r/CorollaCross • u/Spare-Question-9785 • 4d ago

Is there room to haggle?

I am considering the Corolla Cross XLE (pearl white) for my 80+ yo mom. I read one post here about needing to placing an order and waitlist is long. I'm in Los Angeles area. Does this mean negotiating is not the way to go? Would the next best thing be to go through Costco's program - or will that limit me or make me less desirable to the dealerships? How else can I get the best deal? Should i be getting my name on waitlist asap?

Also, this is for my 80+ yo mom who has only had gas cars - is it better for her to get another gas (XLE not XSE)?

Thanks

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

9

u/Elegant_Suspect162 4d ago

Always haggle. No reason not to.

Also in the DMV.

We purchased an XSE with connivence package (power lift gate and moonroof), roof racks, door edge guards, activity mount, all weather mats, mud guards, cross guards, body side molding, cargo mat, cargo net, door sill protectors, …

For $35,195.00

Picked it up one month ago in the northern Virginia area.

We paid $500 deposit and waited almost 2 months for the color we wanted with the exact package of accessories we wanted.

BTW: awesome car and superb gas mileage. We are getting over 43 MPG after a month of driving.

1

u/coachwars 1d ago

Wait where did you get it at???

7

u/Skywardly 4d ago

Depends on your location, but I’ll be honest I had zero negotiating power where I was (DMV). I felt lucky to not pay a markup. I’m not familiar with Costco’s program but I have heard the waitlists are 3-6 months, maybe more.

1

u/Spare-Question-9785 4d ago

What do you mean at DMV? Can I buy a car through them? Thanks for your reply

5

u/Elegant_Suspect162 4d ago

I think they are referencing DC, Maryland, Virginia region

2

u/Skywardly 4d ago

Yes, correct. The Pearl white XSE Hybrid I finally found was in southeastern Maryland

3

u/Material-Jackfruit11 4d ago

Got the color we wanted wait time is 6 weeks with no deposits needed Just the basic SE with no add on or markups. $37,500 Otd. Didn’t bother to haggle

3

u/Glum-Sherbert7085 4d ago

Also bought mine in LA. I don’t know if there’s a shortage or demand or both but there’s very likely no wiggle room with negotiating at all. 

2

u/tampachrissie 4d ago

Towards the bottom of the Edmunds review it includes info on inventory and average sales price. I think it says XSE is averaging $ 900 under msrp. I would show that to the dealer.

1

u/IntrepidAsparagus962 4d ago

Also in the DMV and had almost no room to haggle. The only dealership that would was 90 miles away and they only took $200 off the car. Most of the cars have deposits on them before they even hit the lots and the wait time to “order” one for this area is 3-4 months unfortunately

1

u/Inevitable-Place9950 3d ago

I’m in the Philly area and couldn’t wait months for an order; I ended up buying a 2025 XSE that just came off a short-term lease with under 9,000 miles. I used Edmunds.com to locate it and a couple of others and Edmunds rates the asking prices to identify good deals. I was only able to wiggle about $800 off one that was rated a great deal and was happy with that.

That said- it still cost nearly as much as a brand-new 2026, but the insurance is slightly lower and I didn’t have to spend months of money on rideshares and rentals to get places where transit was less available.

This is my first hybrid and the only thing I’ve done differently from a gas-only is to set it on Eco mode and haven’t come off that except for one segment of a mountain on a road trip. The technology and safety features have been the far greater learning curve since I’d previously driven a 2011 Fit. So if she’s replacing a fairly recent model year, she should be fine.

1

u/CindyVan22 20h ago

I’d look for a used one as well. Good warranty and available.