Got in line to buy the FJ Here in Seattle (1 Viewer)

[Mikesta]

Its not quite like the XBOX 360. Im the first and only one in line at the biggest toyota dealership in the Seattle area.

It cost $1000 deposit, which is fully refundable. (only reason I did it).

I have spent around 2 hours on the phone with all dealerships in the area. First started 2 months ago, when there were no lists. Now they are creating lists. I was fortunate enought to be the first one on this list... whatever that means.

From what dealerships have told me, Landcruisers are a reward car. If they meet a sales quota, they are alloted 1 cruiser. IE. Sell 20 cars, get a cruiser. The better sales a dealership makes, the more cruisers they will be allotted.

What will happen is that Toyota will send 1-2 cruisers to every dealership in Seattle at the beginning. Many owners of the dealerships will be getting one for themselves (what I gather from talking to 4 dealerships around here).

About 70 days before the cars are shipped, the dealerships will be told what cars will ship to them and with what options. At that time (depending on your LineUP) you will get to choose which of these (few) trucks to buy.

You can also special order a FJ (from what I'm told) but it will be 6 months after you special order it before you recieve it.

Im not a dealer, and all the info above is from what I've gleaned from all the dealerships around here.

Cheers

 

[dfmorse]

I wonder if they are making a list of options available? There are quite a few; like the TRD exhaust.

...

 

[Mikesta]

No list yet, but they will keep me informed as they get info.

 

[cabron]

...

 

[cabron]

I would love to be in the place to be getting one of these when they come out...

 

[Mikesta]

I still have mixed feelings about it. Might just get a base model and do all the mods myself to my liking... dont know yet.

I might not even get it... but I am in line for it here nevertheless. They stated 26k -35k depending on options. anyone know?

 

[Trollhole]

I still have mixed feelings about it. Might just get a base model and do all the mods myself to my liking... dont know yet.

I might not even get it... but I am in line for it here nevertheless. They stated 26k -35k depending on options. anyone know?

Per Toyota the options configurator will be available on line in January.

 

[trainrech]

The local Toyota rep called me the other day to discuss what I was looking for. I was on the road, so I can't recall the exact conversation, but IIRC, there were 3 option packages and a color choice. I'm first (on a two name list) at our local dealership and they wanted to make sure the vehicle sent would pretty much be what I was interested in. From what I gather, the last date to make option changes for them is Jan. 15th, with shipping estimated 3 to 4 weeks after that.

 

[Landpimp]

a line with one person in it.........is not a line

I would not buy the 1st cruiser the 1st year.......next year(or in 6th months) when they have improved and added goodies.....you might not be happy...besides your not gonna get much of a deal on the 1st one. OK........40 years from now someone might get excited about finding one of the 1st Fj Cruisers........but I kinda doubt it

I would bet all the at FJ's on the 1st boat will be almost identical exept for color.

Its not quite like the XBOX 360. Im the first and only one in line at the biggest toyota dealership in the Seattle area.

It cost $1000 deposit, which is fully refundable. (only reason I did it).

I have spent around 2 hours on the phone with all dealerships in the area. First started 2 months ago, when there were no lists. Now they are creating lists. I was fortunate enought to be the first one on this list... whatever that means.

From what dealerships have told me, Landcruisers are a reward car. If they meet a sales quota, they are alloted 1 cruiser. IE. Sell 20 cars, get a cruiser. The better sales a dealership makes, the more cruisers they will be allotted.

What will happen is that Toyota will send 1-2 cruisers to every dealership in Seattle at the beginning. Many owners of the dealerships will be getting one for themselves (what I gather from talking to 4 dealerships around here).

About 70 days before the cars are shipped, the dealerships will be told what cars will ship to them and with what options. At that time (depending on your LineUP) you will get to choose which of these (few) trucks to buy.

You can also special order a FJ (from what I'm told) but it will be 6 months after you special order it before you recieve it.

Im not a dealer, and all the info above is from what I've gleaned from all the dealerships around here.

Cheers

 

[mobi-arc]

No doubt there will be the "oh yea...sorry to inform you....there'll be an additional $1,000 to $6,000 added to the sticker, denoted as additional dealer profit" conversation taking place for those eager to be first on the block.

 

[trainrech]

No doubt there will be the "oh yea...sorry to inform you....there'll be an additional $1,000 to $6,000 added to the sticker, denoted as additional dealer profit" conversation taking place for those eager to be first on the block.

I'm pretty good friends with the Toyota dealer having bought a Seinna in August and 4-door Tundra today. We talked about vehicles going for more than sticker - his point was that may work in a big town, but not in a small town. He never wants to have to explain to someone that they lost the X thousand adder the minute they drove out the door, above and beyond the normal Y thousand you lose on a new car anyway.

 

[Mikesta]

a line with one person in it.........is not a line

I would not buy the 1st cruiser the 1st year.......next year(or in 6th months) when they have improved and added goodies.....you might not be happy...besides your not gonna get much of a deal on the 1st one. OK........40 years from now someone might get excited about finding one of the 1st Fj Cruisers........but I kinda doubt it

I would bet all the at FJ's on the 1st boat will be almost identical exept for color.

Thanks for the speel, but I wasn't born yesterday. "IF" I get it, I will be happy with it. I dont go into decisions lightly. I work all angles. Again "IF" I get it, there will be strategy involved.

A: Supply and demand? Who knows where it will be at.
B: Yes one of the first cruisers is desireable
C: Doesnt hurt to be in line.... Your just jealous. (fully refundable deposit) There are lines through seattle, call around, some places have 5 people in line to get one of the first. I just called around till I found a place that I would be first.
D: I hate the truck to begin with... looks like a pregnant rollerskate. But its better looking than the MiniVan UZJ.
E: Come on PIMP ... you know there is strategy in buying Property as well as vehicles.

If I do get this cruiser, it will be right around the 78th car I've purchased.

Ping me in 6 months.

 

[Landpimp]

I was asked almost a year ago by my dealer if I wanted one.....I said maybe but no hurry.

I sold cars for years........so I know a "wee" bit about the biz.

we don't have a line for folks to buy homes........ya either want it or not, if everyone agrees on price, money talks..........BS walks

I REALLY don't think one of the 1st FJ Cruisers will be worth anymore than the 10'000th(or 100,000th) one of the boat, these will not have the collector value that the fj40 has.......it can't as they will be selling 50000 a year of them......the most 40's sold were far less than 10,000 a year(73 highest sales year in the US) in the US.

I just think waiting a bit to buy a FJ cruiser makes sense for more than one reason.

John

Thanks for the speel, but I wasn't born yesterday. "IF" I get it, I will be happy with it. I dont go into decisions lightly. I work all angles. Again "IF" I get it, there will be strategy involved.

A: Supply and demand? Who knows where it will be at.
B: Yes one of the first cruisers is desireable
C: Doesnt hurt to be in line.... Your just jealous. (fully refundable deposit) There are lines through seattle, call around, some places have 5 people in line to get one of the first. I just called around till I found a place that I would be first.
D: I hate the truck to begin with... looks like a pregnant rollerskate. But its better looking than the MiniVan UZJ.
E: Come on PIMP ... you know there is strategy in buying Property as well as vehicles.

If I do get this cruiser, it will be right around the 78th car I've purchased.

Ping me in 6 months.

 

[Land Speeder]

I just think waiting a bit to buy a FJ cruiser makes sense for more than one reason.

John

If you wait... you can't be the first to drive it through town and have people flag you down to look at it...

 

[FJ809496TLC]

I got my name on the FJ list, not to be first but a chance to win some cash. They have some kind of a raffle at the dealership.

 

[ginericLC]

But by buying the first you are guaranteed a lower price. Toyota always introduces vehicles at a lower price to get them out there.

Also, my local dealer has stated that they won't be given a whole lot of choice on what they get. They will be just happy to get whatever they get. They will try to trade to make the customer happy.

Some dealers will stick to their 5% over invoice policies which is good for a limited run vehicle. Others will quickly sell them off to used dealers who will jack the price up. People get crazy about a new model and they pay crazy prices. Eventually this drops off, however there is a problem as Toyota is very good at raising prices of popular vehicles.

For example, when the Sequoia came out they had a Base model which wasn't really a base model at all for $27k. 8 months later there were no Sequoias offered at that price.

It is only $500 at one of our local dealers and it is FREE at the other one.

 

[firetruck41]

When we bought our Element, it was 9 months after it's introduction and they were becoming easier to find but still a little difficult to find w/out additional dealer markup (ADM). We bought through the internet dept of the local dealer at ~$1k under MSRP w/no haggle, I was fine w/that. I walked across the lot to the main sales office where they had one inside on display, and the sticker had $3.5k ADM, aka extra profit, added on to it .

 

[Land Speeder]

I will never buy "what is available" especially with a new car, I will choose what options I want. With the FJ I WILL get the rear locker, etc. even if I have to wait months for it.
I am under the impression that these will not be in limited production given the market they are aiming at, no? How can you sell limited numbers when competing against the X-Terror, H3 1/2 and all the other hi-$20K/low-$30K SUV's?

 

[mabrodis]

I will never buy "what is available" especially with a new car, I will choose what options I want. With the FJ I WILL get the rear locker, etc. even if I have to wait months for it.
I am under the impression that these will not be in limited production given the market they are aiming at, no? How can you sell limited numbers when competing against the X-Terror, H3 1/2 and all the other hi-$20K/low-$30K SUV's?

I'm 92.7% confident all the FJ-Cruisers you will see in the first year will have the rear locker. That option isn't something Toyota has ever tried to hide, it proudly adds it to all TRD Tacomas (on the '05s it's only on the TRD Offroad package, not the TRD Sport package), there are commercials on TV about it, magainze ads (from Toyota) that say "When the going gets tough, the tough push the diff-lock button", so I think Toyota is well aware of the demand for a real locker.

My guess is all the FJ Cruisers will be fully loaded to start, that primes dealerships and customers about how cool it can be (to see one stripped down doesn't reflect good on anyone IMO), and makes others want to buy a fully loaded one also.

Not in line here in Denver, but I'm interested in them definetly...

 

[bull]

Hey Mike which dealership? Toyota of Seattle or Michaels Toytoa in Bellevue?

They both claim to be the biggest in the Tri-State area..