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I can't even find a Versa with side curtain airbags and ABS anywhere and the styling is so unappealing to me that I might pass even if I did find one. The Hyundai accent and Kia Rio aren't available with cruise control.
The Chevy Aveo has poor crash test results no matter how many airbags are in the car because it is an old design that was warmed over and restyled superfically for 2007.
VW Rabbit has very poor mpg.
Last weekend, I began my search (here at Edmunds) and besides learning about the Yaris through various web links, I waded through all twenty pages of comments in this discussion group. So ultimately, I've decided on exactly what I want and what appears to me to be a reasonable profit for the dealer. I don't need any dealership salesman "expertise" (oxymoron, as you will see in a bit)... I just need an "order taker". And these are turning out to be hard to find.
First, here's the email sent to approximately ten Toyota dealerships in North Texas (and one around Houston):
I would like the following:
2-Dr, Automatic
With Option package: PQ and AB
These are the only options I’m willing to pay for.
I have no trade-in and I will be paying cash.
Color choices are: 1) Meteorite Metallic, 2) Bayou Blue and a distance 3rd) Polar White.
If you need to “preference” this car, please advise the wait time and how much deposit you require. I expect if the car is “preferenced” not to have any other options added at the last minute for which I’m expected to pay.
Give me your best price up front. This same requirement has been sent to other local Toyota dealers (and I named about half a dozen locations).
--
So far, over this holiday weekend, I've received two responses:
1) Plano, TX: We treasure our customers and the relationship that are formed with these customers. If you are only interested in price then please take us off you list. (To which I replied: Done.) and
2) The location in Spring, Tx (just north of Houston); they at least followed my instructions: they sent a quote. And while it appears to be about $155 OVER MSRP (at least according to Edmunds), they are at least "in the running" (i.e., within negotiating range).
No deliver/possession time schedule has been address yet with any dealer (that should prove interesting).
I'll post more results from Texas as I get them.
A reasonable -to me- dealer profit (given the current demand for this vehicle and the MSRP deals mentioned in this forum) seems to be something on the order of $900 to $1000 over their invoice for the combination of options I want. In other words, something right at MSRP, without any additional dealer add-on "fluff" options (which I'm not willing to pay for - it's deal killer, period). Seems like dealerships would learn that lesson after awhile but I guess American consumers just keep paying for such things.
My other comment about salesmen. My wife and I have ventured out this weekend to look at this vehicle and sit in it to "test fit" it, etc. And of course, I'm going out, already "armed for bear" even though I'm not really planning to start any kind of negotiations with salesmen. But, be that as it may, we're obliged to speak to this one fellow who tries his best to do battle with information gleaned from the internet (even his own dealer's website).
I tell him we've come to look at this car and I wanted to see both the 4-dr model as well as the 2-dr hatchback (3-dr, liftback...whatever...I don't play these name games too well). We're seated inside at his table and he goes away, I suppose to "check inventory". He comes back and announces the dealership doesn't have any of the hatchback/liftback models to show me. I told him the web said you have a red one and a grey one...he says that's why you can't trust the internet! I didn't argue; perhaps they had sold them both and the internet info was out of date.... that is, until we spotted the grey one sitting alone in the front row of their rather large parking lot on our way out. It had not been sold - no indication whatsoever of having been sold recently. Now in light of "not trusting" {the Internet}...guess who's lost my trust completely? The salesman either: 1) lied to me or 2) is incompetent; in either case his credibility is in the toilet. Watch out McKinney, Texas!
T
It's possible that vehicle was sold too (sometimes we still display stuff that's already sold just so people can actually see it... sometimes it's hard to get a deposit on a vehicle only seen in brochures).
In the end, unless you plan on waiting 4-6 months, be sure thatyour desired options are offered by themselves (not part of a larger grouping) in your region by consulting the .pdf manual for your zip code at www.toyota.com.
Your pricing seems reasonable by the way. Just keep in mind, there isn't much reason to discount a product even a hundred bucks if they all sell within 24 hours at MSRP. Don't pay for the fluff, but don't lose one over a hundred bucks either .
I can run nationwide locates if anyone needs my help.
Side SRS is available in 5% or so of the nationwide supply currently. It's my feeling that side bags really wouldn't help me much if I were broadsided by something much larger than me, but if people want to pay extra for that peace of mind... it's a free country.
The number one safety feature is accident avoidance of which the Yaris has in loads (it's small, manuverable, and stops on a dime).
T
Latest ad was all Yaris S automatics in stock for $700+ off MSRP, three to choose from.
They have started running ads every weekend for liftbacks with the stick and convenience package for $11,809 too, which by my calculation is almost $500 off sticker.
If you want the savings, gun for them! But stick to the highest-volume dealerships if you want to pay less than MSRP, I think.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
In the case of Cruise, the warranty we offer at my particular dealership is 5 years from the date of purchase, and for reference, our service director has installed over 100 (he said he does about 10 or so a year and has been here for 12 years) and has not had a reported problem.
T
Of course it will not help you past a certain severity of impact, but it will be a help up to that point, so why not have the best protection available?
You cannot do much to avoid people running red lights broadsiding you.
There is 0%, not 5% availability in most areas, so there is no choice other than to just not buy a Yaris if you want a car with a good side impact rating.
I work in the fleet department at Toyota of Plano and had seen your request for a Yaris. The problem is that Toyota builds all of there vehicles in a certain fashion. At our dealership we have many extras that we offer customers. For the last 8 or so months we have been the # 1 Toyota dealership in the North Texas area. I am recently out of the Army after one year in Afghanistan and know all about taking orders. I would have to say that from watching those positioned over me at Toyota of Plano it is because of our customer service that we are in first place. Now I do not want to argue with you or leave an impression that may be negative. I want to have a relationship with my customers. I want my customers to purchase from me because they know that I will take care of them in more ways then price. I don't want to be just an order taker. I want to look you straight in the eye and know that if I sell you the car you are looking for, for the right price, that in two to three years you will not send out another request to 10 dealerships. If I am your salesman you will know my name in a few years and give me the opportunity to earn your business again. What is your last salesman's name? If you can't answer that then he/she has not done there job. Good luck to you and I hope that this comes through in an enlightening manner rather than a confrontational one.
If you look at the pure numbers on cars with and without side airbags, there is only a minimal advantage in the vast majority of crashes, especially when it's in a small car to begin with.
Remember, no matter how many airbags you have, the laws of physics don't magically change when you get creamed by a much larger vehicle.
If it gives you peace of mind to have every ounce of protection you can then fine, it's certainly your money and not mine. Just don't kid yourself into thinking there's any significant advantage to side airbags in a vehicle this size.
T
P.S. Just ran a locate (on the Toyota Dealer Network), and there is a Yaris (mostly sedans I'll grant you) with side SRS either on the ground or due in within 2 weeks, in every region of the country. There aren't hundreds... but I'd venture to say right around 1 in 20 (5%) :P
I'll wait for crash tests with and without the side curtain airbags to decide for myself. Sometimes cars get poor or marginal side impact tests even with side curtain airbags, but I'll see how they turn out with the Yaris. If it doesn't do well, then I'll get something else anyway.
I hope we can put to rest the myth that Toyota is not shipping ANY Yaris's with side SRS to the US. Obviously, they are. It may not be many, but there are some. I ordered mine on 7/20 and I sure hope it gets here soon, I just sold my great running Volvo (with 223,000 miles).
Some cars don't have good side impact crash ratings even with the side airbags.
The more I look at the subcompact cars, the more the Honda Fit seems to come out best on everything except exterior looks. I prefer the outside styling of the Yaris to the Fit.
However, the Fit has:
Standard ABS and side curtain airbags as well as cruise control
5 star front and front side crash test results.
5 speed automatic transmission
Room for a mountain bike inside.
More refined engine that revs very smoothly. Not so annoying at high RPM like many 4 cylinder cars (buzz bombs).
Biggest disadvantage to the Fit seems to be ugly Eurocar rear styling, and low availability (have to wait to get one especially if you have a color preference).
If the side impact rating rises to 5 stars with the optional airbags on the Yaris, I will more seriously consider the Yaris.
If psychologically you feel more protected then fantastic! If it was included option I wouldn't spit on it, I just don't feel like it's a NEED option in a car of this size, given what's likely to happen should I be Broadsided, T-Boned, Slide into a pole... etc...
It's silly to predicate whether or not a car is safe, wholly on whether or not it will do slightly better in a very specific type of crash.
If you disagree that's alright. It's just not a make or break option for me (and many other "rational" people).
T
I beleive you can put orders in. Like I said, theres a dealer in ohio with basic sedans with side curtains. They initally got them in April. The guy told me they ordered them that way and ordered a bunch. They were used for fleet and are up forsale but he wants way to much. It sounds to me like the dealer can put ORDERS in.
I would not wait months and months for a Yaris.
There are other cars that have power packages, side airbags or whatever other options Toyota lists as being available for the Yaris, yet doesn't make available.
Check it out
http://riversidetoy.com/New-Inventory.aspx
Just curious.. side curtain airbags or ABS on your order? Side curtains are my supposed holdup.
For the actual launch, Toyota marketed different combos of those options to different regions. As discussed ad nauseum earlier, IF an actual ORDER was placed, you can expect it to be several months.
If they are hoping to "preference" you one (good luck if you were extremely specific on options not in your region btw), you may get it sooner, but it was not due to an order, just due to one coming in that happened to be similar to what you wanted (either to them or to another local dealer).
I saw someone hit by lightning on Saturday... guess I'll never go outside again until I get some lightning protection :P ... Just Kidding. S$#t happens, people die/get hurt... Like I said, if it's worth it to you, GREAT! Just don't tell others they are just settling or convincing themselves, if they don't see value in an item that serves no purpose over 99.9% of the time.
T
Both. I'm thinking I'll give them and extra couple of weeks beyond the time frame they originally gave me, but if it isn't in I'll just get my deposit back and buy something else. I'm not in a position where I can be messed around for "several months." That is not the kind of company I would want to have a relationship with.
I don't really understand why you would ridicule Toyota's customers for simply stating their needs and wanting certain safety features on their cars. Something tells me that if Toyota was offering a $5 salesman incentive for every side airbag sale you would consider them a lot more important.
Now I have two direct conflicting statements concerning my choice of available options. It has to do with my desire to get anti-lock brakes but not side curtain airbags.
From Toyota of Richardson (North Dallas, TX):
"You will have to get the side curtain airbags also if you want the power package and antilock brakes." Now this statement appears to be substantiated if one looks at the PDF file/brochure on the Toyota website for my region.
HOWEVER... from the Toyota dealer in Spring, TX (North Houston): "The side air bags were not included in the quote that was sent to you, the abs is an option by itself as well." AND from the Toyota dealer in McKinney, TX (different guy from the one who didn't know his 'on-hand' inventory, even after checking): "You can get ABS (AB) without side air bags (GY)."
Who's a consumer to believe???
The saga continues...
Frankly, I am a little insulted that you think a "$5 salesman incentive" would change my position. That's like saying if I gave you a balloon you'd forget about the Side Airbags...
My position on side airbags in a car this small is that they offer almost NO additional protection for the accidents they are likely to affect.
More than 99.9% of cars (less than one in a thousand) will even have those airbags DEPLOYED (keep in mind the percentages that are even involved in accidents, let alone specific side impact ones). And that's not even taking into account if they spared any injuries...
Excuse me for not thinking I'm just "convincing" myself when I say I think they're largely a waste of money...
T
I finding dealers in PA with ABS and Side curtains. I am awaiting a call from my salesperson here in ohio to see how I can get one. 2 dealers in PA said it shuold be no problem to have them shipped as long as my salesman can make a trade. I await his call.
Toyota never trains us on what they are going to be shipping and with what equipment it will have. I understand the frustration, but believe it or not people would be equally frustrated if we went with the "nothings optional" approach Honda takes.
The current problem isn't that Toyota is being stupid, or that they don't want your business or whatever... it's that with what they are producing currently they STILL can't keep up with demand. That being the case it just doesn't make good business sense to start slowing down production to start custom making Yaris's yet.
It will ease up, but no signs of it yet .
T
It is a 6 year old design that will probably be replaced in a year or so.
It doesn't have a center armrest or seat height adjuster.
With the newly discovered oil in the Gulf of Mexico and possible new energy supplies from oil shale in 20 years, gas prices may continue to fall and some people will have regrets if they bought a very small car they didn't like soley as a response to current prices at the pump.
I understand the need to pin all us car people as "greedy" and what not, and to a certain extent, you're even right (I want to make as much $$$ as I can).
However, when a dealership adds things to increase the profit margin, only the CONSUMER is to blame. If no one was willing to pay it, they'd just sit around, and dealers would be forced to not add those items in order to sell them. Instead, they sell... quickly even. It may not seem fair to people, but in reality, neither is selling a car for invoice. The MSRP is by definition the SUGGESTED retail price.
It's just like why we have to discount our Tundras and Sequoias: wholly because of the consumer. Believe me when I say I truly think the Tundra is worth every penny of MSRP, but why won't anyone pay it? Demand.
I made an offer to a customer buying an FJ Cruiser that for every customer he'd deliver willing to pay MSRP for a Tundra or Sequoia, I'd sell the FJ at MSRP also.
Of course that isn't going to happen, again, demand dictates what those vehicles are worth, and as a business, we want to make as much as consumers allow us to.
Regions don't run Toyota
You do.
If you don't want to pay it, don't. No one has a gun to your head. If everyone waits, the price goes down. If I had 30 Yaris or FJ's on the ground, would there be a lot more wheeling and dealing?
You betcha :P
T
If so, I've never seen the port "fluff" amount to more than a couple hundred bucks or so. I even got the bumper guard and mats on mine (and I work here lol).
If you're referring to the regional fees (destination and admin of about $355 extra) Toyota charges for the southeast region, it's primarily because of extra freight (distance from port) and local laws (admin) NOT additional profit.
Help
T
2007 Yaris 3-Door Liftback 4-Cyl 4-Speed Automatic ← Return To Search
Not a photo of the actual vehicle. Year:2007
Model:Yaris
Trim:3-Door Liftback 4-Cyl 4-Speed Automatic
Exterior Color:Bayou Blue
Interior Color:Dk.gray
Transmission:Automatic Overdrive Transmission
Price:$14,765.00
VIN:JTDJT923975064848 Status:Available
Option Cost
50 State Emissions $0
Passenger Arm Rest $129
Extra Mile Aluminum Wheel Upgrade
Wheel Locks
Road Hazard Tire Warranty
(3 Yrs/36,000 Miles) -
$665
Convenience Package: Am/Fm/Cd With
Mp3/Wma Playback Capability And Auxiliary Audio Jack
15-In. Steel Wheels With Full Covers
Rear Wiper And Rear Defroster
$630
The Extra Mile Option Package A
Carpet Mats (5-Pc Set W/Cargo Mat)
Mud Guards
Cargo Net
Fabric Guard
Roadside Assistance (3 Yrs/36,000 Miles
Extra Mile Extended Life Tires
(6 Yrs/100,000 Miles)
$507
Vehicle Shield Package
Lusterizing Sealant
Sound Shield
Sealant Cleaner
Rental Car Assistance
$349
Rental car sealant.
Cargo net cleaner?
Floor mat gaurds?
Sound shield lusterizer?
Look at the actual MSRP sticker for what comes from the factory.
They are NOT options on the factory MSRP.
If your local dealers are charging that on a YARIS I would indeed look elsewhere (FJ's and Hybrids are about all that demand a premium these days...).
T
Rental car sealant.
Cargo net cleaner?
Floor mat gaurds?
Sound shield lusterizer?"
Hey! My cargo net gets extremely dirty! It's only common sense I'd get a cleaner for it :P sheesh...
And don't forget my undercoating coating... I've gotta protect that... or else what else is there between me and the floormat guard tray protectors?
T
You say it all right there.
It is DEALER INSTALLED if it is not on the factory MSRP label.
Until you see the actual window sticker, don't rely on what you see on the internet sites of a few dealers. Certain dealers will always try and get away with selling you as much as they can (and they should, but that's another topic altogether lol...).
They're dealer addendums, plain and simple.
It's not Toyota, it's those darn greedy dealers trying to milk you for every cent they can... Darn capitalists :P
T