myko

Hello everyone,

I'm from Louisiana and was shopping around for an IS350. There's not much competition here because the two Lexus dealerships near me are owned by the same people. They gave me an offer of $37,412 and sticker was $40,412. Also, they're giving me $16,000 for a trade-in. I'm not sure if this is a decent deal or not, but I'm ready to make a purchase by next week.

Thanks,
Mike

unit74

iTrader: (3)

Better to list all the options me thinks.......

$3k off is a better deal than I got in SoCal.......But I bought when they were unobtanium and dealers were getting sticker w/o budging.

passnu2

iTrader: (33)

i think it sounds fair, what i would check is the value of your car and make sure they are are really givng you 3k off the Lexus and not playing a numbers game. maybe just have your car apprasied at a few other dealers to make sure and search online. if that adds up then i say it sounds like a all around good deal.

good luck and post us some pics when you can! Welcome to CL!!!

Evitzee

There are 3 elements to the deal:

1. Price of the IS

2. Trade in value

3. Financing

A dealer will often blend these items together so you won't know if you are getting a good deal or not. Example, he might give you more discount on the IS, but then give you less for your trade in, or ream you on the financing.

Just make sure all three pieces look right in their own right. Make sure trade in value of your car is reasonable. Check kbb.com and maybe take it to Carmax for an independent offer.

myko

I'm attaching what the dealer faxed me. It shows the list of all the options. Also, I checked out my trade in value with two different dealers and they wanted $15,000, which is $1,000 less than what Lexus offered.

llamaboiz

LOL so funny how you guys say you get 'ONLY' 3k 'UNDER' sticker. In i hawaii i was happy to pay 'ONLY' 700 'OVER' sticker. Course we got only 1 dealership so...

IS250 4 Me

Sorry, I would never buy from Price Leblanc or Lexus of New Orleans (the two nearby dealers that you're probably referring to).

We've had a Lexus in the family for years, but have found the deals in Louisiana to be at least $1K-$2K higher than Texas. My dad gets his LS460L serviced at Price Leblanc, but never buys from there. His 2007 LS is from Sterling McCall in Houston.

I actually priced out my IS at Price Leblanc, and they forewarned me that they are not a volume dealer, so that they couldn't compete on price. My comment back to them was, "Then why would anyone buy from you?"

myko

I'd love to go to Texas, but I don't have the time. I purchased my first car there and it was a bit cheaper than here.

IS250 4 Me

Yeah, and an IS will be at least $1K cheaper. Not sure where you're at, but it is only a 4 hour drive to Houston from Baton Rouge. The money you save is worth the trip, but understandable if this is too much of a hassle.

diablodude

I was kind of in the same situation as far as dealership choices, the price off of sticker seems ok, nothing great but also not bad, unless that was the OTD price? Just be careful because when you trade a car in, it dilutes the deal and they try to confuse you into thinking your getting a good deal so get the kbb trade of your car in whatever the condition it's in and make sure you are still getting about 3K off the sticker.

diablodude

Also, the dealership may pull out some black trade in value book they say all dealers use. In my opinion, it was lower than what kbb had so make sure you check kbb and have your numbers and what you are comfortable with.

javyLSU

iTrader: (21)

I bought from Sewell Lexus in Dallas and drove my car home - best decision I ever made. I know you said you don't have the time, but you might want to see if you can deal with them over the phone like I did, and drive your new car over the weekend... I wouldn't hesitate for a second in doing it again.

Javier

IS250 4 Me

Well, I actually lied to the dealer on first encounter and told the salesman that I did not have a trade in. You always want to keep the variables as few as possible for each phase of the negotiation (Negotiation 101). I negotiate the price of the vehicle first, and don't mention the trade in, or say that I don't have one. I know, I'm a scumbag.

Once you're comfortable with the price of the new car, then you tell the dealer, "Well, I've changed my mind, I think I will be trading in my current vehicle."

You then whip out your title, kbb trade in quote from the website, maintenance records, etc. They will try to lowball you on the trade in if you've gotten a good deal on the new car. Explain that you expect the kbb trade in value for the condition/mileage of your vehicle. Dealer will say that kbb is bogus, and always inflated. You then begin to pack up and walk out. Salesman will then speak with the manager and work out the deal.

I got kbb value for my trade in after some haggling. I explained that my battery is new, tires are new, wipers are new, and interior/exterior is in excellent condition. There was no reason to low ball me. I also explained that my wife would not allow me to drive off the lot with a new car unless I got a good deal on the trade in.

All in all, each phase of your negotiation should have the fewest variables possible. After I used my tactic above, the dealer said that I was a tough negotiator, and that I clearly did all of my homework.

It is okay to hide the fact that you have a trade in when you set foot on the lot. The best negotiators discuss one element of the deal at a time, and don't spill the beans out of some obligation to the other party. The dealers lie all the time, and they are trying to get as much profit out of you as possible. You can lie also, after all, it is your money.

IS250 4 Me

Yeah, I hear you. Why pay more when you can make the drive for the same vehicle at a much lower price? What turned me off about Price Leblanc is that they didn't even call me back when I explained what I was looking for.

I actually called them about a smokey granite mica IS350 with nav and the X-package that they had sitting on the front lot. The salesman said that he will check the lot and call me back. I told him the car is still there, as I was on the lot the night before after the dealership closed (I called the next morning as soon as they opened).

I never got a phone call back.

I called about an IS250 later on, and the quote was $1K higher than Texas. They had 25 of them on the lot at Price Leblanc, but wouldn't budge on price.

By the way, I am actually permanently banned from Price Leblanc Toyota because I raked them over the coals when I bought a 2005 Toyota Sienna XLE minivan for my wife. They lost money on that deal, and the old guy came to see me to tell me that he couldn't sell the vehicle for the price we negotiated. He told me that the salesman didn't know what he was doing, and made a deal without consulting the managers.

The salesman didn't know anything about minivans, and it showed.

subparrnd

So may I ask how much you paid for your IS250? Before Taxes?