I'm torn. I last drove a Gen. 3 Prius, a 2013 that I got rid of in 2020. I absolutely love the styling on the new one. However, I can't test drive one before purchasing — none available on any lot where I live — and ordering would require a nonrefundable deposit of $500 to $1,000, money I'd prefer not to just throw away. In addition I have a fairly new car that I like, so I wouldn't be making the most financially smart move. Do I wish the new one had folding mirrors and mirror-integrated turn signals? Yes. It otherwise looks fantastic. On one shoulder, I'm hearing YOLO; on the other, it's a strong suggestion to wait a few years. But, man, the urge to get one is strong.
My advice would be to wait until they start producing a quantity where you can get a test drive. Seems like a great car, but there are some fit and comfort issues you really need to check out yourself
First question- NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT? RUN! All dealers get deposits and cancellations, and they're required to refund those deposits for a cancellation. I first went to a dealer with markups, and after paying my deposit, found a dealer with no markups, saving me $ 3k. I called the same day I put the new deposit, and the original dealer refunded me my deposit. Now, on to the 2nd- love my LE- do I wish I would have gone more upscale? Sometimes, but mostly so satisfied with the handling and power with this, and getting over 50 mpg??!! No brainer!
Isn’t this called the new car bug? I think it’s a very real thing. Maybe the only way to get vaccinated is to completely go away from looking reading or thinking about cars.
What do you mean by "required" to refund deposits? I asked about a very specific color combination and trim/options, and the dealership's explanation is that if I back out they've lost out on other prospects (which does seem like BS).
Yeah, I just had a Chevy dealership that only had non refundable deposits, I don’t think it’s illegal
Yeah, just to pile-on, that's likely illegal. Are you sure? Ok, maybe: https://vsabc.ca/consumers/get-information-about-vehicle-purchasing/buying-a-vehicle/deposits/#:~:text=Can%20a%20deposit%20be%20non,with%20the%20transaction%20as%20agreed. Lousy time to be new vehicle shopping...
If you are willing to do some research on line you may be able to get a car with the options you like and color by combing through the inventory on this spreadsheet. There is a video of YouTube of the guy who put the spreadsheet together talking about how he pulled the data from the Toyota site and how it updates regularly. One down side to this approach is that you may have to travel to make the purchase. I helped my brother in law find a Sequoia which he had been trying to get at a local dealership asking for a mark up and making promises on delivery dates and breaking them. Ended up having to drive his new car back from Vegas to the Bay Area but he got the trim and color he wanted in about a month by locating the car on the inventory spread sheet. Ordering, with a non refundable deposit, then waiting works too. The non refundable deposit seems to be out of the ordinary as far as I can tell.
They're not a lot of options on a Prius- if one doesn't sell, it's not as if they've emblazoned your name on it, or anything. The LTD AWD is not that rare; none of them are, even with options. I would call another dealer and ask them about refundable deposits. Like I said, my dealer refunded mine.
