Have low gas prices affected Prius price and availability?

Gas prices aren't helping, but I think that economic fears are having a huge impact. Car sales of all kinds are way down.

As a good barometer, 2 months ago there were very few certified pre-owned Priuses available on Auto-trader, and they were pretty much all $25k and up. Now there are 87 certified pre-owned advertised under $20k alone. There are numerous reports of people getting new ones close to if not at invoice recently.

Rob

 

Yup, I think supply is starting to catch up with Prius demand. This is the first time I have received an unsolicited e-mail like this since last spring:



[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I have TOYOTA Prius on special this weekend. Sale price available on these in-stock units.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I now have available:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1) Package #5, gray MSRP: $27,790.00. Sale price: $26,394.00 (Stock #201238)
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2) Package #5, black MSRP: $27,574.00. Sales price: $26,253.00 (Stock #201371)
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3) Package #5, black MSRP: $27,790.00. Sales price: $26,394.00 (Stock #201205)
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]4) Package #5, green MSRP: $27,790.00. Sales price: $26,394.00 (Stock #201325)
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]5) Package #6, black MSRP: $29,060.00. Sales price: $27,538.00 (Stock #201127)
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]6) Package #6, black MSRP: $29,060.00. Sales price: $27,537.00 (Stock #201237)
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]7) Package #6, gray MSRP: $29,060.00. Sales price: $27,537.00 (Stock #201327)[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]8) Touring, Silver MSRP: $29,580.00. Sales price: $27,967.00 (Stock #201275)
[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]9) Touring, Green MSRP: $29,513.00. Sales price: $27,927.00[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
These will go quickly. If you are interested, please contact me right away.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nancy Ware (925) 785-4169
Toyoya Walnut Creek[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Prices good on in-stock vehicles only thru 10/27/08 and do not include sales tax or DMV fees.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Package #2 (HG) -- Standard Prius features include AM/FM/CD, Air Conditioning, Power Steering, windows and door locks and front and side-curtian airbags. HG also includes Vehicle Stability Control, rear camera, AM/FM/CD 6 spkr & MP3 Audio, Smart Key system.
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Package #4 (HK) -- Standard Prius includes all of Package #2 plus 2 HID headlamp, JBL AM/FM/CDCH 9 spkr & Bluetooth, Alarm & Homelink security, front foglamps & driving lamp.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Package #5 (NL) -- Standard Prius includes all of Package 2 & 4 plus navigation system.
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Package #6 (NW) -- Includes same as Packages 2, 4 & 5 plus Natural leather material & 4-spoke leather steering wheel.
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Touring Package -- (model #1226) I[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]ncludes everything in package NW plus European-style suspension, HID headlamps, a longer rear spoiler and 7-spoke 16" alloy wheels with all-season tires.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Other Options Available -- RS 3200 Plus security system, glass breakage sensor, wheel locks, all-weather mats, cargo net, XM Satellie Radio and more.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Colors are: Super White, Classic Silver, Magnetic Gray, Black, Barcelona Red, Driftwood Pearl, Silver Pine, Spectra Blue and Seaside Pearl. See the colors by clicking:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]COLORS[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]​

 

LT who historically has 1 or 2 in stock sent an email saying they have 12 on the lot. For the 1st time they advertized an internet price--MSRP.

Lower gas prices = lower demand
Tighter credit = lower demand
Job insecurity = lower demand
Full production = increased supply

The result is going to be that for perhaps the first time the Prius is going to perform as any other car. Asking prices will soften & days on the lot will increase.

 

47 sitting on the lot at mossy toyota in San Diego. Personally I'm waiting fir the Honda and the 2010 in April.

 

Low gas price may be short lived, but I am not complaining. My Prius is here to stay.

 

I would think credit availability and consumer confidence affects it more than gas prices right now. In a few days we should have the days-to-turn number from here for October. September was still unbelievably low at 4 days and again the Prius was on top of the list (not bad for a 5 year-old-model that's not a limited-production vehicle and scheduled to be replaced in less than a year).

 

(Relatively) low current gas prices, an economic depression, plenty of new and used Prius automobiles currently available in the marketplace.. Any clue about what the net result could be????????

Keith

 

When we bought ours in May, we had to wait about 6 or 8 weeks to get one, and we ended up driving 100 miles to Orlando. We went back to the same dealership two weeks ago and they had 8 new ones and 1 used one on the lot, all different kinds of packages. It's a completely different market than it was 5 months ago.

 

About $600 below MSRP seems to be todays going rate in Maryland for a 2009 with a reasonable selection available.

For perspective, about 7 months ago, 2008 Priuses were selling for a few hundred below invoice and the MSRP/INVOICE was $500 less on 2008's. So even at todays 'discounted' prices, you would still have to pay about $2000 more for a Prius today than if you purchased one 7 months ago.

 

True, no credit thus less new/used Prius on the roads.....the car-selling business is almost always driven by financing.

 

i think the prius sold well because it was a nice car.
high gas prices was a factor but not the biggest.
before gas prices spiked it was selling briskly and at one point had a big
demand.

very few people are buying new cars at the moment. i think that is the biggest
factor.

 

The dramatic spike of demand for Prius's once gas hit $4 a gallon makes your argument unconvincing. Sorry.

 

I received a letter in the email just yesterday from my salesman that sold me my '08 last October. It had several business cards in it and offered $100 cash for referring any friends. I'm sure that was a bit of a sign of the times...

 

The Prius has always been supply-limited, not demand-limited. There was a 10+ month waiting list when I inquired about a Prius in the fall of 2003 (when the redesigned 2004 model was just coming out). Gas prices hadn't yet hit $3 gallon ever at that time. In the 5 years since, the Prius has always been in the top 10 lists for shortest "days-to-turn" or how long a car sits in the dealer lots. You notice the spike in sales occurred in March - May, not during the summer while gas prices hit their peak.

Toyota has admitted they weren't able to build more vehicles because they hadn't planned on making more this year than last. When the Mississippi plant comes online (assuming people will be able to get credit), then we may finally see how many people will actually buy a Prius. Although the improved Insight will also be available then, and will probably be a viable competitor.

 

None of this is very encouraging to someone like myself waiting to get my 09'. I am excited none the less. Unfortunately it doesn't look as bright for resale of my car when the 3rd gen comes out.

Some words of encouragement people please

 

i would be encouraged , negotiating a great price got a lot easier with the increased availability and decreased demand for a prius. resale will be ok and get better as gas prices start to rise again.

 

I bought my '08 when gas was about $3/gal. That was before the waiting lists... in fact I even got a discount. Neither Mommy Earth nor gas prices was my prime motivation. You see, it bugs me to send any more of my money than I must to to nations that want to destroy my country. I'd rather send them a message that would suggest such things as using their oil for enemas.

Also, though gas prices are dramatically less NOW, I'll take a wild, silly guess (I know, I know, nutty as a Snickers Bar) that gas will by $5/gal by next August.

A final bottom line is that I basically like my car! The only complaint I have is the brakes tend to "grab" just before the car comes to a complete stop. I'm used to that, and can back of the pedal to effect a gentle controlled stop - but that took some practice.

 

Yet another excellent reason. I think it's a matter of national security to reduce our oil dependency. Former CIA director James Woolsey drives a Prius with a bumper sticker "Bin Laden Hates This Car".

If it isn't it will only be because oil has already hurt our economy in addition to what the housing and financial markets have done.

Dude! A person who used 'effect' correctly in the rarer verb usage _and_ didn't spell it like the more common verb 'affect'. You don't see this level of English on chat rooms very often. (Or, "it's not seen allot", as another poster here would say). (I'll ignore the "back of" phrase).
But to your statement, I brake pretty gently anyway, and haven't seen your problem. Gentle braking allows more kinetic energy to be regenerated for the battery.

 

Ha, well, I'm glad I dun gud grammatically. Even as my advancing age begins to rob me of some of my faculties, I seem to still remember some of the gentle teachings of the Dominican Nuns throughout my grade and high school classes. By the way, in those days (50's) the only rule for corporal punishment at my school was no closed fist. Sawed off wooden chalk pointers (the butt end was a heavier club) and open hand slaps contributed dramatically to my learning process. I still say short-lived is pronounced with a "long i", but that argument cost me a cracked knuckle, courtesy of Sister Dominic. (Oh, and "back of" was a typo... I meant to say "back off"... good catch!)

Your comment on not feeling a grabbing sensation upon gentle breaking just when the car is nearly stopped causes me some concern. I presumed... or is it assumed ... that all Prius cars did that. I mentioned it when I took the car into the shop for it's first pit stop, but the tech said everything looked fine. I'll pursue this more vigorously during the next service stop, coming up soon. Thanks for the feedback (and the smile).
Red