I can't buy until Dec 1, but Dec 1 is right around the corner. Backgroud: I have an SUV to trade in. I want a Prius III, nothing more. No GPS, no alarm, no extended warranty, nothing. Not particular about color except I want something light like silver or white or sand. Questions: I have these options 1. Go to one or more dealers and compare price. 2. Use an auto broker (a person) who is a friend of a friend. 3. Call a buying club, like BJ buying club and ask them to buy it for me. I am actually not so interested in the lowest price but a nice fair low price would be nice since the economy affected me too. I want low hassel and I just want to get it over with quick. Therefore, I don't think I am going to sell the SUV myself. I'll probably trade it in. I am actually quite excited. Any recommendations in N. Virginia is welcomed. Any and all advice welcomed. Thanks guys and gals.
Re: 1. Go to one or more dealers and compare price. Yes, choose at least two reputable dealers and better yet three reputable dealers. Speak with the sales manager via phone. Let them know how you want to buy. If you don’t like their sales approach, move on. You may, or may not, find that dealers a little farther away are more aggressive. The sales people often have limited or no decision capability. Your trade in: Go to Kelly Blue book or Edmunds and get a reference price for trade-in or a private sale so you know what to expect. If you have a CarMax close to your home go to them to see what they would pay to buy your car. These people in my experience are fair to deal with. When you are ready to buy make your deal on the last day of the month. This is when the dealer needs to “make their numbers”. You might be surprised to find a good deal on a Prius model that is a bit above the base car you are considering. Good luck. You’ll love the car.
>A relatively unloaded Prius might require waiting, possibly months. Not in the Charlotte area, they have plenty. My dealer has 8 under $25K.
Go to either CarMax or a dealer that sells the particular make of SUV you have. Such if you have a Ford Explorer go to a Ford dealer and ask for a buy bid. That is the amount of cash they pay you if you sold the vehicle to them. Use that as a baseline value for your trade. If the dealer you are purchasing the Prius from offers you a few hundred dollars more or less that is likely a reasonable offer. If the offer is thousand or more off, sell the vehicle to the dealer that gave you the buy bid and purchase the Prius without trading it.
Do not go directly to a dealer. Instead google the Toyota dealers in your area and send each one an e-mail with your requirements and request a quote and availability date. Deal with the internet sales department rather than a salesperson in the showroom. You will save a lot of driving and get a better price. My 2010 was purchased for $900 under MSRP following this approach.
Don't say you have a trade until you get the best offer without one. It's the only way you will know what they are really giving you for your trade. Not as important with the Prius since not many discounts are available but it can save you several thousand dollars on high discount, rebated and dealer incentive cars.
Thank you, everybody, for your advice. Here is my latest status and questions. Any and all advice is humbly accepted with appreciation. Continuing saga of getting a Prius: Hopefully providing useful information to other first time buyers of Priuses. So to get everyone on board. Here is my background. I am moving and I have to get a hybrid to go to work to take advantage of the HOV lane. I’m in N. Virginia. I am buying after getting the house Dec 1 or later but definitely not before. That’s because if the house buying breaks down, I don’t want to be left with a new car and no house - which would really affect my ability to get another house (in the case I can’t buy this house). I want to get a Prius III with nothing extra. It is going to be a commuter car and my main car. My wife and kids have another, bigger, car. My wife wants me to buy something more luxurious and/or bigger. I told her that this is a commuter car, and the way I drive, the car will be used up in 4-5 years. I drove 29,000 miles last year. So I don't want to pay any more money. So I want to the local dealer to look around. Here is the price breakdown: Prius III $23,400 Nav package $2030 Preferred Premium Accessory Package $280 Rear Bumper Applique $69 Delivery Processing and Handling $750 Total $26529 What do you guys think about the Nav package? I figure I don’t need it because I have a Garmin. The backup camera is nice. However, if I ever regret not getting a backup camera, I could probably have one installed at a local auto shop. The preferred premium accessory package is like floor mats and a cargo net. A total rip off in my mind. I am going to get the weathertech mats. As you can see, I am trying to save money. So if I took all the unneeded stuff off (if it is even possible), I should be able to get Prius III $23,400 Delivery Processing and Handling $750 Total $24150. Is this what you guys consider the MSRP when you are talking about MSRP? That is, is the MSRP the suggested retail price PLUS the delivery processing and handling fee? How much do you think I should pay for this package? Is $24150 a fair price? [FONT="]I am calling BJ buying club today?[/FONT]
