[Stan Gunn]

Our 2006 Prius (option package #3) will arrive at the dealer some time in the next week or so. With these cars in such demand, is there any point in trying to negotiate a better price? Has anyone had any success in knocking some dollars off of the dealer's invoice price?

 

[richard schumacher]

See Consumer Reports free advice on car buying: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/pricing.htm

 

[NewExplorer]

I don't believe that there really is such a big demand, more like a limited supply. Therefore the dealer's allocation. But, they also get a limited allocation of Echos, Matrix, and Camry models too!

When I was shopping last October every single dealer I walked into had or could IMMEDIATELY deliver any color Priius I wanted! No list, no wait! Half of them mentioned that they have a $3-4K surcharge. When I mentioned that dealer X only wants $1000 over MSRP, they always said, OH, we can do better than that!

Just like what happened when the Pontiac Fiero, Mazda Miata, and Mini Cooper were introduced, it's all dealer hype!

Just offer them the price you are willing to pay. If you can have cash, a cashier's check or your own financing pre-arranged, then you have an even better chance of closing the deal quickly. Especially if you wave the paper in the sales person's face!

 

[C.Rickey Hirose]

Our 2006 Prius (option package #3) will arrive at the dealer some time in the next week or so. With these cars in such demand, is there any point in trying to negotiate a better price? Has anyone had any success in knocking some dollars off of the dealer's invoice price?

Stan Gunn, didn't you negotiate the price when you ordered your Prius ?
You stated above that "Our 2006 Prius ( option package #3 ) will arrive..
I do all ordering with my customers once we agree on the price. My customers do not negotiate price when their cars arrives ?

 

[lgindles]

Stan,

We just bought a 2006 package 7 this weekend. We had been doing our homework for about 3 months. Most of the dealers we went to had several to offer. We went to the dealer that we were most comfortable with, found the color we liked (green), drove the car then offered MSRP out the door (taxes are about 6.5% Akron, Ohio). There wasn't any haggling, just introduced me to the owner (Ken Ganley) and said Ken wants to talk to you. Ken said he appreciated our business and he would be willing to sell the car at that price (about 28,300). I think it depends on the dealer, how many people are there and the time of day. If you have ordered it and he doesn't have any on the lot...well there isn't much chance he'll negotiate.

 

[Stan Gunn]

Stan Gunn, didn't you negotiate the price when you ordered your Prius ?
You stated above that "Our 2006 Prius ( option package #3 ) will arrive..
I do all ordering with my customers once we agree on the price. My customers do not negotiate price when their cars arrives ?

When I say "ours" I mean that it was a dealer order that has been reserved for us. There was no negotiation at the time. He quoted me a price on the phone last week, and it seems to be a couple hundred over the MSRP for the car. I'm hoping to get a little better price than that. I haven't actually committed to buying yet.

 

[Jim L]

I find this all very interesting...especially the part where it seems some of you are getting the car with little or no waiting. I live in San Antonio and ordered an 05 silver #6 in early Sept, then they made it an 06 silver #7 when the 05's were gone...4+ months and still no car. They told me maybe in the next 30-45 days. I will say there is no negotiating, but the price is MSRP. I don't understand why I am still waiting.

 

[NewExplorer]

I find this all very interesting...especially the part where it seems some of you are getting the car with little or no waiting. .......I don't understand why I am still waiting.

Since September?

a. Your dealer forgot about you,
b. Your dealer is incompetent.
c. Your dealer really dosn't want to sell you a car.
d. You really should have bought your car somewhere else a long time ago!

Can you imagine what the service department is going to be like at that dealership?

 

[dgstan]

I find this all very interesting...especially the part where it seems some of you are getting the car with little or no waiting. .......I don't understand why I am still waiting.

Since September?

a. Your dealer forgot about you,
b. Your dealer is incompetent.
c. Your dealer really dosn't want to sell you a car.
d. You really should have bought your car somewhere else a long time ago!

More likely it's:

e. Your car comes in and the dealer sells it to somebody else - at a premium!

 

[C.Rickey Hirose]

Stan,

We just bought a 2006 package 7 this weekend. We had been doing our homework for about 3 months. Most of the dealers we went to had several to offer. We went to the dealer that we were most comfortable with, found the color we liked (green), drove the car then offered MSRP out the door (taxes are about 6.5% Akron, Ohio). There wasn't any haggling, just introduced me to the owner (Ken Ganley) and said Ken wants to talk to you. Ken said he appreciated our business and he would be willing to sell the car at that price (about 28,300). I think it depends on the dealer, how many people are there and the time of day. If you have ordered it and he doesn't have any on the lot...well there isn't much chance he'll negotiate.

Wow, let do the math here. Package #7 approx $28.300 minus 6.5% tax =
$1839.50 minus $ License $150 ? Any Doc fees $ ? Ok, $28.300 minus $1839.50-$150-Minus Doc fee $ 50 ? ... So you paid $26.310 for a vehicles that retails for $28.300 ! Please let me know that dealer's name and address for that kind of bargain price I can buy and resell all His Prius and make a killing ! You said $28.300 including all taxes and fees included right ? I hope you did not have any trade-in on that transaction .... Oh what a bargain ! I got to go there and buy his Prius...for re-sale, better than investing in stocks !

 

[Jim L]

The dealer didn't forget about me since I called at least once every three weeks. However, b-e could very well be correct. This is the largest dealership in San Antonio. With the motto, "When you deal with Red (McCombs previous owner of the Vikings) the deal gets done." I'm about to give him a call.

The Sales Manager whom I talked to a couple of days ago swears that this wait is typical in all Texas. I would like some proof to take back to him telling him...

 

[C.Rickey Hirose]

I find this all very interesting...especially the part where it seems some of you are getting the car with little or no waiting. .......I don't understand why I am still waiting.

Since September?

a. Your dealer forgot about you,
b. Your dealer is incompetent.
c. Your dealer really dosn't want to sell you a car.
d. You really should have bought your car somewhere else a long time ago!
E. Your dealer is selling your car each time it arrived for you to someone else who pays "More Money" how is that.

Can you imagine what the service department is going to be like at that dealership?

 

[JDavies]

C.Rickey Hirose wrote: "Please let me know that dealer's name and address for that kind of bargain price I can buy and resell all His Prius and make a killing !
*********************************************************
And guess who gets "Killed..?"
Methinks the fox has entered the hen house...

 

[richard schumacher]

Following Consumer Reports' advice, I did all my buying by phone, email and fax starting with seven dealerz. This was narrowed down to three who provided written bids. I bought for under M$RP and didn't see the salesanimal until I paid the deposit. There's no reason to waste time running around and sitting in sales rooms.

 

[C.Rickey Hirose]

C.Rickey Hirose wrote: "Please let me know that dealer's name and address for that kind of bargain price I can buy and resell all His Prius and make a killing !
*********************************************************
And guess who gets "Killed..?"
Methinks the fox has entered the hen house...

Everyone that pays MSRP gets killed. Did you paid $2000 below MSRP ?
It is hard to believe, at least to me that any dealer out there has to discount the 06 Prius #7 package from $28.300 down to $26.000 ! Just too
good to be true ? Therefore if I buy at $26K and sell it at $28K plus I will be making a killing !!!

 

[richard schumacher]

MAYBE in the next 30-45 days??? Have they given you an actual order number to track your car's build and delivery? I would think Toyota probably has their ordering and assembly system advanced enough to give an approximate build and ship date within a few days. Just seems a window of 30-45 days seems like such a shot in the dark.

Uh, no. Americans don't place orders with manufacturers. American dealers get allocations, and buyers and dealers have to hunt around and see who has what on hand. It's a dumbass system devised to make things easier for manufacturers.

Hmm, maybe now that Detroit is serious about winning back some business they'll start selling direct and letting people order what they want? ...Nahh.

 

[Stan Gunn]

Everyone that pays MSRP gets killed. Did you paid $2000 below MSRP ? It is hard to believe...

So, in your opinion, what percentage under the MSRP should I be offering the dealer?

The car's not coming in this weekend after all. Now they're saying it will be at the dealership by next weekend. But we have a VIN number for the car, so it's not some mythical, hypothetical, Platonic ideal of a Prius any more.

 

[C.Rickey Hirose]

[quote="C.Rickey Hirose":3j1h6ve2]Everyone that pays MSRP gets killed. Did you paid $2000 below MSRP ? It is hard to believe...

So, in your opinion, what percentage under the MSRP should I be offering the dealer?

The car's not coming in this weekend after all. Now they're saying it will be at the dealership by next weekend. But we have a VIN number for the car, so it's not some mythical, hypothetical, Platonic ideal of a Prius any more.[/quote:3j1h6ve2]

Stan Gunn. I personally as a Toyota dealer can not discount my 06 Prius below the MSRP level. All my orders are at factory MSRP list no more, no less.

See the topic, Toyota forced to scale down 06 Prius production. In Prius General.

Due to bringing the 07 Camry Hybrid launch date to "Spring 06" They even sent letter fore-warning us the Dealers with this memo: " Less 06 Prius for the USA" till after the 07 Camry Hybrid launch.

Therefore more so, you will see lots of dealers elsewhere in the US trying to hiking the selling prices of the 06 Prius pretty soon !

So if you can get one right now at MSRP do it otherwaise the 06 Prius prices are going upwards ! Nation-Wide.... Supply and demand, you know.