Best time to buy a Prius?

I think the competition is going to start ratcheting up and prices will get competitive again. There are a number of other players coming to the market, providing more choices for cost conscious folks. Although I prefer the Pruis and the Toyota brand, I welcome this competition which will help stabilize and reduce prices and improve quality. IMHO I think you will have plenty of Pruis models to chose from by April 2010.

 

Ironically, C4C could also damage the auto industry even more than it already is. The govt has been very slow in sending dealers their rebate checks so far. Many dealers who made lots of deals are waiting for hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars. If the govt is slow in paying, or rejects a lot of those deals, many dealers could go bankrupt. Only time will tell if this program was actually a good thing.

 

Wow, I never would have thought the Federal government would be slow in paying the dealers back in the C4C program....they are so efficient in everything else they do.

 

The Last Few Years Shows The Best Time as far as Price Is Jan-March.
Seems Prices always were lower than.

 

Jayavarman, Another voice of concurrence with the consensus that now is not the time. Like Viprius, I purchased about 2 weeks before CFC took effect, while the dealerships and sales people were leery and skeptical of the program. I was able to get the color, package, and options I wanted (as long as I don't count all the bundled stuff I had no choice about), and for a little below MSRP.

If I was in the market today, I would wait and watch for two things. First, when does manufacturing catch up with CFC sales, so as someone else pointed out, the dealer are saying they have 6, 8, or a dozen Prius' on their lots. Second, I would watch the market trend to see what the post-CFC effects are. If people stay away from car sales, which plunges sales into a downturn, they I'd buy during this slump-effect (along with inventory watch). If consumers maintain the momentum of CFC and continue to buy cars at near pre-current economic downturn volumes, then I'd wait until market stabilizes, which may be well after your target time of April 2010.

Good luck. --TK

 

One way to think of it.... if 500 off MSRP is all you are hoping for, and this is your reason for waiting months, you could conceivably save much of that in fuel cost if you bought one now at MSRP vs. 500 off several months from now. It just is not a huge discount given the total price. I don't see anyone getting much more off MSRP than that on the base models - it starts putting you only 500+ over invoice.

 

As for the best time to buy, the C4C program definitely skewed a lot of trends and past experiences.

For example, while the C4C hysteria was going on, there were rarely more than about 3 2010 Priuses being pushed on ebay. And, often they were sold within a day or two of the auction start date. As of last night, when the C4C craziness ended, there were 9, yes NINE 2010 Priuses listed on ebay.

So, having said all of that, to answer your original quesition, just wait to see what late August and September sales look like. If sales tank, and dealers suddenly have 5-10 Priuses sitting on their lot, then buying a new one now is probably as affordable as buying one next spring, considering there will probably be another price 'adjustment' before then. Also, if you can get a buying service to lock in a discounted price in the next 30-60 days, that will probably be as good of a price as you can get.

Joe

 

I bought my Prius V at invoice before the C4C program, and my 60-mos rate is 5.99% with Toyota Financial.

 

Definitely, still not now I just spoke with a dealer in Atlanta GA, and they wanted 3k over sticker, I said no thanks.

 

You should be able to buy one at MSRP. No paying over sticker. But you aren't going to see one at invoice for a VERY long time.

DBZ, I would love to see a scan of that purchase order. I find it hard to believe that you bought one at invoice. Not saying it didn't happen, just extremely hard to believe.

 

In Canada, there was no C4C program, and to find one with a sun roof is really hard
I do not think there will a discount anytime soon

 

Apparently, his ($1,680 below MSRP) is a record. Of course, you do know they still made money off him through dealer holdback.

 

yes, but I still doubt the validity of buying one for invoice. Especially the lowest produced model. Of course, this is the internet. Everything is true once it is typed.

 

Depends on what model and what options, and I don't think $1680 below MSRP should not be the invoice price for IV or V. Please check with KBB.COM or other site like Edmund to find out the true invoice.
I had a Prius III with Nav/solar MSRP $27550. The invoice for that should be around $25300. I got over $1800 off from MSRP and I am still paying over invoice.

 

End of the month or end of the year.

End of the month...my story.

Made contact with dealer and advised them of what I wanted. They had the vehicle with port add ons that I didn't want so I said no sale. Near the end of the month (8/25) the same dealer called me back and said they needed to move the vehicle and would sell it for the original price and give me the add ons. Vehicle sat there for about 3 weeks on the lot. MSRP-$26,550/ Invoice-$24,767/ Paid $26,226.

 

Hi Jeff, I will scan and sent you a copy of my invoice later this evening. btw, the price I paid was $28,126 with an MSRP of $30,020 for a Prius V. They show me on the computer that $28,126 was the invoice price and is what I am paying, and since it was $1,894 below MSRP, to me it seems good. So is this the invoice price?

 

The best time to buy WAS when the "clunker" program was going on - assuming you owned a qualifying "clunker". My "clunker", a 1995 Buick Roadmaster, had almost NO value, but the "clunker" program cut my new car cost by $4500. That was the best new car deal I have ever made. Now I have a vehicle with great gas mileage, and am no longer driving a gas hog on its last legs.

However, there is hope for those who could not take advantage of the "clunker" program. Dealers are beginning to offer big discounts in the hope of keeping the buy rate going.

 

dbz, no need to fax it over. Your invoice is within 6 bucks of the real invoice including ad fees and such. I believe you. And Congrats! That was an amazing deal. Sorry for doubting you...:hug:

 

Anyway, as promised, my invoice/purchase order is in my album http://priuschat.com/forums/members/dbz-albums-my-prius-v.html

Am glad to hear that its within the invoice price.

 

10 minutes before the dealer closes on the last business day of the month.