Cobra V

well, before i was interested in getting a Lexus, any Lexus(reliability and customer service is very important to me, which Lexus is #1 in)... i realize i want an suv instead, for some reason when i sit in a sedan, my legs and back tend to hurt(started out driving a mini-van and i'm tall, so thats why i guess). anways, now i'm waiting for the dealer to get the black on black 2004 RX 330 AWD. i built it at lexus.com, and the msrp came out to $44,288(fully loaded). the dealers giving it to me for like $42,000. i ask if this is a good deal because they(not sure if it was the same lexus dealer, gotta ask my father) were offering a fully loaded ES330($38,000 msrp) for $32,000- thats $6,000 off the msrp on the ES... so my queston again is, is the price they're offering me for the RX 330 AWD good, or can they go lower? i know i must sound like a newbie, this is my first new car that i'll be purchasing... any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

edit: and those of you who already own one, can you please share your experience with it? how do you like it?

StyleZ

Are you getting options with it such as navi ? If so thats a pretty good deal. I got mine fully loaded from Lexus of Manhattan for 46. Goodluck on your purchase!

Cobra V

yes i'm getting it fully loaded with navigation. the dealer that quoted me that price was Lexus of glen cove. i see you're also from new york

RAP

I think you should be a little more specific, there are a few "fully loaded" packages.
Did you get the premium plus or performance or another? You said you got the navigation, did you get the Mark Levison or rear entertainment system? Anything you could tell us would be helpful.

I've only had mine for about a week, I got the breakwater blue. I did not set out to get the RX330, in fact I tried to find something else because I thought there were too many of these on the road. I looked at just about everything I could but logic kept bringing me to the RX. The quality and value could not be beat by anything. I'm sure you will love your new car. I wouldn't worry too much about if you got the "best" deal. This is the time of year that next weeks deal will be better than the last. I did much better buying mine by going out of town over the Internet. My local dealer is the only one within a two hour radius and wanted to sell it to me for list. You might want to do a little searching and emiling other dealers if it's not too late with the dealer you're working with.

Do youself a big favor and once you make your deal, enjoy your new car and stop looking for a better one. You'll end up finding it and it won't feel good.

BTW, black on black sounds very nice

Cobra V

well by fully loaded, i meant every single option available... this:

Premium Plus Package with Additional Options
$6,988.00
Premium Plus Package with High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, Power rear door, Roof rack with rails, Six-disc CD changer. Also includes: Leather-trimmed interior, Power tilt-and-telescopic steering column with memory, Illuminated entry system and Power tilt-and-slide moonroof with one-touch open/close and sliding sunshade.
Additional Options:

- Lexus DVD Navigation System with compass and backup camera
- Two-level heated front seats (includes rain-sensing variable intermittent wipers and headlamp washers)
- 18-in aluminum-alloy wheels (235/55VR18 and full-size spare)
- Tow-prep package
- Preferred Accessory Package (includes cargo mat and wheel locks)

and i wanna try to get the best deal possible. any price down on the msrp would be great, especially since it'll be tight for me awhile to make payments.

rxdriver

Just FYI - there are several more options available... rear seat entertainment, laser-assisted cruise control, and others that are only available in the Performance Package. For that MSRP, I'm assuming you've got the Mark Levinson stereo upgrade even though you didn't list it.

Anyway, invoice price on the car you're talking about is about $39K. Based on other posts, you should be able to knock at least another 1,000 off the quote (getting it down to $41K), and maybe 1,500 if you're willing to be firm and walk away if needed. You won't do better than that, though - nav is only available on a limited percentage of units. If it didn't have nav, you could get even closer to invoice.

ultra63

this late in the year you might want to wait for the 05's. the NAV will be better next year. the discount you are getting is OK but not worth the depreciation that an 04 will suffer in a couple of months

Cobra V

hmm i guess i missed that. i didn't see mark levinson anywhere on lexus' website as an option for either RX. that list i made was every option i thought. and how come there is no performance package on the website? is it a dealer only option or something?

Cobra V

i can't wait til next year april, i need a car now. and the 05 isn't all that different, except for the hybrid model... and i doubt it will suffer a really noticeable depreciation(maybe unless all owners sell their '03 and '04 RX), these cars hold their value really well.

rx93

www.carsdirect.com quote only $1000 over invoice. if invoice is $39k, you are overpaid

rxdriver

You'll find a much more comprehensive list of options and exact invoice prices at Kelley Blue Book, http://www.kbb.com.

The new car configuration tool on the Lexus web site has proven to have its shortcomings in many ways.

Cobra V

so how does carsdirect work? should i even bother giving them my information and such?

these options:

Towing Package $128
Premium Plus Package Included
Navigation System/Mark Levinson Audio Package $5,471
Bucket Seats STD
Leather Trim Interior Included
Navigation System Included
Rear Seat Entertainment System $1,416
Multi-Stage Heated Front Seats w/RS $532
Dynamic Laser Cruise Control $480
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Headlamps Included
Power Rear Door Included
Wood & Leather Steering Wheel & Shift **** Included
Roof Rails w/Rack Included
Wireless Headphones (Additional 2) $138
Rain Sensing Wipers Included
Manufacturer's Destination Charge $625

rx93

CobraV, carsdirect.com is online dealer. once you gave them the information, they will locate the car you configurated thru the site around your area(tri-states). This is hassle free, simple config the car you want and go to local dealership then pay excat price show on the site. My last two cars was from them.. very happy about it.. no need to deal with dealer

Cobra V

sounds excellent!, but can i still bargain? or there is simply no haggling and i just pay the price it says?

edit: and if they can't find the car i configured anywhere, then what?

RAP

I don't see any reason why you couldn't still work your price with the dealer. If they can't find the car you want, then I would think you'll have to get an 05.