buying a gx now
05-02-10, 09:32 AM
#16
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Yep, has the ML/Nav. I don't know which type of chrome wheels it has. They were a low priority for me and came with the car; however, upon seeing them on the car, they sure are pretty. However, in that I actually will use the vehicle off road, I'm sure that the chrome rims will only add to the teasing I'll recieve.
Haven't been on the dirt, but for what it's worth, the drive is delightful (much nicer than my 2010 Sequoia Platinum -- we are already referring to them as Beauty and the Beast). The technology as you know is such that you actually have to read the manual.
Have you been off road on yours? What do you do about the little rubber flaps in front of the fore tow-hooks? I'm worried about peeling off the running boards. Any thoughts?
Haven't been on the dirt, but for what it's worth, the drive is delightful (much nicer than my 2010 Sequoia Platinum -- we are already referring to them as Beauty and the Beast). The technology as you know is such that you actually have to read the manual.
Have you been off road on yours? What do you do about the little rubber flaps in front of the fore tow-hooks? I'm worried about peeling off the running boards. Any thoughts?
05-02-10, 09:43 AM
#17
Yep, has the ML/Nav. I don't know which type of chrome wheels it has. They were a low priority for me and came with the car; however, upon seeing them on the car, they sure are pretty. However, in that I actually will use the vehicle off road, I'm sure that the chrome rims will only add to the teasing I'll recieve.
Haven't been on the dirt, but for what it's worth, the drive is delightful (much nicer than my 2010 Sequoia Platinum -- we are already referring to them as Beauty and the Beast). The technology as you know is such that you actually have to read the manual.
Have you been off road on yours? What do you do about the little rubber flaps in front of the fore tow-hooks? I'm worried about peeling off the running boards. Any thoughts?
Haven't been on the dirt, but for what it's worth, the drive is delightful (much nicer than my 2010 Sequoia Platinum -- we are already referring to them as Beauty and the Beast). The technology as you know is such that you actually have to read the manual.
Have you been off road on yours? What do you do about the little rubber flaps in front of the fore tow-hooks? I'm worried about peeling off the running boards. Any thoughts?
that would tear off the running boards. So the chrome wheels came as part of your deal? You got a lot better deal on your GX than what I paid...
05-02-10, 10:58 AM
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Well, we did internet shopping pretty much across the state (credit to wifey here).
Toyota in general appears to be under siege by the US Govt, while the GX in particular was suffering the CR assault (who makes a right turn going over 100 mph?). So timing was good.
The key negotiating aspects seemed to be knowing the actual cost of the car (Edmunds, Road and Track etc have it on their sites), and willingness to go around the state to get the best deal. We got a good deal, locked it in with "earnest money" deposit via credit card; there followed calls by the also-rans of we-can-beat-that, but they never provided specifics. Frauds and fakers, I think. The local dealer wanted $5K or $6K more for the same car. Geez.
Final point: I'm crummy at negotiation and the car guys do it for a living. I can't go head to head with them because they will beat me every time. So, let them go against each other with the buyer just acting as interlocutor. For that you need to get hard and fast numbers -- and sellers hate doing that because they can't manipulate you have hard data. Refusal to give numbers means frauds and fakers from my point of view and I won't deal with 'em.
One take away lesson for other buyers is that Ron at Keys Lexus was happy to give numbers. He made out on the trailer hitch (small potatoes) and was great about the whole vehicle price itself; but again, I came with numbers ready, absent that, the outcome may well have been different.
Toyota in general appears to be under siege by the US Govt, while the GX in particular was suffering the CR assault (who makes a right turn going over 100 mph?). So timing was good.
The key negotiating aspects seemed to be knowing the actual cost of the car (Edmunds, Road and Track etc have it on their sites), and willingness to go around the state to get the best deal. We got a good deal, locked it in with "earnest money" deposit via credit card; there followed calls by the also-rans of we-can-beat-that, but they never provided specifics. Frauds and fakers, I think. The local dealer wanted $5K or $6K more for the same car. Geez.
Final point: I'm crummy at negotiation and the car guys do it for a living. I can't go head to head with them because they will beat me every time. So, let them go against each other with the buyer just acting as interlocutor. For that you need to get hard and fast numbers -- and sellers hate doing that because they can't manipulate you have hard data. Refusal to give numbers means frauds and fakers from my point of view and I won't deal with 'em.
One take away lesson for other buyers is that Ron at Keys Lexus was happy to give numbers. He made out on the trailer hitch (small potatoes) and was great about the whole vehicle price itself; but again, I came with numbers ready, absent that, the outcome may well have been different.
05-02-10, 11:21 AM
#20
I called all over my state and made the best deal I could find. I'm sure now with all the bad press, I could have made a lot better deal. I purchased mine Feb. 24th and they were hard to find around here. Also no one had my color combo and options I wanted. Sounds like you got a great deal. The dealer had to make a port swap with another dealer. There were only two in the U.S. One dealer was too lazy to even return my call when he found out they didn't have what I wanted in stock. Another dealer had 8 sold in front of me before they could get me what I wanted. I guess it's all about timing and what part of the country you're from. Here in the Midwest, SUV's are selling.
05-02-10, 09:16 PM
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Geez, sounds like you did the right stuff. That supply-demand curve makes all the difference. No doubt we came in the right time. Actually, not because of any great foresight on our part; we drove our supercharged Jag into a really big puddle that came up in an unseasonal rainstorm (the Central Valley of CA gets 11 inches of rain a year -- it is a testiment to irrigation) and the supercharger intake is set exceptionally low in Jags, so it vacuumed water into the engine. Repair costs were greater than the vehicle costs. Insurance totalled it and sent a check. I must say that it broke my heart, in that I loved the car and expected years of service out of it still (on the other hand, I won't miss the speeding tickets -- the thing was a veritable rocket and I could be in trouble before I knew it). Arrgh. In any case, we were car shopping and settled on the GX, when the oddball CR attack came out.
Shopping before that produced pretty much MSRP type price quotes and a very blase take-it-or-leave-it response from salescritters. When we hit a deal, put some money in to lock it down and went with it. That being said, again, Ron at Keyes Lexus was straight-forward and willing to deal when others weren't. When you think about it, he sold a car that wasn't for sale, so he did pretty well too.
Shopping before that produced pretty much MSRP type price quotes and a very blase take-it-or-leave-it response from salescritters. When we hit a deal, put some money in to lock it down and went with it. That being said, again, Ron at Keyes Lexus was straight-forward and willing to deal when others weren't. When you think about it, he sold a car that wasn't for sale, so he did pretty well too.
05-27-10, 10:12 PM
#23
You can always get a great deal on a car. Before the whole CR press, back at beginning of March I got mine for $100 over invoice (got a copy invoice and official PO from Lexus to the dealer to confirm the cost including all additional options).
Quick Tips
- Don't talk to sales people (talk with Gen Manager or internet sales manager) - spoke with GM myself
- get the best deal quotes from all Lexus dealers within X miles from you - spoke first with a dealer from a city that I travel often to and then spoke with local dealer.
- Make sure you know about any promotions/incentives as those can effect price substantially (below invoice)
- walk away from a deal until you get what you want - initially I got the best they can do is $1000/invoice. I have thanks then and said I will got with the other dealer. The next AM got my deal. It is a smack in the face if customer from their area buys from other area.
- make sure you know invoice pricing on all options. Often dealer will give you invoice but charge you MSRP on options they have added. The mark up on those is very substantial.
- remember that dealer gets 3% back at the end of the year for each car sold. Depending on model you are buying and time of the year, you can get the car substantially below invoice.
If you are not very good in negotiations, spend some time on edmunds.com. They have some very good reading materials how to negotiate and dealer tactics. Normally Lexus is very professional in negotiations, but is worth knowing.
Quick Tips
- Don't talk to sales people (talk with Gen Manager or internet sales manager) - spoke with GM myself
- get the best deal quotes from all Lexus dealers within X miles from you - spoke first with a dealer from a city that I travel often to and then spoke with local dealer.
- Make sure you know about any promotions/incentives as those can effect price substantially (below invoice)
- walk away from a deal until you get what you want - initially I got the best they can do is $1000/invoice. I have thanks then and said I will got with the other dealer. The next AM got my deal. It is a smack in the face if customer from their area buys from other area.
- make sure you know invoice pricing on all options. Often dealer will give you invoice but charge you MSRP on options they have added. The mark up on those is very substantial.
- remember that dealer gets 3% back at the end of the year for each car sold. Depending on model you are buying and time of the year, you can get the car substantially below invoice.
If you are not very good in negotiations, spend some time on edmunds.com. They have some very good reading materials how to negotiate and dealer tactics. Normally Lexus is very professional in negotiations, but is worth knowing.
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