Bids received for Prius Three with Solar Roof Package - Chicagoland

Hi there,

I am new to the forums and I had been researching the Prius for a while. I emailed dealers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan and obtained several quotes for a Prius Three with solar moonroof package, carpet mats with a MSRP of 28,300.

The best bids are consistent and around $25,100, one dealer offered to beat all other quotes. This is before taxes, and the cash back incentive of $1,500. The OTD cost should be around $26,000 before negotiation.

What do you think about this ? How low can I push the dealer when I stop by to negotiate?

Also, I ran some math and I didn't see any considerable savings between the Prius Three with solar roof package and a Toyota Camry. The MPG is competitive and it would take about 50,000 - 70,000 for the prius to catch up with the Camry. This is using only the MSRP between both vehicles.

Now, what do you think about the cash back deals? Will they return?

I will test drive them again tonight. I know this is a Prius forum, but any tips would be much appreciated.

F

 

The offer is either $1500 or 0%. I'm planning on putting down 10K and getting a 1.49% apr loan from my credit union. I guess the test drive tonight may tip the balance between the Camry and the Prius Three.We have one child, but several nieces/nephews, so the larger Camry has some appeal.

I wish the prius could fit three car seats comfortably, a few inches could've made a huge difference.

F

 

In fact, I brought three car seats to the dealer. They fit, but it was very tight.

It's all about the wife. This car is mostly for her. Bummer, I did so much research and negotiated with the dealers. This was a lot of work. Either way, I will email them to get quotes on the Camry LE so I can compare and make an educated decision. My wife had a few doubts about the Prius and seemed to like the Camry. Anyway, I hope to get a Prius, but we will see.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

New Prius Three with Solar Roof Package and carpets with an OTD of $26,000


What do you think ? Is this a decent deal?

 

Zip code 60618 indicates $23,500 to $23,800. I got them down to $25,150 and then $1,500 cash back, taxes, registration, etc. So it seems true car is accurate at $23,700, but I doubt they would've recognized that price if I hadn't reached out to 20 dealers through email.
I was not done negotiating. One lady offered to beat and match them all by $200, so I feel I can go down at least $500 more if I show up with cash in hand.

 

Summary of Test Drive

After test driving the cars side by side, we realized that the Prius is louder than the Camry and Corolla, and it "rattles"after hitting some potholes and uneven surfaces. The car is not as quiet as the other two, and it doesn't have a smooth feeling to it. I could hear the wind noise at 45 MPH. Also, my wife said that "the steering wheel seemed disconnected from the wheels." I am glad that wasn't the case! The Prius hatchback is a great option and the mileage is awesome.

Overall, I could do with those "flaws", for I think the Prius is a fun car, but my wife thinks otherwise. We installed three car seats in the Prius and that was tight. With two car seats, grandma can't be in the back. Alright, the wife mentioned a dreaded minivan after this point! Scary!

The Camry provides a more comfortable ride, and I can clearly see it has more space. The trunk is smaller than the Prius. I think the Camry is a boring car.

The Corolla looks and feels cheap. However, without the $1,000 cash back offer, it doesn't make sense to purchase this car instead of the Camry. The cost difference is not considerable in light of the comfort gains.

What else? The truth is that I have no clue. I did so much research on the Prius and I loved it. I even had it selected: Prius 3, with the solar roof, pearl sea glass color with carpet mats or all weather mats. Everything changed after the test drives on Saturday, and Monday night.

For fun and image of sustainability I would go for the Prius. However, I need a tax brake from uncle Sam, a 5k would do please!

For comfortable road trips, I would select the Camry.

The Corolla makes no sense in this study. We even considered a used Corolla with 3K miles, it just didn't make the cut.

I created a spreadsheet showing how it will take 75,0000 for the Prius to catch up to the Camry. This excludes the resell value, and it shows the best bids I received so far.

Question:

What is the environmental impact of 600 gallons of gasoline? This will be the savings of the Prius after 50,000 miles over the Camry.

Peace,

F

 

Yes, Grandma, the kids and the nieces are key factors in the equation, but also cost.

I wish the Prius was a little more "solid" and wider, I had my hopes up. Maybe I will get a "Prius beater", but that is another topic and further research is required.

 

Well, I went "kamikazee" on the Prius, researched, negotiated, and I was about ready to pull the trigger when my wife and I had second thoughts.

Yes, we've only looked at Toyotas so far. Mostly because we loved the Prius, and now because the cash back is about to end, so we feel a little pressured. We haven't looked at anything else, and are about to put this research on hold. If it doesn't feel right, we won't do it.

I was looking forward to driving the Prius, but things change. Maybe we are just being too cheap.

 

Well,
I may have found the best no haggle deal. Even with flying there ( $180) and driving back to Chicago for 10 hours ($80 in gas). However, it's not worth to only save $200 or so.

Camry Inventory at Jim Barkley Toyota serving Asheville NC