The price of a 2005 Prius? HELP Please!!

Go to

and research the car. Check their "TMV"(True Market Value) for your area as specified by your zip code.Another reference is the Kelley Blue Book at Good luck...

One rarely has to make a decision "today" about buying a car. It's a common pressure tactic. But for a Prius I can believe that if you turn it down he has another customer waiting to take it, so it may be too late to help you with this purchase.

Instead you should prepare yourself for the next opportunity. Start by reading Consumer Reports' advice on how to buy a car, available from most libraries or at

00534702752

(If you can't untangle that, start from

and click on "Autos".) Almost all of the work of buying a car can be done with a phone and a fax machine. Call a bunch of dealers with a description of what you want, have them fax you their terms and price, then call the others with the best price and see whether any of them can beat it. Make them bid for your business. This is easier and more effective than sitting for hours in a sales office while some salesman "clears it with his manager".

You might also buy the Consumer Reports report on the true dealer's cost of a new Prius, but the Prius is rather a special case; demand is so strong that most dealers are getting MSRP and more for it, so that report is less useful than for most other cars.

A further benefit of waiting is that you have more time to save cash toward the price. It's usually not cost effective to borrow money to buy a new car.

Mine with package 6 is priced at 26,239.00. It should arrive in late December or January.

Because of the waiting lists, there's no haggling on a Prius. You either buy it for the price the dealer tells you or go to another dealership.

You do not say where you are (there are different DPH fees depending on what region you are in), or what accessories are added to the car, beyond the option package #6 (BC). Also, did the quote that you were given include your local taxes, title, and license fees?

The Prius is typically selling for MSRP. Some dealers are doing a "market adjustment fee" or pre-loading the car with accessories that you never asked for (like leather seats or "upgraded" 17" tires/rims or LoJack) over and above MSRP on available cars because of the typical long wait lists elsewhere. It is rare to find a dealer doing less than MSRP (at best you might pay MSRP and get floor mats or a free oil change thrown in).

Go to

and enter your ZIP code in the "Build and Price your Prius" box on the left. That'll show you the MSRP, available option packages and accessories for your region (with prices),and the DPH fee for your region.

Tell this dealer to go ^&* himself. Ny dealer tried the same thing. I finally asked for my deposit back. He backed down. I just bought one at MSRP:

Base: $20,875 Package 6: $5,065 Delivery: $540 = $26,480

Production is up, waitling lists are getting shorter. They make a lot of $$ off of package 6, so tell the dealer you'll pay MSRP.

I just picked up mine last Friday. Already have two of the buttons on the mirror programmed to turn my house lights on / off.

what exactly happened? did he return your deposit?

exactly. Production is up, there are other manufacturers making hybrids(competion), people are learning more about hybrids like the cost benefits are only after 50k miles or more. I expect dealers to sell priuses somewhere around invoice prices maybe in 2 months.

-Prasad

Thanks RZ for the info. I have been debating with myself and reading everything I could find for several months about whether to buy a Prius, Corolla, Civic or Civic Hybrid. I'm not concerned about the price of gasoline but rather its future availability.

I am a chemical engineer, PhD, retired former PE who was employed by a major oil company from 1961 to 1969 in oil production research (reserves estimation & getting it out of the ground by secondary methods). Along with many others, I have known for decades that an oil crunch was inevitable.

As a chem engineer, I am convinced there is no substitute for oil, an easily portable liquid fuel, and further, that there is no alternate technology on the horizon that can supply the massive energy requirements for food production, manufacturing and transportation that currently sustains our population. Anyone who thinks hydrogen, oil shale, solar, wind, biomass, tides or fuel cells are going to do it, you don't know enough about energy utilization. Coal has possibilities, but that is non-renewable too.

My expectations for the future have been expressed in unvarnished detail by Matt Savinar:

Maybe Matt and I are too pessimistic about the future, but I don't think so.

I won't detail my car-buying decision-making process since it's too involved, and besides, each of us has his/her own reasons for buying anything.

Yesterday I bought a Corolla LE with cruise control, 6-CD changer (VV option), carpet mats, and that odious "protection" group. I went to Edmunds, calculated the invoice price ($15,285) and missed it by $9. I added $285 for the $699 "protection" group which I was told was the dealer price(??) giving $15,570 as total invoice. I added $500 for "profit" and made an offer of $16,100. The "manager" raised me $150 to $16,250 (sticker price was $17,340), and I accepted. Then there was a $500 rebate which gave a final price to me of $15,750. Of course document fee ($249), sales tax (4.5% = $742) and title ($16.50) were added to this. Out-the-door cost was $16,758.

You might ask why I didn't buy an Echo, or a motorcycle, or a bicycle if I'm so concerned about the future. Good question that can be argued indefinitely. I might get one of those as time goes by, although I'm too old for a motorcycle or bicycle. :-)

I expect some flack from this posting, but I'm nott going to get involved in a flame war. I posted it mainly to provide some comparative data to assist anyone else wrestling with the same decision I was making.

Thanks to all the good posters on this and other groups who helped me to reach my conclusion.

Rod

I am an engineer as well, not chem, but still I tend to agree, mostly, with the URL's scenario. I am currently building a new home. It has SIP (Structural Insulated Panels), Geothermal heat pump (ground source heat pump), passive solar heating, and, perhaps, solar panels. (My previous home had a 6KW solar array). I've been driving a Honda Insight for 4 years. I know this is all just pissing in the wind so far what's in our future, but it's the best I can do.

Interestingly I got my Prius for the sticker price, with Package #4, was $23,676 Plus TAX/License and I bought also the out and inside finish since I intend to keep it a while. I went on the list in April, 2004 and received it October 12, 2004

Ken