sp0ngerb0y

I'm trying to buy a RX 330, by the end of this week. I started price shopping with carsdirect.com to get an initial price and now i got it down to $35500 without tax and license. What other fees do I pay? I'm a first time car buyer and I always wanted a Lexus. It's for the RX 330 FWD, with the Premium Plus Package.

I'm not even sure what the invoice price is but it seems like a good price to purchase at. Do you guys think I can get it even lower.

Thanks!

mike0311

If you check on edmunds.com it will show you invoice and true market value price. I'm not sure but I think invoice is about $5,000 less then MSRP but double check yourself.

rxdriver

First, don't pay any fees you don't understand! If the dealer can't explain it to your satisfaction, it's BS.

Once you've negotiated a price, the only add-ons should be sales tax, title, license plates/registration, and a "documentation fee". The doc fee is generally $40-$80 (often limited by state law) to compensate the dealer for the price of making all of the forms you need to fill out.

Dealers - any dealer, including Lexus - will try to add other bogus charges, so you must pay attention when you're signing things.

For example, if you finance the car, they could try to add life insurance to the loan. That will artificially increase the monthly pament. If you already know how much you're financing, find out what "going rate" is for new car loans in your area by calling a few banks or checking the Internet. Then, use a payment calculator or Excel to find out what that payment should be. At the dealer, tell them what finance rate you want (I start with .25% below the average for my area) and negotiate that. Then, check the payment the dealer comes up with, see if it sounds right, and read the loan form to make sure there is no insurance added. [ Yes, a Lexus dealer tried to pull this one on me with my '99. ]

Also, look for other added things on the bill of sale. The bill of sale might include silly dealer things like undercoating, VIN glass etching, or other things that don't make sense or that should have come up when you negotiated the deal. If those things are already on the car, then stand firm about their already being included in the purchase price, or be prepared to leave. If they're not on the car, paying attention and reading ensures that you won't get screwed. [ There's an auto mall near me that loves to VIN-etch everything, and they don't tell you about it until they've tried to slip by a $199 additional charge on the bill of sale. ]

Bottom line, don't be afraid to challenge things you don't expect or understand. The dealer can easily redo the paperwork if need be, but only before you sign it. If they don't start the pile of paper with the bill of sale (showing the new car, what you're paying for it, plus the additional fees, and the bottom line total), ask to start there. If the bottom line total isn't correct, then of course everything else will be wrong. The paper that the sales guy gets you to sign with the price on it is not the official bill of sale - the business manage will print a nice one with multiple copies. And yes, it can be different! Buyer beware!

About the price... I don't know if $35,500 is good or not, because options vary. A better gauge is discount off MSRP. If you're $4,000 below sticker price, you're doing very well.

Good luck!

sp0ngerb0y

Thanks Guys! I just found out that the initial price given to me doesn't include tax, license or documentation fee. Hopefully that's it for the additional charges. I'll make sure to look over the final papers before I sign anything. According to the dealer the MSRP for the car is $41,178, so I guess $35,500 is a good deal. I got that price from 2 dealers, so I might have a chance to get it even lower.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

That mid $30K price for a premium plus package sounds right about where the dealers are easily willing to sell right now. For the last couple of months my local dealer has advertised in the papers RX330s with premium plus plackage and 18" rims for $36,XXX. Those prices are their advertised sales price before you even step in the door to negotiate. I'm a little bummed since I was one of the first to buy the 04 RX330's at MSRP.

mdstevens

Hi,
I purchased my RX300 in Sept. of 2004. I paid 24,400 out the door, and it had 34,000 miles on it.
A great car with everything but the nav. system.

MDS

Todd

Good info but not hardly current.

ezwinner70

I think a better indicator is how much above/below invoice. I see in another thread ppl are getting from anywhre from $500 under invoice to 500 above invoice.

Please share your prices here.

Todd

Got my AWD for Invoice with no documentation fee. Invoice however will include some items you may find questionable.

ezwinner70

what were they? they probably had some kind of "ad" fee there?

Todd

transportation fee which I understand, floorplan fee, something else I can't remember having to do with holdback which I really didn't understand..

rxdriver

Floorplan fee = BS

Invoice is supposed to be what the dealer paid to the manufacturer to get the car.
The holdback is a credit that the dealer gets back from the manufacturer after the car is sold, and it's intended to offset the cost of financing the car while it sits on the lot.

Never expect the dealer to tell you what invoice is, and don't walk in and say "I'll give you X over invoice." That's how you get into a debate over the definition of "invoice". Find out what invoice is from Edmunds or KBB, and then have an actual dollar figure in your head before you walk in. Negotiate based on the dollar figure, and not the word "invoice".

When you find yourself in the debate over "invoice", then the dealer really doesn't want to sell you the car for what you consider to be the absolute best price. If you don't feel that they have put a good price in front of you, then It's time to get up and walk out of that dealer and go to another one.

drfishalot

looked at the '06 330 yesterday while the dealer was closed. only have one local dealer and they didn't have any with the DVD player. so thinking of just ordering a 330 with just the options I want on it (actually haven't even test driven one yet, and not gonna buy till march, wife says 330 is what she wants). will I be able to negotiate a price on one I order versus one just sitting on the lot? thanks vic

oldcajun

By the end of March, the RX350 should be near release, so the prices for the RX330 should be even more flexible depending on how many the dealer has in stock. It would surprise me if deal at or below invoice were not available by then.