bobmoore

I'm interested in buying an ES300h, with a sticker price of $46,238. What should I end up paying for this vehicle? Is the Costco purchase program good, or should I be able to negotiate a better price. Looks like many posters have been able to pay about $3,100 under sticker.

ElliotB

My local Costco program got me $1000 over invoice for an ordered vehicle and $500 over invoice on an in-stock vehicle (which other dealers were willing to do also).. Has the dealer shown you the invoice and how much over are they asking?

I am suspect of some the the 'deals' I have seen reported on this site have a trade involved and you can never know the real numbers. Someone on another thread stated that they got a huge discount on the car but didn't get very much for his trade. It is the difference that counts. Paying sticker for the new car and getting thousands more than the trade is worth is the same as getting a huge discount on the new car and getting thousands less on the trade.

bobmoore

I'm looking for 'cash' price. Trade-in, which I have, is negotiated separately.

UTAS

I paid cash at about 7.3% off MSRP, but that percent reduction included "free" dealership upgrades of 3M shield all around, the rear bumper applique, weather mats, side mouldings and half the cost of a 4yr-50K mile service contract.

It is difficult to quantify or put numbers on any one purchase at one dealership (not through Costco, here) and compare a likely purchase somewhere else. Much depends on availability, how long the car is on the lot or if being ordered, location of the dealership, and maybe even how the sales manager is feeling that day.

I don't know if paying cash actually helps, however, dealing through Costco will probably not include the above mentioned extras, which would be negotiated. Not sure how a trade-in on the side would work through Costco, but the Lexus dealership gave a KBB high-end price for an '08 Avalon trade-in.

FWIW

ElliotB

For a cash price, around $500 over invoice is about what you should expect. I had numerous dealers offer this in my area. Costco should have explained the program to you and the dealer is required to show you the invoice and explain the 'deal' to you.

JerryKK

According to TrueCar.com - prices in my area (California Central Coast) - are going for $44,000 - $44,500. You need to understand that those of us that got 6%-8% off was a stroke of good luck and usually involved the dealer having the right car in stock - it was the end of a sales period (month or quarter), etc. And (in my case) a dealer was trying to pick up customers in a new area for them. The best deal is what you, yourself, are able to negotiate.

By the way, the deal that UTAS received (7.3% off) is a good deal as long as the items that were included were items he was going to get anyway - if not, not such a great deal!

UTAS

That is correct - it would have been about 4.5% off MSRP w/o the freebies. However, in my case the trade-in was at high end. The sales mgr beat me up, I beat him up - that's the way.

A deal has many moving parts. Sometimes, the car of one's dreams just came on the lot - chances are one will pay more for that - depends on want versus need, color, how much expresso one had, or perhaps one needs to escape from the doghouse his wife put him in the week before. New wheels would help.

Arty101

Might I add that UTAS got an extremely great deal, and the extras including all weather mats, side moulding and clear bra were bonus I would have wanted too. I basically split the dealer's invoice (based on KBB and Edmund's) and msrp for the color and options. There were only 2 coming into port with one in So. Cal and the other goong to another no. Cal dealer who they ended up trading. Getting what you want reduces your leverage, although I don't think my price was too bad, but not like UTAS.

bobmoore

I've been to three dealers, got two trade in appraisals, and have talked to my credit union. So I feel I now have a pretty good understanding of what's possible. Bottom line is I'm offering to buy the car with zero down, zero money at delivery at a monthly payment of $XXX/mo. The dealer controls the three ***** - discount, trade in value, interest rate. I don't want to argue the details, just get me the monthly payment I want.

kaisersoes

I purchased my es300h at invoice plus $200. I think it was a fair price. I got the premium package, blind spot, heated everything, parking assist in the matador red mica color.

bobmoore

In the course of doing my shopping, I learned the Costco discount is about $700 above invoice (about $1700 under MSRP). I also learned that currently, dealers have 'coupons' from Lexus which allows them to provide additional incentive to sell cars. 'Coupons' provide up to an additional $1000!

So what I did is I went to two other Lexus dealers and CarMax to value my trade in. If I assume CarMax to value my trade in, and the Lexus quoted finance rate, then Lexus had to discount 7.3% off of MSRP to make it work. But in reality, I don't know (yet) what they valued my trade in at or whether they were able to find a better interest rate.

I worked a spreadsheet with everything included and told the Lexus dealer I wanted $8,900/year payment for 5 years with no cash changing hands at delivery. Signing the papers this morning.