Hey guys, my aunt is looking to trade in her crappy 2009 Nissan Sentra before the CVT gives out. She's put in $2k worth or work in it already and she bought it for $5k. Luckily a dealer will purchase it for $5k so she breaks even. I have convinced her to get a Toyota product and her budget is around $25k. There is a certified 2020 Camry for $24k with 30,000 miles at a Toyota dealer. She wants to keep her next car for the rest of her life. Would you guys buy a brand new 2023 Corolla ordering it from the factory or try and get a certified Camry? I guess my worry is the CVT transmission but I want to hear your thoughts.
There is a certified 2020 Camry for $24k
don't believe that "certified" bs. Or at least, don't pay extra for it.
She wants to keep her next car for the rest of her life.
That might be wishful thinking.
new 2023 Corolla ordering it from the factory or try and get a certified Camry?
New. The Camry isn't worth it.
Thanks for your thoughts. I agree that for the price differential a new Corolla makes sense. It's going to take some time on my end to find a Toyota dealer that doesn't charge out the rear end in fees and add on's.
Updating today. Just bought a 2023 Corolla OTD price $24,150. Comes in a month. No added options only a $700 dealer registration fee.
Congrats; that's a very good deal.
I think the Corolla is the better choice, you can get a pretty high trim one for that price.
Although, a new Camry starts at just over $26k, so maybe a base model Camry without options - it’s still is pretty luxurious.
Updating today. Just bought a 2023 Corolla OTD price $24,150. Comes in a month. No added options only a $700 dealer registration fee.
congrats! That’s a solid choice and a solid price!
Toyota CVT is a lot different than the one Nissan uses. Toyota has been making CVT since the Prius so they know how to make good ones. With $25k I would say go with a brand new base Corolla she can take care of it properly since day one and it'll last a long time.
But do keep in mind you can't order a Toyota from factory; it's based on allocation system. You have to find a dealership willing to sell at msrp without any dealership added stuff and put down a deposit on an incoming unit and wait for it to come. And she has to be flexible with color or options if she doesn't want to wait a ton.
For the Nissan don't sell it to the same Toyota dealership. Or don't say anything about it until you have a concrete out the door price on the Corolla. But if you are selling it to a different dealership then that's different. Also, get a price from a place like CarMax they might offer more for it.
True, Honda and Toyota make their own CVT's and so I guess I was thinking more about the ride quality than reliability. Do you think that it's even remotely possible to get a new Corolla for $25k? We just want the base model but a few dealerships are trying to say $27k and it seems unreasonably high. As long as it's within a month it doesn't really matter about the waiting game. Thanks for the advice. Will definitely just go with a new Corolla.
I have a new Civic with CVT I drive daily and I've driven Toyota CVT too and I think at very first it will feel different but you'll get used to it and it's a very smooth drive actually. I bought my Civic at exactly msrp and bought cars for friends at msrp too in this market. It's a matter of finding the right dealership that will agree on selling at msrp and not adding any nonsense to the car if you buy from an incoming allocation. The base Corolla should be $22,550 msrp including destination fee. The rest will depend on where you live as far as taxes and registration etc. So yes I would say widen your search and be open on color and options and it's totally possible to buy one $25k OTD. A couple hundred more or less can happen but not $27k (was this their out the door price or just price of car?)
$27k was around out the door with taxes and fees I believe. The funny thing is I got the salesman to remove $700 in an instant with dumb options that they added on. I'm glad to hear it seems to be possible for $25k OTD. I keep getting Toyota dealers starting at almost $24,500. Like you said, they need to start at $22,550 to begin with. It'll certainly be interesting to shop dealers as I'm in a major city in the southern US.
So again the final out the door price does also depend on your location as far as taxes and fees etc. What I would suggest is focus on the car itself; it's $21,550 plus exact amount of $1095 destination fee which everyone has to pay. Then focus on the OTD price; it'll be title and registration, dealer doc fee, taxes (double check these numbers/percentages before you go in so you know what they should be). If she wants a specific color some colors are a bit more expensive (around $400 ish). Also, if she wants a particular package or all weather mats etc. those will be added to the price. So yeah focus on the car price itself and then the OTD price. If you have higher taxes then it might end up more than $25k, but as long as it's a legitimate thing you're fine.
Also, keep in mind the dealership might charge a bit more on title and registration but they'll send you a check for the difference between estimated and actual amount once you go to pick up the license plates. They can't charge you a thousand dollars more but even a hundred dollars more is nothing to be concerned about.
Corolla
There is no ordering from the factory. You’ll have to cross shop dealers to see what they have in inventory or expected inventory for the best deal. If you can avoid it, don’t pay more than MSRP.
For long life corolla, camry is a good car but corolla lasts longer. But first pay someone or ask a friend to check both of them before buy. In the end camry might be in better condition than corolla.
Updating today. Just bought a 2023 Corolla OTD price $24,150. Comes in a month. No added options only a $700 dealer registration fee.
I'd go for the corolla because of it's track record and proven reliable history
