For those wavering about buying a Prius....

quagmire0 · 08-01-2006, 09:23 AM

So, my wife and I were looking for a good-sized car with great gas mileage. She has a sizeable commute to work each day, so we wanted to be able to save on gas, while still having a car you could at least start a family with. (Our current good car is a Civic Coupe). So I do my research and find that the Prius stands pretty tall (or really alone) with the Hybrids. I go about finding a dealer with the #4 package and finally find one.

Here's where the problem is: we both were raised by father's that were damn good negotiators. They taught us the cardinal rule in car negotiation: DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET UP AND LEAVE. So, naturally, I have this 'must get a bargain (or at least feel like it)' part of me that I took into negotiation. We proceed to drive what would be our trade in car to the dealership - and it's a bit of a drive. Ahead of time, my mind is made up, I want X for my trade in, nothing less. I figure that these guys are getting MSRP, and on top of that a dealer holdback. The least they can do is pass a little over to me.

We go back and forth between salesman and used car guy, back and forth. I don't budge. I feel good about not budging, because normally I would cave, and I just wouldn't feel good afterwards. I even told the guy straight-out that I wanted to feel good about the deal, and what he was offering for the trade in wasn't going to do it.

So I put my foot down on the trade in price. 50% of me thought they would budge, at least a little. 50% of me thought I was going home empty handed and would have to live with it. The 2nd 50% won. I was a little shocked. Even though these were high demand cars, our difference in $$ was about $400. I at least expected them to meet me half way. It was the end of the month, etc. etc.

Afterwards, I didn't feel that bad. To me, I didn't want to get caught in the hype. I wanted to feel like I won a little bit, and that wasn't going to happen. So, I figured that I would check out the rest of the competition. Obviously the Prius' were too much of a hot commodity for me to negotiate even a little and feel good about my purchase.

So I looked at a Honda Civic Hybrid yesterday.

Now I'm looking for another Prius.

tyrael · 08-01-2006, 09:42 AM

Good luck next time bro. My deal was pretty hard and I have to admit that I might have been caught up in the moment, but I don't regret it at all.

Betelgeuse · 08-01-2006, 10:05 AM

Good for you. There are enough Prii around these days that I'm *sure* you can find a dealer that will work with you. If you can't, maybe consider selling the car privately? I notice you're in the Chicago area; maybe look at Grossinger Toyota (if you haven't already)? I have no personal experience with them, but Danny (the founder of this site) just got his Prius there, and they had a big event.

See this thread.

Renocat · 08-01-2006, 10:25 AM

The first dealer I went to wanted to lowball me on my trade. I had done research, knew what KBB was and was prepared to walk. And that is just what I did, I walked out on the deal. 2 days later I went to a second dealer, they gave me $6000 more than dealer #1 and I drove the Prius home 2 days later...not 1-2 months later like dealer #1 said it would be.

It does pay to shop around, I am very happy with my deal and enjoyed the car buying experience over all.

Hokie-Dave · 08-01-2006, 10:44 AM

Yup, I think you did the right thing. The worst thing you can have happen to you is regretting the deal you made, you then won't be happy with the car for quite a while until all of that washes out of your brain.

I was lucky and bought my used 02 Prius last April, right before the gas prices started to sky rocket. I couldn't believe the deal they gave me for my trade and was waiting like an impatient 2 year old to sign the papers before they could try and start dealing again. They actually gave me $2k for my 94 Explorer which I paid $1700 for at auction a year and a half before that. I was quite happy with the deal. I'm sure they made money on the car, which I also feel I got for a great/fair price, but both sides were happy.

Hang in there and I'm sure you will find the dealership that is willing to meet your terms, if you don't you may have too high of expectations on your trade. Do you have a Carmax in the area? If so, take it to them and get a free quote of what they will give you for your car.

dave

kirbinster · 08-01-2006, 12:21 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hokie-Dave @ Aug 1 2006, 10:44 AM) [snapback]295666[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Yup, I think you did the right thing. The worst thing you can have happen to you is regretting the deal you made, you then won't be happy with the car for quite a while until all of that washes out of your brain.

I was lucky and bought my used 02 Prius last April, right before the gas prices started to sky rocket. I couldn't believe the deal they gave me for my trade and was waiting like an impatient 2 year old to sign the papers before they could try and start dealing again. They actually gave me $2k for my 94 Explorer which I paid $1700 for at auction a year and a half before that. I was quite happy with the deal. I'm sure they made money on the car, which I also feel I got for a great/fair price, but both sides were happy.

Hang in there and I'm sure you will find the dealership that is willing to meet your terms, if you don't you may have too high of expectations on your trade. Do you have a Carmax in the area? If so, take it to them and get a free quote of what they will give you for your car.
dave
[/b]

But you only told us half the deal. What were the specifics on the '02 you bought and how much did you pay?

quagmire0 · 08-01-2006, 01:03 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renocat @ Aug 1 2006, 09:25 AM) [snapback]295662[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

The first dealer I went to wanted to lowball me on my trade. I had done research, knew what KBB was and was prepared to walk. And that is just what I did, I walked out on the deal. 2 days later I went to a second dealer, they gave me $6000 more than dealer #1 and I drove the Prius home 2 days later...not 1-2 months later like dealer #1 said it would be.

It does pay to shop around, I am very happy with my deal and enjoyed the car buying experience over all.
[/b]

$6,000 more?!?

That's not a lowball, that's....well, I don't know what that is....

Renocat · 08-01-2006, 01:18 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(quagmire0 @ Aug 1 2006, 01:03 PM) [snapback]295713[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

$6,000 more?!?

That's not a lowball, that's....well, I don't know what that is....

[/b]

Well, I call it being a woman and shopping for a car by myself. <_< I figure they saw me and thought...there is no way she knows what her car is worth and she really wants a Prius so lets play with her.

Dealer #1 called me back the night before I was picking up my Prius from dealer #2. He asked if I had given any more thought to buying a Prius. I said actually I have and I pick up a package 7 tomorrow morning. I don't think I have ever heard a salesman stutter before. He was mumbling how he thought the service manager had offered me to0 little, yada, yada, yada, I said yes he did, I was offended and went to a dealer that respected me, my time and my money :P

Godiva · 08-01-2006, 01:21 PM

Have you considered selling your car yourself privately? You might make more than that $400.

Good luck on your search. You are going to love this car.

seasidetraveler · 08-01-2006, 01:21 PM

If you are so determined to get more for your car, why not try to sell it? Honda Civic's should be easy to sell.

08-01-2006, 10:44 AM	#5
Hokie-Dave Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Manassas, VA Posts: 34 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Yup, I think you did the right thing. The worst thing you can have happen to you is regretting the deal you made, you then won't be happy with the car for quite a while until all of that washes out of your brain. I was lucky and bought my used 02 Prius last April, right before the gas prices started to sky rocket. I couldn't believe the deal they gave me for my trade and was waiting like an impatient 2 year old to sign the papers before they could try and start dealing again. They actually gave me $2k for my 94 Explorer which I paid $1700 for at auction a year and a half before that. I was quite happy with the deal. I'm sure they made money on the car, which I also feel I got for a great/fair price, but both sides were happy. Hang in there and I'm sure you will find the dealership that is willing to meet your terms, if you don't you may have too high of expectations on your trade. Do you have a Carmax in the area? If so, take it to them and get a free quote of what they will give you for your car. dave __________________ Dave '73 Ford Mustang Mach 1 (FUN mobile) '02 Toytoa Prius (commuter mobile) '04 Mazda MPV (kid mobile)

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08-01-2006, 09:23 AM	#1
quagmire0 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 110 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	So, my wife and I were looking for a good-sized car with great gas mileage. She has a sizeable commute to work each day, so we wanted to be able to save on gas, while still having a car you could at least start a family with. (Our current good car is a Civic Coupe). So I do my research and find that the Prius stands pretty tall (or really alone) with the Hybrids. I go about finding a dealer with the #4 package and finally find one. Here's where the problem is: we both were raised by father's that were damn good negotiators. They taught us the cardinal rule in car negotiation: DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET UP AND LEAVE. So, naturally, I have this 'must get a bargain (or at least feel like it)' part of me that I took into negotiation. We proceed to drive what would be our trade in car to the dealership - and it's a bit of a drive. Ahead of time, my mind is made up, I want X for my trade in, nothing less. I figure that these guys are getting MSRP, and on top of that a dealer holdback. The least they can do is pass a little over to me. We go back and forth between salesman and used car guy, back and forth. I don't budge. I feel good about not budging, because normally I would cave, and I just wouldn't feel good afterwards. I even told the guy straight-out that I wanted to feel good about the deal, and what he was offering for the trade in wasn't going to do it. So I put my foot down on the trade in price. 50% of me thought they would budge, at least a little. 50% of me thought I was going home empty handed and would have to live with it. The 2nd 50% won. I was a little shocked. Even though these were high demand cars, our difference in $$ was about $400. I at least expected them to meet me half way. It was the end of the month, etc. etc. Afterwards, I didn't feel that bad. To me, I didn't want to get caught in the hype. I wanted to feel like I won a little bit, and that wasn't going to happen. So, I figured that I would check out the rest of the competition. Obviously the Prius' were too much of a hot commodity for me to negotiate even a little and feel good about my purchase. So I looked at a Honda Civic Hybrid yesterday. Now I'm looking for another Prius.

08-01-2006, 09:42 AM	#2
tyrael Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 56 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Good luck next time bro. My deal was pretty hard and I have to admit that I might have been caught up in the moment, but I don't regret it at all.

08-01-2006, 10:05 AM	#3
Betelgeuse Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Northampton, MA, USA Posts: 1,176 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #3 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Good for you. There are enough Prii around these days that I'm sure you can find a dealer that will work with you. If you can't, maybe consider selling the car privately? I notice you're in the Chicago area; maybe look at Grossinger Toyota (if you haven't already)? I have no personal experience with them, but Danny (the founder of this site) just got his Prius there, and they had a big event. See this thread.

08-01-2006, 10:25 AM	#4
Renocat Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 361 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	The first dealer I went to wanted to lowball me on my trade. I had done research, knew what KBB was and was prepared to walk. And that is just what I did, I walked out on the deal. 2 days later I went to a second dealer, they gave me $6000 more than dealer #1 and I drove the Prius home 2 days later...not 1-2 months later like dealer #1 said it would be. It does pay to shop around, I am very happy with my deal and enjoyed the car buying experience over all.

08-01-2006, 01:21 PM	#9
Godiva AmeriKan Citizen Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 8,887 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #1 Nominated 3 Times in 2 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 5	Have you considered selling your car yourself privately? You might make more than that $400. Good luck on your search. You are going to love this car.

08-01-2006, 01:21 PM	#10
seasidetraveler Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: So~Cal Posts: 614 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	If you are so determined to get more for your car, why not try to sell it? Honda Civic's should be easy to sell.