Here is some information received today from a dealer regarding the availability of the 2006 Toyota Prius in the Pacific Northwest Region: Package - % Allocated to this Region - Price * FE 5% $0 1. GY Side & Curtain Bags 15% $650 2. Not sold in our Region 0% 3. Not sold in our Region 0% 4. HG 40% $1,825 5. HI 10% $3,205 6. Not sold in our Region 0% 7. NL 10% $5,730 8. NW Same as NL 20% $6,890 I also saw a chart of colors to be delivered to the Pacific Northwest for the entire 2006 Prius model year, and here is what I remember (couldn't get a printout of it): Black 40% Super White 7% Driftwood Pearl 10% Classic Silver Metallic 20% Seaside Pearl 13% Barcelona Red 10% Silver Pine Mica 0% So if you want to have the best chance of getting a 2006 model earlier rather than later, order a package #4 in Black.
I bought mine in Sept for $24,940 and looks like the comparable 2006 will be $25,829. Not sure if back up camera and aux input is worth $889. 2005 Base price $21,275 Package #3 $1,100 Mats $186 Destination $540 Doc fee $45 Sub total $23,146 Sales tax $1,794 Total price $24,940 2006 Base price $21,725 Package #3 $1,475 Mats $186 Destination $540 Doc fee $45 Sub total $23,971 Sales tax $1,858 Total price $25,829
Actually, a number of us on PriusChat got our cars through brokers -- myself included. A very nice experience, and I got my Prius for a little under MSRP during the height of the 2004-2005 Prius demand. I still had to wait 8 months, but there wasn't any way around that unless you wanted to pay above MSRP. And it was only $250 extra. Worth the money, if you ask me.
But where is the extra 250 going that majically moves you furthur up the list?... the broker, or toyota?
Well, the $250 I paid was my broker's fee -- I hope it all went to him. And in my case, it didn't do anything to make the car arrive any sooner. My broker told me that he tends to work with specific dealerships; he brings them a chunk of business -- often steady business, which any retail business appreciates; and they deal straight with the broker. He told me that he has dropped business with a lot of car dealers because they tried to screw with him (and thus his clients); the Toyota dealership he got my Prius through was in Salem, Oregon (I'm in Seattle, WA), because he wasn't crazy about any of the Seattle dealerships. As to whether a broker can expedite delivery -- could be, though I'd have to see it. If he has a lot of clout with the dealership. But what he'd be doing is basically pulling Priuses that were delivered to the dealership "out of the queue" -- before the people who had ordered Priuses through the dealership. Sort of like "cutting in line". If I were a customer of the dealer who didn't go through the broker, I'd be fairly teed off.
Bob gets the car for you for 500.00 less than msrp rather than "more" like many dealers are nice enough to take from you. Brokers routinely get you a much better price because they don't have the overhead.. if you need the facilities of a dealer.. then you pay dearly for it.