Buying a new Prius - question about dealer experience

Of course it isn't bad. I wouldn't necessarily tell the other dealer where I got the deal from, but just that I had one from another dealer.

One of the major selling points for my car was the fact that the dealership I bought my car from does free car washes for the life of the car. While I did get the best deal from all dealers in the area for my Prius at this dealership, even if they were close in price from another dealership the car washes totally tipped the scales in favor of the dealership I got the car from.

 

Alas, my experience has been that some (many?) Toyota dealers are pretty arrogant.

 

$1000 off MSRP is better than the AAA price down here. The salesman's job is to screw as much money out of you as he can. Your job is to screw down the dealer as far as you can. If it is the same car buy the cheaper one--just make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Things to watch out for: option packages, port installed options, dealer BS fees.

 

So, the first dealership took the time to walk you through the car, take you on a test drive and treat you very well all around. It sounds like they invested the time and effort into giving you a great experience.

For the dealer you called they invested all of 5 or 10 minutes in you - all they did was quote you a price. Since they have nothing invested they really only need to see if they can get your business with a low price. They are pretty sure that you are set to buy and they do not have to invest anything beyond throwing out a price. This is very frustrating, but the way that things are - just try and call to cancel any service - cable, cell, newspaper subscription, etc - they will almost always give you a better rate to keep your business.

My wife and I typically do something similar - we figure out the car that we want and what options/color/trim levels that we would be OK with. From there we just try and get the best pricing and we try to be open and honest with the salesmen. My wife bought a new car just a few weeks ago - she wanted something a bit cushier and bigger than my Prius and we decided on an Acura TSX wagon - even though stock on the wagons is very low we were able to get a great price - she wound up getting a crazy good deal on an RDX that was too good for her to pass up (almost 10k off sticker) and they gave her more than anyone else offered on her trade. There was little negotiating and we let them know once we had the right deal we were ready to buy.

So I think that you are perfectly justified going with the lower price - just as long as the agreement that you made when you left the deposit allows you to back out. The best way to go into this is to be the best educated consumer as possible before you start the process - the dealerships count on you not having that info.

As for the original dealership claiming the registration fees are different - that is BS - the registration costs should be the same and the cost of the runner to go to the DMV should be about the same - regardless of where you buy the car it will be registered in NY.

 

IMO, I think it would have gone better if you have done your homework and shop/call around first before putting down the deposit. Deposit usually means you have agreed to buy the item and most likely it is non-refundable.

But I would refuse to do any business with the sale manager who being rude to customer and telling you to make you feel guilty, especially when you are about to give them profit.

If I were you, I would call the NY deal to get the refund on the deposit. If they are non-refundable, tell them they can keep it and go with NJ dealer. Maybe when they see that you are not a push over and match the discount. If not, you will still save $500, it might be a lesser discount but you will not have to deal with this NY dealership in the future (ie. repair, maintenance) since they are obviously in a business to con you out of your money (which almost all dealers do that anyway...)

 

There is also nothing wrong with the dealership doing their job and making themselves fully aware of what other dealers are offering and thus ensuring they are, and remain, competitive. It's not the customer's responsibility to do this, after all, most new car buyers are inexperienced since they don't buy a new car very often. The dealer is the one who knows the business, knows the numbers, knows their profit margins and knows the market. Playing the customer for all he or she is worth deserves to lose sales.

 

I'd like to know what NJ dealer is discounting, the few I've checked with not only won't discount the price, they're low-balling trade-ins too. One place I dealt with told me I deserve what I get if I go to the other dealers I mentioned. Guess who can keep their car.

 

Lawrence Toyota (Central Jersey) basically has all of their Prii at MSRP. When I went in, I knew what I wanted, I knew that most prices are at MSRP now and I knew I didn't want to haggle with multiple dealerships to save money. So I purchased it at the price that was on the tag and went on my merry way.

 

Hmmmm....
I do not know. I smell some unrefrigerated fish from both of the dealers.
First thing I'd do is back out of the deal that you put the $500 down on. Tell them that you need a week to think about it. That "buy Local" crap is just that. Crap. They'd SELL to out-of-towners, wouldn't they? Like a hobo on a ham sandwich!!
If they're not willing to let you take your $500 and walk, then that's indicative of how they'll treat you if there are other problems with this dealer. (PDI issues, warranty work, etc.)
If MSRP minus 200 bucks is a good deal now...it'll still be a good deal a week from now.
Then I'd invest some time with the Joisey dealer(s) to see if they'll honor the verbal quote. Remember...you're interested in an OTD (out the door) quote. A dealer can knock $1,000 off of the MSRP price, and then tack it right back on with "dealer provided options" such as undercoating, Protect-o-coat, fabric lustier, Nitrogenated tires, etc.
One of the (many) things I evaluate a prospective dealer for are these non-oem "optional" items.
You can determine the real MSRP price for your package/options from the internet. Start negotiating from that price, and stay away from additional warranties, GAP insurance, or credit life coverage. Buy cars from dealers. Buy insurance from insurance companies. Get loans at a bank or credit union. Pretty simple, right?
You can get GAP coverage from the Lizard, or the lady with the goofy hairdo, or whomever you're buying your automobile insurance from presently. If your lender says you have to have GAP to get a loan, stop!
Something's wrong.
Investigate.
You may reall-REALLY want a new car, but it may be better to wait a bit before you pull the trigger on a new purchase.
Get your loan pre-approved through your bank or CU, and then let the dealer's finance manager either beat that rate by a quarter point, or make his/her commission off of the next person. The only caveat here would be a zero/zero deal from the manufacturer where there is no optional cash discount in lieu of.

Good LUCK!
Hope it all works out!

 

OP: Dear NY dealer, will you price match area competitors ?
NY: No
OP: I understand. Thank you for your time.

 

I have 7 Toyota dealers within a 15 mile radius from where I live and 12 from where I work. Why wouldn't I ask around.

 

One way to buy a Prius:

- Get a call from your dealer that the Prius you were waiting for has arrived. You don't want to rush to pick up your car because your current car hasn't sold and the dealer low-balled your trade-in by about $2K. When you complain, they do the "best they can do" and raise the trade-in offer by $500.

- Go visit another Toyota dealer with a 2-4 month Prius waiting list who has expressed an interest in buying your car for at least $1k higher than the other dealer's best offer. The goal is to sell the car to them and then buy the car you've been waiting for at the other dealer.

- You happen to visit the second dealer on the last day of the month just as they open. All the sales tricks are in force - $100 to the first person to sell a Tundra today, special envelopes for the first x reps that close a deal today, etc.

- While waiting for your car to be appraised, the sales rep asks about what type of Prius you are getting - Barcelona Three. Oh, they happen to have two Blizzard Twos, your top choice, that a leasing company hasn't yet picked up. She'll see if they can sell it to you today.

- The second dealer offers what you want for your trade, will sell you one of the Twos, and will offer a interest rate lower than your credit unit. What waiting list?

- A few hours later you drive out with your desired features programmed (no continuous backup beep) wondering what mods you can buy with the $500 refundable deposit you'll be getting back from your original dealer.

 

I personally don't think it is bad to shop around for the best price, no. But how you did it was. You did it only after you spent all the time at dealer A and agreed to buy the car. You then decided to check pricing and came back to change your earlier agreement. That doesn't sound right to me. It would have been different, at least to me, if you had started with shopping around for the best price. Calling around, or emailing dealers you are willing to travel to and working on a price, then deciding which one you will go to. Now I know most dealers are scum, and I for one hate the whole experience, but that doesn't mean I have to sink to their level.