Is this a bad time to buy?

It's going to be a bad time to buy for quite a while, unless you want to buy an SUV. Keep looking and you may get lucky, otherwise what do you have to loose other than a little time.

Tom

 

Good one! :clap2: Then again, maybe I'm just cynical.

Seriously, good luck on your quest. It will be worth it.

Bob

 

I fell in love with the Prius 4 years ago when a friend let me drive his a couple of miles around this neighborhood. Two years later I was in a position to trade cars, but I let a salesman talk me out of a Prius, so I bought a Camry.

So I said good by to my 07 Camry, and a 4.9% loan, and got the Prius. Two months later, I haven't looked back.

The trade in will be a big rub, for sure.

Bob

 

Keep at it....eventually you will find one. Are you on any wait lists? That might be the only way to go; to put down a deposit and tell them you'll take the first unclaimed #2 they get. It helps that you aren't picky about color. There are a few #2s around here still, but not 6 or 7 on each lot like there were when I bought mine 2 months ago. I got both the color I wanted and my choice of interior color at the dealer I went to!

 

I didn't buy a Prius because of gas. I bought it because I think it's state of the art in cars. I like the technology in the car. It makes so much sense in today's world, and makes conventional cars look outdated.

The real bargains out there in cars right now are the bigger vehicles that don't get good gas mileage. A 20-25 mpg SUV, for example, can be had for $20K or less these days. If you think gas prices are inflated and coming down soon, that's the kind of car to buy right now.

 

>> trading in the gas guzzling minivan. Ugh..only 5 years old and in great shape, I'll be lucky if they offer 1k for it.

- snip -

A 5 year old minivan in great condition should have pretty good resale value !

 

It's amazing how quickly the inventory on dealer lots dis-appeared. Less than a month ago I could go to any of the local dealers and they had in stock just about every color and option package including touring models. 2-3 weeks later there's nothing to be found.

 

We got lucky and found a package#2 unclaimed last week in eastern VA for $200 off MSRP - put a deposit on it immediately & took delivery on Friday.

Keep at it if you really want one -- by this time next year $5 gas is going to seem like "the good old days" IMHO.

-Parker

 

Where in PA are you? What color Pkg 6?

Better check your facts re: the rollout date of the '09. I heard it will debut at the 2009 Detroit auto show and be in showrooms in the Spring. Read the comments here:
2009 Toyota Prius: Details and Spy Shots - U.S. News Rankings and Reviews

 

SOCAL dealers are basically charging $1000 above MSRP now and they add crap dealer options to make more money. I should have gotten it back in march when i was shopping for them But again, I do want to wait one more year to see what other companies are doing since this "increase in fuel" is a big ticket to MASSIVE PROFIT for automobile makers if they can beat the Prius. Let the competition begin...

 

I can't remember where I saw this, but statistically speaking January, February, and March are the best months to buy a new car based on getting the "Best Deal". Dealer inventories are always way up because there is a holiday hangover effect. The car manufacturers are also more likely to offer good incentives to spark demand especially in March.

 

Are you sure package #2 is available in your area? Toyota sells packages only in certain areas, for reasons I don't understand. Here in Chicago in 2006 we could get package 1, 5 and 9 or something like that.

The other thing, the supply of Prii dropped in May for some reason (from 20K to 15K), so the recent scarcity is more of a production issue than anything. Hopefully whatever the reason is, they'll get back on schedule soon. Next Feb-March should be a good time to buy as everybody will be waiting for the 2010 model in April.

Until you find something - pump up those tires, at least 10% above the doorwall sticker, and learn to hypermile! (Buy a scanguage for $150 from the PriusChat store, it will show you your instantaneous mileage, engine temp, engine load, average trip mileage, so you can see what different routes, coasting/stopping in neutral, etc. will do, plus you can read and clear engine codes...providing your Kia has OBD II port, I think everything since 1996 does).

 

Go to Longo or Rancho Santa Margarita. They will sell you one w/out ad ons at MSRP. However, you will wait months.

 

Gas prices aren't going to come down significantly anytime soon. Long term they will continue to rise. So....anytime is a great time to buy a Prius. However, there is a high demand. You don't care about color or interior which gives you an advantage.