hi everyone.. my wife and i have decided our next car (when/if my 2001 volvo with 173,000 miles on it kicks the bucket) will be a prius... we are flexible, can buy now (wait now to buy), wait for the '09 model or wait for the next gen 2010 model... i'd like for members to post dealerships, and more specifically prius sales people, they have had good experiences with... also, if there are good sales people who work will electronically (e-mail) that is a plus... we are in red bank (nj) but are willing to travel... we are even willing to go out of state if there are members here who went out of NJ and got win/win deals.. thanks for any and all advice..
If you don't need the car now wait for the next model year since MY 2008 is over. December/January may be the best time to buy but a lot depends on Toyota's production & gas prices. In 2006 I only went to Liberty in Burlington & Cherry Hill. I'll send an ad listing all the dealers in the region if you send a PM. NJ is a CARB state (better warranty) so you may get shortchanged going out of state. Consider a dealer in one of the Urban Enterprise Zones & ask if the 3.5% sales tax applies to car purchases. Read through CarBuyingTips.com new car buying guide, avoiding dealer scams, new cars, used car buying. After you buy the car take it to Reno for the VentureShield clear bra. In 2006 CH was less sleazy than Liberty but I've found dealers' sleaze indexes change over time.
Well I am in Morristown and I delt with Luis from Toyota of Morristown, He was great. I don't know about how well he is working electronically but I do know he goes to bat for you to get what you want. It may be a little of a hike though for you guys. I pass the dealership every day comming home from the gym and I always see a prius or 2 in there lot waiting to be bought by someone.
From my own experience, I suggest avoiding East Coast Toyota in Wood Ridge (near the Meadowlands). When I got my '06 I worked with a guy there named Jamie. There was a severe lack of communication from their end before the car came in. When I went in to pick up the car, I met Jamie for the first time and he immediately handed me off to another salesman who spent 1/2 the time telling me how important the survey I would eventually get is to the dealership. I've had good dealings in the past with the DCH family of dealerships, which included Freehold Toyota. They don't tend to get the inventory that others might, though.
Wait and pick your moment. Keep an eye on the market. You want a glut of Prii and a dip in gas prices. I can't help you otherwise. Howard Sheehy at Kearny Mesa Toyota is in Southern California. I'm sure you'll find someone closer to you.
whats that mean? i'm a NJ resident, but i live year round in pittsburgh where i go to school, I however, want to get a touring model prius... which according to the toyota website aren't an option in NJ. how is NJ a CARB state? (thought that was a california thing) and can you order a touring model prius from a NJ dealer? thanks in advance
JAMES SWEENEY at Galaxy Toyota in Eatontown, NJ!!!!!! I was supposed to get my 2008 Prius in NOVEMBER! I Picked it up tonight!! He really worked things out for me! Cheetah
JULIO PEREZ at DCH Brunswick Toyota in NORTH BRUNSWICK.NJ. I walked in on Wednesday to enquire about getting on a waiting list. Was out driving my Prius Pkg#3 @ MSRP on Friday pm. No gimmicks or dealer hard sell. Julio explained that if you are flexible on trim and option packages, the waits is not all that bad.
sbpwjm. Like you, when I went looking for my Prius is Dec. '08, I wanted a Touring model which aren't offered in Maryland. All in all, I was very satisfied with my purchase from Toyota of Newport, in Rhode Island. Sales person was Kerry Monahan; Sales Manager, Marcus Randolph. (The exception being the usual attempt to sell the high profit extras by the Finance Guy at the very end of the purchase process.) I just got e-mail birthday cards from both of them, even though due the distances involved I haven't been back to the dealership since purchase. Here's my story: http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/41972-c3po-crapulous-personal-prius-purchasing-qdyssey.html This seems to be an atypical dealership. It is only one -- 40+ years -- that ever invited me to see their service area. The waiting room is next to the service bays with a glass wall between. The service area was spotless, even though 6 or 8 cars were being worked on. That experience ruined me, as the three dealers in these parts that I visited specifically to see the service area don't want you to even see it -- allegedly due to liability concerns -- nevermind actually watch your car being serviced. "Customer Satisfaction is our first priority" my foot! I agree that timing is everything. If you aren't in a hurry, you should be able to find what you want at a reasonable price. Good luck.
I'm happy with my guy Ted Copper in Orland Park Toyota in the Chicago area. It didn't hurt to have the current manager, Hector Lopez, be my Camry salesman 11 years earlier. At the zenith of Prius hysteria in late April 2008 they were pros. They didn't hijack the me into paying more and I got a great trade-in price on my 2004 Highlander Limited. Ted has since called a few times and offered to have me talk to his technical people about the Navigation system which I was able to figure out eventually. He could have been more knowledgeable about the Prius but I was well informed before I walked in the door. He honored my wishes about me not wanting to experience the 'extended maintenance talk'. It was a great sales experience..truthful straightforward I brought my hand calculator just in case....this sales experience was much much better than CARMAX where I purchased my new 2004 Highlander (Kenosha Wisconsin is a new car dealer for Toyotas). The difference between the pros and the rip-offs are the pros look at the big picture for the dealership and customer.
