Dealer says their selling price is the MSRP + Tax and License... but Toyota may be loosing some customers, when they add Port and Dealer add ons.

My particular car we are looking:



There was a YouTube video from those caredge.com Father and Son team, about a year ago or less, that was stating that Toyota was loosing some sales because of this practice. The above was for a 2025 Toyota Hybrid Rav4.

At least they didn't add on a "Market Adjustment." Enjoy your appliqués and floormats.

You have to play hardball and say you aren't paying for these. All part of the game that car buying has become.

Because you are letting them or because they can. Because they know that they can get away with it or if not there will be another buyer in soon who they can charge even more.

If Toyota really cared about "loosing" sales they would penalize dealers who practice unethical cash extraction to customers ... but they don't.

If you look at the overall, you're getting a nice, super-reliable vehicle in exchange for some money and aggravation.

It could be much worse.

There are RAV4s in the world with 300,000 miles on them with original engine and transmission.

Is there another dealer in town, or driving distance? Go to the other one, and say, "They're asking X, and it's too much. How much can you beat it by?" Then go back to t he first one, and say, "They're asking Y, and it's too much. How much can you beat it by?" I did that across 4 dealers, and ended up paying $300 over cost. Of course, that was 9 years ago...

You can certainly ask about the charges, negotiate, even yell at the dealer, or threaten to walk (I once got on the phone to another dealer in front of the salesman), and see what happens.

But it might help your blood pressure if you ask yourself "Is a new Rav4 worth $36,500 to me?" If it is, well, that might keep you from torpedoing your sale.

I'm "negotiating" a train trip with Amtrak right now, and getting nowhere. They're refusing to give me my Senior Discount. But my very wise wife pointed out that even if I give up now, I'm paying less than half what a plane flight to LA would cost (Yes, I'm "sleeping" in a coach seat). As soon as I realized that the undiscounted price is worth it, it took all the pressure off.

Does this happen to be in the Southeast US? There's a single distributer who cut a deal with Toyota in 1968 to distribute Toyotas in GA, AL, SC, FL, and NC. All imported Toyota vehicles for those states go through their facility in Jacksonville, FL. US made Toyotas go to other facilities. That's where they add stuff that is just not optional. The vehicles come to the dealerships with installed accessories and that's all there is to it. I presume dealers can order vehicles with and without certain accessories but when they're installed at the port they're not optional for a buyer. On top of that there are some dealer-added accessories, of course. One of the oddest things I've seen looking at Tacomas is a sprayed in bed liner done at the port in a truck that already has a composite bed. I always look at TN Toyotas before buying one in GA where we live. But, I've never found a better deal in TN, interestingly enough.

[jmfamily.com]

As Chopper pointed out, "there are RAV4s in the world with 300,000 miles on them with original engine and transmission."

Which means you could find a decent used one, even an older one and get hundreds of thousands of miles of enjoyment... we've had Toyotas over 200k that just wouldn't die, even though we wanted a new car.

Ha, ask your dealer what they can find you in the way of used Toyotas... "without Port and Dealer Add-Ons" (then, give them The Look).

Modern dealers have taken all the "fun" out of negotiating. Because they don't care. As others have stated, they'll sell it to someone else. Or not. They have to get what they have to get. Or at least what they want to get. From you or from someone else.

It is to make you lose focus on the big picture. Who cares what price the car is listed as or the listed add ons? Decide what you want the out the door price is and negotiate on that. All that really matters is what comes out of your pocketbook in the end, not how you got there. Tell them they can drop the fees or drop the price of the car by the same amount, or give you more on your trade. Doesn't matter how you get to the price you want.

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C(-)ris
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Ask for a line-item report of what they installed at the port. Maybe it's worth it.

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Imagine the port markup on a RAV4 Prime.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

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Michael
Does this happen to be in the Southeast US? There's a single distributer who cut a deal with Toyota in 1968 to distribute Toyotas in GA, AL, SC, FL, and NC. All imported Toyota vehicles for those states go through their facility in Jacksonville, FL. US made Toyotas go to other facilities. That's where they add stuff that is just not optional. The vehicles come to the dealerships with installed accessories and that's all there is to it. I presume dealers can order vehicles with and without certain accessories but when they're installed at the port they're not optional for a buyer. On top of that there are some dealer-added accessories, of course. One of the oddest things I've seen looking at Tacomas is a sprayed in bed liner done at the port in a truck that already has a composite bed. I always look at TN Toyotas before buying one in GA where we live. But, I've never found a better deal in TN, interestingly enough.

[jmfamily.com]

Can always buy or lease out-of-market.

That's what I did to avoid the SE Toyota Distributor add-ons...flew a kid from CLT to PIT to pick it up.

If you are not in a hurry, wait until the end of the month (year). Go in on December 31. The dealer has a tax incentive to sell and may be willing to bargain more.

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“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.” -- François de La Rochefoucauld

"Those who cannot accept the past are condemned to revise it." -- Geo. Mathias

The German word for contraceptive is “Schwangerschaftsverhütungsmittel”. By the time you finished saying that, it’s too late

I know some people like it, but I hate negotiating.

This is why I like the way Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, etc. do it.

"Here is the price."

For more "traditional" dealers, I do not speak to a human until I have a price. And I know about what the price should be because there are so many resources to help you find that.

I think dealers (at least the dealers I have worked with) realize this and open with a "reasonable" price. Not MSRP plus extras. Not unless the demand is high and supply low (think F-150 Lightning at first).

Compare with used prices in your market. If it is like my area the delta is quite small and (to me) makes the new more attractive even with the garbage add ons.

Is there a breakdown of what the add-ons are?
If they are OEM roof rack, mudflaps, hitch, etc I'm fine with that. Things I would've probably wanted anyway. But if it's $500 after-market, security lug nuts on the wheels, that's a different story. If you're married to that Red Pearl color in any way (and there's no one else in the immediate area that has it on the lot), they know they got you.

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In the NorCal market, they also add on an "advertising fee", as the dealer has to contribute money toward regional marketing ads.

This is one of the prime reasons I won't buy a Toyota anymore.

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA

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Lux Interior
I know some people like it, but I hate negotiating.

IMO the old style of negotiation is dumb, trying to get the salesman to give you a good deal. I hate that sort of thing BUT I will travel to get the best deal. Either they can match the offer or I go elsewhere. No stupid mind games.

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That’s a good deal on a 2024 Rav4 Hybrid - that’s a unique color. I’d pay it. FYI still enjoying my 2016 Rav4 Hybrid that has 63K miles - runs like it was new.

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mattkime

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Lux Interior
I know some people like it, but I hate negotiating.

.... BUT I will travel to get the best deal. Either they can match the offer or I go elsewhere. No stupid mind games.

Definitely. And I have done this.