With current price incentives December sales may be better

http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Monthly-Plug-In-SalesNov-2012.png

Note, the the Chevy Volt is almost outselling all other alternative vehicles combined this year.

However, it is almost embarrassing that the recently introduced "2012" RAV4 EV, as good of a car as it really is, especially with its Tesla credentials, is under selling the likes of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV as well as most all other makes and models, only slightly better selling than the Honda Fit EV which had a couple months head start.

I agree. I'm shocked the two month old vehicle is not selling very well. I bought too early. I should have waited for the discounts. I thought the car was going to sell so well that the price wouldn't come down.

Bill

It's a bit demoralizing alright . . . Today, I stopped by my local Toyota dealership to visit my RAV4 EV's siblings still waiting for someone to take them home. I mentioned to the sales staff how I missed out on such a great deal just one month before, and that at 0% AND $5k off sticker, these cars should be selling themselves. Too my surprise I was told there is no such deal! I told the sales manager that "the deal" is being advertised right now on their own website! He checked his PC and still maintained there is no such deal! As I was leaving, I took the guy who sold me my RAV4 EV aside, and showed him the "special incentive" pricing currently applicable to the RAV4 EV on that dealer's own website . . . (much more difficult to do I might add with only a smartphone at my disposal).

Obviously, with such TOTALLY MISINFORMED Toyota sales people, is it any wonder the RAV4 EV isn't selling well? Oh well, like the old saying, "let the buyer beware"!

I have to chime in and agree. Having spent the day trying to actually buy one of these, I can say it would be easier if the buyer didn't have to explain the process to the sales people.
Sorry for starting off with a negative post but it's been a frustrating day.

SeattleRav4 said:

I have to chime in and agree. Having spent the day trying to actually buy one of these, I can say it would be easier if the buyer didn't have to explain the process to the sales people.
Sorry for starting off with a negative post but it's been a frustrating day.

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I guess I just got lucky and reached a knowledgable guy right from the start. In fact, my dealership was practically bending over backwards to prove to me that they actually had the same deal in Northern CA as what I'd seen in LA.

I suspected that other dealers wouldn't know much about this offer. For obvious cost considerations, margins are thin on the car and dealers know that it will be a low volume vehicle... so why spend much time educating the sales staff? If the dealers aren't properly motivated, then the dealer sales experience likely won't improve. For that reason, I was a little surprised that this 0% & $5k deal was in the form of a customer rebate (which goes straight to the buyer) vs. marketing support (which the dealer can try to keep for themselves).

SeattleRav4 said:

I have to chime in and agree. Having spent the day trying to actually buy one of these, I can say it would be easier if the buyer didn't have to explain the process to the sales people.
Sorry for starting off with a negative post but it's been a frustrating day.

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No apology necessary. I understand where you are coming from 100%. I don't blame the regular sales guys, poorly trained and generally only newly employed sales people, but their MANAGERS, the so-called "sales pros", . . . simply inexcusible to be so poorly informed of their own new vehicles for sale! What ever happened to the old adage, "the customer is always right!"

Sales of the RAV4 EV will no doubt suffer from such woefully misinformed sales people! :roll:

Toyota has potentially $17.5k off with 0% financing.

$7500 fed
$2500 state
$5000 Toyota
$2500 Toyota loyalty cash

Edited to correct mistakes.

What is loyalty cash? What is bottom price on car? I got quoted $51k because of $850 delivery fee and $250 for paint and $250 for floor mats and stuff.

49800
850
250
250
-------
51150

Is the $850 mandatory? What about the paint fee for the fancy white and the carpets. Should I try to have these fees removed and just pay the list price of $49800? Trying to see where to save money since I'm getting screwed on my Trade-in.

palmer_md said:

What is loyalty cash? What is bottom price on car? I got quoted $51k because of $850 delivery fee and $250 for paint and $250 for floor mats and stuff.

49800
850
250
250
-------
51150

Is the $850 mandatory? What about the paint fee for the fancy white and the carpets. Should I try to have these fees removed and just pay the list price of $49800? Trying to see where to save money since I'm getting screwed on my Trade-in.

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Sure, you can have any fees they agree to removed. I doubt that they'll do that.

That's the price I paid ($51k plus tax) and since there is a REALLY slim mark up on the car, there's no profit incentive for them to discount it much.

All cars in the USA have the same delivery fee amongst the same car. So, I pay $850 for a car delivered in Maine, Hawaii, or picked up at the USA factory. Tesla charges $990 for delivery whether you drive out the end of their Fremont, Califorina factory or get it in Hawaii.

You don't need $200 paint or floor mats, but these fall in the breadcrumbs category compared to the total cost.

The loyalty cash is not clearly defined. It should come from Toyota in Torrance (you apply) and it should be for a prior new Toyota ownership, but may be restricted to prior (or even current) Rav4 EV owners.

If you purchase, you'll still pay about $56,000 total, since all the rebates/credits/awards come from some place else other than the dealer.

But, I could be wrong on the Toyota $7500. That might get worked in the deal. I would not buy from a dealer who didn't understand all this. The dealer in Carson (Dianne Whitmore) will handle all the details professionally. They have lots in stock.

For your trade, just get the best offer you can from CarMax or the various dealers.

That's what I thought. But I thought I'd ask if the $850 was negotiable. My thought was it is not. The floor mats may be the only negotiable part and I'm not really concerned about that part. Let's hope I can find a buyer for my leaf.

Tony, I checked Toyotas website and they were showing a $5,000 rebate still. Where did you see the $7,500 rebate?

Bill

Yeah, I don't where that extra $2500 discount is coming from either. I only know of the $5k cashback (discount) good till January 7th. The $2.5k "loyalty" rebate is only for current first generation (1997-2003) RAV4 EV owners who buy a "new" 2012 RAV4 EV.

Btw, don't forget that 0% APR financing, depending on the term and whether or not there will be a downpayment, saves you thousands of dollars in deferred finance charges.

Nobody who bought their RAV4 EVs last month got any such deal, because there was little or no discounting and only 1.9% APR financing offered till the beginning of December.

BestDay said:

Tony, I checked Toyotas website and they were showing a $5,000 rebate still. Where did you see the $7,500 rebate?

Bill

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I got it from the Nissan LEAF website... I'll try and find a Toyota link.

TonyWilliams said:

BestDay said:

Tony, I checked Toyotas website and they were showing a $5,000 rebate still. Where did you see the $7,500 rebate?

Bill

Click to expand...

I got it from the Nissan LEAF website... I'll try and find a Toyota link.

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I think I read a post that combined the 5000 and 2500 Toyota cash, and then tried to add the 2500 again.

So, disregard.

There seems to be a lot of confusion on the current Rav4 EV deal. After many phone calls I think I have got it.
$49870 MSRP
$50,870 dealer price, includes floormats and various dealer adds
$280 more for the Pearl white
- $5,000 Toyota rebate
- $2500 Rav4 EV rebate (only applicable if you own a RAV4 EV) this one is very confusing but i got the same story from a couple of dealers.
$139 in doc prep fees
0% financing and yes you can finance the whole purchase with good credit.
Yes, they are treating this like any other car so there is some room to negotiate depending on how many they sell buy year end

After the sale
$7500 Federal Tax credit
$2500 California tax credit if you live in CA
No sales tax if you live in WA

If you have been on the fence on these now is a pretty good time to get serious.
Of course in no-one else buys the deals could get better.

SeattleRav4 said:

If you have been on the fence on these now is a pretty good time to get serious.
Of course in no-one else buys the deals could get better.

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Or, after the end of this year - January 7th actually - Toyota may terminate all incentives on RAV4 EV purchases or leases, because their "year end" numbers will not matter anymore for ZEV compliance credits or whatever sales based target is motivating such "giveaway" deals in effect right now.

My advice to anyone "on the fence" is do not wait any longer or you may lose out on a really good deal RIGHT NOW!

I can't tell you how frustrating it is to have bought mine in mid November, when buying at about one grand under MSRP with 1.9% financing sounded like a pretty good deal. I missed out on a REALLY good deal just one month later. If only I could of known what was about to happen, obviously, I would of waited till December and I would of saved ~$7200, i.e. the current $5k cashback discount + a couple grand more after financig at 1.9% APR, with a $12.5k downpayment (trade-in). In retrospect that was a totally lousy deal, or to put it bluntly, I got screwed! I took a bath on my trade-in too.

I just can't image any better deal on these cars as it stands right now. Undoubtedly, Toyota is already losing a ton of money on every sale. Maybe as much as five figures! Toyota must be absolutely desperate to sell more of these cars. But, after the first of the year, I suspect things will cool off and Toyota may not offer any more substantial incentive until quarter ends or if sales are still "behind the curve" by the end of next year.

In all honesty the car is almost worth paying full sticker for the simple pleasure of driving it much sooner than later! But right now, you can be driving a very fine SUV EV, while knowing you got it at a really fantastic price!

I concur with the above. Once Toyota tallies up their hybrid and ZEV credits for 2012, they are not going to be too concerned selling anymore (at huge losses) until this time 2013.

Now would be a really good time to find that one dealer who might take off $1000 also. There are a few out there.

Actually with a lot of effort, you can push that to a bit more than $1500 of the dealer list prices which are a few hundred to a thousand more than MSRP.
Northern CA dealers are more willing to make a deal than Southern.

SeattleRav4 said:

Actually with a lot of effort, you can push that to a bit more than $1500 of the dealer list prices which are a few hundred to a thousand more than MSRP.

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So, if the dealer jerked the price to $1000 over MSRP, and then gave you a $1500 "discount", isn't the $1000 discount from MSRP a better deal? Maybe I don't understand what you're claiming, and I don't bargain off inflated prices.

SeattleRav4 said:

After the sale
$7500 Federal Tax credit
$2500 California tax credit if you live in CA
No sales tax if you live in WA

If you have been on the fence on these now is a pretty good time to get serious.
Of course in no-one else buys the deals could get better.

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I've been told (by a CA dealership) that I'll have to pay CA sales tax, even if the vehicle is shipped to WA. Is that your understanding?