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2004-2009 Toyota Prius Prices Paid and Buying Experience
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I saw your messages of unhappy ownership and jumped at the chance of your selling the car. Let me know if you want to at my yahoo address of ros040. thanks a lot.
I think you should be able to get some discounts on Prius now with gas being cheap, and tax credit halved. The dealers are still sleazy/shady, but maybe not as arrogant as before.
As for Touring vs. Base, I too was trying to decide, before Sept. 30. I ended up buying a base, because it was cheaper, plus some NoCal sales person told me that touring is a less comfy ride on highway and surface streets (make sense because bigger wheels/tires usually do not absorb bumps/expansion joints too well). So far so good. it's a great ride on SoCal freeways and surface streets.
A lot of people bad mouth about Prius' wobbly steering at highway speed. I have not sensed any of that on my 07, not sure if it's because Toyota replaced tires (my 07 comes with Goodyear Integra's), strengthend the body, or just people bad mouthing hybrids. Best to test drive (or rent one) to form your own opinion.
At $2.60/gallon gas, I still feel great above my Prius. So I know I will be even happier next spring-summer. You will too. Good luck.
Anybody that tells you that the 06/07 Prius doesn't handle well is just giving you a lot of crap. I run that vehicle up and down the freeway at 80+ mph and it tracks straight as an arrow. I run it through twisty back roads and it hangs in there very nicely which should not be any surprise since it has a skid pad rating of .82 which until a few years ago was attainable only by very expensive sports cars.
IMO, the touring model is a total waste of money. And I wouldn't pay 10 cents extra for the leather option. Whoever convinced the public that leather was a suitable material for automobile seats must have owned one hell of a big cattle ranch.
I like it, but without a test drive on the same day/time, it is hard to know how different it is.
I am about to purchase an '07 Prius!!(My first Hybrid) I like the look of the touring model but the wheels are rims with hub caps over them???
Anyway - is there any reason I should pay the extra $$ for a touring? I do not plan on taking corners at high speed so the suspension is something I probably won't notice.
Any thoughts!
You can remove the plastic covers from both the touring and the standard model. Some like the touring wheels sans covers (I do), lots do not. Most seem to like the standard wheels without the covers. Note that the touring wheels are 16" vs the standard size of 15".
The final deciding factor would be whether the package of options you want is available in the touring or standard model in your area.
They also have three used ones on the lot. One, a first gen model.
I'll try to keep an eye on their inventory
That just boggles my mind. The sad part is there are people stupid enough to pay the price. These are not one of a kind collectors cars.
But this was on the last day of the full tax credit.
On Craigslist you can see many dealers' internet dept listing at MSRP, and a few below. - And a lot more cars available.
I would think below MSRP is possible and heard of one near sacramento at $750 below.
Fuel Surcharge $21
Touring Edition-TVAT $0
Package #5 Touring Includes: Voice--NMAT $4,455
Self-Dimming Mirror w/Homelink-CM50 $259
Interior Lights-IL10 $249
* (If equipped with Center Console)
* Center Console Light
* Under Dash Lights, Cup Holder Lights
17" EFPC Wheel w/Pirelli Tires-WB70 $1,559
Spyder Style Cargo Net-PC90 $69
Leather Faced Seats w/Side Airbag-LA80 $1,398
Splashguards-MG10 $79
Window Tint-TW50 $267
Carpet Mats And Trunk Mat-PV50 $209
Carbon Fiber Appearance Dash-DF10 $299
50 State Emissions-FEAT $0
Ash Tray-AT10 $79
Southeast Toyota Distributor-FP40 $0
* Certified Technician 46 Point
* Final Quality Inspection
Rear bumper protector-BP30 $105
Accent Stripe-SA10 $79
Entertainment System-DVD-Headrest-EH30 $1,995
Summary of charges:
Base $33,070
Options $1,587
Manuf. Delv, Proc & Hndlg $675
Subtotal $35,332
Documentation Fee $698.50
Total $36,031
It's a total scam, as you say, but they still do it
SET is very different - they even put their own wheels, instead of Toyota's - when you buy upgraded "factory" wheels. Generally, they're Enkei, and they look pretty similar to the Toyota version.
Interestingly, with gas prices cheap for about a month now, even Honda hybrid prices have gone down. And they still have full tax credit. So I think the run up in hybrid supplies have more to do with recent gas price drop, less about tax credits.
Been watching the inventory for all dealers locally, and all of a sudden, saw a bunch of prius show up (06's at that). Wesley Chapel Toyota opened a week ago saturday, and made an awesome deal.
I had some difficulties getting a response via website, so I called. (And found out they are brand new...working out bugs).
Long story short, I was looking for a Pkg 8 (06) or Pkg 6 (07). They had 5 (06) Pkg 7 with Leather (Factory NOT Dealer) that is what I ended up selecting. I negotiated the price down to MSRP of an 07 Pkg 6 first, then negotiated an MSRP reduction off that. In the end they reduced $1900 total (not 1900 off MSRP).
If you are looking for a deal, give these guys a try.
Awesome Dealership - Sales guys are great. Sales Manager puts a little pressure on, but is still friendly, and respect you if you've done your homework.
As a side note: Found out that Toyota GUARANTEES that this dealer will have every make and model on the lot for the first 120 days of open. Also found out that whatever he sells during this time will determine his allocations for the next year. (Incentive to deal, AND Product to sell!)
2007 are rolling onto the lots too!
Good luck! Don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but mention me if you go in. I promised I would tell others about my experience.
MSRP, plus what fees?, plus 8.x% tax?
I want to make sure I don't do a rookie manuever and get a lot of stuff on top of a "good deal".
help is much appreciated!
Fees -
"doc fee" - fee for filling out the documentation to register the vehicle, pay taxes etc. You can often negotiate this fee down, sometimes to zero. It's bogus anyway. "Wait, you want me to pay you for selling me the car! That's what your margin does!" "Margin" - difference between MSRP or negotiated selling price and dealer cost.
"prep and delivery" or "port fee" - fee for trucking the car from the delivery port to the dealer and prep. of the vehicle by the dealer and at the port (adding options, removal of plastic, cleaning, checking fluids, etc.).
"extra equipment fee" - you will often find dealers adding extra stuff and charging ridiculous prices for it. Tell them to remove it or you will walk (if you don't want it)!
"registration, licence, taxes" - you can pay this yourself to the state govt. except taxes, which of course are always added at sale time. I always take the paperwork from the dealer to a registrar office and do my own registration (here we also have to have proof of insurance to get the vehicle registered and get a plate so that comes first).
Always remember, even though the Prius is sometimes in short supply, you can always take your buisness elsewhere. If they (the dealer) are making you uncomfortable, tell them. Tell them why, and tell then you will leave if they don't stop. Try to remain calm. Loosing your temper will not solve anything.
Expect pressure from the "finance officer" for you to finance through them. If the rate is good, go ahead, but be prepared!
Many think what you experience at a car dealership is "slimy", but remember, this is how they make their living. Don't put up with things you don't like. You can take your money elsewhere.
I'm pretty sure this is all covered elsewhere on this site (it's what Edmunds does).
could you point out where you can get a factory extended warranty for Toyota online? I was looking at buying a Honda before and found a few good places, but I ended up with a Toyota Prius and now I am somewhat interested in an extended warranty.
Thanks
/Mats
I was much less interested in the prepaid service. Figuring on a major service every year of $200 (and every thing should be covered under warranty) and an oil change in between (assuming 10K miles a year). So I guess it will kindof break even at $875 (and of course I lose out on interest, chance of losing my booklet of service stubs etc.) On the other hand, every time I took my Highlander into service (without the prepaid), theuy always try to sell me a lot more stuff like change this fluid and that fuid so I always walk out with more than a $300 bill minimum. I hope with the prepaid, I will be able to better avoid those add ons. We shall see.
BTW: According to the guy who sold me the two packages, they are apparently transferable to new owner if I so choice to sell the car. There is apparently a $50 name change fee per package.
BBTW: I did not stumble on similar thread when I bought my Highlander 3 years ago and paid almost list price of the extended warranty. Bummer. Live and learn.
Try these if you are looking--they were no hassle and started right off with great prices. I did everything over the internet......
Walnut Creek Toyota
Vallejo Toyota
Daly City Toyota.
Good luck all!
Figure out how many miles you will put on per year and then choose the warranty that fits you. Troy will sell whichever one you need at a great price. Unfortunatly he can't sell them for Canadian cars so I can't take him up on this great deal.
Price: $22572
Processing fee: $100
Warranty (7yr,100k): $995
Tax (VA) and etc: $890
OTD price: $24557
I got the price from the email from Internet Manager and called to check the stock. I didn’t do anything to get this price. The sale associate who worked for me was great. No rush, no pressure. The financial manager just showed me the warranty (7 yr, 100k) for $995 without any trick. They are selling all Prius at the invoice plus $100 now. But, I am not sure how long they will go with that price.
Kyoungho
Does anyone know why this dramatic change in prius marketing is happening? :confuse: Do you think it might be possible to negotiate below invoice??
-Mike
Anyone know anything about these regional distributions?
The dealer told me this when I was trying to negotiate down a package #4 price from a quote I got from another PA dealer on a package #3 prius. She told me that there shouldn't be any package #3's in the PA area!!
Gots me very puzzled. :surprise:
The dealer invoice information you can find at Fitzmal
are more realistic.
Check out Earl Stewart Toyota
I'm very excited to be receiving (they're delivering it to me today!) my white Package 1 Touring Edition this afternoon.
Respecting Edmund's Rules of the Road, I can't provide the name of my salesman, but he was a total straight-shooter. I can't believe I'm actually writing this, because in general, I've found Toyota dealers to be extraordinarily sleazy to deal with.
Good luck to all.
I live in Dallas, TX and had a good buying experience after working phones and email for a few days. I started by submitting internet requests for quotes through Edmunds, cars.com, and each dealer's Toyota website. I looked at each dealer's website Prius inventory and took note of two or three VINs I was interested in and asked for quotes on those. Luckily, the Dallas area has at least 10 dealers I could get quotes from and many were offering me $500 to $1000 off MSRP on their first offer. Request they email you the quote - because you'll need it in case another internet sales manager will match another's quote.
This process lasted about three days and I never went more than two rounds of quotes over email. Of course this is the end of the month and most dealers wanted to price aggressively. My first email would say "I am looking to buy before the end of the month if I can find the right car at the right price." Once I had their first quote and it was a configuration I really liked I would write, "If you can meet $xyz price on such and such car, I can be there today to close the deal." and I chose a reasonable low ball price for $xyz like $2000 off MSRP (just make sure you're giving them some profit above invoice or they won't take you seriously on a Prius).
Since I was flexible with options and color, I went with the sales mgr that was the most upfront and not slimy. He matched other quotes off MSRP and promised no hidden or junk fees. Also this dealership doesn't like to lump on dealer add-ons like tinting, etching, accessories (all crap). I got an '07 Touring pkg #5, with only floor mats added - all for well below MSRP. When I got to the dealer, there were no surprises, only the required fees were present, and the transaction went smooth.
If you are in Dallas, the dealership is Toyota of Plano and ask for the internet sales mgr. Good luck out there!
2007 Prius MSRP 22,175, Package #3 2550, Toyoguard 699, plus something else to equal 26,125. PLUS market value adjustment 2500. Total asking price for this car is 28,625.28!!! I asked if the price could be reduced, and the salesman said "a little."
By the way, the dealership advertises this same car (same VIN) on the internet for 26,725.
I really liked this car. What would be an acceptable offer?
I just paid $500 over invoice. No "Dealer Doc" fees, and certainly no "Market Value Adjustment". They charged me $100 to deliver it to my door in Saint Cloud, FL.
Check out:
Earl Stewart Toyota
Well, I certainly recommend thorough research and patience when buying a new car. I kept my eyes out for a car that we liked, and it showed up at Toyota of Irving. On their website, it said that they were doing Employee Pricing on the Prius! I contacted an internet sales manager, and he was about the nicest car salesman I've ever encountered.
The car we had our eye on was a 2007 Seaside Pearl Touring Edition, with Package #6. This fully-loaded car had an equally loaded MSRP of $29,470. Well, he gave us the car at $200 over invoice... $27,379! I think we made an excellent deal, and the car is now ours.
Toyota of Irving ---> HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Jonathan & Hilliary