About To Be Solara owner - what to get?

[djboca]

Hello and thanks for this wonderful forum. Nice to know there is a support group in case I need it.

About to lease a new 2007 Solara Convertible SLE. Would like the DVD NAV package. Would it be worth it to get the XM radio as dealer option or is it that easy to install myself? If i self-install, will it be integrated with the radio system?

Thanks for your help!

DJ

[MCOjerry]

You can get the satellite receiver after you lease, and if you get the Toyota receiver, it will be integrated. However, I'd try to negotiate the receiver into your deal for free and see if the will throw in a few months of service too. XM and Sirius offer deals to the car dealers where they can offer 3, 6, 9 or 12 months of service for free, and I just tell them you want XM and are not willing to pay the ridiculous price for the receiver, you want it included at no cost.

You will love your Solara, it's a great car and an eye catcher!

[djboca]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I see you're in florida as well... are the leasing nightmares true that I've been hearing about south east toyota? Never leased a Toyota but have heard rumors of outrageous payments, money factors, etc.

That toyo guard protection crud for outrageous money just confirms that all dealers are money grubbers.

DJ

[crispone]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I see you're in florida as well... are the leasing nightmares true that I've been hearing about south east toyota? Never leased a Toyota but have heard rumors of outrageous payments, money factors, etc.

That toyo guard protection crud for outrageous money just confirms that all dealers are money grubbers.

DJ

WELCOME....


I'm paying UNDER 300/mt on my '04 V6 SE Sport w/moonroof & JBL system... basically what I wanted. (I will BUY OUT the car for a guaranteed 12k even at the end of lease... part of my plan...) I don't know about YOUR situation and dealership, but you should DEFINITELY do some research on the net and make sure you negotiate a great deal upfront... and the ONLY way to do this effectively, is to KNOW what a GOOD DEAL IS before you walk on the lot.... (BTW, satellite is integrated into mine, but I didn't even THINK about getting the FREE service that I'm POSITIVE I could have pulled off, at LEAST for a 3-6 month trial term...)

Good luck! I think we all LOVE our Solaras here.... (Not to mention TOYOTAs in general...)


-crisp

[JMSinMaryland]

If you've never leased before check out leaseguide.com. I was in the car business and recently started leasing myself. Besides a few books that I read the aforementioned site was the best. Explains money factors, capitalized cost reduction, etc which are just fancy ways of saying interest rate, down payment, etc.

I would also check out edmunds.com to make sure you're getting a good deal. Sometimes good deals pop up here and ebay.com for people selling their convertibles. You might be able to pick up a used Solara for the same price as a 3yr/36 lease?? ALSO, I would never lease past bumper to bumper warranty which is 3yr/36k. Always negotiate the price as if you were buying the vehicle, some places try to act like capitalized cost is different from MSRP but it's not.

Buy GAP insurance but not through the dealer, I pay $18 a year through my car/homeowner's insurance. Don't buy any extra warranties. And buy the miles you want ahead of time, a 12k per year is standard, if you get 15k per year you might pay 5-10 cents per mile=$900 vs. being penalized at 20 cents per mile if you go over=$1800.

If you get NAV/XM/etc through the dealer you'll pay a premium vs. going aftermarket. For $400-$800 you could get a top of the line portable Navigation system that you can keep with you for your next car. I'm not sure how much XM/SIRUS go for but I'm sure they're cheaper through regular stores vs. dealers.

Jon. p.s. it might be a better idea to have portable units (NAV/XM) because with a convertible if people want what they see inside they can just cut your roof to get in vs. being able to lock it in your glovebox.

[Down2TheC]

And please... once you get it, start leaving SolaraGuy stickers in odd places so the the next guy who gets the car finds us.

[PXLpainter]

If you're leasing, get every option possible that you can from the dealer worked into your plan - especially if you don't intend on keeping the car afterwards, or you'll be throwing money away! (trust me - been there, done that too many times now!)

[MCOjerry]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I see you're in florida as well... are the leasing nightmares true that I've been hearing about south east toyota? Never leased a Toyota but have heard rumors of outrageous payments, money factors, etc.

That toyo guard protection crud for outrageous money just confirms that all dealers are money grubbers.

DJ

I don't know about all of the SE Toyota dealers, but the ones here in Orlando are all SCHEISTERS!

You should take JMS' suggestions about doing research, and negotiating the heck out of them. If you are in the Orlando area, I do not recommend Toyota of Orlando, but they are all really the same.

They will try to talk you into all kinds of crazy financing, and concentrate on payment. Don't let them do that.

Are you going to lease becasue you get rid of your car, or do you just want to try to get lower payments? If you just want lower payments, try going elsewhere for financing and walk in with it arranged. At that point, you can negotiate the price better because you have taken one of their gouging point out...HOWEVER, it's not going to be easy to find a Toyota dealer willing to work much on the price of a convertible. There are never many of them on the lot, so they have you and they all know it.

Regarding Toyoguard...the only way, around here, to get one without all that crap is to get to the car before they have a chance to put it on...basically, you have to tell them you don't want it and wait for cars to come in later, because they do it to EVERY car, no matter what. They make a ton of money on it because what they do is so cheap, then they charge over $600 for it. Bull if you ask me, but you can't find a single car on ANY lot in Orlando without it. You can try to tell them you don't want to pay for it, but I don't know if they will take it off. If you push enough, they might, but will just find a way to put on somewhere else

Where in Florida are you? The next time I'm ready to buy a car, I'm going to try some of the dealers in the outlying areas, like Deland Toyota or Daytona Toyota. Don't know if it will do any good, but I'm so tired of the Orlando area dealers.

[djboca]

Amen to the scheisters... I'm in Boca Raton... Al Hendrickson toyota by me, Maroone in Ft Lauderdale, another in Delray... all the same... rip off artists. I usually buy my cars but my accountant told me to lease for business purposes... I've leased before and know they like to get you to name a price and they'll find a way to rip you off and get the price... high residual so that you can't afford to buy the car at the end or some such scam. Know your price to buy first, know the money factor you should get and what the residual should be... then you'll know how much they're ripping you off for.

I know I sound cynical about dealers but can ANYONE tell me of a reputable, honest car dealer?

I'll get all my ducks in a row, hoepfully in time for December 26... that should be a good day to get them interested in negotiating.

Thanks again for all the help! Greatly appreciated!

[MCOjerry]

Amen to the scheisters... I'm in Boca Raton... Al Hendrickson toyota by me, Maroone in Ft Lauderdale, another in Delray... all the same... rip off artists. I usually buy my cars but my accountant told me to lease for business purposes... I've leased before and know they like to get you to name a price and they'll find a way to rip you off and get the price... high residual so that you can't afford to buy the car at the end or some such scam. Know your price to buy first, know the money factor you should get and what the residual should be... then you'll know how much they're ripping you off for.

I know I sound cynical about dealers but can ANYONE tell me of a reputable, honest car dealer?

I'll get all my ducks in a row, hoepfully in time for December 26... that should be a good day to get them interested in negotiating.

Thanks again for all the help! Greatly appreciated!

LOL, end of month, end of year...

I suck at negotiating, I wish I could help more. I hate buying cars because it's so frustrating...

[linmk2]

I've leased a number of cars, including my 06 Solara convertible. Leasing is not for everyone. First, understand the mileage allowed. If you drive alot, this could cost you a large sum at the end of the lease. I always get the 15000 mile per year option, it will cost slightly more, but might save money in the long run. If you think you are going to drive more than that, I would not consider a lease. Also, if you like to add non OEM after the sale, ie superchargers ect, then leasing is not for you. If your car is subject to abuse, ie parking lot dings, burn holes, wore carpet and the like, leasing is not for you. The car must have little wear and tear or you will be billed for the repair at lease end. Also, I would make sure I have options at the end of the lease, such as keeping the car, trading in the car, and of course, returning the car at the end of the term. My 2001 Acura CL Navi, I actually made $1500 selling the car outright when the lease was due. Some people ask why I would lease a car? I tell them that I get a car much nicer than I would be able to afford otherwise. Then they counter by saying, it will never be yours. I tell them I enjoy cars and after four or five years, I'll be bored with it, and would want a new car anyway if I owned it or not. Hope this helps, good luck on your lease.

[crispone]

I negotiated my "PURCHASE PRICE" on my '04.... then I set THAT PRICE up in a lease. My "agreed to" price was about 23k... SE V6 Sport w/m-r and JBL + misc.

I ended up under 5% on the interest rate as well.... I don't know where you are at, but I think it even went to 1.9 on the Solaras a few months later.... (I bought when they were pretty new.... no big breaks yet...)


Anyway, good luck.

(From what I see in the market, mine will be about "even" at a 12k buy-out price later this next year.... if not "ahead" a little...)


-crisp

[djboca]

Good advice from all

I put about 10K or a little less on my convertible right now so getting a 12K would be fine. The kids are ALMOST out of the house so more driving for fun might be in the future but not for at least another two years... so 12K should be more than enough. I'll see what the difference on the price is on the lease.

I don't like to do anything to a car after purchase except for maintenance on a regular schedule. Nav SLE's seem to not come with the xm option so that's why I'm asking about aftermarket. If toyo can put it in, ensure optimal integration with the system and not rip me off, I'm all for that. Not a mod person here.

Definnitely want to have the option for buying at the end. Most leases do. Might fall in love with this car.

About to go to the dolphin game... looking forward to the "fun" in a few weeks...

Thanks again for the help!

DJ

[HID04V6]

I have an 04 SLE Navi. Before I bought the car, I had Toyota add the OEM XM into it, so it is integrated into the NAVI. It is definately worth the money to get it integrated into the NAVI unit. I think I paid $400 or so for the XM. Ya, I could have gotten an aftermarket unit for a lot less, but the sound quality and such would also be less.

[SleeperSolara]

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