New Selling Trick Toyota Dealers Are Using

I have recently noticed something toyota dealers and dealers of other manufactures have been doing lately . A new trick for lack of a better word. There taking new vehicles and putiing a few miles on them, 25, 50, maybe up to 100 miles through multiple test drives or other ways and then selling them as used. That way they dont qualify for rebates or incentives or special financing and then there marking them with a higher price than the original msrp . Making more profit than they would selling it as new.

 

Maybe an "expert" will weigh in but I don't think it's mileage that makes a new car "used". It's whether or not the vehicle has been titled and registered to an "owner". I would think whatever you think they are saving would be offset by other transaction costs. Keep in mind the vehicles are not donated to the dealers!

 

I bought a van with 5,000 miles on it that was still sold as new since it had never been titled. The dealer had used it for promotional uses and we got a great deal on it. When schools use cars for Drivers Ed classes they are driven several hundred miles, maybe 1000 or more during the summers. They are later sold as new, but at discounted prices.

 

(My expertise is a PhD in Googling).

But yes, mileage doesn’t define new versus used. Transfer of ownership from the dealer does.

So to market a vehicle as used, it would have to be transferred to a buyer, then back to the dealer. I guess a shady dealership could accomplish this.

If I came across a “used” vehicle with only a few hundred or a couple thousand miles, my first question to the salesman would be to ask for an explanation.

 

no doubt it varies state to state

no less im not sure where the generic / quasi ‘ Demo ‘ applies

 

A vehicle has to be registered to be considered used. A demo is still considered new since it’s running dealer tags and not personal

 

Mileage solely will not make vehicles used. Reg/Title status does. Plus interest rates are lower for new vs used so it wouldn’t be a smart idea.

 

Agreed with those here talking about title. I'll just add that there are lots of reasons for low mileage used vehicles such as people who return them because they just didn't like the vehicle, loaner vehicles, demo vehicles, etc.

 

Demos are “new” and qualify for everything that comes with being a new car, rebates, etc. The only impact of being a demo is they’re typically discounted because of the added mileage. We almost bought a demo for my wife so I’ve been through the research on all that.

 

Expecting dealers to be honest is like expecting water to not be wet

 

I feel like the second steering wheel, second set of control pedals, and all the curb rash on the wheels would pretty much make it 'used'....

 

* They're

 

Loaners and demos, assuming ownership was never titled out from the dealership, will still be considered new.

Loaners are a good explanation for a new vehicle having a few hundred or even a thousand miles, didn’t even think of that.

 

Don't forget about "program cars" these are cars used by executives and high level employees and execs at large OEM suppliers, they usually have just under 10,000 miles and are often discounted heavily. Still sells as a new car. Not a bad way to go if you're going to sell/trade before the warranty is up.

 

Your loaner vehicle well it has to come from somewhere and they sure aren't looking to put someone behind the wheel of of that 2000 Grand Prix that Jessica just traded in.

Dealers exist to make money and I have no problem with that

 

I might be incorrect but I don't think any new Toyota rebates or incentives exist right now.

 

Have to agree with the group. "New" basically means never registered/titled. It still has an MCO. Years ago I bought a Buick that was a demo used by the dealership GM. Had 2,800 miles on it. The in-service date for the vehicle was the date I bought it and the warranty went to 38,800 miles. As far as Buick, the DMV, and my lender were concerned it was a new vehicle. Also, nothing is stopping a dealer from marking up a new vehicle above MSRP (other than their ability to sell it at that price). They don't need a "trick" to do that.

 

entirely possible there are no advertised/consumer incentives

sometimes there are rebates not mentioned that the dealer excercises..............

 

When the wife was shopping for Kia Tellurides last year (and thankfully we didn’t go that route), the window sticker at the majority of dealers included a market adjustment because they were so popular. It was anywhere from $4-8K.

 

Yeah this is not likely. New is almost always never registered and titled to a person of company. Miles don't mean it's used if what the OP said is true then when I bought my truck and it was driven from the dealership that originally received it from Toyota in Dover,De to Timonium, Md for me to buy it which is about 100 miles then I got a used one. No it was new because it was never yet sold to a person or business and had a title requested to be issued.