I think I lucked out

Went to a big city, big volume dealer. Quoted me $41K for an SE that I would likely wait for months to get. They said no prevailing Toyota incentives were applicable.

Shopped around online, found one unclaimed within a week, shipping to a small dealer for $37K to drive it off the lot, then they honored the $4500 lease incentive. I’ll pay off the lease as soon as the new plates come in. So, I got it for $33K. That was two days ago. It’s sitting in my garage right now.

I'm hearing stories of big markups and 12+ month waits.

 

The Toyota website lists cars near you, based on the model you want and your location. Nearly every vehicle listed was already claimed via an active deposit. Then, I called one dealer and they said they had an SE that was not claimed and in the port of NY. I put down a deposit. I had read the woes of wait times and didn’t expect it to go so smoothly.

I think it may have helped that I distinctly wanted an SE and didn’t care about color. I got the white… I mean “Wind Chill Pearl” which I’m warming up to quickly. Such a beautiful car!

 

According to dealer $35,009, including extra charge for paint, floor mats, parking assist package and a few other goodies.