Ordered a 2006 in Richardson, TX

Glad to hear you didn't get screwed by them.
I avoided them like the plague when I bought
my Prius.
Now if I hear a story like this about Toyota of
Plano, I'll be especially impressed.

Esther

 

Enerjazz - Appreciate your info on the board. I live in Southlake and am looking at an 06 Prius. Texas Toyota in Grapevine seems to want a $2K premium. Would very much like to solicit your advice on area dealers and the rural ones you talked about. I just sent you a pm and would love to hear from you.

Thanks in advance.

 

I'm moving back from Los Angeles to Texas and was wanting to order a Prius. So, I contacted every darn dealer in from Austin to DFW to Texarkana/Tyler/Longview, etc. Here are the offers I receives, the location, and the person I dealt with. I haven't bought/ordered yet, but my favorite dealerships are in bold. Let me know if anyone got better offers from those or other dealerships.

* Fowler Toyota (DFW): MSRP --> Ken Clark
* John Eagle Sport City (DFW): $1,000 over MSRP --> Karim Padamsee
* Toyota of Dallas (DFW): $3k over MSRP --> Clarence Hawkins
* MetroPlex Toyota (DFW): $300 under MSRP --> Natalie Kopp (does a great job w/ cust. svc)
* Toyota of Irving (DFW): MSRP --> Kurt Jenson
* Toyota of Plano (DFW): $5k over MSRP --> Danny Cantu (suspect cust. svc)
* Don Davis Toyota (Arlington): MSRP --> Hal Norman (very good at cust. svc)
* Toyota of Lewisville (DFW): $1,500 over MSRP --> (firm price, won't budge - email you lots and lots of ads & promos)
* Vandergriff Toyota (Arlington): poor customer service --> Sam Bunte
* Texas Toyota of Grapevine (DFW): $2k over MSRP --> Art Tillman
* Toyota of Ft. Worth (DFW): $1,500 over MSRP
* Champion Toyota (Austin): MSRP --> Don Rutter (12-14 mo. wait)
* Charles Maund (Austin): MSRP --> Bill Kipfer (excellent cust. svc)
* Classic Toyota (Austin): MSRP --> Jacque Peery-Clark (good at following up)
* San Marcos Toyota (Austin): $500 over --> Cindy Leiser (not responsive to e-mails)
* Robins Toyota (Texarkana): MSRP --> Edgar Short (unprofessional - ask for Mike Moulton instead)
* Toyota of Longview (Longview): MSRP --> Kurt Hill/Steve Kelly
* Marshall Toyota (Marshall): MSRP --> Richie Soares (college girl that will go beyond the extra mile to take care of you)
* Classic Toyota (Tyler): MSRP --> Michael McLaughlin (sends more ads/promos than he gives personal attention)
* Jeff Hunter Toyota (Waco): MSRP --> Billy Kitchens
* Don Ringler Toyota (Temple): MSRP --> Kelly Smith
* Toyota of Killeen (Killeen): no quote --> Keith Archer (very unprofessional, arrogant, the worst I dealt with)
* Toyota of Richardson (DFW): $500 over MSRP --> Mario Rodriguez (substandard cust. svc)

Has anyone had any good/bad experiences w/ any of the ones in bold?

 

I just want to reaffirm your impressions of Bill Kipfer and of Classic Toyota. I've had a few conversations with Bill at Charles Maund, and he's been very attentive in email, as well. He told me that their process is to send out email/call folks on their list when a shipment arrives, and it's then a race to the dealership to put your deposit down. He let me know that they had 8 priuses at the beginning of February, and I had a chance to run down and grab one, if any of them had been what I was looking for.

At Classic Austin, I dealt with Riley Stevens, and he took my deposit up front and told me that they had a 3-6 month average wait. He called me a week ago and told me he had my car coming in at the end of the month/start of next, which would make it about a 6 week wait for me, there.

Both dealerships are MSRP as you say, and both seem to be respectful and certainly convenient for the Austin area.

 

Ah, yes, the $1000 floor mats. Charles Maund had one of those that they were trying to get rid of, and they called me up and left a voice mail about it a couple of times after I had expressed interest on their website.

The dealer inventories shown on the local dealers' web sites don't always have these, though, so I can't imagine they'd be able to claim lack of control over it.

 

It looks like you guys have pretty much covered the waterfront as far as North Texas Toyota dealers. I bought my 2005 Prius almost a year ago and I was completely turned off by every Dallas area dealer I dealt with. I ended up buying my car from Colorado and they trucked it to me for $500. I got exactly the car I wanted at MSRP with no wait.

As far as rural dealers, I did have a very positive impression of Durant Toyota in Weatherford, TX. At the time I was dealing with Jerry Carroll and he was willing to order a car without the port added options and sell it to me at MSRP. At that time, the wait was a bit vague and open ended, so I went ahead and bought from Colorado. I was very impressed with Durant, though, so if you are looking to "buy locally", you might want to contact them and see what you can work out.

One of my friends was so impressed with my car that he ended up buying one of the last of the '05s from one of the Virginia dealers that "sponsors" on here. He was exceptionally happy with the way he was treated. I would have liked to have purchased locally, but I have yet to come across a DFW Toyota dealer that I would be happy dealing with.

 

Great job - it must have taken a lot of work! I have just started dealing with Mario at Toyota of Richardson. My purchase is about 2 months away so I will keep everyone on the board updated. I was also told by Mario that the TCamryHybrid is due out by April, so I would be interested in that as well. Let us know who you went with finally.

Robby

 

So, I just picked up a Silver package 7 from Classic Toyota. The experience was reasonably good, but they did put on the $1000 floor mat package, and the salesman went into hardball mode when I asked about paying invoice on the option package that I hadn't asked for.

At which point he naturally played the 'hey, I've got customers waiting for this car' card, and told me that the dealer didn't go below retail on the Prius, option package included.

He did tell me that he was sorry about the miscommunication, which was transparently bogus.

I caved, naturally enough, and now have a very nice car. Something to keep in mind if you're thinking about dealing with Classic, however.

 

I just switched to dealing with Natalie Kopp at Metroplex Toyota and she has been a real pleasure to work with. Quotes all prices on the phone, no games. All of a sudden there seem tobe great deals in the DC area - 2200 off MSRP????

 

I need to buy a car for my daughter in a college in Provo, Utah by May or June. She will have a summer internship in Irvine, CA. Our choice for her is a Prius.

The idea to buy a car across the state is very appealing. Instead we buy a car in Dallas and drive it to her. Actually she can pick up the the car directly in Utah and then dirve to California. She is a student working hard and we really want to spare her from the trouble of buying a car that may very well in a waiting list.

Could you teach me how to buy a car out of state? I can think of questions like these: How to locate a car over there with a right price? How to make an offer? How to sign a contract? I think my credit union should be able to wire money- How to conduct money transaction? Anythins else I should pay attention or be concerned? I am sure there are a lot of issues to work out.

Thank a lot.


Long (Plano, TX)

 

Hi Long

When I was shopping for my Prius, I quickly learned that I was having very little luck contacting the North Texas dealers where I live. I began a fairly active calling and emailing campaign contacting dealers as far away as Lubbock, San Antonio and Houston, as well as various points in between. No luck, although I must say that the dealers in Lubbock, San Antonio and Weatherford were much more pleasant to deal with than the sorry group of dealers in the Dallas area, but, alas, they had no cars and no prospects, much like the Dallas dealers.

I then began reading more closely the sponsored commercial posts here and on priusonline as well as the buying experiences of fellow board participants and realized that sometimes it is easier to "go to the mountain" than expect the mountain to come to me I noticed that the motherlode of Prii seemed to be in the Virginia area, and I was waiting to hear from them about the car I wanted, a 2005 pkg 6 in Salsa Red. I also checked with Ehrich Toyota in Colorado and they had the car inbound, or were able to secure it, and we were able to strike a deal at MSRP, which was as good as I could do a year ago, within a day or so. What a difference a dealer makes They offered to either ship the car to me for $500 to my front door (Dallas) or meet me at the Denver airport. They overnighted the contract and I sent it back, with the necessary signatures and the balance of the funds due (there was an initial deposit of $1k on my credit card when we agreed to the deal). When I received the car, I simply took the paperwork to the local DMV/Tax Collector and registered the car and paid my Texas sales tax and had the car inspected. No problems and I got just what I wanted in about a week and love the car

I have since pointed a friend to one of the Virginia dealerships and he bought a Prius from them and couldn't have been happier with his transaction, but that may be too far to the East for your needs.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

 

Randy,

It seems to be a rule rather than an exception that a prius in stock or that is coming into Texas dealership will add a pork(port) package costing at least $1k.

Does cars in other states such as Colorodo or Virginea have similar add-on? - accoding to your experience.

Regards

Long

 

We sat down and got a quote for a 2006 Prius 2006 a MSRP ($21725) at the same store where your wife purchased. Total is $24185, including #4 pakage ($1825), and destination $635. No "pork" package or a floor mat.

I have not put down a deposit.

Now we wonder what are other costs that I need to play before I can drive out the car. My wife and I want to learn so that we will not be foolish to think everything they will tell us beyond the above price is normal and non-negotiable.

Thank for sharing.

Long
They agree not to inlcude a port package.