Latest Prius Shopping Experience

Yesterday, after shopping for the fourth Prius (since March 2004), I can say I've had better experience and availability looking outside the Portland metro area. Maybe wheat farmers in Eastern Washington don't need Prius(?). I called 13 Toyota dealers in Washington and Oregon starting with the closest, and working my way outward, looking for Magnetic Gray #4.

Most dealers close to the metro area, when you say "Prius", automatically say 30 to 90 day wait. If you give them specifics on color and pkg, or ask about the Prius advertised on their web site, then they'll usually check on availability, or check if a sale has been cancelled, and call you back. The dealers 50+ miles out are the most courteous, helpful, and return my calls.

I called (not in this order) Moses Lake, Vancouver, Chehalis, Kelso, Yakima, Gresham, Beaverton, two in Portland, McMinnville, Springfield, The Dalles, Gladstone.

As has been said before, it's as much a "right call at the right time" kind of thing. Out of 13 dealers, there were 6 Prius they say they had, and 2 "I think I have...", but not my color or package. One was a cancelled sale on a #7 so they were willing to go $1000 off MSRP, but still too much money & wrong color. In 2004 it was hard to find a dealer willing to sell at or below MSRP. Now they seem surprised anyone would charge more than MSRP.

Three dealers told me there was one Magnetic Gray #4 in the PNW, that they would have to trade for the one I wanted. At 4:45PM I guess I found the dealer with THE ONE I was looking for in Yakima, and I placed my deposit for pickup in 5 to 10 days. This purchase experience will hopefully be as smooth as the others!

I learned one thing this time around: in Washington State the sales tax is on the net sale after the trade-in is deducted! Trading in saves me about $1700 in sales tax over selling my old car separately!

If you really need a Prius SOON, get the toyota.com listings for dealers in your area and call around, every few days if you have to.

 

To finish the story...
We drove the 190 miles up to Yakima on July 22nd with our trade-in 2004 Driftwood and picked up our new 2006 Magnetic Gray. The finance/paperwork guy said our trade would probably be sold the same day.
TEN DAYS START TO FINISH!

And YES on the way back we stopped at a roadside stand to get peaches, watermelon, cherries and onions.

Dollars worked out like this:
$24,565 Pkg#4 w/ carpets & VIP security
$161.50 Dealer fees
$-20,500 Trade-in
$333.33 Washington Sales tax
$4559.83 net check to Dealer

$-3,150.00 Federal Tax Credit

$1,410 Net

So for $1400 we got to drive our first Prius for over 2 years!

I like the mp3-CD capability in the 2006. I don't need the 6 CD changer now I can get 9 of my old CDs on one mp3-CD, and I think I like the standard sound system better than the JBL.

Just put on the car seat covers last weekend, and have an appt to get the protection film on the front and window tinting next week.

We've had quite a few "I really like that paint color" comments on the Magnetic Gray; looks great when the sun shines (like Barselona Red) you can see the metal flake.

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