What's a fair price to pay for a new 2006?

I don't know of anyone paying above msrp in Chicagoland...

But I wouldn't expect to find a discount as long as you can't find the cars on the lot and there is a 5 month stack of people on waiting lists..

Let us know what you come up with.

 

Only one of the dealers I contacted (almost a month ago now) in Chicago wanted more than MSRP, and I quickly moved on. Both dealers I eventually bought from went straight MSRP.

The only dealer that was talking below MSRP was the one in Monroe, WI (a small rural community) who was going $500 below MSRP to entice people from Madison, Rockford, etc., to drive over there. They had a 6-9 month wait as of late May, though.

I bought the #5 from Fox Lake (Curt H.) and the #7 from Elmhurst (Rob S.) and would recommend either (salesman's name in parens). Straight MSRP and short waits.

 

You might try dealers in the western and southern part of Illinois in smaller towns (Moline, Effingham). Also look out of state to Wisconsin and Indiana, again smaller towns. You could also try my dealer up in Escanaba, Michigan - Riverside Town and Country. Last I heard they would cover your transportation to them and give a break off MSRP.

Wayne

 

Prius - list price.

Why is there a discount on the Escape?
Have you test driven the Hylander?

 

Just a caution about going out of state (especially to WI) - in my experience Illinois was more consumer-friendly than Wisconsin. If you want to read the whole experience look under dealers & pricing forum for my post advising Wisconsin folks to buy in Illinois. Briefly, your deposit can be only taken in WI if you sign a purchase contract (this is state law), and if you break a purchase contract you might have to pay up to 5% of the vehicle cost as a penalty (allowed by state law). You will probably find the penalty provision pre-typed on the purchase contract. If you do decide to join a wait list at a dealer in WI, therefore, be sure that you get the penalty provision crossed out (and initialed) and that they put in writing that the deposit is unconditionally refundable! Unless you're buying off the lot that day, there are plenty of other dealers where your deposit is refundable to deal with one who is non-refundable and on top of it will charge you a penalty! Don't limit your choices in that way, and remove all incentive for that dealer to get you a car more quickly.

I don't know about Michigan. FWIW I was told in Illinois that the deposit is always refundable. IANAL, but this is what the sales guy told me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Taco Mel @ Jul 6 2006, 11:49 AM) [snapback]282070[/snapback]</div>

I just got mine over the weekend. Everyone I was talking to was at MSRP. (Ended up buying at Elmhurst - they had what I wanted on the lot, ready to go.) My sales guy told me that Naperville was charging $2K over MSRP, but I'm not sure I believe him.

Also, I talked to several dealers and it seems the minimum wait is going to be 3 months, unless you get lucky.

 

Don't know about Chicagoland, but was able to get $250 off list on a package #3 2006 Prius in the San Francisco Bay Area using the Costco Auto Buying service (free to all Costco members).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(meezercat @ Jul 6 2006, 06:48 PM) [snapback]282266[/snapback]</div>

Of course, you make your own luck, or at least increase your odds, by making phone calls. Lots of phone calls. 95% of the dealers said it was going to be 2-3 months (or more). I politely thanked them for their time and moved on to the next one on the list. As long as you can live with the rejection, and realize that it doesn't matter how many times you fail because you only need to succeed once, you can almost certainly find something a reasonable distance from your home that will be in within a month. I probably called about 50 dealers - and was told 48 times that there was nothing available. I suspect that demand might pick up now as last-minute buyers try to get their cars before September 30, though.

Naperville might have been the one that had mentioned a "market adjustment factor" now that you mention it. I recall that it was one of the southwest suburbs so maybe that was it. Maybe they can get away with it in Southern California, but you should be able to get MSRP in Chicago.

 

Fox Toyota in Rochester, MI (Detroit): $500 off MSRP for a black #7.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Taco Mel @ Jul 6 2006, 08:12 PM) [snapback]282305[/snapback]</div>

I agree, but $500-$1000 below MSRP (per original post) is not going to happen. Not around here.

 

I know nothing of current pricing, but the difference between the Prius and the Escape is glaring: Prius is built by one of the most reliable auto makers in the world, with a decades-long reputation for reliability. Escape is made by the company that gave you the Pinto, with its exploding gas tank, and which is universally chided with the all-too-true joke that its initials stand for Fix Or Repair Daily.

Most cars are priced artificially high, so dealers can bargain down to give you the false sense of paying less, while at the same time fleecing people who don't know how to bargain.

It is my considered opinion that the Prius is priced low for its value, in order to help it break into a market skeptical of new technology. This leaves dealers little room to bargain.

You can get a "discount" on an Escape, compared to a Prius for the same reason that you can get a "bargain" at Walmart on a pair of jeans made in China, compared to a pair of Oshkosh jeans made in the USA.

Quality.

 

Just yesterday, I took delivery of my '06 Silver Pine Mica #7. I paid MSRP. The dealer here was very firm about it, no wiggle room, but they got a bonus allocation and have a few sitting on the lot. If you are near Memphis, TN you should call Wolfchase Toyota and ask for James Miller.

Best of luck!

 

Hello All. This is my first post and I feel as though it may be the only subject I'm qualified to comment on, as a new Prius owner. I've been looking at Prius for 5 years now, but 3 weeks ago I decided to commit after several months of research and observing sites about Prius. I knew I wanted the HID lights, bluetooth and good stereo, but feel any "on-board" GPS system will be antiquated and not improve resale because everyone will have one on their phone (I use the Samsung sch i730) in the future. And leather is played out. So, that meant PKG # 6 for me. One catch, WA, OR, ID and MT dealers can't get package 6 and I live in Seattle. :angry:

I must have called or emailed 50 dealers from Vancouver Canada to San Fran. Guess what? A week ago, I called Reno Toyota and spoke to Charles Nied. I told him what I was looking for. He called me back within two hours and HAD MY CAR! No poop. No wait, no arrogance, the color, the package AND he even facilitated the tinting and my getting the wheels I wanted from a company in Florida. I paid my deposit via CC and it was a done deal. The only reason I'm picking it up on the 24th of July was that I needed to coordinate my schedule to fly down.

You guys looking and waiting, should call this guy and tell him what you want and that the guy he sold the Prius to in Seattle was raving about him, see if they can help you.

I'm pumped. I posted the pic he emailed me of the car on the lot. B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ucla95 @ Jul 6 2006, 11:59 AM) [snapback]282036[/snapback]</div>

Sorry this post is so long, but I think it's worthwhile if you are seriously looking. This came up today on a google search I did looking for the details on the new recall:

http://www.blackenterprise.com/yb/ybopen.a...blackenterprise

This article says discounts available. <_< I have my doubts, starting 9-30 the tax credit gets cut in half, so you will lose $1550 if you wait too long, my guess is as the word gets out about the tax credit cut demand will only go up.

This is my experience:

I bought 2006 #3 in april. Used internet contact to deal with all the dealers I thought it would be worth travelling to. All were willing to delete the options added at port (jacksonville, fl) such as window tint, smart mirror, floor mats, toyoguard if expected arrival at least 4 business days away.. This could add up to more than $2000. If it was already on the lot (there were a few) than no negotiation, it was take it or leave it.

When it came to my trade they tried to lowball me by several thousand. I had gone to carmax first to get a good test drive (dealers here would not let you put much milage on during test drive) on an used 2004. Got the appraisal from carmax on my trade and it was at least $500 more than new dealer offered, but when I countered with carmax quote they matched it.

When it came to buy, I got as good a deal as I expected to get. My credit union has a free buying service where an experienced former car salesman would go as a "hired gun" knowing the credit union had approved the loan. I told him I was getting a fair offer on trade per nada.com and kbb and edmunds (averaged them) and no markup beyond MSRP and he said that's all he could hope for so don't waste time, if you are getting what you want in the car grab it.

I had given the first dealer I talked to a $500 deposit on a car that pretty much matched what I was looking for that due to arrive 5 days later. Having talked to the other dealers I found if Iasked to have the dealer "frills" (smart mirror and toyoguard) deleted, but by the time I got my car in for trade appraisal to dealer with "deposit" it was too late to delete. To see if there was more room to move pricewise I told him the other dealer had same thing without frills coming in 2 days later if I signed with them today. Toyoguard lists for $699, I'm guessing dealer cost ~$250. Told him I would pay half of the markup on the things I didn't want, figured cover his cost. He didn't bite or even counter offer, so fair trade-in and msrp plus all the dealer fees was as good as I could hope for. Did get my $500 back with some stress!

Having gotten tired of arguing with my wife as to who gets the prius, we decided to go all hybrid. Emailed all the dealers again, plus 1 I didn't get to the first time. Told them I already had a prius, was not trading in, had credit union financing approved, knew the dealer frills could be deleted. What were their dealer fees so I could compare them? thinking no hope of dickering on price.

Dealer I never got to first time came back with "all our cars come with toyoguard". All the dealer fees were about the same ($600-700), none suggested being willing to budge on MSRP. Prius #2 comes in Friday! B)