Supply/Demand = Dealers changing selling/trading practices??

2116 Views 31 Replies 17 Participants Last post by ejw, 3 mo ago

moymurfs

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

Sooo, No dealers named. I'm in the Tidewater VA/Northeast NC area (mid-atlantic region) and finally went to a couple of dealers to see what they had and what they can get for a 23 Highlander Platinum. Some dealers are still above msrp (no thank you), some are at msrp and some are slightly below. But the amount of Platinums is nil to non-existent. They have said (all of them) that Toyota is building more of the lower trims due to less chips needed per unit vs the high end models (understandable) and hoping consumers will settle for something. Personally, if I'm dropping 50k+ I'm not settling for anything less than what I want (but that's just me). I asked about ordering the one I want..nope. I asked about trading between dealers. Nope, they used to but really don't since no dealer wants a 2wd lower model for their platinum. The most "helpful" dealer looked up build inventory and said the one closest to the one I want was in TN. and I could go there.

THANKS!
I went home and seriously widened the search. In Ohio, I found multiple platinums in stock and others in the future build category at multiple dealerships

. I contacted one of those dealerships and they were happy to help. My Moon Dust / glazed caramel Platinum will be built in April & they added the factory tow hitch to the build at my request on top of the other options slated. So I'm happy to do a fly-n-drive.
Do I just live in a "dry" area or has anyone else found this to be the case?

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CHI_Lander

· #21 · 3 mo ago

philt56 said:
Thanks I’m actually in Warrenville, grew up in chicago. St Charles, is doing msrp. I can put down $500 to reserve once it’s on their allocation. Not refundable though. Pauly in Crystal lake says msrp but long wait list. Not sure what deposit is for them.

We are also on the list at Pauly. No deposit was required, but my wife bought her first Prius from there in 2010 and her sales guy is now the sales manager, so not sure if he hooked her up. He did say we might be waiting over a year for one to be available though. Kenosha sounds most promising, but at the end of the day we are still taking everything we hear with a grain of salt. We won't get too excited until we are driving it home. Good luck on your quest.

GaryQ said:
Congrats on your little one arriving in a few weeks. Hopefully he/she won't already be a rug rat or walking by the time the Yota arrives.

Thanks, Gary! I can't believe I missed this message. The year is 2042 and we are now sending our son off to college. Toyota is now owned by Hyundai and are releasing their 2043 Highlander Platinum Hover with an MSRP of $175,000.00. Hopefully we get ours soon. 🤣 🤣 🤣

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ejw

· #22 · 3 mo ago

jg05 said:
I’m not sure about inventory but it seems to me that once you get to the platinum Highlander price range it makes sense to look at the Lexus rx as the price get really close to each other. Same engines being used in these cars and the fit and finish you get in a Lexus will be better in my opinion. Yes the rx doesn’t have a third row but the highlanders third row is pretty useless.

it seemed to me that there were a lot of rx’s available in the gas engine and that the hybrid was the most popular model. I’m honestly confused by Toyotas pricing on their cars and am interested to see where the grand highlander slots in.

The 2023 RX's don't have a third row, but the 2017 to the 2022 RX350L and RX450hL have third rows, albeit a bit more cramped than the Highlander's third row due to the Lexus's slanted roof line. The ride is very nice, though.

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Esso

· #23 · 3 mo ago

ejw said:
The 2023 RX's don't have a third row, but the 2017 to the 2022 RX350L and RX450hL have third rows, albeit a bit more cramped than the Highlander's third row due to the Lexus's slanted roof line. The ride is very nice, though.

RX450hL here. V6 and best in class build quality. RX350L and 450hL are only made in Japan.

All other RX were Canadian.

Edit: yep, Smooth as butter and absolutely quiet. I can barely hear the depths of hell outside of the spacecraft.

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ejw

· #24 · 3 mo ago

Esso said:
RX450hL here. V6 and best in class build quality. RX350L and 450hL are only made in Japan.

All other RX were Canadian.

Edit: yep, Smooth as butter and absolutely quiet. I can barely hear the depths of hell outside of the spacecraft.

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I hear you. The Lexus ride is a dream. I was going to trade in my 06 RX330 for 450hL. Retirement got in the way. I have driven one, and I agree with your assessment. I absolutely like the look and the sharp styling, too. I think the big spindle grill is cool.Do you use the third row much?

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Esso

· #25 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

ejw said:
I hear you. The Lexus ride is a dream. I was going to trade in my 06 RX330 for 450hL. Retirement got in the way. I have driven one, and I agree with your assessment. I absolutely like the look and the sharp styling, too. I think the big spindle grill is cool.Do you use the third row much?

The RX330 is super iconic to the product line. I’d recommend that to anyone. I have all the boxes on mine. Really, by luck. My sister has a RX450h as well.

I don’t use the 3rd row actually. We are a family of 3 so there was no real use. But the L mode has a larger trunk space with them down. Plus a much much higher cargo ceiling compared to a regular RX.

The only thing that matters to me was the V6 power. The stealth mode EV. The styling and lighting.

I did not want a new RX with that safety bs. The small 4 banger. And the annoying sensor that beeps at you on the steering wheel. I needed a drivers car, not a baby cradle lol.

Here’s a picture.

Here’s a f sport next to my L.

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Esso

· #26 · 3 mo ago

Here’s that picture mentioned above. Couldn’t edit it in.

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ejw

· #27 · 3 mo ago

Nice looking vehicles for sure. Yeah, my 330 has served me well. We bought it new. It is fully loaded, and everything works well. The maps in the navigation system have been updated, otherwise no component has ever been an issue. It is very smooth and runs quiet. It has over 150,000 miles on it but runs great. Toyotas and Lexus vehicles will last for a long time, particularly if you take the proper care of it. I change the oil regularly, and get all the recommended checkups. I agree about the four banger. They say the new turbo 4-cylinder has more horsepower and low-end torque. I am not sure I am convinced. The RX's and Highlanders deserve that tried-and-true V6. No matter how many turbos, the four banger is not going to replicate the smoothness of six cylinders. In my opinion, the LC's, Sequoia's, LX's and the LS sedan should have remained V8's. These are all vehicles that are either approaching six figures or in the case of the LX and LS, exceed that. It is hard to reconcile paying for a large SUV or large luxury sedan that kind of money for anything less than 8 or even 10 cylinders

The Grand Highlander is also a very nice looking SUV, and it fills the niche for people who want a family-mover type of SUV that won't break the bank, is high quality, and is not a minivan. But putting a four banger in it? In my opinion, that SUV is too heavy for a four cylinder -- even with a turbo. And even if the turbo four is plenty strong, it will not be as smooth as the V6 that the previous Highlander had. A proud looking vehicle like the GH should have a proud engine to power it. The specs for the Lexus TX that will be built on the same platform have not come out. It will be a let down if they plop a four banger in it. I doubt seriously their competition mid-size SUVs from BMW, Audi, Acura, Infinity, or Genesis will opt for a four cylinder.

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Esso

· #28 · 3 mo ago

ejw said:
Nice looking vehicles for sure. Yeah, my 330 has served me well. We bought it new. It is fully loaded, and everything works well. The maps in the navigation system have been updated, otherwise no component has ever been an issue. It is very smooth and runs quiet. It has over 150,000 miles on it but runs great. Toyotas and Lexus vehicles will last for a long time, particularly if you take the proper care of it. I change the oil regularly, and get all the recommended checkups. I agree about the four banger. They say the new turbo 4-cylinder has more horsepower and low-end torque. I am not sure I am convinced. The RX's and Highlanders deserve that tried-and-true V6. No matter how many turbos, the four banger is not going to replicate the smoothness of six cylinders. In my opinion, the LC's, Sequoia's, LX's and the LS sedan should have remained V8's. These are all vehicles that are either approaching six figures or in the case of the LX and LS, exceed that. It is hard to reconcile paying for a large SUV or large luxury sedan that kind of money for anything less than 8 or even 10 cylinders

The Grand Highlander is also a very nice looking SUV, and it fills the niche for people who want a family-mover type of SUV that won't break the bank, is high quality, and is not a minivan. But putting a four banger in it? In my opinion, that SUV is too heavy for a four cylinder -- even with a turbo. And even if the turbo four is plenty strong, it will not be as smooth as the V6 that the previous Highlander had. A proud looking vehicle like the GH should have a proud engine to power it. The specs for the Lexus TX that will be built on the same platform have not come out. It will be a let down if they plop a four banger in it. I doubt seriously their competition mid-size SUVs from BMW, Audi, Acura, Infinity, or Genesis will opt for a four cylinder.

The great thing is that if you get a 450hL, the thing can cruise at stunning low rpm for long trips. When you need power, put it in sport and it tunes for a higher rpm and deliver all the raw power to the ground. However, within seconds you would be traveling at alarming speeds without making much noise.

Grand Highlander deserves V6 I agree. I actually want to get a LC v8 5.0 but it’s much more expensive. It’s offering will end abruptly to a v6 version for sure. I’ve got 2-3 years at most to get one if possible.

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ejw

· #29 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

Esso said:
The great thing is that if you get a 450hL, the thing can cruise at stunning low rpm for long trips. When you need power, put it in sport and it tunes for a higher rpm and deliver all the raw power to the ground. However, within seconds you would be traveling at alarming speeds without making much noise.

Grand Highlander deserves V6 I agree. I actually want to get a LC v8 5.0 but it’s much more expensive. It’s offering will end abruptly to a v6 version for sure. I’ve got 2-3 years at most to get one if possible.

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Are you thinking the LX V8, which is 5.7? That would be the 2021 or earlier. Yeah, they are expensive -- and thirsty, too. For a big SUV, it rides very smooth. I rode in one off roading. Got some time behind the wheel. The crawl system that Land Cruisers, LX's, and Sequoias have is really great. Tough vehicles. A bit expensive for a lot of abuse, though. I like the looks of the new LX600 and Sequoias. The new V6 twin turbo puts out over 400 hp and a lot of torque, but again, does it replicate the smoothness of the 5.7 liter V8? People keep opining about fuel mileage. LOL You are not going to get good mpg's with any of these large SUV's no matter how hard you try? They are thirsty vehicles. People who buy LX's, LC's, Sequoias or LS sedans have the bank roll where cost really doesn't matter. Who cares if downsizing the power plant gives you an extra mile or two of mpg's?

I have a thread in the Lexus forum that discusses some of this and also talks about the upcoming TX. I have enjoyed our communication, but our subject material might be more appropo in that forum. I would enjoy you dropping by that forum to opine on my thread. The GH coming out is deserving of being featured in it's forum. The TX will serve the same purpose for Lexus as the Grand Highlander does for Toyota. Same family; different divisions. Both are quality. I have owned both Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Been very happy with both. I may be partial to Lexus, but I would proudly own a Toyota as well. If I ever need to purchase a pickup again, it would be a Tundra.

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pimpin-tl

· #30 · 3 mo ago

A friend just posted a white platinum with orange interior and hybrid. Their dealer is usually MSRP or lower.

Automotive parking light Car Wheel Vehicle Tire

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ejw

· #31 · 3 mo ago

pimpin-tl said:
A friend just posted a white platinum with orange interior and hybrid. Their dealer is usually MSRP or lower.

View attachment 417114

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Whoa. That is a beauty. That platinum finish looks great. This is why Toyota has been so successful and garners such a loyal customer base. Oh, it is definitely snatched up No doubt.

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ejw

· #32 · 3 mo ago

pimpin-tl said:
A friend just posted a white platinum with orange interior and hybrid. Their dealer is usually MSRP or lower.

View attachment 417114

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Toyota does a good job figuring out the wants and needs of its customer base. A lot of people want three rows, but paying the prices for a Sequoia or an LX just is unaffordable for growing, younger families. Smart marketing. The GH fills that niche quite adroitly.

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