Price to offer?

Is it a 2011 or a 2012?
What's KBB say for the trade-in value for your car?

If you're trading your present car in, then you're already leaving money on the table. If you take the dealer's "low-ball" interest rate in lieu of a lower cash price, then you may be leaving even more money on the table. Finally, there always seems to be dealer installed options and the dreaded "documentation" fees that have to be backed out of the deal in order to determine the true cost of the car.

Here's what "I" would do:
1. Slow down! Prices for G3's are trending downward. Fuel is low (for now) and supplies for new G3's are up. You're in the "land of Lincoln" which has been pretty hard hit by the current economic morass. Dealers there are a little more hungry there than they are out on the left coast and in other areas.
2. Try to sell your current ride rather than trading it in---especially if it's in good shape. Even if you get KBB's trade-in value plus a few hundred dollars, you'll be money ahead. Oh...the dealer might be able to offer you what seems like more money for your trade-in, but they're going to get it back out of you before you sign your life away on the new car.....trust me!
3. Negotiate an OUT THE DOOR price through several dealerships. You can usually do this on-line. Tax, title, tag, first tank of gas, etc. Do this separately from any consideration for what they'll offer you for your present ride. If you must go to a showroom, leave your trade-in at the house. Like I said before...you're looking at two separate deals. You're selling your present car, and you're BUYING their car.
4. Go to a credit union and see what rates you qualify for a new car purchase. GET PRE-APPROVED for a new car loan before you go to the dealer, then after you've negotiated for the price of the new car, you can offer the finance manager a chance to beat your loan---for the same OTD price. They probably won't be able to---but if you have stellar credit, they might.

DO NOT buy an extended warranty from the dealer!!! If you're considering this coverage for your new car (and you really shouldn't be) then you can purchase the OEM warranty later, and for a lower price.

If the lender (or the dealer) tells you that you need GAP insurance STOP! Something's wrong. You might not be able to afford a new car yet. (sorry!)
If you reallllllly think that you need GAP, then your insurance company can sell this to you a little more cheaply.

NEVER buy credit life coverage, or any of the other bolt-on's that the finance manager will try to offer you. You're buying a CAR. That's all you should need for now.

Good Luck!
(you might need it!)

 

Most dealerships have (or pretend to have) an internet sales associate.
Negotiating on-line is pretty easy, actually. Go to their web site and select a G3 from their stock, and have them email you a purchase order for that car. This will detail purchase price, tax, tag (including any documentation fees) and so on. If none of the 5 dealerships in your area are willing to do this, then I'd expand my search area....but really. People negotiate on line all the time.
THEN...all you have to do is take the quote to the dealership and haggle over the trade in value for your present vehicle.
I still think that lowest cash price with buyer financing might trump Toyota's financing. My Credit Union is offering 1.9% for up to 48-months. Sharpen up a couple of pencils and compare. Most dealers offer "special" financing for an added cash price. I've never come out ahead using dealer financing, buuuuut YMMV!
It might take a couple of trips, but I maintain that if you're willing to take the effort, there will be a dealership-----even a TOYOTA dealership that will want to move a unit for invoice plus tax with no added fees.
Shop.
Haggle.
BE WILLING to drive away.

Let us know how you make out.....and GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

I did the consumer reports lowest price report, added on the taxes and title fee and went into my dealer with that amount. But, ended up getting it lower. So, I think you can do better. I ended up e-mailing different dealerships - my insurance carrier has a car buying service - zag that gave me the lowest prices, I did that report, e-mailed them the price I wanted and started a bidding war. In the end, I got a much better price for the II than I had expected. Just expect that you may have to drive some distance to get the best rate. I did all the negotiating through e-mail, not over the phone so that I had it in writing and decided to go to the dealer closest to where I live and just told them what I wanted and low and behold, got a bit under that.

It wasn't the most fun of a process, but it was the shortest time I was at the dealership - one hour!! My first car buying experience was nearly six hours.

 

I bought a 2010 Prius II and the out- the-door price was $25,000 or just a bit more. Our tax rate here is about 10%.

I would email as many area dealers as possible to get a price quote. In California and most states, they have fixed tax/license/doc processing fees that they charge, but you should ask via Internet for the dealer to list those and give you the out- the-door price. If they won't, something's fishy. I like my local dealer, One Toyota of Oakland, very much. They put the price on each car, with a below MSRP discount. The only add- Ind they offer are the Toyota extended warranty/maintenance plans, and LoJack. And they tell you this up- front. They do not try to sell you anything else unless you ask, and their below-MSRP price is haggle- free, fair, and non-negotiable. Awesome people to work with.

 

Bummer, our high volume Prius dealer's '11 Two price is $21,688 (30 units at that price) after discount and rebate. But, you're closer to Detroit, and I heard there's less discounts around those parts. True?

 

Ditto Rupert. Let your fingers do the walking: make the dealers bid for your business. Oh, and next time? Save up the purchase price before you buy. Borrowing money to buy a car is for chumps and the desperate.

 

If you are a Costco member, check for their dealer referal. My daughter bought a 2011 II for $300 over invoice with no hassle, no upselling, etc. Costco membership is only about $50 if you don't belong yet. They monitor the deals to make sure the dealers they refer customers to follow the rules of the program. AAA has similar programs at some of their state clubs, so check there as well.
As was already mentioned, get the price out-the-door for the new car before talking trade-in allowance. Good luck.

 

Congratulations on the purchase, I think color is really just a taste.
White is #1 for me, then silver, blue and all others except for red. I always try to avoid red .
anyways, post some pictures when you get a chance.

 

Congratulations...it is amazing how interesting buying a car can be from dealer to dealer. But, it sounds like everything worked out for you. I can relate to missing the old car. But, I think that you will also learn to appreciate the features of the Prius. I am still not 100% comfortable with everything, but I guess I need to set aside some extra time and read the manual.