I've never bought new before, and I'd like to know what different charges I can expect to pay when I purchase a Prius in California. Obviously there's the Price of the Vehicle (including all the options and package), but what's added that's not necessary that I should keep an eye on when it comes time to signing? Here's my summary of what I think might be (please let me know if there's a ballpark figure for the charge): -Price of Vehicle (I can get this figure online @ a place like Edmunds) -Processing/Document Fee ($45?) -Dealer Prep (what's this for?) -Destination Fee ($540 in Cal) -Application Charge (do I pay that even though I've my own financing?) -Tax(what % to expect?) -Title (Can't you do this at the DMV, or won't the dealer let you take the car?) -Tags(?) Is there anything else that might be slipped in?
I can answer the sales tax question. You will pay whatever the going rate is for the county in which you reside or register the car. We paid cash but they made us fill out a loan application. They said it was in case the check bounced or we stopped payment on it. They would then have a way of getting money from someone. They might also add in a cargo net, rear bumper protecter and the floor mats. Good luck!
You will pay the destination fee - this is standard for all cars delivered within the U.S. You will pay the tax applicable to where you will register the car. You SHOULD NOT pay any other fee. Your price should be the agreed upon price for the car (which should include the $540 destination fee) + tax. And don't fall for any of the high-priced add-ons. ALL the other fees are cost of doing business for the dealer - they don't pay your expenses for the car, why should you pay theirs? Most dealers will tell you that "doc fee" or "dealer prep" are required and they generally run from $200-$400 dollars and this fee is usually preprinted on the purchase agreement. Don't fall for it. If they won't cross out that line, have them reduce your agreed upon price by the same amount.
Yes. I've heard that several others were "slipped" Carpet floor mats and cargo mat: $184. I was quite angry, at first, since I had turned down an offer,after a 5 month wait, for "close to" what I had ordered, and had to wait another month for mine to come in. They didn't mention it, but it was on the paper work I signed starting an hour before closing time. Then I found the fit and fabric to be far better than the stuff you get at WalMart or Costco, so I probably would buy them anyway, if doing it again. If you haven't read the posts about the PriusChat deal on genuine Toyota extended warranty called Extra Care, you should. I popped for the commonly sold 7 yr./75,000 mi. version at $1,395, assuming that it was Toyota's price, and beyond the dealer's control. Don't buy that unless you have read the horror stories on this site, and still want it from your dealer. Prepare for a very pleasant experience learning to love your Prius!
Thanks for all the info thus far! This is such a great site. So I guess besides the price of the vehicle (and the destination charge), I should only pay my sales tax. Can anybody shed some light on the "tags" and "title" fees?
Generally included in the "doc fees" the dealer tries to add. Usually minimal - check with your DMV to see what they are. But like I said before - price+tax only. No "tag" or "title" fees or anything else. The dealer may try, just stand firm! It's bad enough that pricing on the Prius is MSRP minus instead of Invoice plus - don't let your dealer take further advantage of the situation.
Whoa! Just who do you think is going to pay for the tags and title work if new tags and title are involved?
do not know. Bought 4 new cars, never paid a fee for either. One time I ended up doing the paperwork myself and paid the DMV. Now, registration is a different story ....
tags and title fees are standard in each state. part of new car registration. wisconsin charged me $35 for a new title. that is required when titling a new vehicle. if you're transferring your old tags (license plates) you will not be charged for new ones. this is usually NOT included in the DOC fee. Doc fees are the price that the dealer charges you to stick your sales papers in a filing cabinet. we didn't know at the time that this was negotiable (our first new car) and ended up paying $399. they should be able to negoiate down to $50 or so. that being said, the dealer should take care of sending all the title app documents in to the DMV if you purchase in the same state you register your car in. this should not cost you anything as they are required to do so. if you purchase out of state you are responsible for filing these papers and the fees are exactly the same (title fee, registration, etc)
I had a dealer today tell me that the dealership can only control what extra items are added AT the dealership. For example, the dealer said he could deduct the paint protector option but can't deduct the mats if the mats are listed on the invoice. Is this true? From what I am reading, the floor mats are worth it. Also, the price for a package 4 that was initially proposed by the dealer is $24,336.00. We have not attempted to negotiate yet. What is a "reasonable" price for a package 4 2005 Prius? Test driving one tomorrow... Thanks!
About $25,000 depending on options. Almost all options in SE are added at the port. You order options before the car arrives at port and most can be removed at the port. When you are notified that the car will be in port is when you alter the options. Whatever options the car has when it leaves port to the dealer cannot be removed. The cost of option packages 1-6 are listed in many Toyota sites.
Ummm, we paid $24,503 for a package 6. Try to get them lower.... And that includes floor mats and paint protection and the rest of the stuff that SET adds at port. You can do much better, I assure you.
