[mgaelli]

I just got a call today from the dealer that my Prius will be here in two weeks. I'm very excited!

I was wondering what people's experiences with pricing were. I found some info in a few discussions, but I was hoping to to get a pretty extensive list here.

Markus

 

[Brian]

Well, hopefully they won't have a very big mark-up. They most likely will have a small one though. Just try to get it as low as you can. Good Luck and have fun with it.

 

[woemcats]

$3K over seems to be par for the course. I paid it, somewhat foolishly, but then, I didn't have to wait even one day to get one.

I'd previously been looking at a diesel VW Beetle, which was (all told) about 10K less, albeit with far fewer features (no alarm or DVD nav or remote start, ect). I bought the Prius almost without thinking (though I knew I wanted one). It took a while to get over the sticker shock, but the payments are manageable (probably $100 a month more than the Beetle), and it's a Toyota (reliable), not a VW (unreliable).

Would the Beetle have cost me the extra money in service over the life of the car? Doubt it. But I was planning on keeping that car for five years. Who knows how long the Prius will last? Hopefully for a lot longer than that. I have a si-year warranty, anyway. And thanks to an inheritance, I'll have the entire thing paid off in just over 2 years.

So... what was the question?

 

[Daniel]

The dealer mark-ups are the exception. You should pay MSRP and maybe $100 to $200 as a "document processing fee." I was given the price on mine (MSRP) when I paid the deposit. If you were not quoted a price when you paid your deposit you probably cannot force them to sell at or near MSRP, but IMO if they try to jack up the price they are sleazeballs and you should just walk away.

However, with luck they are decent, as most are, and will charge you MSRP and a very modest document fee.

They will also offer you all sorts of overpriced and worthless add-ons like fabric treatment and rustproofing. Tell them NO politely but firmly. Toyota has already rust-proofed the car and treated the fabric at the factory. They'll also offer to etch the windows and register the numbers, for a very high price, as "theft protection," which is useless because the engine is already imprinted with a registered number, so all this would accomplish is prevent a thief from stealing your windows!

And they'll offer you an over-priced extended warranty. But the entire hybrid drivetrain including the HV battery already has an extended warranty. So you'd be paying a lot to insure stuff that's pretty reliable anyway.

Good luck! You're going to love this car.

 

[mgaelli]

Well, I took delivery of my new car yesterday (Tideland Pearl #7) and I was very pleased with the way it was handled. I paid MSRP, fees (other than tax and license fee), and I was overall very happy with the dealership (Maplewood Toyota). I can defenitely recommend the dealership and (so far) the car! 8)

Markus

 

[rpm]

Well, I took delivery of my new car yesterday (Tideland Pearl #7) and I was very pleased with the way it was handled. I paid MSRP, fees (other than tax and license fee), and I was overall very happy with the dealership (Maplewood Toyota). I can defenitely recommend the dealership and (so far) the car! 8)

Markus

Lucky you! I've been waiting (Walser Bloomington Toyota) for a silver #7 for 4 months now. Walser charges $500 under MSRP. Not that this applies to you, but in response to the post 2 posts above, people should be aware that the $300 rebate from Toyota (for those who placed orders prior to the MSRP increase in March) is for people who end up with 2004 models...I don't believe I will get the $300 if my car ends up being a 2005...the letter seems clear on that.

 

[rpm]

oops my comment regarding the rebate was posted to this thread in error! sorry!

 

[mgaelli]

Don't give up the hope! About two months ago I inquired about when I could expect my car, and I was told, based on current deliveries, it would be October - December. Then suddenly it was here. I don't know if Toyota really increased production as they claimed, or if I was just lucky.
Anyway, don't despair and have fun when you get your car! 8)

Markus