Update: I srove a 2017 Honda Fit and a 2016 Toyota Corolla. We loved the Corolla so I asked the dealer for the finance info. It was a Toyota dealership so they said they wouldn’t negotiate price. They have “sonic pricing?” Whatever. It came out in my price range but I told him I wanted my mechanic to look at it. He acted all put out because it’s “certified” but again, whatever. I left and plan to take it today. My question is this:
I saw two amounts on the financial breakdown that seem sketchy to me. One is $395 for PermaPlate and the other is $299 for Kahu. It looks like PP is a wax they add that’s supposed to be super durable and the Kahu is tracking software? Am I reading that right? Are these really necessary?
PermaPlate?
Save yourself $390 out of $395 and buy some NuFinish or similar sealer from WalMart or Target, spend 1 hour and some elbow grease, you will not see much difference to PP.
Kahu?
Are you going to use it, or dealer wants to use it to disable your car if you miss a payment?
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Those two add-ons take their pricing scheme into the supersonic realm! They are BSing you big time but you are not alone - they do it all the time and get away with it sometimes. No car is worth putting up with it.
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Thank you for confirming what I suspected. Those will definitely come off. The Fit was at a Nissan dealership where they are offering a lifetime powertrain warranty. I know you have to be very meticulous in keeping receipts. Toyota only offered a 7 year powertrain warranty. I guess I’m wondering if I should hold out for the Nissan dealer (it’s a friend of the family) to get in a Corolla or go ahead and get the one I loved. Is the warranty difference a deal breaker? The Corolla has 31,000 miles on it if that matters. The Nissan dealer has a 2018 Corolla but it is potentially $2-3,000 more. It only has just under 6,000 miles.
They both may be very good, but I have a personal ‘ism’ about a late model vehicle on close competitors lot. When I see a late model Chevy at a Ford dealership my first thought is it must have a problem the original owner could not live with. Like I said it is a personal ‘ism’ or prejudice.
A 2018 anything that is back on a lot for sale is not something I would even look at . I can almost guarantee there are new vehicle that can be purchased for the same or near the same price.
I want to support @VOLVO_V70 on this, especially for Honda/Toyota brands.
I’ve recently tried to buy a “1-2 year old one” and ended up buying new.
It was indeed such a small savings versus much of the risk/uncertainty, that it did not make much sense.
You will realize more “savings” in brands like Nissan, but they drop the price so quickly for a reason.
I’ve just recently got rid of 3 Nissans in my family: all 3 had CVT transmission to fail or be in close-to-fail state.
That is also my suspicion. If somebody really liked his Chevy/Ford/Nissan etc, why wouldn’t they trade it in for a new car of that same make? Obviously, this is not something that is provable in most cases, but it does bear consideration, IMHO.
@Purebred My friend is a dealer for Nissan but they also own a Honda and Toyota dealership out of town. He’s bringing them to the Nissan dealership so I don’t have to drive so far. It’s being sold by the Toyota dealerahip.
@VOLVO_V70 He’s trying to get it down to $15 or $16,000 to get it in my price range. Their new Corollas are in the $20,000 range. But I did wonder why someone would bring it back with so few miles.
That is more then we paid for our new 2018 Ford Fiesta SE . 15000.00 will get you a new Chevrolet Spark .
On good side: owner might have realized they do not like for example seats and the car itself is OK.
On the bad side: it may be a hidden issue within the vehicle.
How to tell?
Asking for the records, if it was to the warranty repairs often, it would most likely be the brand repair shop, not an independent one.
@VOLVO_V70 I don’t really want a new car. You lose too much value driving off the lot. I also have no interest in a Ford or Chevy. We are sold on the Corollas just trying to get the best deal. Consumer Report has Toyotas (especially the Corollas) rated very high.
@thegreendrag0n Good point about the records. Would that be on a carfax if I asked for one?
Last question…hopefully: Should I be trying to negotiate with the “sonic price” at the Toyota dealership? He says they only change the price every 2-3 weeks and it only goes down maybe $400. This one supposedly (yeah…right) just went down. I can be a ballbuster but I really like this car and don’t want to lose it.
The best way to negotiate is if you have alternatives. Find a similar Corolla elsewhere for less. Have you tried Carmax?
I absolutely don’t understand that thinking . New vehicle has at least 3 year bumper to bumper warranty - new tires of course - roadside service for a period some up to 5 years - possible free oil changes for a time - lower finance rates .
Carfax is a guide not an absolute record , they only have what is reported to them .
Eh. I, too, would take a gently-used Corolla over a new cheap-GM/Ford. We drive leased cheap Fords at work. They suck. Within 2 years they’re almost always already in the shop for expensive problems. I tend to keep my cars for a long time, so I don’t want to be dealing with a bunch of issues when the warranty is gone.
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@VOLVO_V70 I can’t get the car I want at the price I want if I buy new. I’ve decided I don’t want to lease so a used car it is. I will be taking anything I consider to my mechanic. I know he may not catch everything but that will reduce the odds of anything major.
@shadowfax That’s our plan. Drive it until the wheels fall off. That seems to be longer with the Toyotas. Plus, the resale value is higher if I need to make a change for our lifestyle.
Lisa,
I suggested above to make Toyota dealer to pull their records. They have access to all warranty and maintenance done at dealerships, so if the car is lemon, it will show.
If nothing out of normal comes up, it may be a good deal you are getting, but I would still spend $100 on your own mechanic (not dealer!) to make final assessment before pulling the trigger
@thegreendrag0n My mechanic is a friend so he doesn’t charge me. That’s a no-brainer. 
I am definitely going to ask for maintenance records. He said it may have been a demo. They got the price down to within $500 of my target goal. I’ll drive it tonight to decide. A 2018 with 5,900 miles on it should have some warranty left, right?
well, sure, check the records, have your friend mechanic to chime in!
at this age/mileage, you would have more of mileage part of base bumper-to-bumper warranty left than time-based, as it will be based on the date of official first sale
if it was a demo vehicle, I would assume bumper-to-bumper warranty of 3 years / 36,000 would still apply, but check that
if this car is by any chance “toyota certified”, you will get a hefty extra warranty included, once again, carefully check the paperwork
+1 on this, it took me 1 Mercury and 1 Ford to get to the very same conclusion
in long run, it pays to buy something what is known not to fall apart on its own 