New prius owner in NC

You are probably right :hangs head in shame:
this will be our first brand new car so I have a feeling we will want to keep it looking sharp and new as long as possible.

 

THANKS FOR THE TIP. I think I will ask for the manufacturer date. and threaten to walk out. I'm all about transparency (got my masters in health policy so the whole health care system really bugs me, don't even get me started.)....

My car will be parked in a parking garage at least 4 out of 7 days a week while I am at work. Rest of time, I will try to park it in the only parking spot we have that is sort of shady. More importantly, we need to be diligent about waxing and washing. We normally buy used Honda Civics and have driven them into the ground so once they start getting old we start getting lazy about taking care of them. But, this will be our first brand new car.

Can you link me to the articles you used to back your numbers up? That would be SUPER helpful. My dad too said hybrid sales are slumping, but he suspects that because we live in the DC bubble that maybe doesn't apply to our area as much? I do not know, gas is just under $3/gal here.

 

OP: Greetings and welcome aboard.
22+TTL isn't bad for a Persona.

Best of Luck!

Sarawithanh: IIRC the builder plate in the driver's door that shows the month and date that your car was built (it's actually a sticker these days.) If your dealership isn't instantly willing to point that out or assist you with other questions, then you need another dealership.

Period.

YOU are the one with the money.

Priuses are being deeply discounted for several reasons.
1. The economic recovery isn't as robust as it could be in some areas.
2. Gas is cheap.
3. The G4 Priuses are due out in (?????) a few months and thus the old leftover G3's are considered to be a 'usta-car.'
4. Most people are buying crossovers or baby utes. Hatches are the minivans of the 20-teens.

Buy smart.
Read up on car buying strategeries and lock in your finanging first.
Cast a wide net and look outside DC, where commuter cars are a little more in demand.
Consider a base G3. They're going for <$20K.
I know it's important to have that first new car, but when you're an old fart like me, being debt-free and having paid for college funds and 401K's is pretty important too.

The good news is that Priuses are frugal and reliable.
The red is going to fade.
Don't let anybody lie to you about that, but in 5-6 years you either won't care as much or you'll already be in another car.