Inventory is getting tight

I had my car at the dealer last weekend for a free car wash, and I looked around the lot briefly while I was waiting. I found two used Prii very similar to mine: 2010 package 3 with navigation and about 18k miles. Both were sticker priced about the same as my car was sticker priced when I bought it new a year ago, and those didn't have the sunroof like mine does.

 

Still some around here, two dealers last week quoting $24,010 which I think is probably right at MSRP for a Prius II (maybe $500 higher?).

I wouldn't pay over MSRP now, don't be a sucker. Gas prices are NOT going to continue up at the pace they have been and Japan production will get going again. There are numerous stories of people selling their children for Priuses in 2008 only to come out the other end having thrown thousands in the toilet.

 

I was at the dealership in September, where they automatically put a $5000 dealer markup on every Prius. The sales guy told me not to worry about it- he said some people don't care what they pay and pay it anyway, but our negtiations would start at MSRP (plus the $799 dealer fee, etc.).

I went back today, and was told they are not budging much on the dealer markup. Got the impression there would be some wiggle room, but the conversation would start at sticker price (Which includes the markup). They've now been priced out of my range, and I likely will stick with my '03 Forester for a few more years, and I don't want to buy anything coming from radioactive Japan til that all settles down. I'm afraid they may not offer the solar panel on the next gen, which would piss me off. Oh well.....

 

There's a couple dozen left here...in 3 dealerships.
I saw a BWP in a II trim for 24.6---which sounds pretty close to MSRP.

I'm not going to pay MSRP for a G3. A year from now when the PHVs come out (maybe!), the inventory will rise, and the demand will fall.
I'm planning to hang out for a while. If some cretin whams into one of my current vehicles we'll see what happens, (never say never...) but I don't see myself paying 25K for a G3-II.

 

fyi, middle of April, 2008, Prius inventory appeared tighter than even now. I test drove at that time, there were only 6 Pri's at Piercey. They had maybe 20 a couple days ago.

By 1st of June 2008, Pri's were a long wait to get, or take whatever came into dealer at MSRP or more.

 

I just looked at my paperwork. Paid $32500. Oops!

 

I stoped in at a Toyota Dealer in Fox Lake Ill.yesterday they have 23 in stock all colors all III'S asking sticker,w/life time drive train warrenty.

 

It contracted quite hard here a couple or few weeks back but now is mostly the same. Well, actually I think we were at 8,11,8 for three dealerships and those three are now at 1,13,1. The one with 13 somehow has very high stock, either nice connections or trying to gouge customers.

I'd quite possibly lease another one now if I could lease it at the price I leased my 2010 last year. $1750 out of pocket including first payment and the rest at $180/month. Savings in gas alone would cover half of that going from my other vehicle.

 

About 2 weeks ago, I sent an email to 17 different dealerships with an out-the-door offer on a 2011 Three, with zero additional options if possible, for $26,250 (puts it just about in-between invoice and MSRP). I knew I'd get some places playing hardball, but some of them were absolutely ridiculous. Of 17, only 3 gave me an actual offer. 2 of them were a little over my offer, and one was $3 under. The one that was $3 under had Paint Protection film, Rear Bumper Applique and floor mats, which put it closer to the invoice than my initial offer. I pulled the trigger on that offer, knowing I wasn't getting a better offer than that anytime soon.

For comparison's sake, one salesperson told me "we're selling for $1000 over MSRP." One tried to sell me a Two under the guise of a Three (until he slipped up and told me it didn't have JBL). Another guy tried to tell me that "even though Toyota has started production again, those vehicles will take 4 months to get here" (what about the Prii that were shipped just before the earthquake?). Most of them just tried to weasel me into the dealership by telling me they could make a deal but I'd have to come down to talk numbers.

Cars.com says there are 306 new Prii within 50 miles of my zip code, and I'm pretty sure that's down from 2 weeks ago. However, I think that's still a pretty sizable number, no?

 

I've been trying to get quotes within 2 hours for a III with solar package. Same experience - noone will give me an out the door quote. They quote me MSRP, or in one or two cases give me an "internet special" price about 6-800 lower, then tell me to come it to meet with them. I tell them I dont' want to to drive that far unless I know what I'm paying, and they don't respond. Now I've got someone interested in my '03 Forester and if I can get enough, I may be tempted to pull the trigger, but I won't pay over MSRP out the door. Just don't have the moola.

 

Just make sure not to get into situation where you are chasing the market.

Example:

It is $1000 to buy now, but you don't think it is worth over $900 and wont budge.
Wait a week and now it is worh $1200, but now you only think it is worth $1100 so you won't buy it.
and so on.

Same reason a lot of people lost their arses selling their homes. Put it on the market for $500k, was only worth $490k at the time. When the house dropped to $480k, they relisted at $490k. When all said and done, maybe they sold for $400k but if they had listed lower than $490k to begin with, then it wouldn't have been a shock.

Never chase the market. First make the calculated gamble on whether or not you think the Price of Prii is going to go up or down from where they are. Then decide to overpay now and underpay later, or wait it out and get a better deal down the road.

 

As soon as the earthquake happened I told my wife I was happy that we had just purchased our Prius III with Nav & Solar Sunroof. We paid $26200 for it with 0% interest for 60 months too. It's looking like a great deal now & we bought it because all the reports about gas prices approaching $5/gal in the future. I was looking the other day & I could sell it for more than we paid for it right now! All of your reports of tight inventory will remain for a while until gas prices drop or production can catch up with demand.

Back in 1984 I sold cars for a Toyota dealer in Pueblo, CO when the first Toyota Van & 4Runner came out. The dealer tacked on $4k to the MSRP for every one & we had a huge waiting list. I loved it as a salesman since I made 25% of profit.

 

I saw it first hand, 6 Prius at Fremont Toyota, a massive dealer who had 60 of them in January.

Starting to look at lot like Summer of 2008. Could it be worse this time around

So ridiculous that this car is not 2nd sourced after 10 years in US.

 

Yea, instead of Manufacturing the suv's in the usa, toyota shoul Manufacture the Prius line of cars here!

 

I'd rather pay a Japanese robot to assemble it. They make fewer errors.

 

Those robots work in Tennessee, too, though!

Purely from the automotive perspective the timing of that quake was really bad, as now the most fuel efficient car in the planet when prices are skyrocketing again is in short supply. And you combine unusually low supply with surely high demand and you have problems!

 

According to yesterday's Wall Street Journal, the value of the U.S. Dollar is dropping -- faster now than it was a few weeks ago. This causes imports (like petroleum, and like Japanese automobiles) to become more expensive even if there weren't any supply/demand and crippled production issues. We're paying for the "stimulus package" by watching the purchasing power of our currency drop.

 

I heard Toyota projects it will be at 30% production for 6 months. US factories have cut back to 3 days per week.