Want to take the plunge...help a newbie out!

Welcome and great choice!

New vs. used is a personal decision. As long as a Prius isn't abused, a used one will work great too. One of the benefits of a brand spanking new Prius, is the tax credits. If you buy used, you do not get them. Federally, only the Plugin qualifies as of now I believe. But on the state level, some still give rebates like my state.

Nobody knows what the pricing will be, nobody is psychic. It is a good bet that once the 2013's arrive, there will be even better deals on the 2012's that remain. But your available pool of choices will be much lower. If you want Option X, too bad for you. Bigger the down payment the better. If your credit is good, you may be able to take advantage of the 0% financing. I believe it is a 0% with no pre-payment penalty. So if you are good about paying things not only on time, but in excess, then it can be a great deal. If you slack, then still slightly better then elsewhere.

I know the voice. I am a firm believer of do what makes you happy without hurting the overall picture.

If you are a member of AAA, Costco, or Sams Club, you will get a discount and a 0 hassle arrangement. it will be $X, you pay, you leave. TrueCar (I think???) is one that is essentially a similar dealer program. The price is $X and if a dealer is a member of the program, then they are obligated by their agreement to give you that price. Some are hacks that then try to tack on thousands of extra options, but read the reviews and you will be fine. Many members on here have done so. Also there is a member on here that can get you a discount on the ToyotaCare if you want. Since you aren't a car person, if you want an extended warranty and/or oil changes and maintenance, it might be a consideration.

I am not familiar with the GenIII packages. But get the 3 door SKS. You will absolutely hate yourself if you do not. The solar panel is a novelty, but a pretty cool one. No way the cost is justifiable in any way for resale. On a personal level, it may be. Again, get what makes you happy. The stock speakers are not great. But they are better than a lot of other stock speakers. I am fine with them. If you listen to the radio mostly, they are perfect. More distortion in the waves then in the speakers. If you are listening to FLAC disks or something lossless, then you will probably want better speakers. The JBLs are better, but there are better ones out there. I personally would get the stockers or not factor the JBL into the decision. If later you decide you don't like the sound, get speakers installed that match your ears.

Upgrades are great for personal enjoyment. They have near 0 effect on resale. Never talk yourself into buying something because it will make the car more valuable. The make the car cost more to you, they sell for the same down the road. Would a Navigation system and CD player from 2002 interest you now more today then a car from 2002 without a 10 year old nav system and a cassette player? Probably not. If you are buying a 2002, you probably don't care.


Do know that if you go with the touring models with the 17in wheels, your MPG will be lower.

 

Love my solar panel/moonroof package... I bought it for me and am enjoying it.

 

I looked at the gen 3 IV without the moon roof and did not buy it. A few months later I went back and looked at the same car with the Moon Roof and the expense of those extra features was well worth it. I was able to negociate a Internet price of 3K off list which mostly paid for the upgrades. Keep in mind that if you trade you car in this year you will get a better value than next year when you get another depreciation round on the KBB values. December is a good month to buy. Once I purchased it I for a short period of time wished I looked at the PIP (Plug In Prius), although the 32K PIP does not have many features and the 39K PIP is too expensive. At that time I thought the PIP being the first year I did not want to be the Ginny Pig. It seems from the forum the PIP people are the most pleased with the MPG and driver experience except for the one guy who almost burned down his 50 year old house because his electric was not up to code. I guess if you're interested in PIP the energy company can give you a free evaluation and make any upgrade suggestions if needed. best of luck and let us know how you make out.

 

In the very short term there are incentives on the 2012's. What's on the lot is all there is. The 2013's are here & coming. They are priced higher to start with and won't be as heavily discounted. They are the same car. If you can find what you want at a fair price then buy it.

If you can't afford the car maybe you should be looking toward the lower end. Gizmos change the experience but won't improve the car's performance.

Read through CarBuyingTips.com - complete step by step car buying guide.

Happy hunting.

 

I purchased the 4 with solar roof and find it to be an upgrade I would not be without-just makes the car. I also upgraded to the 17" wheels immediately after I purchased the car-probably did cut the mileage however the handling/ride/appearance made it well worth it to me. My spouse has a base model with no options-used for basic commuting and is extremely happy. All those things are just personal preference-depends on what you will most enjoy. Always best to make sure you get what you really want/what is specifically important to you, with no regrets.

 

I'm not sure if you have a smartphone. I own a iPhone 5 and I think the phone integration is outstanding. I can be driving along 50 MPH and get notified I have a text message and with a touch of the screen have the car read the message to me. Touchscreen is outstanding and voice command is done well. The Sirius with the upgraded stereo is a pleasure and bing allows me to search a business and hit go to and it will drop the directions into my navigation or I can call the business. I can locate cheap gas close to my location and nav there and I can make reservations on opentable or check my stock values or sports scores. I have a gas application that tracks my MPG and it has become a game for me. The car tracks MPG and has cool graphics for data points.The car has so many little tech goodies that it is a pleasure to own.

 

Given where you live, maybe consider taking the train to BWI in Md and buying at CarMax's Toyota Dealership in Laurel MD. By doing so you can avoid the 6 or 8 things the Southeast Toyota Distributor adds to every car sold in our area. I didn't value them as highly as they did. CarMax does the one price sales model on new cars too so you can shop online and see what they have and compare. I did it and saved ~$2000 on an Avalon over the best of 5 quotes locally. I arranged pickup at BWI by email and was in and out the door in 20 minutes and it was an extremely pleasant experience. No upselling, efficient paperwork processing and the price I was quoted was exact to the penny. At least use that price in your local negotiations.

 

Remember you are the Buyer and have all the Power. Negociate and play a few dealers against each other and get the best deal you can. If the deal is not good enough walk out the door and go to the next place. At the least you should get 3K off your Prius Sticker price and the KBB trade in value on you car. Don't settle for less. Make sure you get the TFS financing deal which may be 0.09% now on 60 months or ask them to match the local Credit Union and do the research before you go there. many Credit Unions will post there interest rates. When you get the deal you want say throw in the cargo net and Find a girl friend for my ugly cousin and it is a done deal.

 

The JBL upgrade was really worth it for me. Significant improvement over the base system. Make sure to compare the seats between a Two/Three, and power seats in the Four. Big difference for some folks.

 

Love my Four...no regrets!

 

Love the power driver's seat and leather on my 2012 model IV.
I have a dog that travels with me everywhere and she sheds a lot so it was a must have item for me.
Also I am happy with my lease deal which lets me wait 3 years before writing the big check.

 

Ah, this reminds me of myself a year ago. Buying a Prius was the BEST decision. I was torn over a Honda Fit, and although they're nearly as numerous in my town, I love my Prius every time I get behind the wheel. Given, I purchased a pre-owned one, so I'm not much help with recommending a current model, but I would recommend "hassling" with the dealer. Knowing what you want and what you're willing to pay will go a long way in negotiations and believe me, they're worth it. Car dealers are eager to get cars off the lots right now, that is true, but don't think they won't be willing to go down even more than what they say they will.

 

Not sure if you have purchased yet since your original post is a month old now. We purchased an 08 new (package 2) and loved it - still do. Just got a 2012 (5). Here are the things we wanted in our second one. Heated seats - nice as you get older and when it gets colder. Leather (or at least a reasonable facsimile). Nav is OK, but Garmin just about as good. HID projector headlights - didn't think I would like them but I do. 17" wheels and tires - nice. Like the bluetooth integration with a smartphone (mentioned by others).

We were not planning to buy a few weeks ago when we stumbled onto the 2012. Dealer gave us a great price (nearly 3K off sticker) and gave us a great trade-in (about 2K more than I expected), but our trade was in excellent condition. Shop around. You might have to travel to find a good deal, but it will be worth it.

 

Whoops - not HID headlamps, LED headlamps. Definitely white lights!

 

Solar roof is nice in summer. As is the sun roof.

Many find the seats uncomfortable so consider the Model 4 with power seats if you can afford it.