You’re misinterpreting it. Toyota can LEGALLY set the price of any vehicle they want. It’s illegal for Dealer A to contact Dealer B and set their prices so there’s NO competition. But if Dealer A is a Toyota dealer and Toyota has a agreement with Dealer to only sell a car at Price X…that’s perfectly legal.
I’m really torn on the timing here; my 2000 Suzuki Swift is running just fine, thank you, and I have no problem keeping it, but do a lot of “lonely highway” long-distance driving and don’t want something to crup out on me in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night (am a single woman). On the other hand, I don’t want to immediately start piling the miles on a brand new car; the longer I put off the purchase, the more miles I’ll put on the old one and the fewer I’ll put on the new one. On the OTHER other hand, if I want a good deal on an '08 (new; not used), I’ll have to buy it this year, won’t I??? Also, I’ll want to take advantage of the current “gas panic” to resell my current car for top dollar, and – if I wait till it crups out – I risk having to sell it with a problem going on, which is not good. On the other OTHER other hand, the longer I wait, the more interest I’ll earn on my money. Any advice?
Two things - first, if you’re wanting a Yaris, there probably won’t be any good deals on 2008s, they’re selling too well. End of model year good deals are only for those cars that didn’t sell. But second, you’re in a tough spot with your driving needs and concerns. You might need to add some other cars to your list and see what you can get. You’ll almost always save money by waiting, but only you can decide if it’s worth the risk.
One more question; must I buy a “new” (that is, not used/pre-owned) 2008 by the end of this year if I’m going to buy one? Do they get rid of them all by then, or not? Will I otherwise be in the position of having to buy a 2009 if I want a new, NOT pre-owned car? I’m not sure I like the redesigned '09 style.
Why not just buy a much more comfortable Toyota Corolla which gets just about if not he same mileage?
Boring, boring sedan; yawn!!! I love me a hatchback; stick my bike and kayak in there. And so cute, too.
Well, it just depends if/when they run out, they don’t send them somewhere. Where have you seen the '09 photos? The only changes for '09 I’m aware of is the addition of the 5-door and making side curtain airbags standard.
Another change is the weird back fin, which I’m not crazy about; it seems a bit sportier looking and less “buggy”… Other changes for '09 are the addition of some colors (such as yellow; ick) and making cruise available on the lift back – I don’t mind adding it to an '08 if the price is right, but I still have the dilemma of how far to push my current car before buying another. I hate to put any more miles on a new than I have to while I still have a little gas miser that runs great, but also don’t want to end up “stranded” with such long wait times on the Yaris.
Maybe I should just buy one and store it somewhere.
For 2009 The Yaris gets standard side curtain airbags, and the much needed ABS are standard as well. There is also a five door hatchback model availible. Being that it’s in demand and a Toyota don’t expect them to come down on price much as the dealers can sell these cars all day long at sticker price. I would wager that due to their popularity, the 2008 will command sticker price until they are gone.
The only ‘fin’ I can think of is a sat radio antenna, not standard. I haven’t found any photos of '09s, where did you see one?
Edmnd’s Insideline; not sure this link will work, but:
www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=129766
"Toyota said that 2009 Yaris models will get standard antilock brakes, front-seat-mounted side airbags and rear curtain side airbags. Cruise control and satellite-capable audio systems will be optional.
Sport-themed Liftback and Sedan S models of the Yaris get such upgrades as color-keyed front and rear under-bumper spoilers, sporty interior trim, a rear deck spoiler, foglamps, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, AM/FM/CD player with MP3/WMA capability and a universal mini-jack port. Aluminum alloy wheels are optional."
Huh?? Does this mean “leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob” (as well as that awful spoiler) are STANDARD and not optional???
OK - the spoiler. It’s only standard on the ‘S’ version, so you wouldn’t have to get it. Same with the “leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob”. Only standard on the ‘S’ version.
Kind of funny; leather in an econo-box (hey; I love Yarises, but they’re not Jaguars)… Okay, okay; will wait to see what the price is compared to the '08…
Kind of funny; leather in an econo-box (hey; I love Yarises, but they’re not Jaguars)… Okay, okay; will wait to see what the price is compared to the '08…
Leather’s been available on every car that I know of for the past 10 years…This includes Kia’s Hyundai’s…I know…it seems silly to me too.
But if Dealer A is a Toyota dealer and Toyota has a agreement with Dealer to only sell a car at Price X…that’s perfectly legal.
No, actually it’s not. Here is a link to the FTC: http://www.ftc.gov/bc/compguide/illegal.htm and a partial quote:
Resale price maintenance agreements. Vertical price-fixing – an agreement between a supplier and a dealer that fixes the minimum resale price of a product – is a clear-cut antitrust violation. It also is illegal for a manufacturer and retailer to agree on a minimum resale price.
If you are determined to own a Yaris, then my advice would be to put in an order for the 2009. The 2008 is almost a year old and will be when the 2009 appears in the showrooms. By getting a 2009 early in the game, you will have a new car for almost a year. If you do manage to obtain a 2008, even brand new, it will be a year old in a couple of weeks with the release of the 2009 model, and will lose value. I would only purchase a car at the end of the model year if I was able to buy it at very discounted price.
I still think the Yaris hatchbacks are ugly, but the 5-door is a vast improvement over the 3-door.
You drive a freaking Swift ( a textbook example of a no-frills econobox ) and you’re calling a Corolla boring, futhermore you were faulting the new Yaris S model for being too sporty. Pick up the phone I think the pot is calling 
I have to ask:
What does it matter what car you put the miles onto?
Its a car, it gets driven, and you get where you are going.
If you are worried about your old car, take it to a mechanic, and have him go over the car with a fine toothed comb, and replace the parts that need to be replaced.
Then, you will have a car you won’t need to be worried about, and lots of money in the bank earning interest.
So what’s more important to you:
Your desire to drive a new car;
Your desire to not be broken down on the side of a road;
Your desire to have money in the bank;
Only 1 solution for the first one.
2 solutions for the second one.
Only 1 solution for the third one.
BC.
Car care,like health care takes ome effort. Most posters will agree, and many have proven, that you can keep a basically good car running reliably for 250,000-300,000 miles. The cost to do this is nearly always much less than buying a new car and keeping it for 4 years.
Most posts deal with owners facing repairs and fear of the unknown. My mechanic advises drivers to put $125 per month in a high interest savings account to care for the car. That’s a lot less than lease or bank payments for a new car. If you do this, you can sleep nights and only start worrying when the car is 14 years old and has 250,000 miles on it, as to whether you should scrap it or fix it. With this method, resale value also becomes a non-issue.