New To Sfbay Group? Say Hello Here!

I got my 06 Seaside package 8 a week and a half ago. I love it!! I live in Modesto, which is a few hours south of SF. I hope this is the right group to join.

 

Congratulations, and welcome to PC!

There is no established, ongoing SF/Bay Arera Prius group. Another member and I organized (I use the word loosely) the first meeting of owners in quite some time Oct. 30---at Crissy Field in SF, right by the Bridge---and only six people showed up. About another six who said they were planning to come, didn't---despite nice weather. And you could find six Priuses in any 4-square-block area of SF randomly! And so it goes.

There are a few members in the San Jose area and more around Gilroy and Monterey.

Best bet is to be an active PC participant and get to know members a little. That's how a couple meetups have started.

 

From what I've read on PriusChat and PriusOnline, most people are paying MSRP, especially for the 2006 models sold post Jan 1 2006 that are eligible for the tax credit and still eligible for the HOV sticker, so I wouldn't feel bad about paying MSRP if I were you.

Some walkins have actually paid a LOT more than MSRP, and on top of that paid an extra $995.00 for "special" paint protection (a wax job if there ever was one), and up to $2,400.00 for extended warranty, not to mentioned however they might have been stung on the financing charges.

The best prices I've read about in the Bay Area are those that paid a two or three hundred below MSRP, and this discount was afforded to the higher packages, like pkg 8. I paid a couple hundred below MSRP, and had two accessories put on the due bill at no charge. I didn't buy anything else but the car, no warranties, no service plans, no insurance, and no wax.

I didn't even give the dealer my Social Security number, and ripped in half the blank credit app (which they claimed was "required by law" for me to complete) before the sales manager's bulging and bewildered eyes. Yes, it is required by law for THEM to have me complete and sign, if they want to run credit checks on consumers legally. But it is not required by law for us to even look at that form, much less sign it, in order to buy a car. I had pre-arranged my own financing, so the dealership made no money on the "backend" of my deal.

And I find that this is a common experience among well informed Bay Area buyers. Cash to dealer, and get out of their lair as quickly as possible. But I know of no Bay Area Prius buyers that have been able to negotiate their 2006 models at any meaningful discount below MSRP. Frankly, $200-300 on a $29,000 purchase (for a pkg 8) is more symbolic than anything else.

 

Great to be a new member! Thanks all in the community who have shared your experiences!

I & my fiance put a deposit down at San Francisco Toyota today. And we are ready to purchase a 2006 Prius ASAP. We requested preference as "ANY"! She is likely to be hired by a second hospital next week and thus the ASAP demand. Can we really find a 2006 Prius to buy next week? SF Bay area Craiglist has a post per day from dealers with cancellatins or solicitations to join thier wait list (45-60 days, etc.). The sales on Geary Blvd. called and left a message--said they may have a Barcelona Red Package #3 for us in early Feb. and we promptly returned thier call, but when we got there within an hour after they left a message to put down the deposit- a manager said "too late somene else they caled and reached took it. (disappointing! --but they DID managed to reel in our deposit).

That's the first experience since looking with serious intent. A dealer at the Van Ness was fatastic at demo'ing the features to us a week ago. But the Geary guys are nice and in our neighborhood. They say they'll be doing thier best to find one ASAP. No kidding they have 20 on thier lot , they say are sold.

Anyone who cares to contact me with SF experiences or , especially directing us to an available car---Hey... WOW.. we'd appreciate it! I'll be searching Craigslist and calling Bay area dealers and will even fly to another city to buy. So, Thanks again.
V.

 

Hi everyone, just brought home our 2006 Option 8 and love it cept cant figure out the Bluetooth?

 

I've picked up my Super White '06 HK last week from Stevens Creek Toyota in Sunnyvale. Haven't driven it very far yet, but so far, I'm quite happy with the vehicle. Planning to keep it for, hmmm... a decade+ would be a good goal to shoot for, I think, barring a much superior tech worth switching to.

It's actually my first car -- all throughout graduate school, I relied on my feet, Pittsburgh's bus system, or the vehicles and kindness of friends and family. Now I can return the favors, as well as getting groceries on my own time...

Spent a lot of time reading threads here and elsewhere about the vehicle as part of the decision-making process. Lots of useful user experiences. Oh, and I'd persuaded a friend to take a test drive the same time I did; he should be buying his pretty soon as well.

Cheers from a new owner living and working in Mountain View.

 

Welcome to PriusChat.

Congratulations on buying the World's Best Car.

Good post.

Even better signature.

(Depending on what you think. )

 

Hi I picked up my 2006 Driftwood Pearl on Jan 21, 2006. Piercy Toyota in San Jose.

My co-worker got her's the same day but she went all the way to Tracy to pick her's up in the color (white) and pakage she wanted. We carpooled together on Monday Jan 23 to SF to get our Fastrack transponders so we could send in the paper work to DMV to apply for the HOV stickers. Still waiting for the check to cash I mailed it in the same day.

I love my car it. I am investing in the weather proof mats to put over the carpet mats and also a cargo liner for the back. Getting custom seat covers also. Want to keep the car as new as long as possible.

I drive from SJ to Los Altos Hills to work every day and so far I have counted six Pirus with the car pool stickers that seem to make the same drive as I do every day.

Lots to learn with this car, all the yellow warnings in the manual put me off so I just look up what I want to know rather than try to read the whole thing. Still on my second tank of gas and it is Feb 5th.

I love how easy it is to see everything on the dash.

These forums have been great helped me make my decision about buying the car and what to look out for when I got it.

Hoping to be in that car pool lane soon!

 

I've bought a 2003 Prius, got the fastrack kit the next day - and mailed the application for the clean air stickers - on 1.23....
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It's been two weeks and I was expecting that the DMV would at least have cashed my check by now - (not).... I'd used the automated email system twice with no response...then called DMV today and the person said 'Oh, it will take 6 weeks or so' and gave me a number (that's been busy every time I've tried it) to call (for what, I'm not sure) -
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How long is it taking people to get their stickers?
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RickJ in the Slow Lanes

 

Thanks for the welcome, V8CobraKid
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- still dmv has not cashed check / no stickers - and news is saying maybe they'll stop the program as early as March - Is it too soon to panic? I bought the Prius just for the access to the fastlane - it wasn't an economically justified purchase (my 2000 Acura was a wonderful car and I took a the normal bath on a trade in)....I did it for the access to the fast lanes and to save 40 min or so per day - so every day I don't get my stickers I'm less happy.
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however it is nice to have been getting 47.9 mpg instead of 22.5....won't make up the $$ cost for a long time though.....
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DMV, oh DMV - Why are you moving at such glacial speed...?
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RickJ in the Slow Lanes
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**Update: woo hoo! - the DMV cashed my $8 check on 2/6 - should have the stickers soon. . . . . . . .
***Update Friday, 2.10 - I've been informed that I have a package from the DMV at home - Mailed application evening of Monday 1.23 - received stickers Friday 2.10.......2 weeks + 3 days delivery time

 

I am in Oakalnd...Tideland Pearl. Totally loving the car. Have two friend who just bought one each after riding in mine..and another friend who got the Lexus hybrid.
I am trying to find somewhere to have my side moldings put on ( I want them put on correctly which means measuring which is why I am not going to do it myself).

 

Hey all, Whats up from the peninsula!
I got a '04 prius with HOV stickers and a ipod hook up that routs through the multy cd changer port.
I am a fairly new prius driver had mine about a year here in the bay and absolutly love the fact that you can fill up for about 20 dollars and go 400 miles.
But any ways we need to have a meeting i was thinking some time soon like on next saturday the 18th at in and out in burling game, time to be determined, whates every one think about that ?
-Chris
2004 Silver Prius HOV stickers, Ipod hook up B)

 

Hello all! Just picked up barcelona Red #6, had to go to Elk Grove to get it, but only took a week to find one. Now I have to get my deposits back from the local dealers

 

Hey man... whats go'in on?