I really wish the dealer told/showed me...(post your wishes)

[Weirdo23]

Hello everyone,

I think I am one step closer to joining this happy little family! I placed an order for a 2008 Touring Package #6 in Spectra Blue on May 5th, 2008 and was notified today that my car has been allocated!! I should take delivery at the end of the month.

Now my questions to all the experts and experienced owners out there is:

Is there anything you wish you would have known prior to driving off the lot?
I've been learning plenty here, and will continue to read daily, but I figured that there were probably quite a few good stories/experiences/problems out there that new owners could learn from.

Post away!

Thanks.

Wierdo

[Rest]

What the Stealership really paid Toyota for my Prius.

[snowdog650]

95% of the sales persons I have dealt with at car dealerships are bozos.

99% of the sales persons I have dealt with at car dealerships knew less about their products than I did at the time of my walking in.

My opinion is that if you need to rely on a sales person at a dealership to tell you anything about the car -- other than their lowest price -- you are in trouble. With so many informational resources out there, the amount of research you can do on ANY car is staggering.

And you, too, can be smarter than the average sales person.

Enjoy the new sled.

[fcc]

that package #6 came with a car alarm and not making me double pay for it.
took two visits to get my refund. snowdog is right. these guys just need to learn
more about the cars they sell and so many issues would never happen.

[chrisspaulding]

.
I wish my dealer told me about PriusChat!
-but I found it anyway. phew!
.

[efusco]

Ask them to show you both where the 12v battery is and how it's accessed as well as where the jump points are and how to access them (opening the fuse box lid isn't that intuitive).

How to turn off and on the SKS (under the steering wheel).

How to program the NAV, set up the BT (bring your phone and let them do it for you), and the Homelink. None are hard but it's nice to see someone work them once before you have to do it yourself.

Where to store the Toneau cover, where the spare tire and tools are and what the straps in the back are for.

How to program for the SKS to unlock all the doors (if that's how you want it).

How to get the AC on the 'vent' setting (I'll bet they won't know--come back here if they don't).

How to turn the MFD back on after you've turned it off!

That's all I can think of at the moment...nothing you can't figure out on your own, but a quick start is always nice.

[captnpops]

-On my 2005, the front license plate holder was not level as there was no pilot holes. Make sure they get it level.
-read the extended warrenty program on priuschat...$995... vs the dealership.
-I agree with everyone else... generally, the sales people turnover too fast to really know anything about the car..
-most amazing thing about the car... normal(not panic) braking above 7 mph is engine braking.. your brakes are not engaged.
have fun!

[lefat1]

dont let them sell you an extended warranty, you can get the same here on pc for less.also my guy stuck life insurance and window etch protection on that i immediately cancelled...also, dont hold your breath while waiting, they will sell it out from under you. call for daily updates and if your nearby, stop in..i got the same vehicle just by stopping in to another dealer and he didnt even know it was there.

[tasker109]

our dealership was very good at indoctrinating us to the prius. there is a guy that comes to the shop after they detail the car and get it ready for you. he goes over the car with a fine tooth comb explaining many things, including some that are "DUH". but you never know. people might not have known where the controls to move the seat are. he spent close to an hour going over things and even set up the bluetooth system with our phones. im sure there are things that i have learned on this forum that the dealership does not know about. if they knew all the things that i have found out since joining this forum, it would have taken 3 hours to show us around!!

[Jack66]

1. Towing points
2. Lift points
3. Hidden spaces
4. Overfilling oil
5. Bladder in gas tank
6. Jumping the battery

Most of these are in the owner's manual (which I actually read), but I am a visual learner and it would have been nice to learn this stuff before I left the lot. However, to be honest, I'm not sure if I would have been listening -- I was so in love with my new Prius I wasn't paying much attention to anything else!