Hello. I'm new here, my name's Bob...and will be handing over a check to my Toyota dealer in about three days for a car I ordered today. Barcelona Red Prius IV with solar roof package and safety center/iPhone/USB connection. I haven't made a decision yet on the other dealer options...extended warranty, perma plate coating and pre-paid maintenance. Don't know if any of those items are worth paying a dealer for or not. I've had other vehicles perma-plated in the past but that didn't seem to improve them or make them invulnerable to damage at all. Dealership told me the red, blue and darker colors are "softer" paints that stain more readily from bird droppings and tree sap...but seems to me that if it's something that the car's paint would need to stay in great shape, then Toyota's not doing their job right... This will be my first Toyota.
Make sure you get a gallon of snake oil, the dealers are good at peddling that. In my opinion NOTHING the dealer sells is worth paying their prices for. Some things they sell may or may not be worth having, but I assure you they can be had at a better price elsewhere, or at least that is my opinion, worth what you paid for it
Congratulations on your soon-to-be Prius! It's a wonderful car. Do not worry at all about the "softer" paint. That is a flat-out lie and they are trying to deceive you into purchasing more. Personally, I do not feel that an extended warranty is worth it, or the pre-paid maintenance plan, but there are some that do. Just don't fall for the old sales trick of "the hybrid system is complicated and the extended warranty will protect you". 1) Toyota's hybrid system has proven to be extremely reliable -and- 2) The hybris system is already protected for 8 years and 100,000 miles with the factory warranty. And last but not least, if you decide that a warranty is for you...then you can purchase it much cheaper here. Congrats again on the new car! Bryan
Welcome to Priuschat Bob and enjoy your car first and foremost! Now, IMO do not waste your money on some thing the dealership offers. You definitely do not need the perma coat. The other stuff is all personal preference but I cannot see paying for prepaid maintenance when wll you will really need to do for a long time is routine oil changes/oil filter and changing out the air/cabin air filter. Whatever you decide on it is your decision, just enjoy the car and check back in with us on how your liking it and post some pics!
A wise man once said that buying those things at the dealership is like buying popcorn to go from the movies... You can get it all much cheaper the second you leave the building, so why buy?
Welcome to PC Bob :welcome: We got some good benefit out of our extended warranty. DON'T buy one though (except here, thru PC ) your dealer ... and DON't buy it (if at all) until your existing warranty is about to expire. You've got a TON of time to decide. Take your time & simply enjoy your new ride! .
From one Bob to another: IF your dealer isn't a disgusting snake-oil salesman, you should consider adding (1) "clear bra" over entire front & mirrors, and (2) color-matching side bump strips. You'll find many testimonials here praising the clear front protective film, and a few (including me) that like the bump strips. Both can be found elsewhere, and you can install the bump strips yourself.
The bump strips are available here for $125 and took me about 20 min. to install. 15 of those min. were me agonizing what if I get them mis-aligned?, So it's a 5 min. job.
I was told initially by a local dealer it would be a 2 month wait to get the model I wanted....went to another dealer and they said since they get more turn around on models they get more of them from Toyota and it would only take like 6 weeks max to get what I wanted if I had to order it. BUT, in searching the available cars in the USA or arriving, they found exactly what I wanted and are having it detoured from its original destination to this dealership instead. So, instead of having to wait 6 weeks, it's going to be shortened to an agonizingly long THREE DAYS. The only odd thing is the car has like 3 miles on the odometer- is that something I should be suspicious of or is that typical for new cars out of a factory? Are there some important questions I should be asking before I hand over a check??? Seems to me that if it were a demo car it would have a lot more than 3 miles on it.
Somehow, that new car of yours will have to make it off the Japan assembly line into a holding lot, then to carriers, then to the ship, drive to its parking slot on the ship, then off the ship, to a holding lot in the Port, then to the dealer, then to prep and a tech test drive. THEN it's yours. 3 miles - very typical and perhaps on the low side. We had a poll here a while back as to how many miles were on the odometer at delivery. Don't recall the findings but mine had 5 miles. So - no sweat....
You should NOT be suspicious of having 3 miles on your car, that is completely normal. Some have many more, esp. if it had to be transferred from one dealer to another. Mine had 2 miles on it when I took delivery. Enjoy your new Prius!
Lots of opinion here about what to add (and not add) to your purchase. I looked at the list of options and figured that if I would likely get that gizmo later, might as well do it now, and had the dealer add it. I've been happy with all of it.* Paradox is right - just enjoy your new car! And :welcome: * The cargo net is useless at this time for me as I have PPS (Pulling Panel Syndrome). Hoping to get that modified at the first service.
Congratulations on your Prius! We got our Prius IV almost a month ago and my wife loves it so much, I only get to drive it on the weekends IF she lets me... I agree with "bps", the dealer's statement about the paint is a lie, and they will also try to deceive you into purchasing an extended warranty, pre-paid maintenance plan, etc.. Just don't fall for their high pressure sales tactics - especially when they claim "the hybrid system is complicated, and you will thank us later for the extended warranty". A quick search on Priuschat and similar forums should reassure you that Toyota's hybrid drive has proven to be extremely reliable.
I hope the dealer calls a day early. I'm having a tough time sleeping through the nights- like a kid on Christmas Eve...
Placing the Prius brochure under the pillow helped me. :bored: That is, whenever I DID go to bed since Prius Chat kept me up long into the early morning hours. :ranger: It DOES get better after delivery. A BIT better.
