Considering Prius v - Questions?

As far as I know, the ATP package is only available on the Five... and that comes with Softex seats. I do not share your dislike of leather... in fact, I like leather a lot, so I am not a good judge in advising you there.

/Jim

 

The Prius models all sell for pretty much full retail. Dealers rarely honor price quotes from the national web sites, or even from Toyota.com. Your best value will be in a new 2014 that's been sitting on the lot for up to a year. BUT, only the 2015 will have 0% financing available. So if you need to finance, the 2015 might ultimately cost less even at full retail. 0% financing promotions come and go throughout the year. Units with the ATP almost never get discounted. If you can get one for $36K consider yourself lucky.

As for Softex, give it a chance. Its nearly bullet-proof and stain-free.

 

I didn't bother pricing cars... I just used a "fleet service" type of plan to buy one with no haggling. A good negotiator might do better... but haggling isn't worth my time.

I bought mine as follows:

$30,935 - Prius v Wagon Five
$ 395 - Blizzard Pearl paint
$3,335 - Advanced Technology Package
$825 - Prep, handling, processing
--------
$35,490 - MRSP
$31,679 - My actual cost (incl. cash-back discounts)

My total included two independent (and stackable) $1000 Toyota discounts. The first was offered by Toyota Motor Corporation and was valid till March 2, 2015 and also included a two year no cost maintenance plan, with free roadside insurance. The second $1000 discount was just for 3 days during Valentines day weekend. What I didn't realize was that the second discount was contingent upon financing and was being offered by Toyota Finance Corporation. The choice was either 0% financing or, normal financing and the $1000 stackable discount. I had not planned to finance at all.

I took the cash discount, paid the majority in cash, and left just a bit to finance. There is zero prepayment penalty, so I opted for the shortest term for first payment (30 days), and I will pay off the entire contract at that time. So... if you include total finance charges, I might pay an extra $20 or so for carrying that small balance for 30 days... but doing so saved me an extra $1000.

I also think that $32,679 with 0% financing would also have been a good deal... but I like to live debt free and also didn't want the nuisance payment each moth.

/Jim

I think things are different now with cheap gas. Large cars and motorhome sales are up again... and green cars are available with discounts. I don't expect this to last long.

/Jim

 

I test drove the 2012 when it came out and was disappointed by how noisy it was on the road. Also, it lacked a power seat. I test drove a 2015 in early January and was surprised how quiet this one was . I was also happy that a power seat had been added as well.

I was impressed enough to order one right after the test drive, I hope to have it by June.

 

I am surprised you have to wait. I bought mine on Friday evening, and drove it home first thing Saturday morning. There seem to be tons of them in the system. Are you special ordering a non-standard set of options? My requirement was simple. Model Five with ATP. There were many of them in stock in the Pacific Northwest. I had a choice of several colors.

/Jim

 

I don't particularly like the Softex in our 2012 Prius v Five/ATP. IMO, it is "clammy" like typical vinyl upholstery and nothing like real leather. It's my wife's daily driver and she likes the Softex

My wife paid about $4,000 under retail when she bought the 2012 Prius v but that was in August, 2012 near the end of the model year. I observed the negotiation; wife is a CPA and it was "all business". It was a no-trade-in / cash deal except for my wife charging as much as the dealer would allow on a credit card to get frequent flyer points.

I bought my special order 2014 Sienna Limited/ATP last March through the Costco Auto Program. I've bought many new vehicles and the Costco transaction was one of the most pleasant. I got nearly $7,000 off retail in a no haggle, no-trade-in / cash deal except that I also charged as much as the dealer would allow on a credit card to get frequent flyer points. I don't know if the Costco program always works as well as it did for me but it sure was easy. You have to be a Costco member and you must contact Costco which will make arrangements with a participating auto dealer.

 

I also used the Costco program... but I was disappointed in at least the way my dealer handled the process. In particular, It was was too hard to obtain the negotiated price. After registration through Costco, I almost immediately got an email from the dealer offering to set up an appointment. When I called, I requested the pre-negotiated price over the phone but was told that I must come in and show my Costco card first. No problem... but when I got there, it was still like pulling teeth. Ultimately... we could not get the price until after we filled out paperwork, had them run a credit check, etc. You might think they would have backed-off as soon as they saw that my wife and I had the best credit scores ever seen by this dealer... but they continued the cat and mouse games. Like you, this was a simple, no trade, no financing required deal. IMHO, their behavior was inappropriate for a pre-approved fleet type of purchase. I suspect they violated Costco's policies, but I am not certain.

When we finally got the Costco quote, it was ~$300 higher than a similar fleet program offered through a employee service program at my employer (which BTW gives you the price up-front via the web). The dealership immediately came down in price and matched the price without delay.

I had requested an exact car configuration (Blizzard Pearl Five wATP) zero dealer add-ons... but they tried to add-0n some charges for glass engraving and door edge protection claiming they were aready on the vehicle. My response was to get me one without the add-ons which caused them to immediately remove the charges. Then they tried to pressure sell me a front bra, which I also declined.

Financing was easy since we were wanting to 100% pay cash... except as previously noted, Toyota Finance Corporation was offering valentines weekend offer of either 0% financing, or $1000 additional cash back contingent upon normal financing. I took the $1000 stackable discount and paid the majority in cash in advance, with the clear understanding that I intend to pay off the car loan at 30 days when the first payment is due. The finance manager told me that the Toyota Finance does not like it when someone pays off the loan so early, but I re-confirmed that the contract allows pre-payment at any time with no penalty... and replied that they wrote the contract, not me... so what they like is irrelevant.

I tried to pay with a credit card for the added perks, but they declined. I didn't push it. In the end, I got a tad over $3,800 under MSRP which I thought was a fair price. I do think the process was a bit overdone given this was a Costco deal..

Costco also gives you a 50% off one time use coupon for an up to $200 savings off of Accessories, Parts, or Service. I'll be using mine to lower their outrageously priced $410 3rd SKS key fob, down to a merely expensive $210.

/Jim

 

I also used Costco to buy a 2012 Soul+ in April 2012. There was no contact, so I called them 2 days later. There was full disclosure of prices when my wife and I walked into the dealership. They also did not know we wanted a specific color either. The only car meeting our requirements was a shuttle vehicle, which was still listed as being for sale on their website, but wasn't for sale. So for the $1000 extras of EC mirror, spoiler, rear bumper protector, cargo mat, cargo net, etc. I negotiated to pay $200 over the excellent Costco price at the time.

Also I got a $50 certificate for filling out a survey and I spent it on their overpriced mud flaps, but still $20 cheaper than internet. Even with Truecar, AAA, Costco, fleet and others, there is always room if you negotiate hard enough.

I have always prepaid my loans without any penalty either with manufacturer or credit union within a few months to get rebates of $1500, $2000 etc. It's in the loan agreement and not what the dealer tells you.

 

I am in Canada, all they have here are base models. Only a handful of uplevel trims were sent to Canada. I want the Tech package (highest model, no other options) which is extremely rare here believe it or not. The car has to be built and shipped form Japan. The car is only being built next month

 

In 2012, they only offered Two, Three, and Five. I am glad they reorganized the naming.

Canadian options.

 

Sounds like you're on the Canadian site. Are you by chance using some kind of proxy or VPN service?

 

What if you try this url? Build a Toyota | Build a Custom Toyota Vehicle Package

/Jim