Price Negotaions with Rebate

If they mention the rebate tell them you aren't sure if you will buy the car before July 31st so you don't want to factor that in. You're not lying because even if you intend to buy the car before July 31st you never know for sure, no need to communicate your intentions to the dealer. Same concept as trading in your car, even if you intend to trade in, when the dealer asks you say you aren't sure and keep trade-in out of the price negotiation.

Although I suppose maybe it's a bit silly to worry about lying to a car dealer

 

there's no set answer, but you should try. the rebate comes from toyota, discounts from the dealer. their willingness to negotiate is based on their sales goal and competition, regardless of rebates.
all the best!

 

Yes, but there's also a category of money from Toyota to the Dealer that is mostly unpublished, i.e., not the Rebate, that helps dealers out in slow times to move cars out. It helps dealers discount cars beyond the rebates. Furthermore, a buyer today has a multitude of internet tools available to discover the actual cost of a car to the dealer, as well as what is being paid--what should be paid--for any new car. Dealers should not have any advantage over the savvy buyer today.

 

If you have a good enough credit score, there is also 0% 60 month and 0.9% 72 month financing. You cannot get both the rebate and the financing. If the dealer will finance 100% at 0%/60 I would take it. The break point for a $30,000 loan is around 2%/60. Above 2% you will need to run the numbers. If you can get 100%/0%/60 months, don't let the dealer keep the rebate as a credit against the car. Looking back 5 years, $31,750 invested in a DJI index fund would be worth $47,500 or so today (DJIA 14,000 to 21,000). Even if you just invested the rebate, it would be worth $2,600 or so today.

 

the hidden money dealers get from toyota is still the dealers to choose who to give it to. and they dole it out like their own.

 

The prices I see on dealer websites generally have already subtracted the rebate to make the price appear lower.
If you have a Costco membership many people have had excellent results using their dealer locator service and special pricing.

I did not use Costco because they insisted my preferred dealer did not have the car in stock. I ended up buying it from my preferred dealer for a slightly higher price and likely better service.