My dealer experience today

I know prices have gone insane, but I paid 36,300 OTD for my 19 TRD OR 4x4 from Valley High Toyota in Victorville. I found it through... Carfax’s search service IIRC. I got a few BS offers, but VHT got me exactly what I wanted at a good price. No over-priced add-ons, no BS mark up. No talk of payments or trades. They didn’t care how I was paying and didn’t ask about it until I came to pick up the truck. I was buying it outright, and I just brought a cashier’s check. Some dealers don’t like non-financed sales.
When we bought my wife’s JK, they hit me with that mark up nonsense, said the demand was high. I told him, friend, I see at least 100 JKs on your lot and I’m the only one looking at any of them. That was the last I heard about it. Half of sales is perception and emotional buyers. It’s a freakin’ car. They want to treat it like a commodity market. Too many people play into it, though, which is why we have this circus.

 

Used vehicles have gone up in value quite a bit over the past year. People are being given higher amounts for there trade ins because of that.

 

One thing that helps with a better dealership experience and likelihood of not overpaying is dealing with one salesperson and referring people you know to that salesperson specifically and building up rapport. Sure, perhaps you might limit yourself to one brand of vehicle, but--for me-- the value in it comes from having very little headache when shopping for a vehicle when that time comes.

For my testimonial, I purchased a 2017 TRD Sport Tacoma at MSRP back in '16, went back to the same salesman for an upgrade and he got me my current 2018 at -$1200 MSRP; then recently got my fiance into her 2021 Hybrid Rav4 Limited at $42k MSRP (fully loaded built order, waited 6 weeks, didn't have to place a deposit). Now, I have an order for a 2021 TRD OR 4x4 in Manual Transmission and just patiently waiting...MSRP for my build with the crap I want on it will set me back $39k.

 

Pre-shorttage under msrp or even invoice was achievable , now days that's as best as it can get. When I bought my 2020 SR5 4x4 Tacoma I pinned several dealers against each other until they would not drop the price more. After I sold the Sr5 I still managed to get 7% off msrp in September of last year on my TRDOR. Must be rough buying a car right now. My old folks want to buy a RAV4 but most if not all are presold or marked up, told them to hold on to their old Honda CRV until the market settles down.

 

Oh no doubt the majority of people will not have the easiest time with a new vehicle purchase this year or even the first half of next year.

The main point which I was sharing was that choosing the right salesperson and sticking with him/her will benefit both parties in that one gets to earn an easy living, while the other gets a fair deal on a purchase. He showed me his dealerships' other insane ~$8000 mark-ups but the MSRP on my fiance's unchanged in our paperwork...

 

Unfortunately dealer markup is still happening here in Canada. Not to mention inflated costs of dealer add-ons. It's less prevalent and not as extreme as in the US however. I've bailed on a few vehicles after a dealer has sent me the "full" cost with some added BS.

 

North Georgia

 

May be wrong but I think power driver’s side seat is an option on TRD-OR, not all will have them

 

Yes... dealerships make money in all kinds of ways. But they make a lot of money selling a new vehicle... regardless of discounts. Most of the numbers they publish to the public are invented... not real. When they advertise "dealer invoice" sales they are not real invoice prices. There is a "holdback" on every vehicle, an automatic profit on a vehicle. "Employee pricing???" Not a real thing.

 

You're confusing dealer invoice and dealer cost. Two different things. Invoice is cost plus hold back....which, depending on the model, could be as little as $300....obviously some higher. But hold back is often times provided by the manufacturer, as are incentives. If it weren't for that, there would be almost nothing made on the front end of many new car sales. For example, the difference between true dealer cost and full MRSP is less than $2k on a typical Corolla LE.

Employee pricing is very much a real thing. Typically it's true dealer cost. On the sale the dealership makes nothing on the front end. The manufacturer provides the dealer with a small kickback so they can show the sale in the black. They can also profit from whatever extras the customer decides to purchase as part of the transaction.

There's a reason every dealership has a used car lot, a service department and offers upsales and add on products/services. Those are where the dealership makes it's money.....and like any business, has a right and a responsibility to profit

 

I'd walk away from that "deal". Props to you.

I'd also ask to see the Used Inventory. If asked why, my reply would be the $2500 adder destroys the new truck's value.

Remember, every new vehicle the dealer sells has a kickback from Corporate.

 

$900 to tint the rear window?... BS, I had my rear window, and all 4 side windows tinted with ceramic for a lot less than that. Can't remember the exact amount, but I'm pretty sure it was about <$300.

 

LOL... I doubt I'm "confused", at least any more than you are. The point is that there are all kinds of built in profit in new car sales. They don't take a loss. And of course they make a profit. Without profit they aren't in business, and what good is a business that isn't open to do business? That's why there is a holdback on every car. Just don't tell me they don't make money selling cars.

 

it's standard.
i just bought a DCSB TRD OR manual with zero options or add-ons. For 9% off msrp.
It has a power seat.

 

Wow... Makes my glad I bought my SR last year...

 

Yeeesh... $37K, no shit?
Last Aug. for a bare bones SR ... 2.7 / 4x4 / AC ... I paid A little less than $28K .. After sales tax, dealer 'prep', registration, it was still a bit under $30K ... Glad I bought when I did. I did have to wait 2 months to get it though.. And I'm understanding the 2 months isn't all that bad now.

 

Right when the pandemic started and dealers started panic selling cars I picked up my TRD off road for 3 grand under sticker. I did that same dealer trick where I just used them against each other. Plus I was living in New Hampshire at the time so no sales tax. I think I paid 33k for a TRD OR. Not too many options though but wasnt really looking for them.

 

As consumers, we have the power to change this.

Just refuse to pay those prices, walk away. This reduces the DEMAND. Supply will catch up when all factories are back online. Then look for an increase in supply, if demand is low.....prices will adjust.

 

i live in one of the most expensive and inflated places in the nation from houses to cars no matter the status of the economy and i would not pay 37.6k for a trd sport 2wd

 

Im guessing LA, San Fran, or San Jose.