Toyota car dealerships on Eastside or Seattle (Tacoma, Bellevue: sales, mortgage)

[SelfReflector]

Hello, Has anyone had experience with car dealerships on the Eastside or in Seattle? We want to buy a new car, and want a Toyota. What's the deal with car dealerships ... do you bargain or ask for a discount? What should you be looking out for? Any things you should ask? What add ons should we be looking for - ice chains, etc? Assume we are newbie about driving in WA!

[texastrigirl]

I had a great experience with Michaels Toyota (guy named Dave Jackson) but I bought through the Costco program so it was totally hassle free. When buying a more popular car (I bought a Highlander) it's reasonable to pay 5% profit to them. A less popular car you might be able to get for giving them 3-4% profit. When you buy through the Costco program they have to show you TDA, Dest Charges, Holdback and their Reserve and from that info you can calculate the profit. This is how I did it below. Might not be perfectly done but I also price checked their offer and it was the lowest of 7 dealerships and also used Edmunds to determine True Value (they came in slightly lower than that).

Invoice

Less:
TDA
Dest Chg
Holdback
Reserve

Equals True Dealer Cost
Multiply by profit % (I used 1.05%)

Equals Price with Profit Built In
Add Back Dest Chg

Equals Total you should pay

You could probably call Michaels directly but if you are a Costco member it's really no hassle although Michaels appears to be a full disclosure dealer and would probably give it to you anyway. They also added another year of Toyota care (so you get 3 years) and added in a tow package at cost.

I opted not to do the Extended Warranty but keep in mind you could call any dealer in any city I believe and buy that. I read on a Toyota Forum there is a dealer in Wichita KS that sells them at a good discount.

Hope that helps.

[texastrigirl]

If you get AWD or FWD you will not need chains because it's considered a traction tire vehicle. At least that's how I interpret the WSDOT info.

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by SelfReflector

Hello, Has anyone had experience with car dealerships on the Eastside or in Seattle? We want to buy a new car, and want a Toyota. What's the deal with car dealerships ... do you bargain or ask for a discount? What should you be looking out for? Any things you should ask? What add ons should we be looking for - ice chains, etc? Assume we are newbie about driving in WA!

If you're a woman, bring a guy with you. You'll get a lower price and you'll avoid a lot of condescending remarks. Car salesmen can be incredibly sexist.

[Hemlock140]

Don't worry too much about the snow. Most years maybe 1-3 times there is enough to cause problems. Last year we never had to use 4WD and have only chained up 3 times in 20 years and we are at 600 feet. Most people just stay home when it's that bad, schools are closed anyway. Most employers are sympathetic but you will have to use PTO/vacation time.

I have also heard good stories about Michaels.

[texastrigirl]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

If you're a woman, bring a guy with you. You'll get a lower price and you'll avoid a lot of condescending remarks. Car salesmen can be incredibly sexist.

Hee hee. My DH is completely a deer in headlights at car dealerships so he hands it over to me every.single.time. That being said I had a dealership in Bothell not so politely ask me to leave because they thought my questions were unreasonable apparently regarding a used car I was trying to buy. That was definitely a good old boys club and I know those when I see them having lived in Texas for 12 years!

[SelfReflector]

Thanks so much TexasTriGirl, that is absolutely awesome information. We are thinking of buying a Highlander too! Awesome car (currently have one as well - I might change the colour, but keep everything else the same!) I will now look up what a Costco program is ...

[Sadie181]

We are in the process of buying a new car from Michael's Toyota in Bellevue. We are going through the COSTCO program as well. We have had the best experience there!!!

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by SelfReflector

Hello, Has anyone had experience with car dealerships on the Eastside or in Seattle? We want to buy a new car, and want a Toyota. What's the deal with car dealerships ...

I've had service done at the Toyota dealer in Kirkland. Details of the location may be found online. So far, so good. I've owned Toyotas from-new since 2004 (two). First new cars (trucks) I've bought, one an '04 and the second '07 (traded in the former on the latter).

Mine haven't really broken, the good side of owning the things (Tacomas). Biggest thing they replaced thus far was a seat belt. They ate the labor on that one, though I encouraged Toyota to replace the whole thing gratis as a safety issue (unsuccessfully). Five year old truck, meh. Wasn't expensive fix. I'll see them for a 90K service probably next spring, barring any other trouble.

YMMV, there or anywhere else.

Now, I actually bought both trucks from Rodland in Everett, from the same salesman who did deals for some pals, too. Five deals, between us both, in ten years. He's a decent guy, non-slimy. Ask for Colin. I have no horse in this race, other than my experience with Rodland in sales and service has always been positive. More homework for you; other opinions.

Yes, I haggled for both my deals. You must go into any car deal with the famous four-square well thought out and planned ahead of time. If that is an unfamiliar construct, study-up. Have the variables thoroughly understood for all elements in-play in your particular situation (vehicle price, financing, down payment, trade-in), they all figure into the deal. With that organized, you'll at least come up with at-worst a "fair" deal, depending on your bargaining skills. The fewer elements in-play, the better, in my observation: they may appear to be giving you a "good" deal on one element, but be screwing you on another, and you might miss it. Make sense?

Easiest, e.g., is a cash deal with no trade-in. One square in play: vehicle price, out the door. Lowest price wins it, at any dealer.

Toyota financing beat mine, not once but twice. I found that interesting, and it factored into the deal since the dealer and Toyota pocket money from that, too, despite having the best rate (that's called, "Win-Win.") Everyone's situation is different, however. Figure out yours.

I have yet to competitively bid a car on the Internet, meaning spec'ing out a specific model with options and opening it up for bid (and best bid wins). I assume that is the next move when I'm up for a new car, but probably only if I'm paying cash (and paying cash is stupid at the moment, for me anyway, with money so cheap and investments doing well: opportunity cost). Probably changes some of the fundamentals a bit, though as-always they will try their best to nickel-and-dime you for stuff once the deal is in-motion, regardless of "Internet price" (bid). The Costco comments from others are interesting: note to self.

[SouthSeasLifestyler]

We're going to be buying a car too, and I was advised to not buy it outright as I normally would do, but to set up some kind of monthly payment to build up my credit history (I will have none when I enter the US). However, the credit history thing sounds like it mainly is about getting a good mortgage rate. What if you don't want a mortgage? Is there any other use for the credit history?

SSLifestyler