Hello all.

I'm a French guy moving in August in San Francisco and I would like to ask you two or three questions (sorry for my english guys. Remember: I'm French )

1.Is this really interesting to buy a Camry hybrid with all the options (I'm talking about GPS and satellite radio)
2.Where is the best place to buy my Camry hybrid?
3.As I'm in the process of building a credit history (you are really complicated with this credit history stuff), I was wondering if it's interesting to get a loan from the bank or from the guy I buy my Camry hybrid from (knowing I have enough money (thanks exchange rate) to buy it in cash).

Thanks a lot guys and sorry if my questions are stupid but I was not able to find answers using the search engine of the forum.Questions from France

I'll address the third question (I don't understand your first question and can't answer the second). You will almost always do better with a bank loan than with the dealer financing. But if you can pay in cash, that is the best of all.

Watch out because dealers will try to sell you all sorts of additional items that have high profit. It is best to have someone who is familiar with the process go with you to the dealer.

First, welcome to the US (almost)....

If I understood your correctly, you are asking if you should get a "fully-loaded" TCH. If that is correct, the answer is "it is up to you."

Some people fell the GPS is not worth the money. Some people feel satellite radio is not worth the money (because you can use an iPod). Some people like the Energy and Consumption screens (including other visual features) the GPS system gives you. Some people love commercial free satellite radio.

If the money is not a problem, I would probably recommend getting some kind of GPS system to help you out since you are new to the country. It does not have to be the built in Toyota navigation system, but some kind of navigation system might help you find your way around.


I do not live in San Francisco so I cannot say. Obviously a dealership.


Since you are trying to build a credit history, I would say pay half or three quarters of the final price in cash and finance (get a loan) the rest. Probably 3 years at least. But, it might be hard for you to get a loan.

The dealership will usually check with multiple lenders -- including Toyota. Toyota might be your best bet. The key is the lowest interest rate.

Also, when you go in to purchase the car, do some research on the internet to find invoice price. You should be able to get anywhere from $2000 - $3000 USD off the MSRP. This might be a little lower now that gas is more expensive but I would still try for something in that range.



Good luck and have a safe trip!

Oh...and read the FAQ! It has information pertaining to your topics.

I agree. The ONLY additional item I would consider is the extended warranty -- but again, do your research if you want to buy one so you can find the best price and not be tricked by the dealer.

I purchased my 09 TCH fully loaded (no Sat radio though) from Dublin Toyota about 30 minutes from San Francisco. I was able to negotiate a price below the invoice price. Use Edmonds.com to request a quote from multiple dealers. Try to get them to give you the lowest price before you even visit the dealership.

I agree that a TomTom navigation device would be 100 times better then the built in navigation system, but I do like the other screens available on the Nav system.

The Factory installed Sat. Radio will only display 10 or so characters, so I purchased my own Sat. Radio so I could get the best experience.

You can buy the car with a built in navigation system (~$1500-2000 extra) or purchase an aftermarket TomTom, Garmin, etc. for around ~$250.
Big difference, no?

Other great tools:

• Toyota Online's iGuide
• 2007 Online Owner's Manual
• 2008 Owner's Manual PDF (download link)

Waouh guys! So much answers in such a short time. Let me try to reply to all of you:

Talmy: First question was to be sure this is a good hybrid car. Because, I don't want to buy something with an interesting price and say: ****, was not the good choice.
Paying cash is not a solution as I want to get credit history.
So, you think I should go with a american guy to the dealer?

mikieboyblue:I don't care about satellite radio. Was more about GPS but seems like the included GPS system is not was I can find the best on the market...
Dealership meaning seller with "Honda" written is big, as an official honda seller?
Can't I do like: getting a loan for all and pay it full after few months?
What rate can I expect for someone without credit history except amex here in France and able to pay everything I bought with?
what is invoice. I read it but I don't know what this is.
PS: thanks, US is going to be a big change for me It's really another world compare to France.

backupguy: what price did you got for this? Can I have a look (pictures) at your car (inside and outside). do you got moonroof?
Why is this important?

Yes, it is

Toyota.com shows 33 Toyota Dealerships in the SF Area. Some will give you a better discount then other dealerships so hunting for the best price may be important... unless you are full of money. It could save you a few hundred or maybe much more. You will also have a better selection of colors and options if you look around.

Hi!

Correct, the built in navigation is not the best on the market. It is also not the worst. It has some features that make it better than a TomTom or other hand-held.

Basic benefits of the built in navigation: (off the top of my head)
You have access to all the other screens (phone, consumption, energy, maintenance, audio information) and you also do not have a device that must be mounted somewhere in the car and is can easily be stolen.

Basic benefits of a hand-held after market navigation: (off the top of my head)
Easier to use, better maps, small and portable, easily updated, cheaper.

You should check out the auto manufacturer's Web site for a complete list of official dealerships (posted above there are 30+ in the San Francisco area). Generally those that have big Toyota or Honda signs (or any other make) as real.

(I am not a Financial Advisor so this is my opinion.)
You could get a loan for the entire amount and pay it all off at once, however, you will not build as good of a credit history. A credit history is just that -- history. You will build a much better credit history by having a loan for a longer period of time and paying the payments on time. I do not know what interest rate you would get but probably a high one, that is why I suggested paying most of the price in cash to limit the amount of interest the credit history will cost you.

Invoice price is the price the dealership pays for the car. MSRP (Manufacturer Suggest Retail Price) is the price the manufacturer (Toyota) tells the dealership they should charge. Usually the MSRP is about $2000 - $3000 above invoice price.

You should also know that there is something called a kickback. A kickback is an incentive the dealership gets for selling a high number of cars. Kind of like a rebate. This lowers the price they pay. This means the dealership is usually paying less than invoice so if they sell you the car for invoice they are not losing money. A kickback is usually $500 - $1500 (that's an educated guess).

Mike