Finally joined the Prius Prime family!

After many years of contemplating, I have a brand-new Prius Prime now!

I got a really good deal on the 2020 Prius Prime XLE Classic Silver Metallic plug-in hybrid: below the invoice price - $1500 rebate - $6000 federal and California tax credit. Regarding how little Prius and Prius Prime depreciate, this is practically for free. I also get parking benefits at the university campus where I work and of course great mileage, especially on electricity. I got the antitheft protection and exterior/interior detailing for free as well because they were already on the car and I refused to pay the $1800 they were asking for them. The 2020 model that just arrived from Japan has added the third back seat with some other nice changes.





Note: These are the Sony Studios (previously MGM Studios) in the background.

Some technical details on oil changes:

With the 2020 model they have changed the oil recommendation to TGMO 0W-16 SN/RC or equivalent. The disclaimer "An oil with a higher viscosity (one with a higher value) may be better suited if the vehicle is operated at high speeds, or under extreme load conditions." is there as for any other Toyota. This car was made in August in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan, and the oil used is likely a Japanese brand -- it says 100% Japanese parts as typical with Toyotas made in Japan. Curiously, despite the viscosity changing from 0W-20 to 0W-16, the combined EPA MPG rating remains the same at 133 MPGe/54 MPG for electricity and gasoline, respectively.

They give two-year free maintenance; so, the first two oil changes will be done at the dealer. They actually made me buy a three-year extension but I will probably cancel it. I have a dislike for cartridge oil filters but very gladly they made a change and it uses the 90915-YZZF2 spin-on oil filter now instead of the cartridge oil filter as in the past. Oil drain plug and gasket are 90341-12012 and 90430-12031, respectively, per http://parts.toyota.com/.

I am very happy with my decision and my Prius Prime XLE, including how the car drives and feels, trim level, color choice, and price!

 

TrueCar! You create an account on TrueCar and ask for a quote. I got a call from a local dealer immediately that night with a price below invoice. Another local dealer called in the morning and they wanted to match it and even go lower when I told them the other dealer's price.

However, when I showed up at the dealer, they tried to make me buy $7000 worth of add-ons and warranties. I pretty much declined them all and as a result got the add-ons that can't be removed (detailing job, door-ding protection, and GPS theft protection) pretty much for free.

 

Thanks!

"Theft Patrol," which uses the car's GPS and Verizon-based SIM card to tell you where your car is through an app or the web. They were asking $995 for it. It's certainly a good thing to have.

The external and internal wax/detailing job is called "Perma Plate" and they claim it provides three-year appearance protection. They were asking $795 for it.

The door-ding and door-handle protection is called the "Clear Shield Package." It's transparent thick plastic around the door edges and I suppose the door handles. They were asking $395 for it.

At the end I got all three for $395, which brought the price up to right near the invoice but I got the $1500 Toyota rebate; so, effectively I paid about $1400 below the invoice or $2700 below the MSRP with these three add-ons included.

 

Yep, I wouldn't buy it either. However, at the end they included it for free. It helps reduce your insurance premium a bit though.