Stealing without a gun

My wife and I are looking too. Like the Prius, just not sure about the problems some are having with the bladder in the gas tank. But anyway I used edmunds.com for invoice pricing.

Also I did read on this forum, some guy said go for $1,000 to $1,500 off the MSRP.

 

Generally, if you go to Toyota.com, and do the "build your Prius" thing, put in your zip code, you will get quotes from several dealers.
The people that send those emails are the Fleet sales people. You will probably get the best price through them.
Alternately, check with Costco. You may get a good idea of what price is reasonable if you check several sources.

Good luck! (oh, and Five-Star in Aberdeen has three on the lot. Okay for sales/never ever let them do service on your vehicle!)

 

I don't have a problem with the bladder in my fuel tank. I got over the habit of jamming the fuel nozzle far down into the filler neck. Pumps have a diagram showing to put the nozzle in a little bit, then tilt the handle downward, set the trigger, let it pump. One click off and your done.

First fillup I had problems. Was used to stuffing the nozzle far in on my old pickup. I learned. No more problems fueling here.

 

Generally I agree with what Rae Vynn said, but would add a little bit:

1. Costco can be a good deal. But don't hold your breath. When I bought mine through Costco (April 20th of this year), I was literally the last Costco sale on a Prius at that dealership. As soon as the demand spike happened, the Prius was taken off of the list of cars that you could buy through Costco. I don't know if the Prius has been put back on the list.
2. Some see Costco as a great way to get a good deal on a car, others feel more comfortable negotiating themselves.
3. The Toyota build your own function works a little differently depending on what zip code you put in. As both you and Rae Vynn are from the same part of the country I'd assume it works pretty much the same. If you're curious about different it gets, put in your Washington state zip, then use 78731 (that's in Austin Tx), and then try 33063 (Pompano Beach FL). This last bit is really more for others in other areas. The orginal advice is still good, it's just that you're going to get slightly different results of the build your own function depending on your location.

 

Nolan, if you belong to a credit union, try their buying service. It isn't guaranteed to give you rock-bottom price, but we've been happy with the last two new cars we bought through two different credit unions.

So, are you a full-time RVer? We were. PM me if you want, to keep that whole other thing off this thread.

 

The fuel bladder isn't really a problem. All the talk about it is a tempest in a tea pot. If you know it is there, and realize that the overall fuel capacity will vary a little, it's no problem at all.

Tom

 

Several LA dealers have ads saying they have 45-50 Prius in stock and discounts of $2500-3000 UNDER MSRP. It makes me wonder what my 06 with 74000 miles (with HOV stickers) is worth on trade.

 

subarutoo,
Not so sure about that. I'm trying to sell my 2 year old Camry XLE 4 cyl, and with the glut of new cars with heavy discounts, getting rid of a recent model isn't easy. I've had no callers for the ads in 3 weeks, and a deal fell through with a friend because she realized she could get a somewhat similar brand new car (with no scratches!) for almost the same price. FYI - I couldn't trade the Camry because I was incredibly lucky, and actually won my Prius in a charity raffle! So I'm not complaining! However, I wouldn't expect a high value on your trade at this time. Demand is very low and dealers of all brands are hurting.

 

Our local dealer has a listing of Prius' with selling price.
Check this link...by the way Southeastern Toyota zone adds several hundred extra to the selling price.
New-Inventory Jim Barkley Toyota Asheville NC
Charlie

 

There is nothing wrong with the bladder, it just causes a slight inconsistency in gas gauge readout, as the tank heads toward empty. It's caused by outside temperture changes. Additionally, overall MPG will drop during the winter, and the combination of the two freak some people out.
Either accept your fillups and range will be less in quantity during the winter, or just make a simple fuel used/miles driven calculation while you drive and before you fill up, and you'll know exactly how much gas will go into the tank. It's all very consistent and not a problem.

As far as price goes, in this environment, don't pay much over dealer invoice. NOT STICKER, dealer invoice. Get that number off the net.
DON"T let them add on any additional "dealer charges" or price increases.
Know exactly what you want and be ready to say no and walk. Every dealer has a load of Prius' right now.
The perfect rule of thumb is, if you can get a final "drive out " price including taxes and charges, that is right at the MFR. sticker price of the car, you've done good.
Don't accept add-on dealer accessory charges.

 

6 months ago you could have sold your car for what a new one list for. Today on trade don't expect more that 12K. No dealer really wants to trade. They are not moving many cars right now and the last thing they need is more used cars. Even though they may be able to move a used Prius they will offer bottom of the barrel pricing for yours. Try selling yours on Craigslist or local paper. You will maybe get 15-17K. Low gas prices and a bad economy are the cause.

 

Is isn't really a problem for those of us who can get normal fills (the vast majority.) For those who can't it is a problem and I don't want do diminish their complaints.

The fuel bladder is merely annoying for the average user in that it shortens the range to as little as 300 miles/tank and makes the fill variable compared to normal gas tanks. I expect a range of about 400 miles/tank out of my vehicles for trips (my old 240SX could do 500 miles on a tank at interstate speeds when new.) While my average MFD indicated mileage per tank so far is 42.2 to 52.0 mpg in the Prius, the calculated fills give erroneous values of 38.7 and 57.6 for these same tanks. Longterm the MFD and calculated mileage are off by less than 0.5%--which is so close that it can be accounted for twice over in the outlier fill in the last tank.

Every vehicle has its annoyances--the bladder is the Prius'.

 

Since the carpool stickers are good for two more years, you might be able to get $2K on top of the "normal" trade-in price. You may want to check kbb.com to determine current valuations.

 

Don't buy a new car without first reading all the great tips on CarBuyingTips.com new car buying guide, avoiding dealer scams, new cars, used car buying

 

New newbie!! Planning to buy Touring package 3 in 2009.

I notice that you are looking in Washington State to purchase a new car. Right now I am seeing $4000 off MSRP mostly in California-San Jose and LA. Another thing you might not know is in 2009 there will be a 6.3% discount on your use taxes when registering with the state a new car that gets 40mpg or more ie the Prius.

 

I live in Colorado and paid $26,000 plus tax and handling for an '09 Pakg 6 with an MSRP of $28,913 five days ago. There were eight new and one used on the lot the day I bought mine. Went back yesterday and they were all still there.

 

Wait... You can buy a Prius through Costco?

Is that only at certain stores? I've never heard of anything like that at my local Costco. Must be near the frozen foods, I never go near that area LOL. Seriously though, do you just talk to someone in particular in the store?