Just got a 2013 Prius Pkg 3!

well in Long Island thousands of car was totaled 25 on my block alone and we only had chest deep water on the road ... so unfortunately right now the demand is quite high ... I pushed for 2.99% and countered by 3.25 which is not that much difference about $60 for the five year loan ... I put down 10% ... could do more but made no difference. I can prepay anytime .... but I have lost another car and house suffered flood damage ... I need the money for now..

And the dealer knew that I really needed a car ...

 

Correct, engines are run at the factory to set the seals, although not a very long time.

The belief that driving gently on a new car is "breaking it in" is misguided. Generally speaking, if you want to "break in" a car, you want to drive it like you stole it, as that seats all the piston seals the best. This is what they do at the factory.

On some cars, the owners manual will say this (if you really wish to break in an engine... accelerate harder the first 500 miles). But generally you don't need to.

As far as changing the oil.... strictly speaking consult the owners manual. Any break-in procedure that would produce extra metals is already done at the factory, and drained (not the Prius factory, the factory the engine was built in).

But if you're paranoid, go ahead and change it at 1,000 miles. It certainly doesn't hurt, otherwise in the future you'll be blaming every problem the car has on not doing it (did I mention paranoid?). But you don't need to (unless they advise so in the owners manual, rule 1, always trust the engineers).

 

We'll be buying a prius soon - we're trying to decide between a two and a three. How did you find out about the "hidden dealer cash incentive"? All I can see is an incentive for being in the military.

 

Hello, Tamara. I think it might be helpful to share my experience in the purchase of the 2012 Prius Two.

In late October when I was purchasing the 2012 Prius Two, I sent e-mail requests to multiple dealers' Internet Sales Departments for quotes on specific vehicles found on the Southeast Toyota inventory webpage and provided the vehicles' VIN in the e-mails, specifying a silver-colored '12 Prius Two with carpet mats and tinted windows.

The most important step was asking for the Internet Sales Manager's most competitive "Out The Door (OTD)" price on a specific vehicle, along with a quote of the lowest offer of $22,704.31 OTD, which I received from a no-haggle Toyota dealership in western NC. For more than a week, no local dealer was able to match or beat the aforementioned offer even with numerous attempts at further negotiations.

On Oct 30th, I received an e-mail from a dealer in central NC asking me to make an offer on a Blizzard Pearl Prius Two with the carpet mats. My offer of $22,300 OTD for the Prius was accepted by the Internet Sales Manager. I made a $1,000 deposit through credit card and arranged to purchase the vehicle the next day on Oct 31st.

The dealer incentive of $750 in lieu of the 0% / 36 months was never mentioned in the e-mails. When I asked for partially financing the vehicle at the 0% / 36 months terms from Southeast Toyota, the finance manager insisted on adding $750 to the OTD price for financing at the 0% / 36 months terms due to the existence of the $750 dealer incentive was factored into the $22,300 OTD price. However, the finance manager said Southeast Toyota would allow for the $750 cash incentive to remain if I exercise the option to finance at the 0.9% / 48 months or the 1.9% / 60 months terms. The finance manager honored the $22,300 OTD price when I decided to pay with the cashier's check instead of financing through Southeast Toyota.

TL;DR: The dealer incentives and interest rates varies by regions and promotional periods, and the amount of dealer incentives for cash payment also varies by regions and promotional periods.

 

There are none--it really boiled down to getting a newer year and the color I wanted rather than paying only a little less and settling for what was left on the lot.

 

Thanks, Aleckin, that was really helpful.

Another question: when you say you sent emails to the internet sales departments, I am assuming that you sent real emails and didn't just fill out the form that keeps popping up when I go to Toyota dealership web pages. Is that correct?

Right now we are not sure if we want a two or a three - that really depends on how much the three would cost us. Would it be appropriate to ask them for their best prices on, say, two specific twos and two other specific threes? Or would they feel like we're not really serious?

It's been 18 years since we've bought a new car (and our Camry has lasted well!). But using the internet as a purchase tool is new to us.

Thanks for the help!

 

I was able to contact most of the Internet Sales Managers through the e-mail addresses listed on the dealer website or by filling out the form on the specific vehicle's page. On the form, I specified that I would like to have the OTD price on that specific vehicle found on the inventory and would prefer e-mail contact only by stating "texts or e-mail only please".

When the Internet Sales Managers sent the e-mails, I sent replies asking for their most competitive "Out The Door (OTD)" price on the specific vehicles, along with a quote of the lowest offer of $22,704.31 OTD, which I received from a no-haggle Toyota dealership in western NC.

If you can provide the VIN for the specific Prius Two and Three vehicles while asking for the dealership's most competitive OTD prices, the Internet Sales Managers should be able to provide the OTD prices through e-mail. If you receive a response of a certain price "plus taxes and fees", you can politely request the "out-the-door" prices for a valid comparison with your other offers.

It is also a good idea to arrange for a test-drive with the Internet Sales Manager from a local dealership to ensure that you find the vehicle comfortable and meets your expectations. When I test drove the Prius, I stated very clearly before and after the test drive that I do no authorize a hard credit inquiry and I will not make a decision on the purchase that day.

I learned most of the techniques for Internet negotiations from the following websites:
•Edmunds.com
•Consumer Reports
•Prius Chat

Negotiating for a new car over the Internet or by phone is far less stressful than the walk-in alternative. If utilized correctly, it can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of frustration. At times, it can even be fun. Good luck and have fun!

 

I think it is fine to ask for out the door prices for a two or a three. I was undecided between a three and four and asked for prices on both packages from the internet sales departments.

 

Just picked up my 2013 Prius 3 Saturday and was offered a 7 yr/75K mile warranty that Toyota is now offering for $995. We said no, by the way. But I LOVE my new car and the folks at the dealership we bought it from--no hard sell, very accommodating (got my Barcelona Red from a dealership in another state, even). A terrific experience in the wake of two very negative ones at other dealerships.

 

My experience last week was somewhat similar. I got a 2012 Prius Two in blizzard pearl with mats for just under $22,000, including everything but tax and title. I'll explain my negotiations in a new post.


Luke

 

Congrats on your new baby and enjoy the ride!