Camry 2007 XLE V6 with Navigation and Stability Control - what is the fair price?

A fair price is MSRP. Anything less than MSRP is good!

Why anyone in the NYC area buys a new car is beyond me unless you are in and only drive in a suburb of the city.

Shop around in many different dealerships and find one that is willing to negotiate. I shopped at 4 different Toyota dealerships that all refused to deal serious (want me to pay sticker for 2007 Camry SE V6, claiming it's a 'hot car') until I found Peruzzi Toyota (5th one.) They are willing to negotiate and we settled $2100 off the stick price.

The trick I found is go to a dealership that has trouble selling the cars (they all have triangle flags that show what month they are "#1 volume seller", while all 4 dealerships have tons of them each, Peruzzi only has 1, maybe that's why they are so anxious to deal...)

Don't look desperate or "really want the car." When I negotiate I always give a ridiculously low figure (under invoice) and work my way up. Always bargain for at least $2000 below MSRP if not more. Also, when you play the haggle game, don't always "inch upward" on price everytime the sales man came back from "talking with my manager." A couple of times stay firmed on a price and send the salesman back with the same offer you made earlier.

Remember, invoice is market rate NOT actual costs. When you do your research and found your car with options is $______ on invoice price, the dealers may still get them at BELOW invoice pricing due to "volume purchases"

Finally, when you settle ask for ALL the fees. Peruzzi Toyota (Hatfield, PA) is up front with no hidden fees. Other dealers are sneaky with such notorious fees as:

1) GAP Charge - what the heck is this? You need to pay a gap for their incompetence to negotiate with manufactures on a good deal? This is untolerable and if the dealer insiston charging this, then renegotiate the car price 2) Ridiculous overcharge "paper work" fees - around $20-40 are fair prices to pay, some dealers don't even have them. Other dealers will charge them around $100+, again renegotiate car price if this is happening. Most dealers can do these over the internet now so there are no "paperwork", they are simply charging you for their 5 minutes of typing your info on a computer. 3) Destination charge - this is tougher to negotiate as each dealer do pay a destination charge. However, they still shouldn't pass this on to you. Again I would negotiate car price down to cover this.

Finally, goes without saying that don't waste your money on any warranty ok?

Dealers do not get cars below invoice pricing due to volume purchases. There is holdback, but that is is probably less than $200 for a Camry.

Dealerships cannot negotiate with manufacturers for the vehicles or parts they purchase from their distributors.

All dealerships, regardless of sales volume or negotiating skills, pay the same price for the same vehicles.

Sorry they do. I don't know why you think that way. I have plenty of friends that works in dealerships that told me manufacturers regularly give them below invoice pricing if they agree to buy more (to jack up "numbers sold" numbers in national statistics: a car is sold when it's sold to dealers, not consumers.)

You got to be kidding me right? Actually, from your last post and this post you sound like a dealer yourself, Mr. "anything less than MSRP is good." Scare that I'm giving away secrets to cut in on your profits?

I think that way because as a former district manager for Toyota, I am familiar with how vehicles are priced and drafted. In my experience calling on dealerships, I've found that at most dealerships, there are only 2 or 3 people who actually know what the dealership's true cost and expense structure is and that the rest of the employees are just speculating.

I am not kidding. I a former district manager with Toyota. In 15 year of working with Toyota, no dealership within the TMD distribution system ever paid a different dealer cost than another dealership for a given model. Federal anti-trust laws prevent automakers from charging different prices to franchised dealerships.

I do not know what your friend does at the dealership, but he or she is either not in a position to know how the dealership pays for vehicles or they are lying.

As far as "anything less than MSRP is good," I'll admit that not everyone gets my attempt at humor.

I have family friends who OWN dealerships (some of them chains of dealerships), who say what Ray 'sez.

Incentives are different than dealer cost.

That is not factual. Franchise laws requires all dealer to receive the same price. Contrary to what you believe the invoice price is what the dealer is charged for the vehicle when it is sold. However the invoice price includes a hold back amount, generally 3%. The purpose of the holdback is to reduce the amount of charge backs for denied warranty claims and interest due on the dealerships floor plan on its quarterly But you are correct the only price you should want to hear is the total drive home price from one dealer to another when comparing prices, not a fictional 'selling' price. .

mike hunt

Yeah, they really want to give away secrets right?

I have magician friends that told me magics are real. Should I believe them?

I want to buy a new car because the car I have is getting old and unreliable and I have money to buy a new one. That's what money is for

- to buy stuff :) The last time I bought a new car was 2000. I think I deserve a new one now :)

The dealers claim that Camry 2007 is a hot car and only offer me $200 off sticker/MSRP price. One recommended that I wait for the prices to come down - said he just cannot come down on price. I guess I will wait...

I think what he means is that NYC is so brutal on cars, it's painful to think of a spotless new car downtown.

I agree, and would lean towards pre-dinged and scratched 2-3 year olds for inner city use.

Hey, it's your money...

I think it was success snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com who stated:

Come to Rochester[*] and ask Arlyn Ness or any of the other fine sales staff at Rochester Toyota about the price; you'll be glad to get a GOOD price from any of them 'cause they discount ALL the Toyotas (and Fords too, if any one cares) well under MSRP. It's a "One Price" dealer, so you get a good price up front with NO haggling.

[*] Rochester, Minnesota. Sorry if I got your hopes up toooo high ;^)

-Don in Rochester (the one in MN)

Exactly my point.