Back in the fall... Laura and I decided to update some vehicles with new. Most of our current stuff is VERY VERY long in the tooth. VERY VERY beat to fugg.
"New" is very unusual for me... I have owned/flipped 80++ vehicles in my life, but only ever bought ONE "New" (wife's insistence in 2009).
In November, we picked up a Sienna hybrid and put down $1k deposits on 3-4 more (exiting a deposit is instant if you decline a vehicle).
We picked up one of those yesterday (2022 Prius) and chatted with the sales/financing folks (they happen to really like us... i.e. we are buying more than one car... I am taking them a bushel of oysters... kinda thing).
Anyway... the Sienna... has gone up in value probably $4k-$5k (open market sale... not trade in). The backlog on getting a Sienna is over 100 names on a clipboard... and about 1.5 years out.
The backlog on hybrid Rav4s is 6-8 months. Probably 8+ in reality.
Similar or worse on hybrid Highlanders.
4-5 months on Hybrid Camry's, Corollas and Prius.
Not a single new car/truck on the lot "For Sale"...
Not a single allocation (car being built 2-3 months out) is available.
EVERYTHING is "make a deposit and get on the clipboard".
The Yen situation has kept prices low FOR NOW (i.e. no inflation YET).
The next drama is freight.
One of our deposits was for a Camry hybrid (built in Kentucky).
It was actually built before the Prius (Japan built) we picked up yesterday.
The Prius arrived from Japan a week ago... the Camry is still stuck in "Freight Status"... +/- 4 weeks now.
Crazy weird stuff.
Never in my life would I have considered a "New Car/Truck" as a winning or wise financial play... NEVER.
Seems like everything... every rule... flips on it's ear with Joey at the helm.
FYI... CRAZY low financing... and even a rebate on the Prius. WTF?
Nothing makes sense anymore.
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Now to sell some fubar beaters.
WTS... 2005 Honda CR-V, weak transmission, 1/4 million miles, dash has more lights on than a pinball machine... 24HC special $10k (I paid $2,700)
WTS... 2007 Chrysler T&C, weak transmission, burns oil, bad radiator, 1/4 million miles, dash has more lights on than a pinball machine... 24HC special $10k (I paid $5,000)
WTS... 2010 Prius, 210k miles, couple dash lights... 24HC special $22,500k (I paid $22,500)
*Finance guy and 4-5 others bought the new Tundra... some are selling now (profit and/or because of computer drama)... the new Toyotas have LOTS of computers and sensors (most are outsourced and not Toyota built). The Tundras are built in Texas (NOT Japan)... there was some heavy discussion of lower QC in US and Canadian factories vs. vehicles built and shipped from Japan.
** Warranty. We bought the warranty (another first). Finance guy gave it to me at cost ($900 for 8 years B2B)... marked down from $3,600... mostly because he likes us... and I promised to bring another bushel of oysters.
Crazy weird times...
FYI... this a highly reputable dealer (5 Star kinda place).
