Actually, you are witnessing the beauty of comparing %MSRPs. olddave actually paid 88.8% of MSRP, including the dealer handling fee. This is slightly lower than many Edmund's posters have been getting. I suspect the lower price is due to end of year model, i.e. the 2006 should be coming out soon.
If dealer A gives you 90% MSRP with no handling fee, and dealer B gives you 88% MSRP with a handling fee, you are better off with the 88% (dealer even if you did pay a fee.
Most Edmund's poster have paid between 89-91% MSRP, in which case olddave received an OK deal.
We bought our car in Plano, Texas (Dallas) at Park Place Lexus two weeks ago. Ours had MSRP $34,800 and we paid $31,445. They said invoice was around $31,000. Ours included the premium package and no navigation. We probably should have waited until August, but my husband wanted the Blue Onyx Pearl and they only had one with the options we wanted. We are really pleased with the car.
It has the navigation system package, with the premium sound system. It listed the for $37,909, and I paid $34,527 + 129 document and title fee.
I live in Cleveland, Ohio and shopped both dealers in Cleveland. They both gave me the run around on prices (best price was $35,700 for a demo). So I called Lexus of Easton in Columbus, OH. They had the color I wanted (White), beat the price by $1,200, and delivered the car.
I currently own a 2001 Toyota Avalon, and thought I was going to buy a new one. But, after test driving the Avalon, I do not like the changes. So I drove the Lexus, Mercedes E320, and BMW 525. I choose the Lexus because of the ride, and smooth handling. The lexus has the best interior, and reliability rating.
I found this forum to be very helpful when researching this car. I know I did not get as good of deal as many that have posted. But, with the knowledge from this forum, I saved more than I would have.
I had the same problem at that dealership. Tried Edmund's Dealer Locator and found a great dealership in Little Falls, New Jersey. Was driving my '05 ES330 in 2 days and all done over the phone - even a trade-in! Did a 1Pay lease that was $2,168 less than the local quote. The "buy" price quoted was about 89% of sticker. That was back in March-April. Definitely worth the 150 mile trip!
Not yet (just hit 3,000 miles) but I know a couple of people who have bought used Lexus vehicles - 1 from private sale and 1 from Toyota dealership. They have had no problem with the service dept. Actually hear the service area is very different from the sales area in how they treat their customers. We'll see. Don't anticipate having to go there much anyway because of Toyota/Lexus quality. I have had great follow-up and post-purchase communication from the NJ dealership so wouldn't hesitate to go there for service or ask for help with local or Lexus corporate if necessary. I know someone who leased locally and has never heard from the salesman post-purchase. Not even now and his lease is up next month. He called NJ and no problem to turn vehicle in down there and got great quote on new one...
I see a lot of folks posting about getting great deals all over. But I'd like to get any experiences specifically from my area. I'm in the Minneapolis/St.Paul Metro. We have two Lexus dealerships, Maplewood and Wayzata.
I'm looking to get an 05' ES330 in the next month. So I'd love to know the deals anyone got at these places...refer a particular sales person who was more willing to deal. My parents also live in the Madison Wisconsin area...and I have no issue with taking a road trip for a good deal if someone has had a good experience in that area. Chicago may be a little too far.
Yea, I told the sales person that I was finding how much folks pay for an ES and his reaction was basically "Well the Midwest Market is much different and demand is higher." And proceeds to tell me that there no-haggle price of 95%MSRP is more than generous. I pointed out how the Lexus dealership across town has his price beat by $700. I hate those kind of sales people. I'm totally willing to drive to Naperville just to get a better deal and give my business to someone who wants it. Lexus is one of the most profitable car companies in the USA...spare me the supply/demand lecture.
Quote from So. CA for a pretty much fully loaded ES330 with Nav.
MSRP: $37,119 CURRENT INTERNET PRICE: $32,699 (this quote good for 72 hours -call for updated quote after that (this price does not include tax, license or doc. fee)
Not sure if there's a better deal than this one. It's about 87.7% of the MSRP
Back on post 885 I inquired about a TSB as mentioned by stretchkj. I felt the tranny was "lazy" at shifting points. stretchkj advised of above and while getting an oil change yesterday, I had them do the re-programming. Only went from the dealer to the barbershop and then home but I noted a vast improvement especially when coming to a stop sign for quick stop and then back on the go pedal. Before the fix the tranny was still hunting down to first gear and I would always get the hesitation. The re-programming seemed to remedy this totally. Next time my wife lets me drive the ES, I'll give it a better test but my first impression is very positive.
Every so often I like to summarize the deals of Edmund's posters for ES300/330s. Posters can see how price paid as a percentage of MSRP varies (or not) over time and with geographical area of the dealer providing the quote.
In the next post, I provide summaries of deals spanning from 8/2004 -8/2005. From 4/2005 through 8/2005, I tried to provide data on EVERY deal quoted on this thread.
I was unable to include the data from about half of the posts because the basic info was not provided. Specifically, the VERY minimum to report is: 1) The price paid or quoted, NOT including license and tax. AND 2) The MSRP.
An ideal quote post provides the information below. Please, please, PLEASE try and include it in order that we can maximize the usefulness of the price quotes:
poster Id: nikman Vehicle: 2005 ES330 Approx Date of Quote: 4/30/05 Geographical Region (Dealer): SF Bay Area, CA (Putnam Lexus) MSRP: $37119 Price PD/Quote (not incl TTL): $32400 %MSRP $87.3%
Note that %MSRP is calculated by dividing quote by MSRP and multiplyin by 100. Example: ($32,400/$37119) x $100 = 87.3%
If you don't want to do the math, just provide the quote and MSRP and I can calculate % MSRP in my summaries.
All: What follows is a deal summary of the deals quoted by Edmund's posters. The deal summaries are presented in the order below:
Poster: nikmin Message#: 879 Vehicle: 2005 ES330 Approx Quote Date: 4/30/05 Geograpical Region(Dealer); SF Bay Area, CA (Putnum Lexus). MSRP: $37119 Price/quote: $32400 %MSRP: = 87.2%
The summaries follow:
The following summaries are snapshots over the period from 3/2002-3/2005 ======================================= atoews, 2002 ES300, 3/15/02, So Cal (Lexus of Cerritos), $39,963, $37775, 94.5% MSRP. professordjf, 2004 ES330, 08/04, Dallas, $37,424, $34,000, 90.8% MSRP. pageguy2, 2005 ES330, 8-9 2004, Havorford, PA (Wilkie Lexus), $38,444, $35000, 91% MSRP mjp58, 2005 ES330, 3/05, Region Unknown, $35619, $31800, 89.3% MSRP
The following represents ALL usable quotes from 4/2005-8/2005 ================================================== 2005es330owner, 2005 ES330, 871, 4/05, So. Cal, Los Angeles, $37119, $33,354, 89.9% MSRP stretchkj,2005 ES330, 884, 4/05, So. Cal – San Fernando Valley, $37119, $32,500, 87.5% MSRP olddave, 2005 ES330, 953, 4/6/05, Denver, $39,429, $34999, 88.7%MSRP spyderred, 2005 ES330, 895, 6/4/05, So. Cal (Longo Lexus), $37119, $32,309, 87% MSRP ctdriver76, 2005 ES330, 923, 6/20/05, Connecticut, $38,669, $34,454, 89.09% MSRP jsceaj, 2005 ES330, 917, 6/14/05, Maryland/Wash DC,$38603,$34530, 89.4% MSRP andystar1, 2005 ES330, 962, 8/1/05, So Cal, MSRP $35469, $30500, 86% MSRP jhwk, 2005 ES330, 964, 8/1/05, Plano Texas(Park Place Lexus), $34,800, $31,445. 90.3% MSRP max22, 05 ES330, 965, 8/1/05, Columbus, Ohio – Lexus of Easton, $37909, $34527, 91% MSRP justin4326, 05 ES330, 8/11/05, So Cal, internet quote, $32699, $37119, 88.1% MSRP
95% MSRP is so high, I suspect that the quote may include license and tax. If anyone gets a quote like this, make sure is does not include license and tax. If it does, subtract TTL and see if the number becomes more reasonable.
I'm picking up my ES330 from Lexus of Maplewood in Maplewood, Minnesota. Got them to match the $500 over invoice that the Chicago dealers had. But I'm wondering what they are going to try to hit me up to buy at the end like the extended warranty, etc.
What should I expect them to pitch me at the end? I've heard of folks mentioning the 'clear bra'.
Also, I am semi-interested in the extended warranty since I'm planning on having the car for awhile. I know the price of the warranty is also negotiable. How much should I pay? What have others paid?
I appreciate all the info I can get so I'm not going in blind.
No, I'm pretty sure my math was right...MSRP is 35,619...Wayzata's price is a non-negtable $33,699 before TTL. that is 94.6% MSRP. Sorry, I rounded up earlier.
I got 90%MSRP at Maplewood across town. But not without the "we've never sold one this low before" line. We're picking up tonight so I'll post official numbers here soon for those looking near the Twin Cities. I can also refer you to my salesperson at Maplewood. Very nice guy to deal with.
Hi Ron--Glad you got hooked up locally. Extended warrenty....I never get it as I swap cars before any warrenty expires. That, plus the fact that Lexus/Toyota are about as reliable as one can get. Guess it depends on price and the fact that you intend to keep the car a long time. Sorry, can't give you any facts/figures but an extended warrenty on a Lexus/Toyota product would never be a consideration for me, unless it was really CHEAP! I can't pan extendeds on certain cars. My son bought a used Audi A4...we knew the dealer...he dropped his commission and he paid like 7-800 for the warrenty. I thought that was stupid. Little did I know..it was the car from hell. More electrical problems than one could count and it spent a lot of time at the dealer...he burned the cost of that warrenty many times over and it was still problems. Needless to say, the car is long gone. I have had a ton of Toyotas----mostly Supras---twin turbos at that. They have been so reliable. Guess I'm not helping you much but my personal opinion is that an extended on a Toyota/Lexus product is paying for "piece of mind" only. Enjoy your new ES.
I just got an email telling me the internet department is offering special pricing through 9/5/05 with an offer of 92% MSRP. That is a MSRP of $34829 less $2852 for $31977 sale price, with possible additional pricing incentives at the dealership.
If you look at post 979, you will see that 92% MSRP is no deal at all. I'd take the 92% as a start point in the negotiation process, where the dealer put out the first number. I don't know where your geograhical region is, but if So. Cal, I'd make a first bid of 87% MSRP (only don't say that; instead provide a price).
For other regions, you may have to pay in the 90% range but should not pay much more. You should get 89-90% regardless of region. If you are in a high-priced region, MAYBE go up to 91%, but I'd look around if that were the lowest I could get from the first dealer I spoke with.
>>92% MSRP is no deal at all. I'd take the 92% as a start point in the negotiation process<<
Yes, exactly! My region is Houston, TX. I suspect that this may mean that there are hidden incentives to the dealer for the next 2 weeks. So, my problem is, do I assume that, and lower my first bid accordingly? Or is this just an "internet thing" and is 87% to 90%MSRP stiill reasonable? I am just so cheap that I really, really want to get this at better than 87% on a cash deal! (call me competitive...)
My previous post #976 gives the backround. The reprogram did absolute wonders. No more lazy shifts. I thought that this may create some harshness in shift points (i.e., 1 to 2 to 3 etc). Not so---shifting of gears is smooth and seamless. If anybody not happy with the laziness of their tranny the verdict is "GET ER DONE!"
I am interested in buy my first lexus ever, es 330 with nav system, premium sound and vsc/trac with adaptive variable suspension. total mrsp thru edmunds is 38308 which includes some other accessories. Invoice for this is 33600. I live in alabama near atlanta and probably will buy from atlanta dealer. How much I should pay above the invoice. Also I need to trade 2003 avalon, xls, with leather package with 40k miles. How much to expect. Thanks for your help
We purchased our 2005 ES330 in April. We live in the Denver metro area. It is our first Lexus and our first "foreign" car since a used 1958 Renault Dauphine. Sounds like our Lexus is equipped very similar to the one you listed. MSRP was $39429 including shipping. Negotiated final price was $34999. Sorry, I can't help you with your trade-in - I have never traded in a used car - I either sell the old car and try to get a good retail price, or hand it down to a child or grandchild.
Just wanted to update the info I posted. That offer of $31,977 was for what is called Package 1 locally, that is Heated/Vented seats, wood, power shade, 17" alloy wheels, preferred accessory pkg of cargo net, trunk mat, and wheel locks. No NAV. I later got an internet quote for the same plus NAV, HID, and rain sense wipers for $34,200 (Package 2). MSRP $37,119 Other internet quotes for Package 2 were higher.
After some emails and phone calls, I was offered a 2005 ES 330 with NAV (Package 2) for $38,000 including tint, pin striping, clear bra and chrome wheels. That fell to $36,100 (88.9%MSRP) and negotiation stalled.
So I went in person to see if the next dealer had a car for me. I drove 30 minutes to find the car he had for $34,200 with no adds was now gone (apparently in the first 2 hours of the day -- was it going to dealer #1??) and the lowest he would get to ($33,600) reflected his cost to bring another in from somewhere.
Another 30 minutes even further south to another dealer to find he had one in stock and we settled on $33,300 with 24 months maintenance included or $33,000 with only the 5K mile maintainence free from Lexus and the oil changes for free from the dealer for 2 years.
That car had MSRP of $37,119, cost $33,000 or 88.9% MSRP before TT&L and a $50 documents fee.
$34999 Included all dealer charges. It did not include sales tax and license plate taxes and fees. I also purchased a 2-year extended warranty, but I consider that a separate transaction.
Boy do I have the same problem, sure I do. I would highly appreciate telling me the technical name for reprogramming the transmission. What should I tell the dealer to do? Reprogram it for what? Is there a name for that “program”.?
Houston TX, that final deal was from a dealer on the south side of town. I will add that the fellow I bought from in the Internet department was the very nicest salesman I encountered along the way.
I think it is a well known problem as I took mine to the local dealer....small dealer and he knew right away what I was talking about when I mentioned a TSB. The wording on my receipt is: "Trans ECM needing update per TSB TC004-03" You will love the improvement.
I have been looking at the pricing for the ES330 with several packages and the best deal I have been able to find in my market was through COSTCO which provided a no haggle price of $ 1,000 over invoice regardless of package. Seems like a reasonable deal. Does anyone know how to pick one up for invoice or under? It seems that on the LS line it has been done.
My wife and I just picked up a new 05 330ES fully loaded I believe MSRP was around 39.8k. The only thing lacking was adjustable pedals, and that's really what we wanted but are very scarce in CA. Anyway, we paid 33,800. Pretty good deal, but took a lot of persistence. I had to bring up the faulty transmission etc. several times, but it paid off... Thanks to this site to set my expectations on $.
I was sort of playing the role that the price was not so great to the salesman. At the end of the deal, he showed me some internal document that showed the gain on the car $-928. I'm sure he didn't loose money, but made me feel good about my deal. Almost 1k under invoice!
I am very interested in the car and the deal you found is 2K better than what I have been able to find so far. Can you tell me the dealer that you went to?
Please verify your exact MSRP, your dealer, and the geographical area of the dealer in answer to luv2dream's question on your deal. Also, indicate the invoice and where you got the invoice. (Was it Edmund's or from somewhere else?). Please don't mention a salesperson's name or the host will delete your post.
I asked for quotes over the internet since I just want to do what I need to do and not haggle a whole lot, but want a good deal. I paid $32500 for a es with heated & ventilated leather seats, hid headlights, vsc, cargo net, trunk carpet, wheel locks, ugraded 17 in tires. MSRP was $35909. I was satisfied with this deal. Pretty painless. My local dealer matched a quote I was given from a big volume Lexus dealer who is #2 in volume in country. Dealer gave satellite radio service free for 9 months.
That is a similar deal to what I was able to find which is 1K over invoice. The person that posted earlier said he picked up the vehicle for aproximately 1K under invoice. That is a great deal for the car. I'm hoping that they will share the name of the dealership. I will be buying one once I get a deal setup at the range he mentioned in the email.
You are correct to question mhunterdts' deal. It comes out to approx 85% MSRP, by far the lowest of any deal reported on Edmund's that I have seen so far in the last two years of tracking. Notice that he said his MSRP was "around" 39.8K. I would demand his exact MSRP before I'd track his deal.
There was a poster who claimed to get 86% MSRP, but he had info missing from his post, too.
I believe that the lowest reasonable deal you can expect to get is 87% and you will need to negotiate for that, and you won't find it everywhere and you may not find it at all.
89-91% MSRP is what most posters are getting with little negotiation. I believe it when someone says they received 87-88. But if someone says they get below 87% I want to know the dealer. I am still of the belief that someone who gets a quote of 85% MSRP made some mistake in his calculation or in his quote.
You received 90.5% MSRP, which is in the expected range for no negotiation. 90.5% is on the high end of that range (89-91%) but for that you received your satellite service.
In what geographical region is your dealer and what is your dealer's name? Note it is legal on Edmund's to provide your dealer's name, just not your salesperson's name.
I'm in NJ and leased from DiFeo Lexus in Bridgewater. They matched a price I was given from Ray Catena Lexus in Oakhurst, NJ. I got the impression, or it was just their spiel, that they don't necessarily try to be the cheapest; they feel that how they treat you during and especially after the sale is important. They made it a big deal of showing the service facilities, which I must say is the most state of the art and nicest I've seen. Much nicer than the BMW dealer I dealt with, although they were very nice and attentive people.
SERVICE has always been the name of the game for Lexus...and they hit a home run with this attitude. Their facilities are always impeccable and they seem to bend over backwards to satisfy the customer. A bit of history here but Lexus (Toyota) and Infinity (Nissan) hit about the same time....'89/'90? A couple of Japanese car companies cutting into the "upscale market" of U.S. buyers. Lexus introduced their only vehicle, the LS. Infinity did the same with their Q45(?). Both were great sleds and the Infinity outperformed the Lexus hands down...more BMW'ish I guess as it was a "drivers car". I think the "fit/finish/quality" were judged pretty equally by the car magazines. So, what happens??? Lexus sells like crazy and Infinity lags. Two reasons in my mind. Luxo cars in the U.S. were meant to be quiet w/ a cushy ride...performance numbers be damned. Then they followed up with tremendous service, giving when they should not have on warrenty issues and guess what...they hit the top on virtually every survey I have ever seen for service/customer satisfaction. Lexus people were a marketing genius. Sell an A1 vehicle that was superior to virtually anything on the market; price it VERY competitively; service the hell out of your customers and guess what...a marketing success big time! It perpetuates itself...mention Lexus to anybody and your response will be "the ultimate" or some such. Then mention Infinity and I suspect 50% will respond, "What's an Infinity?" All this may not be a fair comparison but I think Lexus not only hit a home run, but I think it was a GRAND SLAM!
Comments
If dealer A gives you 90% MSRP with no handling fee, and dealer B gives you 88% MSRP with a handling fee, you are better off with the 88% (dealer
Most Edmund's poster have paid between 89-91% MSRP, in which case olddave received an OK deal.
Invoice 31656
Paid 30500
Doc Fee 45
Tire Fee 8.75
License 262
Tax 2367.24
OTD 33182.99
Southern California
It has the navigation system package, with the premium sound system. It listed the for $37,909, and I paid $34,527 + 129 document and title fee.
I live in Cleveland, Ohio and shopped both dealers in Cleveland. They both gave me the run around on prices (best price was $35,700 for a demo). So I called Lexus of Easton in Columbus, OH. They had the color I wanted (White), beat the price by $1,200, and delivered the car.
I currently own a 2001 Toyota Avalon, and thought I was going to buy a new one. But, after test driving the Avalon, I do not like the changes. So I drove the Lexus, Mercedes E320, and BMW 525. I choose the Lexus because of the ride, and smooth handling. The lexus has the best interior, and reliability rating.
I found this forum to be very helpful when researching this car. I know I did not get as good of deal as many that have posted. But, with the knowledge from this forum, I saved more than I would have.
Thanks!
I'm looking to get an 05' ES330 in the next month. So I'd love to know the deals anyone got at these places...refer a particular sales person who was more willing to deal. My parents also live in the Madison Wisconsin area...and I have no issue with taking a road trip for a good deal if someone has had a good experience in that area. Chicago may be a little too far.
MSRP: $37,119
CURRENT INTERNET PRICE: $32,699 (this quote good for 72 hours -call for updated quote after that (this price does not include tax, license or doc. fee)
Not sure if there's a better deal than this one. It's about 87.7% of the MSRP
I felt the tranny was "lazy" at shifting points. stretchkj advised of above and while getting an oil change yesterday, I had them do the re-programming.
Only went from the dealer to the barbershop and then home but I noted a vast improvement especially when coming to a stop sign for quick stop and then back on the go pedal. Before the fix the tranny was still hunting down to first gear and I would always get the hesitation. The re-programming seemed to remedy this totally.
Next time my wife lets me drive the ES, I'll give it a better test but my first impression is very positive.
First and foremost, Lexus dealer's are NOT owned by Toyota/Lexus corporate.
Second, EVERYTHING you buy is based on the laws of supply and demand, well almost everything.
In the next post, I provide summaries of deals spanning from 8/2004 -8/2005. From 4/2005 through 8/2005, I tried to provide data on EVERY deal quoted on this thread.
I was unable to include the data from about half of the posts because the basic info was not provided. Specifically, the VERY minimum to report is:
1) The price paid or quoted, NOT including license and tax.
AND
2) The MSRP.
An ideal quote post provides the information below. Please, please, PLEASE try and include it in order that we can maximize the usefulness of the price quotes:
poster Id: nikman
Vehicle: 2005 ES330
Approx Date of Quote: 4/30/05
Geographical Region (Dealer): SF Bay Area, CA (Putnam Lexus)
MSRP: $37119
Price PD/Quote (not incl TTL): $32400
%MSRP $87.3%
Note that %MSRP is calculated by dividing quote by MSRP and multiplyin by 100. Example:
($32,400/$37119) x $100 = 87.3%
If you don't want to do the math, just provide the quote and MSRP and I can calculate % MSRP in my summaries.
Thanks to everyone for providing their info.
What follows is a deal summary of the deals quoted by Edmund's posters. The deal summaries are presented in the order below:
Poster: nikmin
Message#: 879
Vehicle: 2005 ES330
Approx Quote Date: 4/30/05
Geograpical Region(Dealer); SF Bay Area, CA (Putnum Lexus).
MSRP: $37119
Price/quote: $32400
%MSRP: = 87.2%
The summaries follow:
The following summaries are snapshots over the period from 3/2002-3/2005
=======================================
atoews, 2002 ES300, 3/15/02, So Cal (Lexus of Cerritos), $39,963, $37775, 94.5% MSRP.
professordjf, 2004 ES330, 08/04, Dallas, $37,424, $34,000, 90.8% MSRP.
pageguy2, 2005 ES330, 8-9 2004, Havorford, PA (Wilkie Lexus), $38,444, $35000, 91% MSRP
mjp58, 2005 ES330, 3/05, Region Unknown, $35619, $31800, 89.3% MSRP
The following represents ALL usable quotes from 4/2005-8/2005
==================================================
2005es330owner, 2005 ES330, 871, 4/05, So. Cal, Los Angeles, $37119, $33,354, 89.9% MSRP
stretchkj,2005 ES330, 884, 4/05, So. Cal – San Fernando Valley, $37119, $32,500, 87.5% MSRP
olddave, 2005 ES330, 953, 4/6/05, Denver, $39,429, $34999, 88.7%MSRP
spyderred, 2005 ES330, 895, 6/4/05, So. Cal (Longo Lexus), $37119, $32,309, 87% MSRP
ctdriver76, 2005 ES330, 923, 6/20/05, Connecticut, $38,669, $34,454, 89.09% MSRP
jsceaj, 2005 ES330, 917, 6/14/05, Maryland/Wash DC,$38603,$34530, 89.4% MSRP
andystar1, 2005 ES330, 962, 8/1/05, So Cal, MSRP $35469, $30500, 86% MSRP
jhwk, 2005 ES330, 964, 8/1/05, Plano Texas(Park Place Lexus), $34,800, $31,445. 90.3% MSRP
max22, 05 ES330, 965, 8/1/05, Columbus, Ohio – Lexus of Easton, $37909, $34527, 91% MSRP
justin4326, 05 ES330, 8/11/05, So Cal, internet quote, $32699, $37119, 88.1% MSRP
2) I reversed MSRP with Price/Quote on justin4326's deal. MSRP should be $37119 and price should be $32699.
Once we were able to delete our messages. Wonder what happened to that option!
What should I expect them to pitch me at the end? I've heard of folks mentioning the 'clear bra'.
Also, I am semi-interested in the extended warranty since I'm planning on having the car for awhile. I know the price of the warranty is also negotiable. How much should I pay? What have others paid?
I appreciate all the info I can get so I'm not going in blind.
Thanks!
I got 90%MSRP at Maplewood across town. But not without the "we've never sold one this low before" line. We're picking up tonight so I'll post official numbers here soon for those looking near the Twin Cities. I can also refer you to my salesperson at Maplewood. Very nice guy to deal with.
Extended warrenty....I never get it as I swap cars before any warrenty expires.
That, plus the fact that Lexus/Toyota are about as reliable as one can get. Guess it depends on price and the fact that you intend to keep the car a long time.
Sorry, can't give you any facts/figures but an extended warrenty on a Lexus/Toyota product would never be a consideration for me, unless it was really CHEAP!
I can't pan extendeds on certain cars. My son bought a used Audi A4...we knew the dealer...he dropped his commission and he paid like 7-800 for the warrenty. I thought that was stupid. Little did I know..it was the car from hell. More electrical problems than one could count and it spent a lot of time at the dealer...he burned the cost of that warrenty many times over and it was still problems. Needless to say, the car is long gone.
I have had a ton of Toyotas----mostly Supras---twin turbos at that. They have been so reliable.
Guess I'm not helping you much but my personal opinion is that an extended on a Toyota/Lexus product is paying for "piece of mind" only.
Enjoy your new ES.
Secondly, my calculations show that you saved $1638.47 by negotiating a little and going across town. Congratulations!
Does anyone know if there is a real deal and what it is?
For other regions, you may have to pay in the 90% range but should not pay much more. You should get 89-90% regardless of region. If you are in a high-priced region, MAYBE go up to 91%, but I'd look around if that were the lowest I could get from the first dealer I spoke with.
Yes, exactly! My region is Houston, TX. I suspect that this may mean that there are hidden incentives to the dealer for the next 2 weeks. So, my problem is, do I assume that, and lower my first bid accordingly? Or is this just an "internet thing" and is 87% to 90%MSRP stiill reasonable? I am just so cheap that I really, really want to get this at better than 87% on a cash deal! (call me competitive...)
The reprogram did absolute wonders. No more lazy shifts.
I thought that this may create some harshness in shift points (i.e., 1 to 2 to 3 etc).
Not so---shifting of gears is smooth and seamless.
If anybody not happy with the laziness of their tranny the verdict is "GET ER DONE!"
After some emails and phone calls, I was offered a 2005 ES 330 with NAV (Package 2) for $38,000 including tint, pin striping, clear bra and chrome wheels. That fell to $36,100 (88.9%MSRP) and negotiation stalled.
So I went in person to see if the next dealer had a car for me. I drove 30 minutes to find the car he had for $34,200 with no adds was now gone (apparently in the first 2 hours of the day -- was it going to dealer #1??) and the lowest he would get to ($33,600) reflected his cost to bring another in from somewhere.
Another 30 minutes even further south to another dealer to find he had one in stock and we settled on $33,300 with 24 months maintenance included or $33,000 with only the 5K mile maintainence free from Lexus and the oil changes for free from the dealer for 2 years.
That car had MSRP of $37,119, cost $33,000 or 88.9% MSRP before TT&L and a $50 documents fee.
I would highly appreciate telling me the technical name for reprogramming the transmission. What should I tell the dealer to do? Reprogram it for what? Is there a name for that “program”.?
Thanks
The wording on my receipt is:
"Trans ECM needing update per TSB TC004-03"
You will love the improvement.
Car_man
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Smart Shopper / Prices Paid Forums
I was sort of playing the role that the price was not so great to the salesman. At the end of the deal, he showed me some internal document that showed the gain on the car $-928. I'm sure he didn't loose money, but made me feel good about my deal. Almost 1k under invoice!
Thanks!
There was a poster who claimed to get 86% MSRP, but he had info missing from his post, too.
I believe that the lowest reasonable deal you can expect to get is 87% and you will need to negotiate for that, and you won't find it everywhere and you may not find it at all.
89-91% MSRP is what most posters are getting with little negotiation. I believe it when someone says they received 87-88. But if someone says they get below 87% I want to know the dealer. I am still of the belief that someone who gets a quote of 85% MSRP made some mistake in his calculation or in his quote.
In what geographical region is your dealer and what is your dealer's name? Note it is legal on Edmund's to provide your dealer's name, just not your salesperson's name.
Their facilities are always impeccable and they seem to bend over backwards to satisfy the customer.
A bit of history here but Lexus (Toyota) and Infinity (Nissan) hit about the same time....'89/'90? A couple of Japanese car companies cutting into the "upscale market" of U.S. buyers. Lexus introduced their only vehicle, the LS. Infinity did the same with their Q45(?). Both were great sleds and the Infinity outperformed the Lexus hands down...more BMW'ish I guess as it was a "drivers car". I think the "fit/finish/quality" were judged pretty equally by the car magazines.
So, what happens??? Lexus sells like crazy and Infinity lags.
Two reasons in my mind. Luxo cars in the U.S. were meant to be quiet w/ a cushy ride...performance numbers be damned. Then they followed up with tremendous service, giving when they should not have on warrenty issues and guess what...they hit the top on virtually every survey I have ever seen for service/customer satisfaction.
Lexus people were a marketing genius. Sell an A1 vehicle that was superior to virtually anything on the market; price it VERY competitively; service the hell out of your customers and guess what...a marketing success big time!
It perpetuates itself...mention Lexus to anybody and your response will be "the ultimate" or some such. Then mention Infinity and I suspect 50% will respond, "What's an Infinity?"
All this may not be a fair comparison but I think Lexus not only hit a home run, but I think it was a GRAND SLAM!