Don't laugh at this newbie!
10-14-06, 08:48 AM
#1
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Don't laugh at this newbie!
BIG questions - but please don't laugh. I have had a company car for 8 years, but now need to shop for one on my own. Shopping for a car has been horrible - even though I have become quite the savvy person via consumer guide, internet etc. And yes, I am the female who NOTHING about cars, etc.
I do want to be somewhat frugal with my money, but do not want car problems. After much searching and much disappointment with the way I was treated at car dealerships, I went to Lexus to shop for a CPO used. I thought some good deals, especially since they now have 2.9% financing. My experience at Newport Lexus was - surprisingly - very similar to what I experienced at Honda, toyota, etc. (a.ka - not good) Y'know that whole - "let me check with my manager and see what i can do." And that wonderful obnoxious close as I was walking off the lot.
But now I read - and don't laugh - that the Hyndai Santa Fe 2007 is getting very good reviews. So thoughts on going with a 2004 RX330 with Nav and about 25K miles (CPO) or the new Santa Fe. I was actually treated better by the Hyndai salesman than I was by the Lexus sales man. But all of my friends who have a Lexus rave about their cars. Also, will the dealer remove any stains from the carpet, etc? He said he would, but at this point I do not believe him. I found another dealer who is willing to go to $32 +TTL - for the same car specs which is $2K less than what the guy in Newport beach was willing to offer.
Also, I have read acronyms TSB's or TSIB's - what is that exactly?
HELP!
thanks so much for ANY advice.
I do want to be somewhat frugal with my money, but do not want car problems. After much searching and much disappointment with the way I was treated at car dealerships, I went to Lexus to shop for a CPO used. I thought some good deals, especially since they now have 2.9% financing. My experience at Newport Lexus was - surprisingly - very similar to what I experienced at Honda, toyota, etc. (a.ka - not good) Y'know that whole - "let me check with my manager and see what i can do." And that wonderful obnoxious close as I was walking off the lot.
But now I read - and don't laugh - that the Hyndai Santa Fe 2007 is getting very good reviews. So thoughts on going with a 2004 RX330 with Nav and about 25K miles (CPO) or the new Santa Fe. I was actually treated better by the Hyndai salesman than I was by the Lexus sales man. But all of my friends who have a Lexus rave about their cars. Also, will the dealer remove any stains from the carpet, etc? He said he would, but at this point I do not believe him. I found another dealer who is willing to go to $32 +TTL - for the same car specs which is $2K less than what the guy in Newport beach was willing to offer.
Also, I have read acronyms TSB's or TSIB's - what is that exactly?
HELP!
thanks so much for ANY advice.
10-14-06, 09:17 AM
#3
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Obviously the Hyundai salesmen will treat you nicer... they NEED your business. Lexus has millions of sales. It is the pinnacle of refinement. Go with the Lexus you wont be sorry. And in case you are, it has a great resale value so you'll get most of your money back.
10-14-06, 09:30 AM
#4
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Welcome to CL, carbrowser!
Shop around your local Lexus dealers until you find a place where you feel your are well-treated. Ask other Lexus owners in your area for their experiences with dealerships near you. Our Regional Forums ( https://www.clublexus.com/forums/regional-clublexus-forums-16/ ) are a good place to start.
Like any other car, there are good dealerships and bad. I had a similar experience with the first Lexus dealer I visited - old school seersucker suit, high pressure tactics and all. You have to understand these guys are all on commission and probably were selling socks last week, so their knowledge of things automotive may be inferior to your own. There are many really fine dealerships - you just have to search them out.
The Santa Fe has had some excellent reviews. It is never going to be a Lexus, but their engineering and assembly quality has improved drastically over the last few years. They have an excellent warranty period - but whether they actually stand behind it in practice remains to be seen. Lexus has a superior record in this area, even though the period is shorter.
On the downside, Hyundai has demonstrated a pretty miserable resale value - probably due to their early image as a below-the-bottom feeder status for quality. While their quality is 'way up, their earlier image continues to haunt them. If you are looking for a car to drive for 7-8 years or more, then when it falls apart, have it hauled to the dump, the Hyundai is for you. There's great value there.
Lexus - pre-owned and especially CPO - will retain far more of its value over time. An automobile is a miserable investment in any event because of its depreciation. If you want to trade in 2-5 years, the Lexus will probably be worth far more than the Santa Fe at that point. A Lexus is still not a good short-term investment, but it is "less bad" than most others. Good Hunting!
PS: TSB and TISB (Technical Service Bulletin) and (Technical Service Information Bulletin) are follow-up service notes to dealerships to check or repair known defects/deficiencies on their vehicles. For more info, check http://alldata.com/tsb/index.html or
http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/maintenance.do
Like any other car, there are good dealerships and bad. I had a similar experience with the first Lexus dealer I visited - old school seersucker suit, high pressure tactics and all. You have to understand these guys are all on commission and probably were selling socks last week, so their knowledge of things automotive may be inferior to your own. There are many really fine dealerships - you just have to search them out.
The Santa Fe has had some excellent reviews. It is never going to be a Lexus, but their engineering and assembly quality has improved drastically over the last few years. They have an excellent warranty period - but whether they actually stand behind it in practice remains to be seen. Lexus has a superior record in this area, even though the period is shorter.
On the downside, Hyundai has demonstrated a pretty miserable resale value - probably due to their early image as a below-the-bottom feeder status for quality. While their quality is 'way up, their earlier image continues to haunt them. If you are looking for a car to drive for 7-8 years or more, then when it falls apart, have it hauled to the dump, the Hyundai is for you. There's great value there.
Lexus - pre-owned and especially CPO - will retain far more of its value over time. An automobile is a miserable investment in any event because of its depreciation. If you want to trade in 2-5 years, the Lexus will probably be worth far more than the Santa Fe at that point. A Lexus is still not a good short-term investment, but it is "less bad" than most others. Good Hunting!
PS: TSB and TISB (Technical Service Bulletin) and (Technical Service Information Bulletin) are follow-up service notes to dealerships to check or repair known defects/deficiencies on their vehicles. For more info, check http://alldata.com/tsb/index.html or
http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/maintenance.do
Last edited by Lil4X; 10-14-06 at 09:38 AM.
10-14-06, 11:24 AM
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Shop around your local Lexus dealers until you find a place where you feel your are well-treated. Ask other Lexus owners in your area for their experiences with dealerships near you. Our Regional Forums ( https://www.clublexus.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=16 ) are a good place to start.
Like any other car, there are good dealerships and bad. I had a similar experience with the first Lexus dealer I visited - old school seersucker suit, high pressure tactics and all. You have to understand these guys are all on commission and probably were selling socks last week, so their knowledge of things automotive may be inferior to your own. There are many really fine dealerships - you just have to search them out.
The Santa Fe has had some excellent reviews. It is never going to be a Lexus, but their engineering and assembly quality has improved drastically over the last few years. They have an excellent warranty period - but whether they actually stand behind it in practice remains to be seen. Lexus has a superior record in this area, even though the period is shorter.
On the downside, Hyundai has demonstrated a pretty miserable resale value - probably due to their early image as a below-the-bottom feeder status for quality. While their quality is 'way up, their earlier image continues to haunt them. If you are looking for a car to drive for 7-8 years or more, then when it falls apart, have it hauled to the dump, the Hyundai is for you. There's great value there.
Lexus - pre-owned and especially CPO - will retain far more of its value over time. An automobile is a miserable investment in any event because of its depreciation. If you want to trade in 2-5 years, the Lexus will probably be worth far more than the Santa Fe at that point. A Lexus is still not a good short-term investment, but it is "less bad" than most others. Good Hunting!
PS: TSB and TISB (Technical Service Bulletin) and (Technical Service Information Bulletin) are follow-up service notes to dealerships to check or repair known defects/deficiencies on their vehicles. For more info, check http://alldata.com/tsb/index.html or
http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/maintenance.do
Like any other car, there are good dealerships and bad. I had a similar experience with the first Lexus dealer I visited - old school seersucker suit, high pressure tactics and all. You have to understand these guys are all on commission and probably were selling socks last week, so their knowledge of things automotive may be inferior to your own. There are many really fine dealerships - you just have to search them out.
The Santa Fe has had some excellent reviews. It is never going to be a Lexus, but their engineering and assembly quality has improved drastically over the last few years. They have an excellent warranty period - but whether they actually stand behind it in practice remains to be seen. Lexus has a superior record in this area, even though the period is shorter.
On the downside, Hyundai has demonstrated a pretty miserable resale value - probably due to their early image as a below-the-bottom feeder status for quality. While their quality is 'way up, their earlier image continues to haunt them. If you are looking for a car to drive for 7-8 years or more, then when it falls apart, have it hauled to the dump, the Hyundai is for you. There's great value there.
Lexus - pre-owned and especially CPO - will retain far more of its value over time. An automobile is a miserable investment in any event because of its depreciation. If you want to trade in 2-5 years, the Lexus will probably be worth far more than the Santa Fe at that point. A Lexus is still not a good short-term investment, but it is "less bad" than most others. Good Hunting!
PS: TSB and TISB (Technical Service Bulletin) and (Technical Service Information Bulletin) are follow-up service notes to dealerships to check or repair known defects/deficiencies on their vehicles. For more info, check http://alldata.com/tsb/index.html or
http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/maintenance.do
THis was GREAT information and well balanced....THANK you SO MUCH!
10-14-06, 01:09 PM
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Carbrowser,
Since you're in southern CA, I will give you excellent advice because I just went through this process in the same area.
1. First of all, since you're Internet savvy, never walk into a dealer without having an appointment with an Internet salesperson. All dealerships now have Internet departments. If done properly, you deal with two people; the Internet salesperson and the finance manager. If you simply walk into a dealer, you will speak to at least 3 people before you even get to financing. Each of these people must be paid so it cuts into your savings.
2. Know your credit. Run a credit report first. Go to Experian, Equifax or Transunion and run a car credit report if possible. Keep this paperwork handy. Do qualify for the 2.99% rate, you must have Tier 1 Plus credit which means you must have a FICO score over 730 I believe.
3. Contact the 10+ dealers in SoCal and describe what you're interested it. (ie. RX330 Flint Mica with Nav under 35k miles, etc) Just create a draft message and send the same email to each dealer. They can either be contacted directly or through Lexus.com.
4. Use online resources such as Autotrader.com - Every dealer that has a large inventory of CPO's will advertise on Autotrader.com. You can browse for a specific vehicle and you can even ask the dealer questions regarding the exact vehicle. Remember, list price is just the asking price. They WILL negotiate the pricing listed in Autotrader. A couple of others...kbb.org, edmunds.com, carfax.com, carsdirect.com....
5. There seems to be two types of dealers in the SoCal area. Those dealers who are upfront in giving quotes and those who won't give quotes but will guarantee to match or beat any quote you give them. (This is Newport as you experienced) Believe me, there are great dealerships in this area. Just take a bit of time in finding them. (If you want, I can refer you to two in the Orange County area that I worked with...you won't be disappointed.)
6. Last piece of advice...be patient so you can properly explore all you options. If you are looking for a CPO, the more features you require, the longer it will take for you to find the exact match. If you're looking for a specific vehicle, or time is a concern, then CPO may not be the best fit for you. However, if you have some flexibility, then there may be several CPO's that have your name on them. Don't overpay for a CPO. If list price is $35k on a CPO, you must keep in mind for a few thousand more, you can purchase a brand new RX350.
That's it for now. Happy searching!!
Since you're in southern CA, I will give you excellent advice because I just went through this process in the same area.
1. First of all, since you're Internet savvy, never walk into a dealer without having an appointment with an Internet salesperson. All dealerships now have Internet departments. If done properly, you deal with two people; the Internet salesperson and the finance manager. If you simply walk into a dealer, you will speak to at least 3 people before you even get to financing. Each of these people must be paid so it cuts into your savings.
2. Know your credit. Run a credit report first. Go to Experian, Equifax or Transunion and run a car credit report if possible. Keep this paperwork handy. Do qualify for the 2.99% rate, you must have Tier 1 Plus credit which means you must have a FICO score over 730 I believe.
3. Contact the 10+ dealers in SoCal and describe what you're interested it. (ie. RX330 Flint Mica with Nav under 35k miles, etc) Just create a draft message and send the same email to each dealer. They can either be contacted directly or through Lexus.com.
4. Use online resources such as Autotrader.com - Every dealer that has a large inventory of CPO's will advertise on Autotrader.com. You can browse for a specific vehicle and you can even ask the dealer questions regarding the exact vehicle. Remember, list price is just the asking price. They WILL negotiate the pricing listed in Autotrader. A couple of others...kbb.org, edmunds.com, carfax.com, carsdirect.com....
5. There seems to be two types of dealers in the SoCal area. Those dealers who are upfront in giving quotes and those who won't give quotes but will guarantee to match or beat any quote you give them. (This is Newport as you experienced) Believe me, there are great dealerships in this area. Just take a bit of time in finding them. (If you want, I can refer you to two in the Orange County area that I worked with...you won't be disappointed.)
6. Last piece of advice...be patient so you can properly explore all you options. If you are looking for a CPO, the more features you require, the longer it will take for you to find the exact match. If you're looking for a specific vehicle, or time is a concern, then CPO may not be the best fit for you. However, if you have some flexibility, then there may be several CPO's that have your name on them. Don't overpay for a CPO. If list price is $35k on a CPO, you must keep in mind for a few thousand more, you can purchase a brand new RX350.
That's it for now. Happy searching!!
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10-14-06, 03:34 PM
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TripleDes gave some very good advice, for current pricing, also check carsdirect.com and costcoauto.com, these websites will give you the going acctual deals out there. There is nothing wrong with being frugel, I would look at a new Nissan Murano, these are very well made and is the sister to the Infinity FX35..on sale 2006 Murano will cost new at about $26K...good luck
10-14-06, 04:00 PM
#10
Do keep your guard up when dealing with the salespeople and especially the finance manager. Just because it's a Lexus, don't assume the dealership won't try to jerk you around or hide bogus fees in the sales contract at the last minute. It's unfortunate, but some car dealers do pull those stunts, and the brand is irrelevant. For example, I did have a Lexus dealer try to hide life insurance in a loan contract; they didn't mention it until I questioned why the payment was so high.
It's easy to be lulled into a sense of complacency by the leather furniture and the buffet in the service department, but don't be! Follow the advice the others have posted and know what you're doing before you even walk in the place.
It's easy to be lulled into a sense of complacency by the leather furniture and the buffet in the service department, but don't be! Follow the advice the others have posted and know what you're doing before you even walk in the place.
10-15-06, 04:04 PM
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TripleDES, Bongos and RX Driver - GREAT advice!!! Thank you so much again for all of your help! Wonderful feedback! I will continue my search.
Paula
Paula
10-15-06, 09:55 PM
#12
Lexus Champion
Don't let the sales guy's attitude steer you toward another vehicle. You only have to meet the sales guy once or twice, but you'll drive the vehicle daily.
If you feel intimidated by the sales, take a male friend with you. Preferably a Harley biker with tatoo on his 20" arms.
Hyundai is making better vehicles than 10 years ago, but it's still not up to the level of refinement and reliability that Lexus can offer. Though the new car smell and long warranty are good selling point.
If you feel intimidated by the sales, take a male friend with you. Preferably a Harley biker with tatoo on his 20" arms.
Hyundai is making better vehicles than 10 years ago, but it's still not up to the level of refinement and reliability that Lexus can offer. Though the new car smell and long warranty are good selling point.
10-16-06, 07:06 AM
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Do I hear someone is laughting at me already?? My other family member is Kia Sorento beside the RX350. Hyundai/Kia cars are much better than before. And many can't believe they are not Japanese built. I've heard many said than my Sorento looks like Lexus RX300.
In my experience, if you plan to own your car for few years (3 to 5), Hyundai, Kia, Mitshibishi or Nissan is your choice because of the price. The warranty is good but you can't afford to give up your time off to the dealer for service. If you have good luck with these cars, you will probably spend at least twice as much on parts and maintenance. Most parts cost more than Honda/Toyota. They need to make up the lower price of the brand new vehicles.
Have you looked at Toyota RAV4 or all-new Honda CR-V yet? I've seen the new Santa Fe on the road. It looks refined.
In my experience, if you plan to own your car for few years (3 to 5), Hyundai, Kia, Mitshibishi or Nissan is your choice because of the price. The warranty is good but you can't afford to give up your time off to the dealer for service. If you have good luck with these cars, you will probably spend at least twice as much on parts and maintenance. Most parts cost more than Honda/Toyota. They need to make up the lower price of the brand new vehicles.
Have you looked at Toyota RAV4 or all-new Honda CR-V yet? I've seen the new Santa Fe on the road. It looks refined.
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