Buy a Prius from CA or Transport it from NJ/NYC?

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If you're going to be relocating to California in a month, you're probably better off buying in California. If you have a wait you may arrive when your car does.

Now.....there is California sales tax and license and such. If New Jersey has a special incentive where you don't pay sales tax or registration or something...then you might want to buy it in New Jersey and drive it to California.

Get package #1 with the side airbags minimum. That's what I have and it's great. If you're not fussy about colors you'll find a car faster.

 

I have a deposit for my Prius at Toyota of Oxnard. I called around a little afterwards, and Simi Valley Toyota put me on the waiting list without a deposit. Might want to give them a call. Both are owned by DCH, which I think makes them not quite as underhanded about wheeling and dealing; they just want to sell cars.

 

Try the Internet Sales Dept, Elaine Weiss, at TeamToyota in Langhorne, PA, just over the border from NJ on I95. Avoid Sansone Toyota near Woodbridge, NJ. And I bought mine at Cyrstal Auto Mall in Green Brook, NJ.

And DO get the side air bags! I was lucky enough to walk away from being t-boned in my old car in April, a 1998 convertible, so side air bags weren't an option. If the guy had hit me 6 inches closer to the front of my car, I'd be dead, instead of the owner of a 2006 Prius with side air bags. The front air bag on my old car didn't deploy from the side impact, and when I went backward down an embankment my rear end hit a tree, keeping me from going in to the river. I totalled the car, but survived with a bump on my forehead (still not entirely gone in nearly 3 months) and two scraped knuckles - I was lucky, and certainly can't expect to ever be that lucky again.

So it's $600 more. That comes to $50 a month for the first year, and if you amortize it over 5 years, that's $10 a month. Better safe than sorry!

 

California will charge you tax if the car is under a certain # months old, so be careful. If you are living in NJ for a while before moving, just buy it - it's hard to get them out here anyway.

And get the airbags... not worth messing with.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dwijen Mehta @ Jul 9 2006, 12:21 PM) [snapback]283441[/snapback]</div>

Most people are still getting them at MSRP. A few have reported getting them for slightly less, but none of those were in California where the Prius is very popular.

From my experience, the buying services can not help at all when it comes to a hard to get car, like a Prius. They were only able to introduce me to the dealerships, who told me there was no discount on the Prius.

I got mine from Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys. They are a large dealer, so they were able to get a decent amount of Prius...it took about 2 wks to get mine. If you decide to go there, let me know so I can refer you to the right person there.

 

Hey, is it possible to get a base model in California?

 

If you bring a car into California from another state you WILL pay ales tax and fees, even if you paid them to another state. Figure $2500 or so on a new (to California) Prius

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lil Mo @ Jul 9 2006, 04:14 PM) [snapback]283529[/snapback]</div>

In 2005 for So Cal it was either base, middle and top only.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dwijen Mehta @ Jul 10 2006, 10:26 AM) [snapback]283955[/snapback]</div>

In my experience with Costco in California, there was no reduction to MSRP. Matter of fact, the dealership (Merced Toyota) that Costco referred me to wanted to add all kinds of unnecessary and overpriced extras like the First Aid Kit. As to the exact registration fees, go to www.dmv.ca.gov and follow the links to new registration. California DMV online will give you your registration fees and sales tax. You'll need to specify the county of purchase.

Enjoy!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dwijen Mehta @ Jul 10 2006, 01:26 PM) [snapback]283955[/snapback]</div>

That seems a little high unless it INCLUDES tax and registration. If it doesn't, sounds like they added some stuff besides the mats. Like lojack, etching or something else.