I am looking to upgrade but waiting for the prices to go back to normal. How many months this will take you folks think?
the dealers around here now have some new ones on the lot. only a couple, but they had none for quite a long time.
What is "normal"? A Prius sells for MSRP with a wait list & buyers are happy to buy whatever comes on the lot even if it isn't quite what they want. This was normal from inception through 2006 & some periods thereafter (cash for clunkers one of them). 2008/2009 the market changed. Buyers started disappearing. 2009 production was cut short as the 3rd Gen was rushed out against the 2Gen Insight (my opinion). Gen2's on the lot were discounted. The 2009 MY was the first that had leftovers. The new 2010's were selling at MSRP in early 2009. As the market continued to circle the drain fuelled by negative & sensational publicity 2010's were discounted even down to invoice in 2010. Japan's natural disaster cut production which eliminated the surplus on the suppply side in 2011. So now, historically, things are back to "normal".
My friend bought a 07 in april 07 for 3k lower than the msrp. So that makes it below invoice. It is not impossible on a prius if you can haggle well. But last few months the prices were off the roof. Now they are returning back to midway between invoice and msrp. Last year I was getting only 14k tradein on my 09 with 30k miles whereas now I am getting 19k with 35k miles.
Prices coming way down here in LA. They were at $3-$4k above invoice 2 months ago- anf now a II is around $23,500. Still much higher than last year's August at around $22,500 but it's getting there! The big question is- when do the 2012s come out thus discounting the 2011s?
Nothing official, but see my reply to you here: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...now-about-2012-prius-changes.html#post1369676
