending on where you live. East coast prices seem to be a little lower than West coast prices.
  • chili3chili3 Member Posts: 3
    I just bought one this week.... am disappointed that no-one on this forum replied to my two posts (see previous page) asking if deal sounded good. I bought a 2006, with 8,000 miles, sport model 6 cylinder, v6, moon roof, 6 cd/jbl sound system for 23,000 even which includes all tax, liscence, etc. LOVE the car, power, handling fantastic (and so is sound system), firm ride, but I like the suspension, am very happy for the few days I've had it. I still wish someone would answer me as to how I did on negotiated price (not a scratch on it, you'd swear it hadn't been driven at all).
  • antpharmantpharm Member Posts: 1
    Anybody have an success stories buying a RAV4 in Canada for less than MSRP? As of right now there is a minimum 6 week wait for any V6 RAV4's in Alberta and the dealers aren't budging on their prices. They tell me they can save me a few $ on accessories, but the MSRP is what I'll have to pay to drive off the lot.

    Anybody have any recent success buying in Canada (especially Alberta)? I keep reading how many in the US are paying $300-500 above invoice, but it looks like I might have to pay $2500 above invoice to get one :( . Any suggestions?
  • ct_428ct_428 Member Posts: 2
    I would have *grabbed* that car, for what it's worth. You don't say where you are, so I don't know what percentage tax you have, here in CT it's 6%, I know it's higher in some states, I would have liked to buy a 2006 but it's hard to get one, esp. with only 8,000 miles, but in my opinion you got a great deal. I did see one 2006 with about 16,000 miles for $19k and change at a Lexus dealer, but I got there too late. Hope that helps.
  • janer91janer91 Member Posts: 3
    I just purchased my RAV4 this past Wed. evening, and I love it! Peppy pick-up, great handling, comfy ride! At first my daughter was so mad at me for getting the pearl white, but now she loves it - all of it (especially the moonroof and the mp3 capabilities). It snowed the night that I drove it home, so I was able to use the 4x4 immediately. I'm still a little unsure about how that all works - does it just kick in whenever needed or is it always in 4x4? I haven't needed to use the 4x4 lock, yet. This site is great! Thanks to everyone who replied to my previous post!
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    Hi Chili3 -- Sorry I missed your original post! Yes, you got a great deal, and should be as proud of yourself. It's nice to get a fantastic vehicle on which someone ELSE has taken the initial depreciation hit! ;) Congratulations!!
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    Thanks for the update, Janer91!
    I'm would have been amazed if your daughter DIDN'T like the pearl white; most people love it once they see it in person.
    Glad to hear that the stock tires too well in snow too!
  • seesee Member Posts: 2
    Hello - Just wanted to get some opinions on the deal I'm being offered.

    2007 RAV4 Limited 4cyl 2WD
    Pacific Blue
    Option pkg C(I think)
    Ash Leather
    Heated Seats
    Daytime Running Lights
    Moonroof
    Floor mats
    JBL 6-disc system
    with
    Cargo tray
    Security system

    $27,500 Out-the-door

    Thanks
  • evergreenevergreen Member Posts: 213
    see....

    MSRP for the following:
    RAV Limited 4cyl 2WD 23,205
    Moonroof 900
    Leather Seats 1,050
    Heated Seats 440
    Daytime Running Lights 40
    JBL 640
    Floor Mats 199
    Cargo Tray 109
    Security System 359
    Destination Charge 645

    Total MSRP 27,587

    If you are paying 27,500, you are geting ripped off. Fitzmall's price on this vehicle is around 25,500. You had better get another opinion.
  • seesee Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the response, evergreen. It's $27,500 out-the-door, including all fees and taxes (we live in CA, so that's about 10%). Do you still think it's a terrible offer?
  • evergreenevergreen Member Posts: 213
    I am in Oregon and we don't have a sales tax so I am not sure what that is based on. Figure that $25,500 would be a good deal, add your tax, etc., to that, and see how that compares to your $27,500.
  • ljc0810ljc0810 Member Posts: 6
    Hi there,

    Could you guys comment on the deal that I'm being offered? :

    2007 RAV4 Sport 4x4 V6
    DRL
    6 CD Changer
    Moonroof
    DRL
    Cargo/Floor Carpet mats
    Security System
    Cargo Net

    OTD : 28K

    Thanks in advance ... :)
  • homerfanhomerfan Member Posts: 27
    It would be very helpful if you could let us know if your OTD price includes Tax, Title and License Fees, and the respective amounts for those if they are included. Thanks!
  • frenzytomfrenzytom Member Posts: 9
    Hey all,

    Here is the deal I got:

    Base V6 4WD
    Third Row Seating
    17" Alum Alloy Wheels
    Tow Prep
    Roof Rack
    Daytime Running Lights
    Mudguards
    Rear Bumper Guard
    Plus Floor Mats and Destination Charge

    TTL not included

    OTD - $25K

    Let me know if that was a good or fair price. Thanks in advance.
  • wolfzr2wolfzr2 Member Posts: 20
    Just for reference, I paid 26,275 for
    2007 Limited V6 4x4
    Cloth Seats
    JBL
    Tow Prep
    Moonroof
    50 state emissions
    no 3rd row
    cargo net, tonneau cover, floor mats

    Like I said, 26,275 was the vehicle price. By the time I paid processing fee, title, tax etc etc, it was 27,400 OTD.
  • ljc0810ljc0810 Member Posts: 6
    homerfan,

    the OTD of 28K includes TTL ... i'm here in MI. so i guess Tax is around 6% ? Thanks ...
  • ljc0810ljc0810 Member Posts: 6
    wolfzr2,

    i saw how much you paid for your 07 Limited V6 4x4
    i guess my 28K OTD which includes TTL is not a good deal afterall? ... :confuse:
  • ljc0810ljc0810 Member Posts: 6
    Hi guys,

    I couldn't edit my previous post so I had to repost to edit the included options on the RAV4 Sport 4x4 V6 that's being offered to me here in Michigan:

    -50 State Emissions
    -AM/FM/6 CD Changer
    -Carpet Floor/Cargo Mat Set
    -Moonroof
    -Tonneau Cover with multi-purpose cargo net with support poles.
    -Tow Prep Package
    -DRL
    -Security System

    OTD (including TTL) : 28K

    Is this a good deal ? Thanks :)
  • rchen9rchen9 Member Posts: 3
    I just bought a very similar RAV4 Base V6 4X4 last night.

    Here are the details:

    Base V6 4WD
    Third Row Seating
    17" Alum Alloy Wheels
    Tow Prep
    Roof Rack
    Daytime Running Lights
    Plus Floor Mats and Destination Charge

    $24,442

    After TTL: $25,581.00

    I'm in South East Virginia. The only thing I didn't like was the color. I got a Nautical Blue instead of a Pacific Blue which I like. The dealer was giving a deal of $500 over invoice. But I told them it was not the color I wanted. If they want me to take it off the lot, take another $1000 off. They gave me $750.

    It's true that third row seating does not come on the V4 4X4 model?

    Thanks,
  • frenzytomfrenzytom Member Posts: 9
    Good deal...which dealership did you get that from? That is the price I was aiming for from my dealer.

    I think you can get the 3rd row in any 4 cylinder Base model whether it be 4WD or not.
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