Newbie buying my 1st brand new car (Prius) ever!

It is absolutely NOT true that you have to pay sticker price.

I was fed that line by my local dealer, and when I let them know I had another car on the line they offered me $500 off. But I'm getting over $1600 off at the other place, so I told them 'no.'

Regarding the Prius C, it depends on what kind of driving you do. For gas mileage, Prius C beats the regular Prius by a small margin in stop-and-go city driving. It does this by virtue of being a smaller car.

Regular Prius beats the C by a small margin in highway driving by virtue of it being more aerodynamic.

In any case, I didn't like the tiny back seat of the C.

 

You don't have to pay sticker price. In the Northwest, some dealer advertise a "no hassle, no negotiating" price. But even that is really negotiable. Everything is negotiable.

Emailing, or asking for a quote online, helps you in several different ways. First, you don't have to go to every single Toyota dealer in the area and spend hours of your time to try to get a price.

Second, you get to deal directly with the internet sales manager, or fleet manager, who usually has the authority to negotiate directly with you. That cuts out hours of the sales person taking your offer to the sales manager, giggling together behind closed doors, and then lowballing you, rinse, repeat. I ignored one email quote when the guy told me to come in and talk to one of the lot sales people instead of dealing directly with me. Nope. If I'd wanted to do that, I'd have walked in off the street.

Third, if you get a lower quote from one dealer, you can see if the other dealers will match it or go even lower. This last time, I got the same quote from all of the dealers, so I emailed back with, "what makes you the one I should buy from?" If you can't get a price drop, sometimes you can get an add-on.

If at all possible, try to negotiate up from dealer invoice rather than down from MSRP. That gives you a better idea of how much the dealer is actually making on the deal. I paid $100 over invoice for my 2012 Four.

If you need financing, if at all possible have it arranged before you go into the dealer. That will help you know if you are going overboard when those new car fumes start clogging up your brain. Plus you may get a better deal from your local credit union than you will from your dealer. Not always, but sometimes.

You didn't say if you have a trade in? If so, keep that a separate deal from the new car. A favorite dealer trick is to ask "How much do you want your monthly payment to be," and then muddy up the figures to the point that you have no idea how much you're paying for the new one or how much you're getting for the trade in, or even what your interest rate is. It's not a smart way to buy a car. Don't let them do it. Keep the deals separate. Do some looking around in Craigslist and such to see what cars like your trade-in are going for so you have a good idea what it's worth. Decide a bottom line under which you will not go, and stick to it, but do realize that you won't get as much on a trade-in as you would if you sold it to a private party.

Don't buy on the day that you test drive. Go home and think about it for a while, away from the sales pressures at the dealer. Then go back ready to negotiate.

The end of the month is a good time to shop, as dealers often are trying to hit quotas and may give you a better deal.

Don't be afraid to walk away if the deal isn't to your liking. There's always another car and another dealer. Don't buy a car that's not exactly what you want.

Most importantly -- have fun!

 

Make sure you try the PWR MODE in the regular Prius (driving mode switch to right of shifter) and realize the Prius c does not have PWR MODE.

 

We like our little Prius c. I have no problem with it as far as get up and go driving on highway or in town. But then, I'm no "Ricky Road Racer" either.

To us, the front seat area really doesn't feel much smaller than the 2003 Rav4 we once owned. There is a lot less storage room and head room in the cargo area and the rear seats aren't removable, like in the Rav4. But that's not why we bought our Prius c. Groceries fit just fine.

We worked 2 dealerships against each other for the OTD price. Our deal was actually made for the price of our trade in and so, on paper, we paid sticker.

Good luck with your purchase. Hybrid is the way to go, we're loving it!

Deb

 

Anything is possible if you are the one with the money.


As for the C, we just bought a C and two weeks later got a 12 Prius for our family.
Only had them about a month or so, and both are perfect.

The C doesnt have power mode, has a smaller engine and batt pack and all,
BUT it weighs alot less, so it has MORE pep, in my eyes.
Also, the Prius will be overall faster, but at the cost of mpg.

Both are great, both we love, both over 50mpg.

A new car will cost you, but you get full warranties and all that snazz.
So if you do plan on keeping it for 5-10 yrs or more, new may work out better.
That is my thoughts, YMMV


added, Also keep in mind, the C is the small version. And the economy.
I drive both and getting into the C I feel like it is a bit rough at times...
so the Prius is like luxury getting back into.

I still love the C over the full size on most days, but
the Prius is and was purchased as our family vacation...for long trips.
That is when it will count the most.