Talked to two dealers about 2023 IS500s:

Dealer A (Alexandria)- "Not sure if we're getting any IS500s at all, but you can put down a deposit ($500) and try your luck." Then he said one sales guy has 12 names on his deposit list alone.

Dealer B (Chantilly)- "They started with the California region, but we are getting them next. You won't pay above whatever the sticker says when we get the car." - Put down a 5K deposit, and I'm supposedly I'm 3rd on the list.

Has anybody from the DC area heard anything similar? I'm not too confident right now.

 

TBH, we likely know more than the dealers, I just cant get how clueless some are.

If you can speak to a sales manager that is competent, they'll get info from their district manager and hopefully, will work with you to help secure an allocation for you...

 

i agree, we know more than most dealers.

i talked to a sales person at the Chantilly one and he said there was a 11 person wait list and the people on that waitlist have been on there pretty much since the car was announced. He also said they only had 3 2022 IS500s. Two went to customers and the 3rd went to an employee. He told me it was a $1,000 deposit and there was 11 people on the list. He suggested just waiting till the online order configurator was available and just put in an order at the time, however i don't think this guy understood how little of these cars there have been. i didn't put down a deposit given the waitlist was so long.

I'm searching for a Caviar on black IS500 (ideally in the DMV area, USB2.0 on black being backup choice). Been really busy at work so haven't spent as much time searching as i could have, at this point waiting for some more to hit dealers. Still have a solid working car so not chomping at the bit, not willing to pay over MSRP or dealer add ons.

 

Yeah, im not really trusting any of the local dealers. I definitely wont be happy if he took my 5 stacks knowing the waitlist was that high and telling me I’m number 3. The dude did seem cool, but we’ll see.

 

Not paying MSRP I get, but a lot dealers are going to at least do like the all weather mats, and light up door sills. You may have a really hard time if you are going to say no if it has those.

 

Those are technically not dealer add ons. They come from the factory and usually can’t be negotiated. They’re generally fair deals anyway.

dealer add ons are things like security systems, extra warranties, and paint protections.

 

Ya i was just talking about the bigger things, i won't care that much about small things. When i test drove a 2022 IS500 at Lexus of Rockville (MD) they had some really offensive dealer add ons i think totaling just under $5k (on top of a $5k market adjustment). My personal favorite was the ~$1,000 specialized cleaning fee, i asked about it and they said they had to do it before delivery that just in case someone with COVID was in the car....but i just test drove it and they didn't clean it for COIVD before that. Had a good laugh about that one. Also how their staff handled a perspective customer was atrocious.

 

Id honestly rather get COVID than spend $1000. Some people would call that crazy but they’re the real crazies.

 

By far the worst example of dealership fleecing I’ve read. 🤢🤮

I know it’ll sounds silly, but make sure the lit door sills are included in the final package. They’re so cool and adds richness to the experience.

 

The dealer had me build one out and send it to them. I definitely added the illuminated sills to my build. Fingers crossed they actually get some cars.