Dealers expect to get only two per three cars each and are making the most of that allocation carscoops
Photos Mike Gauthier for Carscoops
I sent out a bunch of emails to Toyota dealers in Massachusetts . Most of them told me they’d be happy to put me on a “VIP” waiting list and get back to me with more info when available. However, one perky salesperson in northeastern Mass was happy to secure me a spot for a five-figure markup – oh, my, how nice of them.
Asked if they had any indication of pricing, timing, allocation and how I could get on the list, the salesperson replied: “They will be going over MSRP for $10,000, and wait time will be roughly six months. We can put you on a wait list with an agreement to price and a $500 fully refundable deposit.”
But would that secure my spot for sure? “The deposit will 100% secure you spot on the list,” the salesperson replied with the confidence and aplomb of a veteran. “We don’t have an exact MSRP but a rough estimate will be around $31k plus the $10k market adjustment and taxes and fees. The six-month wait is from the launch date which was last week. There is no allocated list at this time.”
If that $31,000 starting MSRP is crudely accurate – which, to be fair, we don’t think it is, as our guess is between $35,000 and $40,000 for the base model and $40,000-$45,000 for the winged Circuit Edition, that would equate to a bonkers 32.3% markup over MSRP! Regardless, that should give you an idea of what to expect from atHere’s the thing.