best dealership to go through in socal?

I was really happy with the way Manhattan Beach Toyota's fleet department treated me. On the other hand, Carson Toyota was pretty sleazy.

 

I got my '07 from Manhattan Beach Toyota at the end of 2007 ('08 were on the lot). They gave me a pretty good deal on it - $500 over invoice. Financing department was also very flexible - gave me the warranty for $900 and reduced my APR so I could have the same monthly payments. Only sleazy thing they did was give me a bunch of surveys pre-filled out ("Very Satisfied"). I never sent those in - but I would have filled in very satisfied and sent it in if it wasn't pre-filled out.


Anyway, I was talking to "Coach" in Internet / Fleet sales yesterday (as my wife is looking into a 2010), he gave me the impression they weren't expecting a lot of 2010 Prii - but that could be a pressure tactic.

I also talked to somebody at Santa Monica Toyota - and they said they expected plenty of 2010 Prii, as they're a top Prii dealer. He claimed their wait-list has 80 people on it ($1000 deposit fully refundable).

 

Have you tried Tustin Toyota or Rancho Santa Margarita Toyota?

The OP wants to pay sales tax based upon dealer location rather than the OP's location. LA sales tax is higher than OC sales tax.

 

If your worried about the sales tax bump, buy it in Nevada!!!

 

FYI--the law in CA says you pay sales tax based on where you live (where the car registration address is), not where you bought the car.

 

You won't save anything, because you need to pay CA sales tax, based on your county, when you register the car (they give you a credit for any sales tax you paid in the other state). To avoid this, you need to own the car for a certain period (1 year I believe, but not certain) before registering it in CA.

 

I talked to 3 different dealership in the So Cal area, and one of them is telling me they will sell the 2010 at MSRP.

Are there anyone interested to do a group buy at that dealership, so maybe we can get the 2010 under MSRP.

 

I definitely would like to go in on a group buy in So. Calif. I have talked with Toyota in Irvine and Rancho. They both have no clue on model numbers or being able to pre order and they say they will not take deposits in advance. I am planning on buying model IV with the solar roof. Count me in!

 

I read through these posts and wanted to contribute my thoughts:

1. Group buys to obtain discounts (or even getting discounts at all) off MSRP seems unlikely during the first months of release. IMHO.
2. Customers put deposits down now to secure a place in line. Those not doing this will not take delivery on a Prius for several months, unless they agree to paying a premium.
3. The sales tax paid on a new vehicle will be tax deductible, from Feb thru Nov purchases. This provides better tax relief than worrying about a 1% higher rate from county to county. (Let me emphasize that this is a tax deduction and NOT a tax credit.) For example, a $2,500 sales tax impact will save a person $1,000 who is in a 40% tax bracket.
4. I like Longo Toyota. I've purchased several vehicles from them. Talk to Victor Zeng there and tell him Fred Crane sent you. He will take care of you. He has an accent and is sometimes hard to understand. You can correspond thru e-mail with him to solidify things in writing.

Good luck on your purchases. I honestly cannot wait to start driving my '10 Prius.

~Fred

 

Yep. Just went up. Used to be 90 days ... then 180 days ... and now:

http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/pdf/l211.pdf

So, you buy out of state ... better keep it registered there for a good long time.

 

I can go check with the dealership and see what kind of discount we can get. Once I confirm the minimum group buy number and the discount rate, I will post it here.

Anyway as for Longo Toyota/Lexus, all I got from them was bad services.

 

Count me in!!!

 

Toyota of Hollywood was the #1 dealer in the early days of Prius. Even during times of high demand, they did not charge a mark-up....even while other dealers charged $3000 or more. I'm not sure if they will continue this trend, but if they do, and if I upgrade, that's where I'll go.

That said, the new Ford Fusion Hybrid looks very interesting....

 

Honestly, the auto industry is so depressed right now, and gas prices are low. There isn't enough demand for Prii for dealers to charge over MSRP.

 

Yes, the 2010 will be hot and you will not get ANY group buy. You will be lucky for the first several months to get it at MSRP (for such hot models which have the Moon Roof, etc).

Dianne Whitmire is back at Manhatten Beach Toyota (Internet Fleet) and has been supporting us Prius people since 2001. [email protected] She will charge the OC rate for sales tax if you live in the OC (I asked).

 

All I ever got from Longo was good service. One time they dispatched a tech to my office to fix a problem. They always give me a lift in their shuttle van. The service techs have pointed out small recalls to me, plus they alert me to any sevice specials ($17 oil change) that might exist at the time of my appt. I paid $500 over their invoice cost on two vehicles purchased there. Overall, I'd say they've done me well.

Where's your recommendation for a good socal dealer, C33? Isn't that the purpose of this thread? Oh, that's right, you hijacked it for your own use. Swell.