You are here:
Forums
Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences
Prices Paid & Leasing Experiences Archive
Lexus ES 300/ES 330 Prices Paid and Buying Experience ![]()

1357 messages, Last post on Jun 16, 2008 at 7:37 AM
You are in the Prices Paid & Leasing Experiences Archive Forum. Your Hosts are car_man & kyfdx
|
atoews: thank you; that makes me feel better. I've spoken to other friends that have said the same thing while others have added that the normal range is anywhere between 20 to 35 miles. The stains, by the way, were clearly not permanent, but it did bother me to see them there. There were no plastic covers on the seats and that just made me a bit worry. gordo95: no, the quote did not account for the low mileage. I think that the stated mileage is within the normal range. Also, I've gotten at least three dealers willing to honor that price. At the end of the day it comes down to the total final price, after all taxes and fees are added. There's the catch. My experience in the DC area is that some of the dealers charge, for instance, a bundle in processing fees, while others charge a minimal amount. I honestly believe that such processing fees could be abused to take back some of the discounts they claim to give you in the quoted price. My experience with internet quotes is that they are a good first step but not the final answer. The disparity in internet quotes becomes clear when you send more than one request and you get different prices. All of my dealings have been by e-mail and phone. I think that in person meetings are a waste of time, except for when you are going to inspect and later pick up the car. I haven't had any in person meetings to discuss price this time around and find myself satisfied with the results I've been getting. So that you know, one dealer just lowered their quote from $34,400 to $34,200 only after I forwarded them an e-mail from a competitor willing to match the $34,400 but not charge me $100 in processing fees. Again, focus on the total final numbers after all taxes and fees are added. That is as critical as the actual quote for the car. Finally, don't believe the supposed claim of scarcity - there are many ES330s with those very options out there. There is only an issue if you are picky as to color. I'm buying a silver one - so it has become a bit harder and I may have to wait 3 weeks to get it. In any event, that claim is just a dishonest representation and I would be careful giving my business to a dealer who would say something like that. Hope this helps. I think I know what "gordo" means - very clever use of espanol, right? |
|
|
You hit the nail on the head when you wrote that the dealers can cludge around discounts by adding other fees. Dealer destination charge and MSRP are fixed by the manufacturer (Lexus) and can't be cludged by the dealer, which is what makes a % MSRP comparison useful. I believe that price comparisons should be made including all DEALER fees only. Don't add in tax and license when doing the comparison. License and tax varies from state to state. So, if your 93% quote included tax/license, then your deal is probably pretty good. Calculate the % of MSRP without those taxes and see what you come up with. By the way, make sure the dealer removes the stains before delivering your vehicle. |
|
| You are absouletly right. By the way, after doing the numbers, after all fees and taxes are included, I get 93%. Before all that stuff is added, I'm getting about 90%, which appears to be within the range of what people have been getting. Any way, thanks for your advise and opinion. It's been very helpful to me. | |
|
|
| Just Drive an ES 330 with NAV and without the ML. MSRP was 36384.00. Actual price paid was 32423, right on the invoice. Also $75 accessories as a gift. Is this a good deal? | |
|
|
| It sounds as though you negotiated a great deal. What is the name of the dealer and where is the dealer located? I am just starting to look for an ES 330 and the local dealer in Bellevue, WA seems reluctant to come down anywhere near factory invoice. Perhaps the problem is that I want the Black Garnet color and the dealer does not have that color on the lot. | |
|
|
| I thought that it might be helpful to let people know what some dealers in Washington State are doing. The State imposes a Retail Sales Tax on the purchaser of an automobile. The State also imposes a smaller Business and Occupation Tax ON THE SELLER. Some dealers in Washngton try to charge the B & O tax to buyers as a separate line item. This is an outrageous deception and to the best of my knowledge no other industry has the nerve to attempt to charge B & O tax to a buyer as an additional line item charge. I encountered this tactic several days ago when my wife purchased an automobile (not a Lexus). We walked out of the dealership and the salesman ran after us to let us know that they would agree to delete the B & O tax. | |
|
which is about the mid range of deals that folks on this site have been posting for the past couple of months. Also, the vast majority of folks have been getting around 89% The lowest has been about 88% and the highest was about 93%, which was very, very high. You got an average deal, I'd say. I would not worry about invoice or dealer charges, so long as I received about 88 - 90% MSRP not including government charges, like tax, license, etc, which is going to vary by state and locality. |
|
|
I'm moving to Sacramento CA in June, and will buy a new ES330 then . Here are some questions: 1,Does the NAV system need subscription fees (yearly paid? and How much?)? Some guy told me if I drive to different city, i have to download the local map which charge a fee as well. (sounds ridiculous to me). 2,any experience in Sacramento/Bay area? 3,If I only want a base model without any option, is it likely for me to get a deal around 88~89%MSRP? 4,Does Lexus has a seasonal incentive/discount? If it does, when is the best time to buy? One guy told me ES will start to sell 2005 model in October, ---but I would not wait that long. Any answer or advise will be appreciated. |
|
|
|
|
piera, The NAV system requires no monthly/yearly fees and the entire US is located on the DVD discs that come with the vehicle. Of course not every single street is in the system. The only thing you have to pay for is system upgrades when they come out if you want to upgrade the DVD discs. "3,If I only want a base model without any option, is it likely for me to get a deal around 88~89%MSRP? " First of all, good luck finding a ES330 with no options. The produce very few base ES330's. "4,Does Lexus has a seasonal incentive/discount? If it does, when is the best time to buy? One guy told me ES will start to sell 2005 model in October, ---but I would not wait that long." For the best deals on 2004's you would need to wait until August or September of 2004. But even right now they are giving good deals on ES330's. The entry level luxury segment is extremely competitive currently, and you can generally buy a ES330 for less than $1K over invoice. |
|
|
|
|
A local Lexus dealer has shown me the Factory Invoice on an ES 330. The invoice totals up the Base Price, Destination Fee and Options and shows that sum as a subtotal. In addition to the subtotal the dealer has added a $397 Lexus Dealer Advertising charge. I offered the dealer $500 over the Invoice not including the LDA add on charge. By the way, the price that I offered is 89.45% of the MSRP, which seems in line with current prices that other Town Hall members have achieved. Is the LDA a legitimate part of the Factory Invoice, or is the dealer just attempting to justify a higher price than that which I have agreed to pay? |
|
You are here:
Forums
Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences
Prices Paid & Leasing Experiences Archive
Lexus ES 300/ES 330 Prices Paid and Buying Experience ![]()
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2003 Lexus ES 300
2006 Lexus ES 330



Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats