bubbahotep said:
DAMMMIT !!!! Plan A was to wait and get a great deal on one for about 3-4k under MSRP. Since over half will be sold on the west coast, that leaves 20,000 to sell accross the rest of the country...
Looks like I might be living through you "first on the blockers" for a while...
You also have to consider how much margin Toyota will have in this truck. Obviously "invoice price" isn't really what it cost the dealers but it will work to explain what I am talking about.
Toyota is trying to hit a price point here to steal some of the first time buyers away from Jeep, Nissan, etc... So some 3rd party reporters have claimed that Toyota is accomplishing this by lowering the markup they have in the FJ compared to other Toyotas.
Examples:
2006 Jeep Wranger SE
MSRP: $18,800
Invoice: $17,905
Diff: $895
4.8%
2005 Nissan Xterra 4x2 S
MSRP: $21,430
Invoice: $20,298
Diff: $1,132
5.3%
2005 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 LE
MSRP: $35,580
Invoice: $32,949
Diff: $2,631
7.3%
2006 Toyota 4 Runner 4x2 SR5 V6
MSRP: $28,240
Invoice: $25,794
Diff: $2,446
8.6%
2006 Toyota 4 Runner 4x4 Limited V8
MSRP: $38,990
Invoice: $35,589
Diff: $3,401
8.7%
I bring this up for a couple of reasons, first and foremost: if you are planning on waiting until you can save $3K to $4K under MSRP it may be a long wait. The FJ's just aren't going to have that much fluff in them. Applying the 4-Runner markup a "fully equiped" FJ with a MSRP of $28K (made up number as we STILL don't know pricing
) will "invoice" for around $25,500 ($2,500) and that is assuming that a) you can get one for invoice, which is very unlikley in the first year or so and b) that they have the same markup as the 4-Runners which again seems unlikley.
Now, assume that the FJ will have a markup similar to what you see in the entry level 4x4's the wrangler and xterra (5%). The most you would save (again assuming that you can get one for invoice) would be $1,400.
Now, before I get slammed because one can get a 4-Runner for below invoice due to dealer incentives, rebates etc... remember that those deals are usually reserved for model year end close outs (which I really think won't happen until fall 2007) and they are usually found on established trucks that require a push to sell (which I don't think is the FJ).
I didn't go through all this to bust anyone's bubble or to say that someone is wrong and I'm right, I am only making an educated guess as to the pricing enviroment the FJ will be in once it is released. My point: I see "saving a ton on the FJ" and "I want to own an FJ before the end of 2006" as mutually exclusive objectives.
Just my opinion,
Granger
