Buy a new or used car.

[regular]

The car I bought came with the hybrid system warranty for 10 years from the date of release or for up to 200,000 km driving distance, whichever comes first. And also new battery with its own warranty at no additional cost to me.
.
But this is standard for all similar cars bought from the Toyota dealership. They were interested to give me a deal if I wanted a loan. I probably overpaid but the car runs without any problem. I also paid for a maintenance pack.

[TJKansai]

I changed my car in 2022. Then, for reasons that escape me now, prices for used Toyota hybrid SUV cars were so high that I felt buying an almost new car from a Toyota dealer is the best. I bought a 2020 RAV4 hybrid G (with panorama roof and many other options) but may be only at 10% less than the listed price. I posted here, viewtopic.php?t=1775

Has the car prices come back down to earth now? 25% OFF the listed price for 1 year old car or for test drive car seems like a steal.

The RAV4 had supply line issues during Covid and orders were back up over a year and the ripple effects lasted a couple years. At that time used car prices shot up because of demand and lack of supply.

Things have come back into line now and the wait is now about a month or two.

I am interested in the RAV4 PHEV. Those are pricey though, new around ¥5.6 million.

Here are a couple dealer to dealer auction results:

2021 AXAP54 (PHV)
G Z AWD 4WD true

FA 2500 cc
パール

28000 km
Grade (of 5) 4.5
3 397 000¥

And a regular hybrid:
2023 AXAH54
HV Adventure ｵﾌ Low -ﾄﾞ 4WD

FAT 2500 cc

6000 km
5

3 815 000¥

[captainspoke]

Never had a second hand car, 5 cars in Japan.
New cars, no inspection first 3 years.
Then, every 2 years.
After 7 years, every year.
Those inspections become more and more costly as the car ages.

No, the 'every two years' continues--indefinitely, I think. Eg, my car is now almost 16, and it had shaken about a year ago, and the next one will be just over a year from now.

[regular]

When I bought a 2020 RAV4 hybrid G AXAH54 in 2022 with 18000Km, I paid near the higher price of the two that you have supplied. Considering that, the PHEV price to me seems like a bargain.

[TJKansai]

When I bought a 2020 RAV4 hybrid G AXAH54 in 2022 with 18000Km, I paid near the higher price of the two that you have supplied. Considering that, the PHEV price to me seems like a bargain.

Certainly newer cars command a premium. I think 5yrs old is a sweet spot. Also "high" KM (like 10,000km/yr) is something that freaks out most Japanese but to Americans and Australians it is nothing.

By the way, are you pleased with the RAV4?

[regular]

Yes, very happy with my RAV4 hybrid G, except the price I had to pay.

By the way, where did you get those price data for the car of your target? If publicly available, it will certainly help future buyers with one reference price point.

[Didi22]

Hi friends,
Kind of a different post here but still about saving. I've bought several cars in my time here in Japan but always from a mechanic friend who often gets them at auction sites. I rely solely on my trust and friendship with him to negotiate what I'm after. However, this time, I'm leaning toward either a new car or a 2nd hand car from a dealer (ie ToyoPet). Does anyone have experience in Japan with this? I have watched hours of videos on YouTube about negotiating a deal, based in the US and Canada. I guess my question is, do you know if you can negotiate the Out The Door number? Any secrets or tips are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Kelly

Hey Kelly,
From what I know, negotiating "out the door" prices in Japan can be a bit different than in the US or Canada. It depends on the dealer, but generally, prices are more fixed. However, if you have a good relationship with the dealer, it’s worth trying—sometimes you can ask for discounts, free services, or added features. The key is to be well-prepared, know the prices at other dealerships, and be patient

[TJKansai]

Yes, very happy with my RAV4 hybrid G, except the price I had to pay.

By the way, where did you get those price data for the car of your target? If publicly available, it will certainly help future buyers with one reference price point.

Not really public data, though not hard to get either.
In my case I bought a car from a guy who runs an export site and he granted me access to monitor the pricing.

[7 Potatoes]

Kelly

Hey Kelly,
From what I know, negotiating "out the door" prices in Japan can be a bit different than in the US or Canada. It depends on the dealer, but generally, prices are more fixed. However, if you have a good relationship with the dealer, it’s worth trying—sometimes you can ask for discounts, free services, or added features. The key is to be well-prepared, know the prices at other dealerships, and be patient

Hey, thanks so much for your info. I ended up buying a 2025 RAV4 Hybrid G series with some extra features. A Japanese friend of mine who knows someone at the dealers came with me and they dropped the price. I'm sure they were still walking away happy as the omiyage I received afterwards was quite generous I won't get the car for 3 months but I'm excited to own a new vehicle for the first time. I will pay the full amount without a loan as well so I won't worry about monthly payments.

[captainspoke]

...

Congrats! on that--it looks like a nice one. And toyotas are known to be long runners.

I've looked now and then at new cars, but model creep in one way or another is hard to avoid. One tactic I've tried is to restrict myself to cars that will be a 5 number (instead of going off the deep end into the pool of 3 number cars).