Prius purchasing questions

Windstrings: I do not see how the Honda becoming popular would raise the price of the Prius. On the contrary, competition tends to hold prices down. Inflation guarantees that the dollar amount rises. And as technology makes features cheaper, car makers put more features in the cars, so real cost remains about the same. You get much more car for your inflation-adjusted dollar than you used to. (Air bags, VSC, SKS, ABS, overall build quality, crashworthiness, etc.) But competition exerts downward pressure on price.

The HCH is not as good a car as the Prius (in my opinion) because it's just a Civic with an electric assist, while the Prius was designed from the ground up to be a hybrid. However, the Civic is an excellent car, and Honda quality is similar to Toyota quality, both companies having a similar philosophy: capture market share by selling a top-quality product, so plenty of people will always choose the Honda because the Civic is a "known quantity."

And this is good for all of us. More hybrids to choose from means competition, which holds prices down. More hybrids on the road means consumer familiarity, and acceptance, which makes it easier for auto makers to sell hybrids, accelerating the pace at which conventional cars are replaced with the more efficient hybrids, resulting in lower average gas consumption. (Gas prices will continue to spiral upwards due to the rising cost of extracting oil and the market competition from India and China, but more hybrids on the road is good.)

 

A lot of people say this, but have you read the maintenance recommendations on many other vehicles out there? My Jeep listed over 6000 miles (if I recall correctly) when driving mostly highway miles. And as far as lasting 10 years, any Toyota would be the same.

 

I wouldn't add any gas savings into any calculations. If you save later, consider it a bonus, but to be safe, it's best to plan on leaving that out.

Other things you should consider:

Increased insurance cost - Your auto insurance WILL go up. It would be a good idea to find out how much.

Does Iowa have any other kind of taxes, like an excise tax? Here in Massachusetts, we get taxed $25 per $1000 valuation of the automobile. I don't think many other states do this, so hopfully you don't need to consider it, but if they do, this would be much higher than your current vehicle.

 

Regarding Kelly Blue Book, there are two values, dealer and private.

When I went to sell my old car I researched what the value was. The very low was what the dealer would offer to buy it. The high was what I could sell it for if I sold it privately. I imagine the insurance companies will try to offer you the lowest they can find.

And don't forget mileage. When I was doing research I found a $2,000 different between the worth of my car based on how much mileage was on the car.

As for buying it back if it's declared totaled I do not recommend this. You'll have a hard time selling it for anything but scrap when you do decide to get rid of it. You'll also have a hard time getting insurance. While I suggest your raise the deductible for the one that's damange to your own car I still recommend you keep the one for medical (raise it if you can) and you keep the one for damage to other people's property. It doesn't sound like you can afford to be sued. Not that insurance covers you enough in these times. What you currently have is fine for a new car when it's still under financing. Once it's paid off, you need to revise to lower your premiums.

I agree if you have student loans, don't buy a new car. If you absolutely have to replace the car, look for a good used car with low mileage. Maybe a corolla.

 

Thats just part of thier game...If you can remember they have absolutely NO warm and fuzzy feelings for you and thier intrest is only about themselves.. it really helps keep your head clear!

Just look at the facts and "all" the details and then see if its a good deal for you.

Part of the power of thier deception is to make it look like your so special and so privilaged and your credit score is so awesome!.. and man how lucky they are to be doing business with such a fine citizen as you!.... its all BS, lies and hogwash.

They will give you the same line if your credit score sucks!

Its part of thier stategy to get your guard down and rush you into a contract that at the last minute when you go to actually sign on the dotted line, will have in tiny writing hidden cost and unexplained fees!

Buyer beware!!!! Don't trust anybody, anywhere, anytime!... unless you already know they care about your best interest... and btw... forget looking for that from a car dealer!

The best way to get a reasonable deal, is if they know you know what your doing... and you better!.. they are pretty sharp and they play the game all the time.

It about the same as sending your wife to the mechanic that you don't know to get your car fixed!.. They see her coming a mile off!

It never hurts to take an experience friend like a good ol dad or more seasoned person if you haven't bought many cars before... it could save you thousands!

Nothing else.. it will keep them honest and on thier toes knowing someone else is watching thats not all caught up in the emotion of the transaction!


The salesman that appear safer and more trustworthy, are often the smoothest and slickest at screwing you!... There are a few honest, "if they are brand new", but they learn quick they don't get rich being honest in the car business.. people are suckers and they know it! The veteran car salesman will give you a good deal, only if they know they have no choice because you know your stuff!

They know thier game.. you better too!

 

Windstrings: It sounds like you've bought too many American-made cars. American-made cars are trash and to sell them a dealer has to conceal that fact. I shopped around when I bought my Civic in 1988. (It was an '89 model year, but I bought it in the fall of 1988.)

I looked at one American-made car and a couple of Japanese, having narrowed down the list by researching in Consumer Reports. The American car dealer heaped lies upon lies. I pretended I didn't know as much about the cars as I did, and he just plain lied to me. The Honda dealer was 100% honest, from top to bottom and start to finish. When you are selling Hondas and Toyotas you can afford to be honest because the cars sell themselves.

Example: I asked him how much he'd give me for my used Jeep. I don't remember the actual numbers now, but it was something like the following: "I'll give you $300 and I'll sell it for $800." Me: "It sounds like you're advising me to sell it myself for $800." Him: "No. I'm advising you to sell it to me for $300 so I can sell it for $800. But if you like I can pretend I'm giving you more for the Jeep by charging you more for the Civic." I took his sideways advice, put an ad in the paper, and sold the Jeep on the first day for $800. (Or whatever the figure was that he had mentioned.)

When I asked about his costs, he showed me his costs sheet, with figures that matched exactly the one I got from CU. And the dealership treated me like royalty for the next decade, just because I had bought a car there. It was the reason I was so reluctant to switch from Honda to Toyota, that nothing short of the Prius could have lured me away. And I suspect it's part of the reason that some people buy the HCH instead of the Prius: Honda treats its customers like royalty. At least they did at Russ Honda West (which, sadly, no longer exists).

So, yes, there are honest car dealers. Only they'll have a hard time of it if they ever try to sell American name-plate cars.

 

Wow!.. sounds like you had a "Gem" of a dealership.... but your right ,this is the first true "foreign" car I"ve bought... I always thought they were overrated for the price... I"ve finally found something I don't mind spending a few bucks on.

And again, I agree.. esp now.... American car dealers are getting desperate and they have to fall to desperate tactics to survive. And I"ve seen a few american ones that are good too.. I have one here by my house..... He is a Ford dealer. Small town dealer finally getting bigger after many years and the community trust him.

But as you know... when you don't know who is your enemy, you have to treat them all as if they are unless your willing to being vulnerable to getting burnt real good!

In business, my motto is "be friendly to all as if they are your friend... give them plenty of rope to hang theirself in case they are crooked, but trust no one!"

 

Don't borrow money to buy any new car. It's not worth it.

 

I knew mine wouldn't be worth much so I didn't figure it in when buying the Prius. I ended up donating it to an animal charity.

 

in late september i inquired about a '05 prius with options 4,5,or 6 with a dealer in north palm beach, fl.....2 weeks later he was alloted 19 prii & i was 17 on the list.......did i want one with option 4 or 5? i ended up with a red salsa option 5...... 2 weeks later i got my new prius at a price of $24350.....with title & taxes it was $25916.......my dealer advertises at msrp & has one of the largest alotment in south florida region. i have been very happy with the car & its gas mileage.

i am experiencing instant savings.....! the gas is going down.....but either way--i am saving money on mileage.... i work 32 miles roundtrip.....so not very far....i am averaging 47-48 mpg. i keep my car full.......in fact i usually fill up every 6-7 days.....at an average cost of $7.50 !! so for a week of driving.....it means i am using about 1/4 a tank....so i need about 2-3 gallons a week....! this is incredible!

insurance in miami is quite high.......so with two cars......my bill is usually $177/mo(this is thru my credit union-otherwise it would be $2k for one car)...... easily affordable with the gas savings! lol.....havent driven my honda in a while.....left it at work....but i probably will when my family comes to visit..........they claim they cant drive sticks! go figure! well- i'm having fun......& hope u will 2 in the future!

:lol: B)