St. Louis Dealers
05-27-04, 05:46 AM
#16
Originally posted by Hohlraum
I'd like to keep track of the st. louis members so that maybe we could have a get together at some point.
send an email to:
club-lexus-stl AT nocturnal DOT org
I'd like to keep track of the st. louis members so that maybe we could have a get together at some point.
send an email to:
club-lexus-stl AT nocturnal DOT org
That sounds like a great idea! Check your email for my response.
05-29-04, 07:33 PM
#18
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competition
I think it must be the lack of competition. I understand if you are williing to even go to Chicago for just a straight purchase, that you can get a better deal if you shop around on the internet in the Chi area. I'd get a new TL, except they shrunk the trunk another 2 cu ft and with a little one, I really don't think it will be enough room at some point. They also did a major cost cutting move by going to a black dash among the different color interiors. The tan interior doesn't look as nice as my 2000. The ES isn't my style, although it is very nice. I may wait it out a bit longer, but I still lean to the RX as the best and most versatile choice.
05-30-04, 09:06 AM
#19
I have yet to bump into a Chicago dealer that really "deals". All of the Lexus dealers in Chicagoland are located in fairly affluent suburs (intentionally, of course), and they do too much business with people who don't haggle over the price of a car.
I was sitting in Arlington Lexus of Palatine one day while I had some service done, and they sold 2 RX 330's while I was sitting there. One of the buyers was a husband who knew his wife wanted the car, so he bought one over the phone, and was bringing her in to see it, write a check, and get the keys. The other one was sold to a man who wanted "the small Lexus SUV... what's that called again?" Sight unseen, he had to have the car because someone else told him it was "the" car to have.
Every time I've walked into a Chicagoland Lexus dealer, they've acted like $500 below sticker was they best they could do. I guess a lot of people are fine with that.
I keep going to Rockford, Illinois. It's considered part of the Chicago sales area, but it's actually about 70 miles northwest of Chicago. They're nice people out there, and they know what it means to deal. They don't do a huge volume business - they're on the same lot as the Toyota dealer, unlike many other Chicagoland Lexus dealers. They're willing to bargain to keep the sales flowing.
I actually had a salesman at Woodfield Lexus (Schaumburg, IL - the largest Lexus dealer in the country in terms of square footage for cars) make fun of the people in Rockford while he gave me the $500 routine! I laughed and walked out.
The closest Illinois dealer to St. Louis is in Peoria, and I'd expect the experience there to be similar to the one in Rockford.
I was sitting in Arlington Lexus of Palatine one day while I had some service done, and they sold 2 RX 330's while I was sitting there. One of the buyers was a husband who knew his wife wanted the car, so he bought one over the phone, and was bringing her in to see it, write a check, and get the keys. The other one was sold to a man who wanted "the small Lexus SUV... what's that called again?" Sight unseen, he had to have the car because someone else told him it was "the" car to have.
Every time I've walked into a Chicagoland Lexus dealer, they've acted like $500 below sticker was they best they could do. I guess a lot of people are fine with that.
I keep going to Rockford, Illinois. It's considered part of the Chicago sales area, but it's actually about 70 miles northwest of Chicago. They're nice people out there, and they know what it means to deal. They don't do a huge volume business - they're on the same lot as the Toyota dealer, unlike many other Chicagoland Lexus dealers. They're willing to bargain to keep the sales flowing.
I actually had a salesman at Woodfield Lexus (Schaumburg, IL - the largest Lexus dealer in the country in terms of square footage for cars) make fun of the people in Rockford while he gave me the $500 routine! I laughed and walked out.
The closest Illinois dealer to St. Louis is in Peoria, and I'd expect the experience there to be similar to the one in Rockford.
06-03-04, 07:47 PM
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Well, better late than never! hope this is still timely for you...
When I bought my RX300 I dealt with both St. louis dealers. St. Louis Lexus (Dave Mungenast) told us a very nice story about how they could order what we wanted and trade with other dealers and such. I went back with a nice offer in hand (5% over invoice!) and they countered with about $500 below sticker and a story about how trading was expensive and how they had to pay for shipping both ways and blah, blah, blah... I walked out.
I emailed the Internet guy at Plaza Lexus that night with the same offer and he accepted it via email. Done. With that said, when I followed up for the test drive and noticed that the navigation DVD was already over two years old I was lied to about getting a free update and also that said update was coming in the next month (it was about nine months later!). Their service department is also very agressive in doing a lot of extra work and claiming it's "the new way" and standard. They have responded to my complaints and made me satisfied in the end, but I warn you about this. St. Louis Lexus was worse in this department (they changed ot wiper blades - refills, only - for $20 each claiming they were worn... I had just replaced them a week prior. They also charged me over $10 to refill the washer fluid... Oh yea, Plaza charges for washer fluid, also :-( )
Frankly, neither gives a very good experience except that I feel Plaza does quality work. I just wish they would not upsell so much. I've never seen anything like it and I've had Hondas, Acuras, BMWs and Toyotas. Interestingly, the BMW dealer was the absolute best in only doing necessary work and never doing anything I didn't agree to without talking to me about it, first .
Good luck!
Dave
When I bought my RX300 I dealt with both St. louis dealers. St. Louis Lexus (Dave Mungenast) told us a very nice story about how they could order what we wanted and trade with other dealers and such. I went back with a nice offer in hand (5% over invoice!) and they countered with about $500 below sticker and a story about how trading was expensive and how they had to pay for shipping both ways and blah, blah, blah... I walked out.
I emailed the Internet guy at Plaza Lexus that night with the same offer and he accepted it via email. Done. With that said, when I followed up for the test drive and noticed that the navigation DVD was already over two years old I was lied to about getting a free update and also that said update was coming in the next month (it was about nine months later!). Their service department is also very agressive in doing a lot of extra work and claiming it's "the new way" and standard. They have responded to my complaints and made me satisfied in the end, but I warn you about this. St. Louis Lexus was worse in this department (they changed ot wiper blades - refills, only - for $20 each claiming they were worn... I had just replaced them a week prior. They also charged me over $10 to refill the washer fluid... Oh yea, Plaza charges for washer fluid, also :-( )
Frankly, neither gives a very good experience except that I feel Plaza does quality work. I just wish they would not upsell so much. I've never seen anything like it and I've had Hondas, Acuras, BMWs and Toyotas. Interestingly, the BMW dealer was the absolute best in only doing necessary work and never doing anything I didn't agree to without talking to me about it, first .
Good luck!
Dave
08-02-04, 01:05 PM
#22
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Originally posted by Hohlraum
wow %5 over invoice.. thats a damn good deal for a lexus in st.louis. lexus has a ridiculous msrp compaired to invoice.
wow %5 over invoice.. thats a damn good deal for a lexus in st.louis. lexus has a ridiculous msrp compaired to invoice.
All weather mats w/shipping from Sewell - $61.27
Plaza - $75
Dave M. St. Louis - $88
I'll take my deal quite happily and drop my own $ for all weather mats. As I said in my "Finally" post, I'd rather get a good deal than free stuff on an inflated one anyday.
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