I agree with you 100%, im just commenting on what I see. This is why I / my family have a Toyota Supra, Avalon, Rav4, and of course the tC.

Sad to say, the "solid" and problem free cars we get are assembled in Mexico...

 

*update*: i went to another local dealership... this time the fee was $500. On top of that, the dealership had already installed "necessary" add-ons like security system, etc. that they were unwilling to remove. at this point, i said f*** it, went back to the $600 place, and looked around again. they didn't have my color (flint mica), but they pleaded with my not to leave again and said that they could find one close-by. So, they did find one about 120 miles away that was just flint mica with one add-on: floor mats. not too bad i figured, but with the $600 mark-up, i asked if they could just take out the mats and take off that extra accessory price since they wouldnt come off the "documentation fee". when i persisted to ask several more times, my sales guy left and talked to the site owner, and upon returning, told me that they couldn't do anything because the mats were factory-installed and built into the invoice. however, he did say that when i pick up my car tomorrow it will have a full scion tc window tint package at no extra charge. so i finally accepted, and am happily looking forward to picking up my flint mica baby tomorrow afternoon after it's prepped and tinted. does anyone know if the scion tint is dark at all? i'm not sure what to expect. and thanks for all the responses, this is a helluva forum.

 

when he said scion tint, he just means tint that will be outsourced by the dealer or by someone who exclusively does tint at the dealer. it will most likely be like any other tint.

did you try multiple dealers? it doesn't take very long to just call up a couple and ask how much their document fees are.

 

I'm looking at my sales contract, and it's $45. Doc fee. But I didn't get the treats that your dealership just gave you. Have fun !

 

As far as getting the one you want.. do what I did in 04.. Tell them to order it. It was worth the wait for me to get exactly the car I wanted in the color I wanted.. with only the options I wanted. I waited about a month.. and got my car with 5 miles on it knowing it hadnt been test driven like a race car.

 

my doc fee was $85, i just looked at my invoice. it comes already printed on the paper from the printer, which tells me that it's the standard doc fee that my dealership for any car

 

Sounds like these high Doc fees are a FL thing. In NJ I've seen between $130 and $250.

 

Doc fees and other fees vary by location and dealership... that's why you have to put in your zip code when you build a scion online.

 

I was just playing around with the pricing, seems that the Doc fee is a FL "tax" (maybe true in other states too). When you put in a zip for NJ or NY, there is no line for doc fee. The Delivery, Processing and Handling is $95 higher in FL also.

What I've seen in NJ are dealer "processing and paperwork" fees, which are not indicated on the scion site, and are different from dealer to dealer. Oops!

 

The dealerships not only make money on the profit of the car (and they doin't get much for a $16,500 car) but they also need to get paid for getting it on the lot and running the business. It is a business after all.

I had my tC oredered, so I got exactly what I wanted. I got it with 1 mile on it and nothing but the TRD springs (shoulda got it stock) Sticker = $16,500. Paid cash. $18,500 out the door with tax, docs, fees, and springs. It's to be expected. But since I paid cash, no finance hassles, and I was in and out in 45 minutes with a new car with 1 mile on it, well, after the 2 week wait when they shipped it!

 

a tC and xB here we only paid $99 each for the dealer fee..

 

*final update* well i picked up my tC today and man do i love it. as an added bonus the dealership also threw in obx pedals and and obx speedstar mesh shift **** to go along with the window tint. so basically, my car is pretty badass for a right-off-the-lot tC... flint mica, tint, shift ****, pedals....oh and of course the 5spd is beautiful although it is my first manual and im struggling a bit to go from a stop into 1st gear. everything else is smooth. i just love the car, what more can i say? in a week or less (by the time im better at shifting) it'll be even better. i can't wait. now all i need is the trd suspension package, an intake, and a short shift kit and ill be perfectly content

 

First manual and already wanting a short shifter!
AWSOME!

 

well out of all the backwards things in cali, they really only charge tax, lic. and doc. fee which is sales tax, lic. and doc. fees are determined by the DMV........so usually those are only like 35.00.

are you guys in FL. paying 500 or some odd dollars for shipping/ transportation?

 

well on the window sticker theres the whole shipping, etc. fee which is around there. thats built into pure-price though. then on top of that theres the ___ "documentation fee", which is basically just another level of profit. i could understand if it was small, but what i had to pay was a little much. at least i got a few extra goodies with the car.

 

So what did your final out the door price come to?
And what is the total list of options, including the ones you got thrown in for free?

 

from what i have read on here, there really is not a huge profit margin on scions, so im sure dealers have found all sorts of creative ways to build in profit. its sad, and people wonder why certain dealers, and sadly the entire industry has such a shady reputation.

You have to think about there overhead though, look at the size, and construction of the facilty, im sure that costs a fortune to maintain. I dont have issues with dealers making a profit within reason, but when they start making up weird things to make that profit, then its an issue.

i would shop around.