Consumer Reports "bottom line" price: Does it include current incentives?

My best friend just bought a 2007 Prius on Saturday with Option package 4 and paid just about the same as the price you have been quoted with Option package 6. So your deal doesn't sound bad to me. He asked about the $2000 incentive and was told that the price included the incentive.

 

I believe the 'incentive' is simply a reduction in the MSRP price of the option packages. For example, in Nov 06, Package #6 had an MSRP of $5,725.00. It is now $4,175.00, so it dropped $1,550.00.

Basically, the pricing you have above already reflects the 'incentive' discount you are getting on that model/package.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Scafremon @ May 22 2007, 01:15 AM) [snapback]447173[/snapback]</div>

The sticker on the 2007 model, option 6, now has a list price of $29,000 plus, then under it a discount of $2,000 for a new sticker price of $27,000 plus.

Different options have different discounts.

 

According to buytoyota.com, the current savings bonuses on the Prius range from $600 to $2,000, depending on which package you buy. The $2,000 savings bonus applies to package 5 or package 6.

The MSRP on your car should be $28,119 [touring 23,690 + package (6) 4,175 + mats 199 + doc fee 55].

MSRP $28,119 - dealer offer $25,966 = a $2,153 discount. This is $153 more than the $2,000 savings bonus. I would say they are giving you a great deal.

My gut feeling is that the person you talked to at CR about subtracting the $2,000 savings bonus from the CR Bottom Line Price probably gave you incorrect advice. It might be a good idea to call CR again, talk to a different person, and find out what he or she says about the incentive.

I just bought a Prius using CR's price report. I got mine for about $500 over the CR Bottom Line Price.

The Prius is the third car that I bought using a CR price report. I remember I bought my 2005 Honda Civic $200 over CRBLP. I went to four different dealers in two different states.

The $200 over CRBLP for the Civic was the lowest price I could find. One of the dealers wanted $800 over CRBLP. I bought the Civic just before Christmas, when most people are out shopping, and not in the showroom.

 

Have you checked the price of gas recently? Do you realize how close we are to a war with Iran? Do you think that is making the Prius a little more popular? Thanks for posting the CR info, but I doubt very much a dealer will sell to you at that price when there's a customer right behind you willing to pay MSRP. Sorry, but I've been going through the same thing myself. It sucks but it's a seller's market right now.

Also I noticed that if you add the delivery "cost" to the invoice prices found on the web you'll get close to the dealer's invoice price. Good luck with not having to pay the dealers advertising fees, TDA, holdback, etc.

 

You should always negotiate from the actual invoice. Most of the popular websites don't include the advertising fee because it varies from state to state. Paying the TDA, holdback, and advertising fee is okay as long as you negotiate from the actual invoice which you should always be able to see (if they refuse walk out). What is wrong for them to charge you an advertising fee, TDA, holdback on top of what you negotiate on the car.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(1x1 @ May 24 2007, 07:19 PM) [snapback]449429[/snapback]</div>

 

We had the CR bottom line price info when we bought in May and we ended up paying about $300 over that.

It's true that it's a sellers market (at least around here). Our dealership had 21 in stock, and sold them all within a couple of weeks. They are getting a few in at a time (maybe 4-5 units) and those are selling almost immediately. When we were recently in for an oil change we heard a salesman telling some people that they didn't have any in stock and couldn't keep them in stock. So long as they are flying off the lot, you're not going to find them selling for the bottom line price.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dharm @ Jul 13 2007, 10:50 PM) [snapback]478531[/snapback]</div>

That is part of their cost of doing business and should have been factored into their overhead. What will they ask for next? That you pay for the electric bills to illuminate their inventory at night so that passers by can see the cars? Their workers comp insurance premiums for the sales staff? How the cost about washing the showroom windows?

 

That is not correct. The dealers have to pay the fee it's not voluntary like their own advertisements. I also paid a 0.3% inventory tax on my term sheet. Again it's legitimate, the local government collects that tax. The cost of the lights, washing the cars, and their financing costs (they pay the manufacturer on delivery) is paid by their holdback.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Jul 14 2007, 10:48 AM) [snapback]478625[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dharm @ Sep 24 2007, 08:07 AM) [snapback]516867[/snapback]</div>

I beg to differ. Voluntary or not, the cost of regional advertising is part of the cost of doing business. I had never paid it in the past and will never ever agree to pay for any such ancillary charges in the future.