Toyota: 2004 Toyta Sienna

Debasis Goswami <com> wrote in message news:<rcn.com>... 
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Welcome to the market. Have you ever bought a new vehicle, in short
supply, from a Dealer before? <BG>

Q: How can you tell if a Dealer is lying?
A: His mouth is moving.

Bought a 2004 Sienna in July. The tight-supply game naturally
extended our search to a longer timeframe - it took a couple months to
find a decent deal.

Dealers were quoting a wide range of prices varying from full list
down to $1200 under list, and some were adding on "Dealer Ripoff" fees
(named various things like "PDI Inspection", Doc Prep, etc.) of up to
$1000 total - plus many with the infamous package including
"undercoating" and glass etching that typically retails for $700 on
the sticker. Sheer gouging.

Ended up stumbling upon a unit fresh off the truck at a small town
Dealer in NC who offered it for $2000 under list, with no added fees
except a $39 Registration fee, and without the unwanted "undercoating"
ripoff. This Dealer was apparently trying to increase sales despite
backwater location and small inventory.

Now, $2000 under list price is still two or three grand over invoice,
so they're still making money on that price.

If you're in a hurry, you're gonna pay more. If you just keep
checking back with several Dealers in your region, eventually you'll
see one pop up on the radar. Keep in mind that production is still
ramping up, and will eventually reach 150k units per year, so supply
should continue to improve over the next couple of months or longer.

Also keep in mind that waiting a little longer should also get you a
vehicle with fewer problems. Ideally, wait out the first year (some
say the first 6 months with Toyota).

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I ma in the process of buying a 2004 Sienna XLE limited AWD the hardest to
get. However I am used to waiting for vehicles that are in demand.

Check with Sam's or Costco many people have had good luck with pricing but
don't expect much!

The fuel tank recall took ( I heard) 35K vehicles out of production.

That said some smaller dealers do seem to have them in stock

internet inventories are NOT correct so you must call each dealer ask for
Fleet Sales and see what they have and if they will deal.

The Fleet manager is usually more savvy and on Salary vs. commission so they
will tend to know their business if you know yours.
get a brochure and know which options you Have to have, Want and DON"T Want.

Tell them you choices and see if they have anything. Call during the week on
a Tuesday Morning when they are not too busy so they don't mind a phone call
from you!

Wayne

"Debasis Goswami" <com> wrote in message
news:rcn.com... 

On 7 Sep 2003 04:53:06 -0700, com (Bob H.) wrote:
 

A $5k mark-up in the Sienna? Heck, I must be working for the wrong
maker! Sheesh... I thought Honda was the major player in marking
things up and riding on their reputation to get it..

DragonRider <net> wrote in message news:<com>... 

It also depends on the trim level.

The LE list price appears to be almost $3000 over invoice.

However, the XLE Limited AWD has a little more than $4000 markup. So
the unit I bought for $2000 under list price still had at least $2000
markup in the price, and quite possibly more additional net markup
from hidden pricing things like variable Factory-To-Dealer Incentives,
etc.

Of course, if you work for an automaker whose products are in high
demand, you won't personally enjoy additional wealth from their
resulting premium pricing (unless you're a high-level executive or a
Dealership owner), although you may indirectly benefit in the form of
increased "job security". (As is such a thing as "job security"
exists anymore.)

Toyota has been executing a plan for many years to prosper by a
three-pronged approach: (1) Improve efficiencies to reduce the costs
to (2) build higher-quality product while (3) increasing prices to
consumers based on long-running reputation for higher quality. So yes
- their markup at retail is going to be relatively high, yes - people
will pay that premium, and yes - Toyota is building a gargantuan $$$
hoard and growing (while The Big Three makers are struggling and
blaming the economy).

>From: "wayne" dont-bother@nowhere
 

The recall affected 35k *already built* Siennas; not sure how many it actually
took out of production, but in essence what happened was that roughly two
weeks' worth of production was pushed back...vehicles that we had scheduled to
arrive in early September will now hit late September or early October.

Mike C

I own a 98 Sienna but the new one is God Awful Ugly.

I am concidering the new Nissan Van. Check it out.

Debasis Goswami <com> wrote in message news:<rcn.com>... 

I just tell the Dealer up front: "I'm shopping around, I'm going to
buy from the Dealer who gives me the best deal - what is your best
deal?" When you find a Dealer that offers it for $X under list, and
another Dealer's quoted price is higher, try mentioning to the second
Dealer that "Dealer so-and-so is offering it for $X under list - what
is the *best* price that _you_ can offer?"

And avoid the add-on packages - things like the BS undercoating
package for $700, a package called "PDI" (Pre-Delivery Inspection) for
$400, etc. - that are simply Dealer gouging. Shop many Dealers all
around your location, as far away as you are willing to drive. I
found my unit from a Dealer about 50 miles away, in a small backwater
town. And hang loose - eventually you'll find a unit you like at a
decent price; they come in waves, every week, so keep checking around,
once a week or so. (Like surfing... The prices will come down and
supply will improve as production rate increases.

To be honest, if I didn't want AWD, I would have probably bought an
Odyssey. Our AWD Sienna is good overall so far, but there are several
bugs that probably will be cured on these by next year's production
units, while the Odyssey has had a couple of years to iron out their
own bugs.

Good luck!

--

"Debasis Goswami" <com> wrote in message
news:rcn.com... 
in 

I'd go with the Odyssey for the same reason I bought a 2000 Sienna.
The Odyssey has been out a few years now and has all the early production
problems taken care of. They are now more available and you can probably
get a better deal on one. Of course if you can find a good deal on a
Sienna,
go for it, but you'll take it in the shorts paying window sticker with
dealer markups.
That's money you'll never get back on resale.

-Tom