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Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Toyota RAV4 Prices Paid and Buying Experience
2356 messages, Last post on Oct 13, 2008 at 3:35 PM
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| 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. | |
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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! |
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Replying to: phillipm1 (Jan 25, 2007 8:26 am) 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. |
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Replying to: firewire (Jan 25, 2007 1:36 am) 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!! |
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Replying to: homerfan (Jan 24, 2007 11:56 pm) 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.
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Replying to: firewire (Jan 25, 2007 1:36 am) 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. |
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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 |
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Replying to: firewire (Jan 25, 2007 3:46 pm) 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. |
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Replying to: wolfzr2 (Jan 25, 2007 6:38 am) 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!
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Replying to: wolfzr2 (Jan 25, 2007 4:59 pm) Happy tickets! |
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