[Riffraft]

I just had to post this one. On another Prius forum I found that DARCARS Toyota located in Silver Spring, Maryland is asking $25,775 for a 2004 Package #1 Prius. What's worse is they lie and say that $25,775 is the MSRP. I looked it up and found that the MSRP for the Package #1 Prius in Maryland is about $20,690. These jerks are trying to get $5,000 over MSRP and think it is perfectly ok to lie to the consumer and tell them that the rip off price they want is the MSRP. What a bunch of price gouging jerks. Seems like a day doesn't go by that I don't thank my lucky stars that I found a Dealership that was fair and honest.

Some users say that we only post the bad experiences we have with Dealerships, well I do both. Where DARCARS Toyota is a bunch of crooks Soutar's Toyota in Barstow California gave me the best new car buying experience I have every had. I arrived at the Dealership at 1:00pm and was on my way with my new Prius by 3:00pm. They charged me exactly the MSRP plus the listed price on the Toyota site for package #4 and always treated me with respect.

http://toyotasilverspring.darcars.com/l ... cle_search

 

[blubrid]

Interesting ... I bought my '04 Prius (Seaside Pearl, #7) from a DarCars dealership (Toyota of Frederick, MD). While the experience wasn't perfect, the price was fair -- MSRP plus the lowest processing fee ($100) in the DC metropolitan area (Virginia dealerships wanted up to $300). I paid about $23K for the AM package (#7) with the floor mats and cargo net.

Jay in Northern Virginia
Hybridizing since 11/17/03

 

[xravenx]

Interesting indeed. I am waiting on my Prius from 355 Toyota which is a DarCars dealership. I think this is down right disgraceful.

 

[walkingtall]

Darcars experience, Maryland

I bought my prius #7 pkg from Darcars in Silver Spring last month and was totally satisfied with the deal - total price just over $23000 including 7 year/100,000 warranty and maintenance package. Price was less than others I had called - AND the car was available the week I made my decision to buy in the color of my choice.

I'm also happy with the service system - I emailled them a request for a date and time for my 1000 mile oil change and got service at the time of my chosing!

Don't know why you had a higher quote - but when making ANY purchase I usually call as many sources as I can to comparision shop.

 

[macreative]

REALLY LOW - DONT USE NORTH HOLLYWOOD TOYOTA!!!

I was just at North Hollywood Toyota to place a deposit and they told me that they wanted $3000 minimum OVER INVOICE for the Prius and I walked out. They were really mean about it too -- totally unprofessional.

 

[xravenx]

I ordered a package 7 in Salsa red. What did you order Walkingtall?

THe 355 dealership was nice. They were not very knowledgeable at all though. One guy tried to tell me the Echo was a hybrid. I looked at him and smirked. I told him I liked the Prius more than the Echo, so I didn't have to call him out and make him look stupid.

My price quote was the MSRP price plus $100 processing, tags, title. No TAX!!! That is the great thing about MD, there is no sales tax on a hybrid.

 

[Joel]

Is it possible that they've made an error? Calling them crooks is pretty strong.

I just had to post this one. On another Prius forum I found that DARCARS Toyota located in Silver Spring, Maryland is asking $25,775 for a 2004 Package #1 Prius. What's worse is they lie and say that $25,775 is the MSRP. I looked it up and found that the MSRP for the Package #1 Prius in Maryland is about $20,690. These jerks are trying to get $5,000 over MSRP and think it is perfectly ok to lie to the consumer and tell them that the rip off price they want is the MSRP. What a bunch of price gouging jerks. Seems like a day doesn't go by that I don't thank my lucky stars that I found a Dealership that was fair and honest.

Some users say that we only post the bad experiences we have with Dealerships, well I do both. Where DARCARS Toyota is a bunch of crooks Soutar's Toyota in Barstow California gave me the best new car buying experience I have every had. I arrived at the Dealership at 1:00pm and was on my way with my new Prius by 3:00pm. They charged me exactly the MSRP plus the listed price on the Toyota site for package #4 and always treated me with respect.

http://toyotasilverspring.darcars.com/l ... cle_search

 

[blubrid]

It seems that the entire DarCars dealership system only has one really knowledgable Prius guy -- Joe Bushong Taylor (at the Frederick, MD dealership). He's their internet sales guy ... seemed to really know his stuff, owns a first generation Prius himself. He's very low key (a bit too low key for me).

I'm going for service at 355 Toyota (closer to my office in Rockville, MD). The Service dept. seems to be great (with one small glitch: My '04 had a steering wheel centering problem, and they came running into the waiting area screaming that the sky was falling -- everything was out of spec, etc. etc. -- only to find that their computer pulled up the '01-'03 alignment specs instead!) At least they caught it in time.

 

[macreative]

I went to Carson Toyota today and they were honest upfront, they DO want $4000 over MSRP. Is everyone charging over MSRP now?

Theres no hope for a prius in that kind of market.

 

[cybele]

I went to Carson Toyota today and they were honest upfront, they DO want $4000 over MSRP. Is everyone charging over MSRP now?

I'm sorry to hear how things turned out at Carson. My apologies.

If it makes any difference, I dealt with Dianne Whitmire, who is head of fleet and internet sales. I also just saw a posting from Dianne on the PriusChat board that says that she's telling anyone who places an order for a BC car that they won't get a 2004 model, that there's just no way that the orders will be fullfilled during this model year. So it looks like a lost cause there anyway.

 

[macreative]

Cybele,

Its so kind of you to share your experience with these dealers. It seems that every dealer varies so much!

I am on a waiting list in Irvine and I have only been on that list for a month. They told me four months, so heres' hoping!
I wanted to get on the waiting list of a few dealers, but its not pretty so far so I guess I just stick with this one.


-Robbie.

 

[mrv]

I went to Carson Toyota today and they were honest upfront, they DO want $4000 over MSRP. Is everyone charging over MSRP now?

Theres no hope for a prius in that kind of market.

was that Retail sales, or did you check in with internet/fleet sales? last I heard there was a big difference in pricing between the two.

 

[walkingtall]

xravenx
"I ordered a package 7 in Salsa red. What did you order Walkingtall?


I went in to test drive, told them what I wanted (seaside pearl pkg#7)
they checked inventory, and had one coming in the next day - I bought it on the spot, picked it up in 2 days! (purchased 1/4, delivered 1/6.
Only bad thing about the deal was my indecision had me buying the car less than a week after the decrease in tax credit - last year there was $2000 deduction, now its 1500. Oh, and it has the wheel lock things included - I would have been happy without them!

The saleman was a nice guy, but basically I knew more about the car from reading things online than he knew.

But the service department has a guy who has been working on Priuses for several years, so that counts, too.

At any rate, I'm happy with Darcars (Silver Spring,Maryland)

 

[walkingtall]

you know I was just rereading the original post and found it totally confusing - riffraft was angry with the price of the Prius AT SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND dealership so he bought one from a much better dealer IN BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA??????

 

[Pebble Beach]

Not that unusual at all actually. I know people who live in NY and have bought from California. On the hard to find cars.

 

[Riffraft]

walkingtall I posted because even though I was able to find my Prius at a fair price it just made me mad that this dealership (that was pricing the cars fairly about a month ago when I was checking them out) decided to try and take advantage of the situation by charging $5,000 over MSRP, but what really ticked me off was they were lying and saying that was the MSRP for the Prius with Package option 1.