'06 arrival: what have YOU been told?

Can you tell us a bit more about your $750 discount through Costco? I've never heard of that before...

 

Mid-August. Even then, I was #11 on the list, apparently.

 

Except the timing for a particular *individual*, NOT the first car to the dealership, will vary by your place on the list. Given the binder of pre-orders I saw, I'd estimate that this dealer has 60+ in hand already. Not clear on their exact allocation (they received ~20 '05's in the last batch), but its clearly going to take multiple bi-weekly deliveries to fulfill that demand.

 

JMcPhee said:

$22,275 MSRP?
$5,565 Pkg 6 price plus $500
$1,500 Leather & camera
$540 Delivery

$29,880 TOTAL.. so I round up again, and assume my 2006 package 8 will run me about $30,000

Endquote

What is the $500 tacked on to the Pkg 6 price: more MSRP increase, or upgrade from pkg 6 to 8?


I"d like to know more about Costco too, as what I have read so far indicates you don't really save much. And I think you have to find a dealer who honors the price. Is the discount written into your order agreement? I didn't see you subtract the discount above!


How did you set up the Costco deal - online or in the store? Online seems to be a seperate company that handles it for Costco.

C

Seeking knowledge, hoping for wisdom.

 

Tustin Toyota told me today that the '06 are going to be a completely different body style? Apparently they just told their mechanics today. I don't know if this is true. I'm not sure why their fleet person there would tell me this if she is trying to get me to buy a 2005?

 

Hi Endoildependency:

That discount arrangement is very interesting. Do you think you have a watertight pricing agreement with the dealer? Normally if you preorder a Prius, you and the dealer fill out a form that lists the packages you want and the price to be MSRP+/- any negotiated amount and additional charges/discounts. I believe both parties sign, so it is a contract: you would put a deposit down and the dealer may cash or hold the check. I would want it to state an acceptable delivery window, otherwise they might keep pushing a heavily discounted car down the waiting list.

When you say that you verified you won't pay over MSRP, do you mean before or after the Costco discount? Is that in writing, and how is it worded and signed? If the dealership is quoting MSRP + $1000, they will be happy to discount that price by the Costco discount. (You know what they say about agreements not in writing - or unsigned)

Maybe Prius sells well over MSRP in your area, in which case a substantial discount might be possible: I can't see MSRP-$750 happening, though I'd love to. Hoping .....


(Sorry, I'm a skeptic). But the Costco discount you mention is considerably higher than the examples I have prevously seen mentioned.

Shouldn't Costco tell you what the discount is, rather than the Dealer citing an amount that may or may not have been negotiated with Costco? Or shouldn't the dealer show you a copy of their agreement with Costco? I find this quite puzzling.

Lastly, because I am not a member of Costco yet, I am at a disadvantage researching their program (I'd join in a moment if I thought there was a worthwhile discount in my area (Albuquerque).

Can you provide the URL of the online site you used: mycostco.com didn't seem to be it?

Thanks a lot! And good luck with your negotiations.

C


Quote:
"My Costco, online, e-mailed me the name of a Fleet. Mgr. at a local Toyota dealership (one of three possibles within 15 miles of me, that is, 3 Toyota dealerships but the only one tied into the Costco program).

I called him. He asked me to come in (appt.) to "discuss" it. When I went, he passed me on to an "assistant", who wrote "-$750-Costco" on a "pre-order sheet" (= "get on the list"). I verified that they wouldn't charge over MSRP.

The pre-order paper indicated what color/equipment I wanted. But they don't want a deposit until they're notified of their first allocated shipment. Then everyone on the list has to ante up $300 to convert to an "order"."

 

Sounds pretty strange to me. A lot of dealers are requesting the $1000 deposit, which goes towards the price of the car. Your $750 discount + the $300 "order deposit" is pretty darn close to $1000, so I'm wondering if your Costco discount is just a discount in the deposit.

My guess it that you won't get $750 off the MSRP, it's just a reduced deposit you have to make - i.e. I'll be credited $1000 when I buy my car, but you'll only be credited $300.

 

Blatant hogwash.

Toyota's North American Press Release website has photos of the 2006 Prius - all of which look like the 2005, with very, very minor changes.

Check out the pressroom: http://pressroom.toyota.com/?page=%20images&criteria=06prius

 

http://www.costcoauto.com/index.asp

 

whew! thanks MBranstein for showing me those pictures. I just bought an '05 Prius 3 weeks ago and couldn't believe Toyota would change the body only after two years.

i'm still on a couple lists so that's why Tustin Toyota called me today to see if I still wanted a Prius. That's when the lady told me the body was changing and they were still charging a $3000 premium for the '05. Geez I tell you, i have not enjoyed dealing with the toyota dealerships. they never know what they are talking about. I found that most of the dealerships just wanted to string you along and of course charge you a handsome premium for the prius.

 

Whomever you spoke with at Tustin was incorrect. Relatively minor interior changes is all with some different colors. The changes have already been well documented here previously.

kdhspyder

 

Like Dianne I work at a dealership, but on the E Coast, our ETA's are early Dec for the first '06's. However we also have clients who are ordering theirs specifically to arrive AFTER 1-1-06 in order to take advantage of the changes in the tax code. For an early Dec arrival it would mean that the '06's are being built as we speak then will be shipped within the next 3 weeks to arrive at the ports at the end of Nov. YMMV according to the dealership you work with.

kdhspyder

 

Thanks for the clarification, Endoildependency, and for the URL, IsrAmeriPrius.

went through the on-line thing which accepted my enquiry, even though I could not enter a Costco Membership # - at least I learned the nearest Dealer - Tempe, AZ

Also I found this critical line in Costco's instructions:

"Ask the Authorized Dealer Contact to show you the Member Only Price Sheet and Manufacturer's Invoice of the vehicle you select."

This has all been very helpful: thanks everyone.

C


Quote:
No, it's not a contract signed by both of us. Yes, MSRP, with no markup, is BEFORE the discount. Yes, I was surprised it's $750, too. No, I don't know how airtight it is. But the "quote" IS signed by the guy I talked to. Don't know if it's legally binding, but I'm trusting them, so far. If they value their Costco relationship, I doubt they'd jerk people around.

The $300 is applied to the cost of the car.

I believe dealers have leeway with Costco on how much they'll discount, but don't know. Costco does follow up to check on specifics with the buyer. They've already contacted me to check on how "step 1" went!

 

Fantastic deal you've found! I certainly hope that it pans out for you - it would be a great find for PriusChat.com members. A lot of us haven't received our vehicles yet, and a lot of us are purchasing our second or third vehicles. With a Costco bonus of $750, why not go through them?

Thanks!

 

Thanks - you've inspired me to look into this. I believe a friend of mine has a Costco membership. I'll see if he'll check it out...wonder if this will pan out for the Midwest?

 

Quote:
"Then you get to schmooze with your baby on the drive home. (I've done this twice.)"


Endoildependency, you have only schmoozed her twice??? You will have to buy more cars :lol:



Unfortunatly I'm out of luck with Costco: I discovered there are no contracted dealers in NM: nearest Tempe, AZ.

NM has a sales tax holiday on hybrids, saving NMexicans $700+ So it doesn't pay to go out of state for a discount, when I can get MSRP here.

Can't have the best of both worlds, I guess.

C