Car dealerships

[keiregan]

Looking to buy a new truck. Not sure which make yet. Possibly Toyota. How is the dealership in Hilo? Kona? I’ve always shipped my not new cars in. I see a million new Toyota’s running around. They must be giving them away. Lol. Thanks!

[geochem]

I bought my Toyota truck in San Francisco and saved about $10K over the local price ($9K if you count the shipping).

I had a trip planned for other business in the Bay area so I did an online search and found the best prices there and lined up visits to a couple of dealers before I left. They even dropped it at the port for me.

I had several years previously purchased a Toyota at the Hilo dealership and they acted like a bunch of jerks after the sale closed - wouldn't go back to them on a bet. Unfortunately, all the dealerships (Toyota, Honda, Nissan) seem to be tied pretty closely together here in Hawaii - they act like they are doing you a big favor offering dealer list price without their $3k or $5k additional mark up.

I've found the best used values at Hertz on Oahu - no high pressure sales BS and the prices are as good/better than private sales or any dealer lot.

[kander]

The dealership I went to last year offered me a frosty $14,000 discount on my trade in while still asking full price for the new vehicle. I even told them (hilo dealership) that I could ship it back to the mainland and get a better deal. They laughed. Care to venture what happened next?
I loaded the truck on a boat, sent it back to a stateside dealership, got full book value trade in and a bit of a discount on the new one I was wanting. In retrospect, I should have taken delivery from their lot in Hilo just in spite.
Thats how bad it is out here to try to do business with one of these dealerships. The funny part it, there must be lines of Dummies willing to be taken advantage of because they are still in business and have been for many years.

[kalakoa]

sent it back to a stateside dealership, got full book value trade in and a bit of a discount

Did you pay GET on the purchase, or did you pay local sales tax which was credited against the GET owed?

It's not clear (to me) how the State can levy GET on a vehicle purchased outside of Hawaii, but they claim the authority to do so.

[geochem]

If it is new, you get to pay a "use" tax if you ship (anything) new into the state. If it is used, then you can duck that tax...

[kalakoa]

If it is used, then you can duck that tax...

As written: purchase from a dealer is subject to GET, private party isn't.

If you don't import it for a few months, then it's considered "personal property" and exempt from GET again.

I just can't support the idea that importing a vehicle (for myself, at my own expense) should be subject to additional taxation.

[terracore]

I've never owned a new car and it's unlikely I ever will, but I did go to every car lot in Hilo when we first moved here looking for used vehicles. What they were offering was overpriced junk and they were less willing to work with me because I would only pay cash meaning they couldn't rob from me with a finance deal in addition to the vehicle purchase. One of the cars I looked at had water in the headlight and I asked if they would fix it and the sales guy checked with the mechanics and they said they were "already losing too much money on the deal". Uh yeah, no thanks. Another lot I went to the car I wanted to test drive wouldn't start due to a presumed dead battery. The sales guy got all excited about how quick they could get it jump started. Uh yeah, no thanks again.

One thing I do know: If you are interested in buying a specific car you don't have to go to the lot. The sales people will bring the car to you to look at / test drive etc. One lot I went to the sales guy was lamenting that he drove a vehicle from Hilo to Waimea and the potential buyer was a no-show. So you might be able to try out some cars from the Kona side without going to Kona.

[birdmove]

I'm wondering if just buying a new vehicle from a dealer in, say, San Diego and having it delivered to Pasha in National City (very near SD) and having it shipped to Hilo wouldn't be a money saver? We didbuy a new Kia Soul from Aloha Kia, and hey were okay, once I made it plain that I would not buy a new car unless it came with a spare tire kit at no extra charge, and was willing to walk out over it.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[kander]

quote:

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Originally posted by kalakoa


Did you pay GET on the purchase, or did you pay local sales tax which was credited against the GET owed?

It's not clear (to me) how the State can levy GET on a vehicle purchased outside of Hawaii, but they claim the authority to do so.

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They claim they can do a lot of things. The legality of such remains to be seen. The minute you roll it off the dealership lot its a used vehicle.

[KeaauRich]

Why anyone would buy a new vehicle from a local dealer is beyond me. I tried to buy a new Sorento a couple of years ago. The dealer basically said, “Ok, there’s the one we have, take it or leave it.” The price was significantly over MSRP and it didn’t have any of the options I wanted. Asked if I could order one to my specs. He said no. When I declined to take the one he had, he said “Can I interest you in a used Sorento?” I said, “No, I already have a used Sorento..the whole point was to replace it with a new one...”

On my next mainland visit I found the exact car I wanted, had several dealers battling each other on price to get my business, after making the deal I drove it for my 3 week vacation (saving rental car expense) then shipped it from the east coast to Hilo. When all was said and done I had recouped all my vacation costs (including airfare) and still came out about $5000 ahead of the game.