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Just Ordered

by the99contour, February 22, 2005

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  • 1,424 posts

default_biggrin

I finally got home for the first time since Christmas over the long weekend. On Saturday, I went in and ordered my new car. Here it is:

- '05 Corolla LE Auto

- Silverstreak Mica (Exterior)

- Stone Cloth (Interior)

- Audio Value Package

- 4 wheel ABS with EBD and Tire Pressure Warning System

- 15" Alloy Wheels

- Power Sunroof

- All Weather Gaurd Package

- Floor / Trunk mats

- Cargo Net

- Auto-dimming Inside Rearview Mirror

I'll be getting the build date some time within the next two weeks. They told me to expect the car the first or second week of May.

I'm so excited, I can't wait to take possession of the first car I've ever custom ordered. I'm kind of dissappointed that it won't be here in time for me to bring it back to school so I can use it to move out. (Contour doesn't have folding rear seat, but it has a sunroof, go figure) On the other hand, I'm glad I'll be able to drive it as soon as I get it. default_biggrin

Sounds like a good one - congratulations on your new purchase.

Wow. If you don't mind my asking, what did you pay for all that?

  • 1,424 posts
Wow.  If you don't mind my asking, what did you pay for all that?

What did I pay?

 

Well the MSRP was roughly $18,700 US. (figure off of Toyota's car builder)

The dealer gave it to me for $17,400 without me asking for him to lower the price.

They didn't charge me for the install of the rearview mirror, which was $200.

They gave me $3500 for my trade in, which was over blue book. I thought it was a decent amount since it is a discontinued car.

I probably could have got a lower price, but not much lower. Last month someone bought a XRS off the lot that had a sticker of $18,300. They only got the price down to $17,200. Since I was ordering the car, I didn't expect them to want to sell it for anything less than MSRP. As it was, the payment was $20 a month less than I wanted to pay a month anyway.

Before anyone says I paid more than invoice, or I could have got it cheaper through internet sales, I want to make one thing clear: I am not purchasing this vehicle. My parents are purchasing it. They wanted to deal with our local (and wonderful) dealer face to face. They knew what the invoice price of the car was when they went in to buy the car, and they were also aware that they could have bought it over the internet cheaper, and they chose to do what they did. Quite frankly, I don't care how they buy it, as long as they are satisfied with the price they paid.

Great deal.

Sometimes ordering can get you a sharp deal since the dealer won't have to finance the car sitting on their lot awaiting a buyer.

A presold car moves from transporter to customer at once.

Is the tire pressure monitor new for 05?

Congrats. I'd be interested in hearing some comments on the EBD and tire pressure systems once you've driven it around for awhile.

Gee, I'll bet your local (and wonderful) dealer wishes he had a lot more customers like your parents! Personally, I would have went in there armed to the teeth with all the pricing info I could possibly get, and beat them into a bloody pulp with it! Any customer who wouldn't do that is being foolish to the point of comedy. When I bought my '03 Corolla, I got maximum Blue Book RETAIL value for the '01 Corolla LE I traded, not the minimum Black Book wholesale value that dealerships usually give. I also negotiated the price of the new '03 down to Invoice.

Even if I were a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, a fellow Kiwanian and a member of my "local and wonderful" dealer's church, I'd still beat him up over every penny on a car deal! They expect that, and that's how they've done business for ages. To lie down and allow them to have one penny more profit than they are entitled to is being ridiculous to an extreme that makes plain old foolish look reasonable.

However, to each his own. Some people have a head for negotiating, some don't.

  • 1,424 posts

Bob,

The tire pressure monitor is new for '05 Corollas with ABS. I have EBD on my Contour, and I'll say that it is more effective in panic stops, but in everyday driving it doesn't do anything.

Larry,

This is a recent development because 3 years ago when my Mom bought her RAV4, she had just started working. She had a lot more time to haggle with a dealer back then, and so she got the car down to a couple hundred over invoice. (It toook 2 hours though) This time, even though I did all the research about invoice price, etc. she just agreed when they came back with a price less than MSRP (We were in and out in 45 minutes). It's a time and stress issue, plain and simple. She doesn't want to spend a lot of time, and she didn't want it to be a stressful experience, and for that you must pay.

Huh? Time and stress? Her time is worth several hundreds of dollars an hour? Her avoidance of a little bit of "stress" is worth a similar amount? Whew! All I can say is, in 1.5 years of selling cars, I only had the experience of a "lie down and die" customer a couple of times! Everyone else made me work for my meager living!

I now occasionally play the role of an "automotive purchasing consultant" for friends who are buying vehicles, and want someone with them to just sit there and say "No" in all the languages of the world like the guy in the Capital One ad on TV! I invariably wear the salesman and his/her various "managers" down to Invoice deals on cars that were supposed to have "No Hassle/No Haggle" pricing a few hundred below MSRP! BTW -- we never do a Trade-In on their vehicle unless it's a total junker that isn't worth the hassle of advertising, test driving, and haggling with potential buyers. I either take them to the local auction, or we just let the dealer give us the few bucks they're worth wholesale. Anything worth real money I sell it for them for maximum Blue Book Private Sale pricing. I've thought of making it a sideline business, but the hassle of incorporating myself, insurance, licensing, etc. would cause it to be unprofitable unless I could do it full time. The next time your Mommy and Daddy buy you a car, they should inquire to see if anyone is providing a similar service in your area -- it could save them at least a couple of times what a reasonable fee would be.

  • 1,424 posts

Larry,

I'm sorry that I don't have total control over what my parents do. However, if someone was willing to give you a car that was exactly what you wanted for free, would you argue with how they wanted to pay for it? I told them what I thought the car was really worth, and they did what they did, period. I'm not stupid enough to argue with them over what they paid.

Furthermore, I don't mean any disrespect, but you don't know about the reasons for buying this car, my previous car, or my family life. If you knew the entire story, you'd understand why my parents were willing to do what they did, and why I am not going to argue with them about it. I won't go into further detail, but lets just say it's intense stuff. You don't want to know it, and I don't want to talk about it.

sound like Larry paid a few $ more msrp

sound like Larry paid a few $ more msrp

No, OUKB, about $1500 less than MSRP, once all the smoke cleared.

 

 

  • 1,424 posts

It's not like they paid MSRP, or over MSRP like people who wanted the new Mustang. I realize they could have got the car a couple hundred lower, but for God's sake it's not like they got taken to the cleaner because they paid $1300 under MSRP when you paid $1500 under MSRP.

Thanks for the info.

Good luck with your new Corolla.

It's not like they paid MSRP, or over MSRP like people who wanted the new Mustang. I realize they could have got the car a couple hundred lower, but for God's sake it's not like they got taken to the cleaner because they paid $1300 under MSRP when you paid $1500 under MSRP.

Larry forgot to mention that he bought a set of alloys at e-bay to "dress-up"his car for 300$??.

 

So I guess you guys are even

Guest Corollasroyce

Man i wish my parents would buy me a brand new car

Larry, who cares what his parents paid, heh, he didn't pay for it....

Congrats on the car though, its quite the step up from your contour default_ph34r

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Thanks Corollasroyce,

I'm quite glad to be getting rid of the Contour. I'll never want to deal with the Ford dealer again, and you guys don't know how good that feels.

I'm sure I'll have many years of dependable service out of this car.

Max

Hey 99! Enjoy that new car. I know you've looked forward to getting a Corolla for a long time. Keep us posted.

Guest Corollasroyce

I realllyyyy wish i had gotten an auto though, I am moving this week....and its a city of about 4 million people and traffic here is terrible, its only going to be worse there. Never thought i would want an automatic but now i certainly wish i had bought one.

  • 1,424 posts

Max,

You don't know how long I've been looking for another car. I've been researching for almost two years. I'm so relieved that I finally decided what I wanted and ordered it.

The dealer is going to put in the order this week or next week, depending on when they get to order their next allotment. After they put the order in, they are going to call me when they get a build date. When I get the build date, I'll let you guys know.

They told me I'd have the car by the last week of April or the first week of May, so I'll also let you guys know when it arrives.

Royce,

I thought about getting the 5 speed b/c of gas mileage, but my left knee doesn't always work like I want it to, and so I opted for the auto. I'm sure that I'll appreciate the auto on the days when my knee is acting up.

Ti-Jean

I realllyyyy wish i had gotten an auto though, I am moving this week....and its a city of about 4 million people and traffic here is terrible, its only going to be worse there. Never thought i would want an automatic but now i certainly wish i had bought one.

Hum... Toronto?

 

 

Guest Corollasroyce

I realllyyyy wish i had gotten an auto though, I am moving this week....and its a city of about 4 million people and traffic here is terrible, its only going to be worse there. Never thought i would want an automatic but now i certainly wish i had bought one.

Hum... Toronto?

 

Vancouver....Moving in exactly 7 days....got a transfer, some company, same job, except no gross winters and snipty weather year around. Instead I'll never see below 0!!! I can't wait!! default_cool

 

 

  • 55 posts

you guys argue over these cars like they mercedes benz's its a corolla a cheap little car

the99contour - the key is not what you paid but being happy with the deal. Sounds like you are so congratulations and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy the Corolla S I paid 18k for.

Now that should draw some fire from your position I think default_wink

  • 1,424 posts

Thanks, I agree with you totally. I don't like overpaying, but I feel they got a fair deal. It's not what you paid, it's if you're happy with what you bought and with the price you paid for it. Besides, I've known people who haggled with the dealer to the point where they sold them the car and told them to never come back, not even for service. I don't ever want to be that person. I'd rather pay more and have people think that I'm not an ######.



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