[SoCalIS300]

Hello everyone,

Just checked, (after doing this for weeks) and the carsdirect.com site finally has all 3 2002 models available now. Based on my purchase of $2,074 off sticker, I realize that the carsdirect.com price is competitive, (I just about matched their price) so that may be a good option if you don't want to stress by haggling at the dealership.

Also, the Lexus site finally has the 4 different seating options etc. fixed on the configuration part of the website.

Have a good weekend! I'm gonna be driving mine, so I will

 

[MorpheIS]

Thanks for the info. I actually posted this info in the NJ Group Buy thread. I checked out Cars Direct pricing. A loaded 02 5sp at MSRP $35xxx is offered on Cars Direct for a price of $31xxx. How accurate is the Cars Direct pricing? I've visited several dealerships and can't seem to get anything below $.5 -$1k below invoice let alone $4k below!

 

[YisSerL]

Seems like the 2002s on carsdirect.com are only for certain region of the country. I try a Southern CA zipcode (91803) and it shows up. But any zip in the Northern CA would only give you the 2001s.

I've tried 95132 (SJ), 94555 (Fremont), 94122 (SF), and all of them only shows 2001s.

 

[Buddha300]

How does buying online work?

 

[SoCalIS300]

YisSerL:

I am in southern california, and put my zip code (93065) so maybe that is a factor.

MorpheIS:

The carsdirect.com price seems indicitive of a really good deal at a dealership. I talked to two dealerships before buying mine and they would not budge from $500-$1000 off sticker. Finally I got it at the discount I mentioned. I think the carsdirect.com pricing is actually pretty reasonable.

 

[MorpheIS]

SoCal - thanks again for pointing out that 02 info was on the site.

Do you know if Carsdirect handles delivery of the car to you through a dealership? I know that Autobytel transports the car directly to you.

 

[SoCalIS300]

MorpheIS,

I am not 100% sure of whether or not they deliver it everytime to your door or they possibly send it to the closest dealer, but I've heard if anyone delivers a new car to you it comes driven by a guy with white gloves etc. who drives it carefully. I'm sure they could answer that question on the carsdirect.com live chat thingy.

 

[roguedood]

Hey all. I just called carsdirect.com... they said there's no way for them to tell you which zip codes have the 2002's and which don't... basically you have to search zipcodes (he recommended major metropolitan areas) and fish for them. (I find it hard to believe that they couldn't tell me if there was anything local to me, since it's all in their database and it'd be pretty easy to search for 2002's for a given area... but who knows)

He said you can only buy cars from them if the car is in your state of residence. Not sure how they enforce it but that's what he said.

Last thing, he said the only way they can get a car to you if it's purchased far away from you, is if they have a "network dealership" in your local area that's willing to "trade" a car with whatever dealership you purchase the vehicle from (through carsdirect, ofcourse). So I'm not so sure there will be any white gloved guys pulling up from carsdirect

, but I could be wrong...

If anybody knows of any zips in the greater DC area w/ the 2002's, could you post them here? I'm looking to pick up one in the next month or so, and it sounds like carsdirect has pretty competitive prices. Thanks in advance!

 

[rs]

So why would carsdirect show that I can't have both VSC and LSD on an e-shift? Was building an IS and when I selected VSC after adding the LSD, it said I hade to unselect the limited slip.
I'm pretty sure you can get the vehicle with both options. . . .

 

[Taino]

Well guys;
I purchased my car through them last year. I paid 32,700 fully loaded with the graphite wheels even when dealears were not discounting. This is pretty much how it went. They asked me how far I was willing to travel to pick up my car. They ask me for a deposit so they could start the bying prosess throught their dealer partners.About 6 weeks later. They call me to tell me when the car was available and where.Even at this point I had the choice to take or decline the car with no problems. In my case it was a dealer in NJ.The dealer was about 25 miles from home. I did evething from financing to insurance on line. Great experience.

 

[roguedood]

Catasrofe,

Not positive, but I'm assuming they get a list of cars they can sell from the dealers they work with. I was looking at the 2002's and trying to put together my IS, and found that I couldn't use color combinations that I KNOW are supported (ie, interior/exterior color combos)...

Taino, that's awesome that you had such a good experience. I'm hoping to do the same if I could just find a local zip that carries the 2002's

 

[JT]

I'm wondering why Carsdirect is no longer offering the Nav system as an option? It was there a few days ago for $1700, now it's not listed as an option. Hmmm.

 

[rs]

I think I figured it out. . .limited slip axle is included in the VSC option according to Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com), or you can get the LSD by itself.

 

[phi]

Originally posted by JT:
I'm wondering why Carsdirect is no longer offering the Nav system as an option? It was there a few days ago for $1700, now it's not listed as an option. Hmmm.

Maybe they realized that there is a very limited # of NAV equipped cars perhaps?

 

[MorpheIS]

Yeah - I IMed a CarsDirect "Live Advisor" today and there is a shortage of NAV equipped cars (atleast in the mid-atlantic region.) Most dealers that I've spoken to out here also say that the NAV option needs to be special ordered.

 

[UncleChachi]

Got a message from my carsDirect rep. today concerning the IS300 I had ordered
"Sorry, I don't have any dealers in your area. Also, their was a pricing
error on the website.
Please give me a call when you get a moment."

So if I get around to calling them back, I'll let you know how far off their "pricing error" was.

 

[rs]

Well Chachi, they had me wondering. The IS I priced showed up at $100.00 over dealer invoice. Thought it was too good to be true! Apparently it is!!!

 

[UncleChachi]

Now carsDirect says the '02 IS300 is not currently available-Check back later.

hrmph.

 

[scoot557]

i just priced out a loaded 5 speed(using SoCal's zip, bc boston's does not have the 02's on there...) and full loaded MSRP was 35,35XX and cars direct was 35,0XX - only $.5K off....oh well

 

[phi]

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[ August 21, 2001: Message edited by: phi ]