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Toyota Yaris Prices Paid and Buying Experience

661 messages,  Last post on Apr 10, 2012 at 10:22 AM

You are in the Prices Paid - Buying & Leasing Experiences Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Yaris, Car Buying, Hatchback, Sedan

Messages Page 22 of 67

#204 of 661 Re: tjw1308 [bottgers] by tjw1308

Sep 02, 2006 (9:10 am)

Replying to: bottgers (Sep 01, 2006 9:02 pm)
Crazy as it may sound, I haven't heard a single complaint about the lack of cruise or the tach from anyone thus far (over 200 customers minimum).
 
What I do hear is the hemming and hawing about having to pay sticker. It's borderline ridiculous. If you don't want to pay the whopping 9% markup, go buy a Ford lol.. I hear they have no trouble at all keeping oodles on the lot these days... I only wonder why ...
 
As for equipment, we can typically get what someone wants as far as color/equipment (within reason, but keep in mind, they bundle things like the power package, ABS, and side airbags together) within 4-6 weeks.
 
If you HAVE to have it today, then yes, sometimes you'll have to settle. But it's not as if settling includes getting a car with a different engine, or without brakes, or something to that effect.
 
A lot of people are quite comfortable without things like ABS, Side Airbags, and Power Packages.
 
Frankly, I'm happy to be associated with a manufacturer that doesn't overproduce just because they can, have oodles of unsold product, and have to beg customers to buy them with huge rebates and discounts.
 
There's a reason why Toyota excluded certain features. As discussed ad nauseum here, they don't want to cannibalize Corolla sales given that it is stale product. Now MAYBE when the new (2008-9) Corolla hits we will see the NEXT model year Yaris Liftback (2009-10) include a tach and cruise, but until then, myself and a lot of industry insiders find it highly unlikely.
 
There's also a reason why once you get the sedan equipped with those features it's basically as expensive as a CE Corolla .
 
For the forums edification, we have still been moving every one we get, within 24-48 hours, for MSRP. If you can get a hundred or more off and are getting a Yaris that makes you happy, jump on it!
 
T

#205 of 661 Is cruise.... by bottgers

Sep 02, 2006 (10:58 am)

....available as a dealer installed option in the liftback?

#206 of 661 Are Side Curtain Airbags a "Paper" Option on the Yaris? by jaxs1

Sep 02, 2006 (4:59 pm)

I noticed that no models of Yaris, hatch, sedan or S sedan show any availability of side curtain airbags anywhere in the state of California. I tried the Toyota Configurator in multiple zip codes in both northern and southern California.
 
Is this a "real" option that they plan to make available later in the year or just a phantom vapor "option" pencil-whipped onto their brochures and websites simply for marketing reasons?
 
Even ABS is rare since it seems to be only be available in one option package on the base sedan. Not available on the S sedan or the hatchback.

#207 of 661 Re: Are Side Curtain Airbags a "Paper" Option on the Yaris? [jaxs1] by bamacar

Sep 02, 2006 (6:54 pm)

Replying to: jaxs1 (Sep 02, 2006 4:59 pm)
The Airbag package is pretty much a "paper" option for Toyota. There are 3 out of 281 Yarii in the Southeast region with the option. Unlike Honda where safety is for everyone, at Toyota it is safety in the commercials and brochures but not actually available in cars for sale.

#208 of 661 Re: Are Side Curtain Airbags a "Paper" Option on the Yaris? [bamacar] by jaxs1

Sep 02, 2006 (7:08 pm)

Replying to: bamacar (Sep 02, 2006 6:54 pm)
So, it looks like the Honda Fit and Civic and the Toyota Corolla are the only high mpg economy cars readily available at dealers with ABS, side curtain airbags and cruise control and good crash ratings. The Corolla is a bit old a crude now, so I'd probably wait for the 2008 redesign.
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.

#209 of 661 My buying experience... by tbg1

Sep 03, 2006 (9:42 am)

...well not really, as I haven't actually bought a Yaris yet. I've known this time was coming since my son got his drivers license last year and we've made him wait a year before turning him loose on society as an independent driver. So he gets the "hand-me-down" older car ('98 Mazda 626) - easier insurance rates - and I get a new commuter car to carry me to and from work. And I've decided that car will be a Yaris 2-door, automatic (I'm too old to put up with all that shifting in city traffic and a hot cup of morning coffee is just too important to me to risk!) so an automatic it will be.
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.

#210 of 661 Texas Yaris buying by tbg1

Sep 03, 2006 (10:14 am)

Couple other points I failed to mention.
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!

#211 of 661 Re: Texas Yaris buying [tbg1] by webshaf

Sep 03, 2006 (11:31 am)

Replying to: tbg1 (Sep 03, 2006 10:14 am)
You've only just begun! I also know exactly which options I want(side airbags) and was given a very good quote on what I wanted(Under MSRP!) last May. It's been games, lies and/or incompetence while they have my deposit. You may want to contact the Toyota customer line once you have a dealer that will actually work with you. Hope you have way better luck than me. (I'm still waiting, but the Versa is starting to look doable...if I can find one to look at!)

#212 of 661 Re: Is cruise.... [bottgers] by tjw1308

Sep 03, 2006 (3:01 pm)

Replying to: bottgers (Sep 02, 2006 10:58 am)
Yes, but only aftermarket. I'd only reccomend going that route if you can't LIVE without it though...
 
T

#213 of 661 Re: Texas Yaris buying [tbg1] by tjw1308

Sep 03, 2006 (3:10 pm)

Replying to: tbg1 (Sep 03, 2006 10:14 am)
Yes, incompetence was the likely culprit (and I'm a salesman myself ).
 
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

Messages Page 22 of 67

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