Is it possible yet?

Did you factor in the tax benefit?

 

Or have you factored into account that you can drive in the CA carpool lanes with an $8 sticker until 2011 with a single person?
Or that you are helping to save emissions for future generations? (Yes, I am being green here).

Granted - depending on the gas prices- it takes awhile to make up any extra- some dealers sell at MSRP, some below, some above-- so shop around.

 

B) Don't know about CA, but in Texas dealers are holding firm to MSRP, some even add "market adjustment" but not the majority. There have been a couple of Texas dealers who offered $500 to $1,000 discount on the remaining 2006s, but that's very rare.

The 2007s are *JUST* beginning to arrive in Texas to the distributer, not yet to the dealers. Insofar as I can determine MSRP is the story so far. The only *DEALING* would be on the trade car if you have one. I have been offered $21K for my 2004 Prius 21,500 miles excellent condition.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jendbbay @ Oct 11 2006, 02:33 PM) [snapback]331267[/snapback]</div>

If you are referring to no-haggle price dealing or markups, hard to do on a hot commodity. That said, there are some dealers like Sunnyvale Toyota that have very clear pricing structures, no haggle dealing that makes it easier. They are also very fair on their trade policies if that is a factor.

I bought my '05 from them almost a year ago. At the time, they were $500 under MSRP, not sure what it is now. I would recommend them....

Ken

 

Also keep in mind that the "payback period" for the "hybrid premium" us actually less than you said... a while back consumer reports published some eronious numbers, then came out with a small retraction saying "oh wait, the prius and civic aren't as bad as we thought". Hybrids are usually estimated at about 3k more than a comparable other car, but can get 10-20 MPG more than the car they;'re being compared to. in the Case of the Prius versus Corolla, the difference is 55 vs 37, or a difference of 18MPG. using an average of 12,000 miles per year:

12,000 miles / 37 MPG = 324 gallons
12,000 miles / 55 MPG = 218 gallons

the difference of 106 gallons of gas, at current prices, gets you somewhere in the $250/year price range. Of course, earlier this summer gas was at or above 3 bucks in most of the nation. You can do the math, and the savings are pretty large.

Add to that the low maintenance and repair cost of the car (the brakes only have to be replaced every ~100,000 miles!), and it's a clear winner for many people.

To get back to your original question, you'd have to define "other cars" lol. There's a large disparity between current dealer incentives, based on how well the particular company is doing and on the car. Fuel effecient vehicles are in high demand now, and are projected to stay in high demand for quite some time. At this point, you shouldn't have a problem getting a Prius for MSRP, however you probably can't get it for lower.

FWIW, if the price for a Prius is too much for you, you may want to consider traditional fuel efficient vehicles instead of hybrids. As mentioned above, the Corolla gets 32-41 MPG, which really isn't all that bad, and the starting price for it is less than an Accord.

 

Colorado Dealers are holding to MSRP.

 

The battery is pretty much a non-issue. People have gone 200,000+ miles without a single problem with it. Additionally, there's a warrenty on the hybrid power train, including the batteries, that is, for californians, 10 years or 120,000 miles, i believe (someone in Cali please confirm this).

Replacement cost of the batteries, if ever needed, is currently estimated around 3k-4k. However, due mostly to the fact taht production is still ramping up and economies of scale, 10 years from now that number is going to be much, much lower.

No one here worries about their hybrid battery, and neither should you. The car does everything possible to maintain the battery in like-new condition, including temperature control and keeping the SOC (state of charge) in an optimal range (believe it or not, fully charging and discharging batteries leads to reduced lifetimes). the Prius only uses about 40% of the batteries total charge ability, leaving an ample gap at the top and the bottom to ensure that the batteries remain like new.

 

Battery is warranteed to 10 years. Also, less frequent oil changes. (5,000 miles, whereas my last car it was 3,500)

 

Why don't you get it with the Costco discount at Hanlee's in Davis? That was -$750 off MSRP, and I think that's the best you are going to do in California for awhile. I was driving by the Hanlee's lot the other day and I saw at least 8+ Prii sitting in their storage lot across the street.

 

We purchased our's private party and saved a lot of money over what they were going for at the stealerships. It's a little more hassle since you have to find your own financing but that is why we were able to afford it on our budget. We use a small local bank that offers a special 4.99% financing on hybrid loans. Of course if you were planning a trade in you will now have to sell your old car yourself but that is another place you will make up the dealership difference since you can likely sell your old car outright for more than you might get as a trade in. Check cars.com and your local craigslist.com. I'll bet you will find some good private party deals.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 11 2006, 12:39 PM) [snapback]331313[/snapback]</div>

How many miles a year you drive makes a lot of difference to the payback period. If you drive < 10,000, it will take a long time. If you drive ~35,000 like I do a couple years will do it.

 

The Prius is the coolest car in the universe. But no car is worth going deeply into debt for, or paying more than you can afford. To paraphrase a character out of Dickens (I think it was Mr. Magruder in Great Expectations): The recipe for happiness is to live within your means; the recipe for misery is to spend money you don't have.

Debt leads to stress, marital strife, alcoholism. Buy a car you can afford, and save up so some day you can buy a Prius (or its successor) without going into debt.

As for paying below MSRP, the occasional poster has reported getting a deal, but it's certainly not the norm.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jendbbay @ Oct 11 2006, 02:19 PM) [snapback]331298[/snapback]</div>

I know this is off topic, but your claim really got my attention. I see that the V6 Accord gets a combined EPA rating of 23 mpg, but I couldn't find any 98 Accord with an EPA rating (combined, city, or highway) as high as 33 mpg. The 2006 4 cylinder Accord has a 34 mpg EPA highway rating. I believe that you achieved 33mpg in a 4 cylinder Accord even though the EPA combined ratings are between 25 and 27. I just thought the EPA ratings (and probably the real life fuel economy) of the Accord have improved, unless you wanted to replace a 135 or 150 hp 4 cylinder with a 240 hp v6.

http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/2005sbsf.jsp

 

UPDATE on my Post of Oct 11...

Many North Texas dealers have 5 to 10 Prius "in stock" - actually on their lots, so I expect "dealing" will become an issue as the costs to keep them in inventory add up. I managed an excellent trade value for my 2004 Prius ($20,500 - I paid $24,500 when I bought it) on a 2007 Touring Edition in addition to >$500 discount off MSRP on the 2007. My dealer as of Saturday 11/11 had 10 Prius on the ground.