Pickup up my Prius -- mileage question

Ours had 8 miles on it, but it came directly off the truck. If a Prius is at the dealer for a few days it's not surprising that it would get driven around the block a few times. I don't know if there is anything standard about this, so I'll deffer to others.

Tom

 

Congratulations, welcome to Priuschat. Don't worry about the 65 miles, your car will be new. It most likely went for couple of test drives which didn't hurt it a bit. I think it is fairly common to have a few miles on a new car if it has been on the lot for a little while.

Just give it a real good visual inspection looking for scratches and take it for a fairly long test drive yourself before you sign the papers.

 

One of the ones I took for a test drive had 350 or so, another had 99 (I pushed it over 100).. so not to bad.

Enjoy! I'm sure you will.

 

65 miles seems like a lot unless they had it driven from another dealership in order to provide you with the color and package you wanted.

Selling as "new" a car that's been used as a demo is not legitimate. When I bought mine I was offered the demo, rather than have to wait several months, but it was discounted. I chose to wait for a new one.

Come to think of it, maybe that's why you got $1,500 off MSRP. That's a substantial discount, especially for a Prius, and may be precisely because it had the 65 miles, and perhaps was used as a demo.

 

I guess everyone has a different tolerance for these things. I took delivery of a new car with just over 300 miles, but I knew they had to get it from a dealer about 300 miles away. They do drive the cars from the ship to a central yard, so you'll always have a few miles on it.

To me, 65 miles is not a big deal. I think mine had 16 miles on it and it was fresh off the truck the morning I picked it up. When you get there, you'll want to take it for a test drive too ... and you'll probably put at least 10 miles on it ... I usually drive them 20 miles if I'm interested in the car, just to make sure.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Dec 26 2006, 02:13 PM) [snapback]366779[/snapback]</div>

We bought our 2007 Base last October and it had only 28 miles on it when we signed for it. We took it for a very short test drive and it drove, and still drives, flawlessly.

Dave

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fshagan @ Dec 26 2006, 11:13 AM) [snapback]366779[/snapback]</div>

This happened to me with my '89 Civic. To get me the color I wanted, the dealer had it driven from Bismarck to Fargo. But he hired a driver who was an older man (not likely to "play" with someone else's new car) and who understood the need to drive it at varying speeds during the break-in. (Not an issue with the Prius.)

If I was buying a new car with more than 10 or 15 miles on it, I'd want those miles accounted for. And if the dealer was going to use my car as a demo, I'd want some compensation. 5% of the price of the car is probably reasonable for 65 miles, but only if the buyer is informed beforehand and agrees to it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Dec 26 2006, 03:05 PM) [snapback]366815[/snapback]</div>

I picked up my '07 package#3 a week ago today. It had 1 mile on odo. I personaly don't like the idea of others test driving my car before I buy it. I also got a great deal in Chicago suburbs. $2265 off MSRP.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr Frodo @ Dec 26 2006, 10:06 PM) [snapback]366976[/snapback]</div>

I agree that the dealer should not demo a car once an agreement of sale is reached. However, as long as the car is sitting on the lot unsold it is the dealer's car. If a salesman ever told me that I couldn't drive a car I'm interested in buying that would be the last he'd see of me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Dec 26 2006, 08:40 PM) [snapback]367025[/snapback]</div>

This is fine, as long as the salesman tells any prospective buyer: "This car has been used as a demo." It is not accepted practice to represent a car as new if it's been a demo. That's why there are discounts for demos.

And of course you have a right to walk away. But the usual practice is that one unit is the demo for its model. You don't get to point at a brand-new car and say, "I want to drive that one."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Dec 26 2006, 04:05 PM) [snapback]366815[/snapback]</div>

I agree; I think it's reasonable to at least ask for them to account for the miles on your car.

My new '06 had less than 10 when I picked her up; this is in the SF bay area.

Under no circumstances would I accept a car that has been driven by anyone other than folks employed by the dealer (or hired to deliver it, although flatbedding it isn't out of the question, I don't think). Unless, of course, that's part of the deal, up front.

Honestly, I wasn't particularly kind to the Prius I demo'ed...I don't think I'd want ME flogging your brand new car, that's for sure!
[smile]