Thinking of Buying a Yaris, Help Please!!!

[R2D2]

Here's a few of the principles I follow when purchasing a car.

1. Do your homework and know as closely as possible what you want before you get to the dealership, right down to the color. Supplement this with what you see on the lot and what you learn during your test drive. I have "built" vehicles on manufacturer websites, printed them off and taken them to the dealer with me. Make it known to the salesperson exactly what you want and be firm. They can and will get you exactly what you want if you know what that is and make it known. They can dealer trade for it, they do it all the time.

2. Be patient. Car dealers love impulsive people who buy the same day they test drive without shopping around. The ball is in your court and you have nothing to gain by being in a hurry.

3. After you have decided exactly what model/equip/color you want get prices from at least 2-3 dealers and start a bidding war. Municipalities and companies buy this way all the time and you should too. Besides, they're bidding on the exact same car with the same equipment. Chances are one of them will want to sell a car more than the others and they will be willing to go lower on price than the others. Don't tell them the other dealer's prices, just tell them another dealer is offering a lower price and give them a chance to beat it. It can take quite a few phone calls back and forth as this process plays out, but in a recent purchase it worked out to saving me about 500 dollars an hour, which is a lot more than I make at work. In my experience the bids keep getting lower and lower until one or two cry uncle. It's amazing how much lower than msrp you will be when this happens. Reward the low bidder with your business.

4. Negotiate based on actual price of the car, including all fees, taxes, etc. Make sure they understand this. I always tell a salesperson this up front so it's easier to comparison shop. I always make it known that if the price is 1 cent higher when I arrive to close the deal that I'm going to walk. So far I've not had to do this.

DON'T base your negotiations on x dollars per month.

4. Refuse to talk about your trade until you have already agreed on the price of the car. This way they can't play smoke and mirrors and manipulate what you're actually getting for your trade by working it into the price of the car. Research book value on your trade and decide what your willing to take for it before you start negotiating.

It's not necessary to be rude while doing this you just have to be firm. It's not a process I enjoy, but it is a necessary one. After all, it's the dealer's job to get your money and your job to keep it and a happy arrangement can be reached.

Good luck,

R2

[yaris-me]

Good luck.

[scape]

Originally Posted by KRAZGRL

If you're torn between the Yaris and the Versa, just think about this with everything else... Toyota is MUCH more reliable than Nissan. :D

i also want to say, nissan sucks in business politics (hate to name bash but...): www.nissan.com check out the lawsuit against this poor guy, been going on for years. i'm sure toyota is no saint, but still..i love my toyota too much to care haha

[Just Do It]

lol thanks. I guess the only thing worrying me is how do I start off the negotiations? Do I go in and say "listen I'm just here to find out the lowest price I can get on this car, I'm interested in X amount of cars and plan on visiting X amount of dealers, whoever offers the best price is the one I will buy from." Or should I go in like I researched the car like crazy and only tell the dealer my plan to visit other dealers for the lowest price once negotiations stall? It's kind of like a poker game, do I lay the cards down on the table from the start or wait?

p.s. The Versa is starting to fall out of the running. The more I see them on the road the less I like them. It seems it only looks good in the blue color to me and looks like a taxi van in other colors lol. I've also read it's a pretty boring ride although I'll still probably test drive all three cars. I think it's going to come down to the Fit vs Yaris but I'll still let the dealer know I'm "interested" in the Versa. Thanks again everyone for all the help!

[R2D2]

Just Do It,

After you have had a test drive and know exactly what you want for a model/equipment tell the dealer you want their best price because you will be getting prices from other dealers. They will give you a better price if they know you're shopping around. Make sure you've had a test drive and know what you want before you tell them because they might not be quite as helpful after you make it evident they aren't going to be able to dictate the price you pay.

After you get prices from all dealers (remember to get "out the door" prices as I mentioned in my previous post) contact the two highest bids (by phone is the most efficient manner) and tell them you got a better price and give them a chance to drop their price. This usually will go around 3-4 times before someone bows out. It's well worth the effort involved.

It is like poker but you hold all the cards- you just have to play them right. Just remember if they don't sell to you and someone else does they make 0 money. Don't let them intimidate or rush you. No need to be in a hurry. This technique allows you to determine whose the hungriest for a sale if you work it. I'm thinking right now there are a lot of hungry dealers out there.

Happy Hunting!

R2

[Just Do It]

Anyone know if I can combine rebates/incentives with coupons/incentives offered by the actual dealer???

For example, the fine print usually says you can only apply one rebate/incentive. However, lets say I use the Toyota incentive (which is currently 0% APR on the Yaris for 60 months) and the dealer that I am planning to purchase from has one of those $1,000 off checks/coupons off of any new car. Would I be able to combine these two deals or will they tell me I can only use one?

Also, lets say I print out one of those $1,000 off dealer coupons but dont bring it up in negotiations until we reach a final OTD price. Can the dealer and I agree on the price and then I throw down this coupon to get an extra $1,000 off of the already agreed upon price?

[R2D2]

I wouldn't mention the coupon until the negotiation is over, otherwise they can manipulate the price in their own favor knowing you have the coupon. As far as combining offers if the dealer coupon you have does not disallow it's use in combination with factory incentives in the fine print, it should be fair game.

When I bought my Yaris they were offering 500 cash back OR 0% APR. I made all competing dealers aware I'd be taking the 0% so there would be no "confusion" on pricing.

R2

[kmf123kmf]

Those coupons usually have some fine print that says something like "must present coupon before the start of negotiations". Bottom line is that you'll be dealing with a person, not some automated system that can be tricked by manipulating coupon codes and such. You're free to try whatever you'd like, but as the seller the dealer is always free to refuse to do anything until the purchase and sales agreement is signed.

[Just Do It]

Turns out the coupon is only valid if I buy the car at the MSRP price. Oh well, worth a try.

With that said, I took both the Yaris and the Fit for a test drive this weekend and loved them both! The Fit, as small as it is, seemed a lot bigger than the Yaris to me. I guess that comes from years of being an SUV driver.
The Yaris handles amazingly well. I'm so used to even a simple turn becoming labored and with the Yaris I was whipping around with the slightest of ease, like I was at the arcade. The Fit is also a great ride but not as easy to drive as the Yaris. The Fit's interior is >>>>> greater than the Yaris though. I really love both cars and will honestly be happy with either/or. I think it's going to come down to which side gets me the better deal.

[kmf123kmf]

I was kind of in the same boat as you. I think that the Fit has more to offer but it's just too pricey. Similarly equipped, the Yaris ended up being cheaper (by about $1000) while still being sufficient for my needs. 0% APR financing sealed the deal.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by kmf123kmf

I was kind of in the same boat as you. I think that the Fit has more to offer but it's just too pricey. Similarly equipped, the Yaris ended up being cheaper (by about $1000) while still being sufficient for my needs. 0% APR financing sealed the deal.

Very well said-the Yaris was just too good a value to pass on with the 0% and for me the "smile factor" was greater to boot.

[TheRealEnth]

I really think you should reconsider, but whatever makes you happy. In my opinion, if you want a smoother, more luxurious ride the versa is the way to go... Its also quicker on the straightaway. Way Quieter in the cabin, and just feels smoother on the road much more... Yeah it looks kinda funky sometimes, but if you get the dark blue and do a little bit of modding it changes drastically... Hitup cardomain and check them out.

[kmf123kmf]

Originally Posted by TheRealEnth

I really think you should reconsider, but whatever makes you happy. In my opinion, if you want a smoother, more luxurious ride the versa is the way to go... Its also quicker on the straightaway. Way Quieter in the cabin, and just feels smoother on the road much more... Yeah it looks kinda funky sometimes, but if you get the dark blue and do a little bit of modding it changes drastically... Hitup cardomain and check them out.

Wait! Did someone on this forum just suggest a Versa over a Yaris?! What's the world coming to?

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by TheRealEnth

I really think you should reconsider, but whatever makes you happy. In my opinion, if you want a smoother, more luxurious ride the versa is the way to go... Its also quicker on the straightaway. Way Quieter in the cabin, and just feels smoother on the road much more... Yeah it looks kinda funky sometimes, but if you get the dark blue and do a little bit of modding it changes drastically... Hitup cardomain and check them out.

-unless they changed something, the Versa really screwed up with the back seats. even the yaris hatch without the fold flat rear seats folds fairly flat ( i always loaded my 2 large dogs in there). the versa back seat folds forward, leaving a big drop down to the floor, not even remotely flat. when shopping the small hatches, i found this an unacceptable feature for a hatchback. having a fairly flat load area has so many advantages.

-it is really unattractive. imo, they looked dated when i shopped them in 2007, like something Renault had built in 1987.

-the gas mileage for a car that small is awfully disappointing, almost Dodge Caliberesque. you wont be seeing 40 mpg's in a Versa. in fact, looking at some real world drivers, you will have difficulty seeing 35 mpg's. with the yaris, these are VERY easily achievable with no real effort.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calcu...an&model=Versa

-reliability: Nissan's arent consistently reliable.

if i paint a bag of crap dark blue, it is still a bag of crap.

[Just Do It]

ok so I stopped by Nissan today and took the Versa for a whip around. It's a solid car but was a bit boring. It was kind of like driving my SUV except in a much smaller form. The interior looks great! Definitely the most luxurious of the three and probably my favorite followed by the Fit and then the Yaris. It also only looks good from certain angles which is another thing that I didn't like. The Versa is the type of style you either you like or you dont and I don't like it too much. Another thing is, a properly equipped Versa costs much more than the Yaris and is on par with the Fit Sport. I'd much rather go with the Fit or save the money and go with the Yaris.

p.s. It does surprise me, however, that between the three, I see the Versa most out on the roads.

[ellenbetty]

I love how I can mount my navigation system behind the steering wheel of my Yaris. To me the liftback version has the best designed dash I ever seen in a small car. The after market navigation system is less expensive than the TomTom Toyota offers as OE. Plus the Yaris gets 1 mpg (EPA) highway more than the Versa and 2 more mpg (EPA) city than the Fit. If you can afford it, get the Yaris with side impact air bags and leg impact air bags. Better crash test ratings.

[Just Do It]

Cash for Clunkers officially kicks off this coming Friday so I will be making the rounds between Honda and Toyota this week in search of the best price I can get. Hopefully I will be the owner of a new car by this time next week. Depending on what I get offered, is what I will go with. I test drove both cars again yesterday (back to back since dealers were down the road from each other) and I love both cars. The Fit has the nicer and roomier interior while I love Yaris exterior. Both cars are great rides and I feel I really cant go wrong with either one. All of the other intangibles are very close between both cars. So the best offer will win my money!

[Crims0n5]

Well you can always rent a Yaris from the dealer. I'm not sure if Honda does the same, but spending 24 hours with a car will do more than a test drive.