Sign that the Prius market is cooling off?

I've been given a written quote for a 2007 Prius at about $500 below invoice, so I think its a sign of relatively stable gas prices, and more vehicles on the lot. More supply = less demand = more chance to wheel and deal

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ucsbgaucho @ Jan 12 2007, 06:07 PM) [snapback]374936[/snapback]</div>

What about the Touring models? One guy in Dallas got his at invoice, but I haven't heard of the hotter markets like LA or the Bay Area or even Austin cooling down on those. Do tell as I am curious.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(allargon @ Jan 12 2007, 07:26 PM) [snapback]374946[/snapback]</div>

<_< In Northern Kentucky, I don't think things have cooled off. When I got my Prius last month, I tried to haggle and haggle but the dealership barely budged. It didn't help that four other people bought them the same day I did!

 

I'm in Los Angeles and I bought my 07 yesterday. There where 5 other people in there buying Pri's and there were no deals. One guy was buying 2! I bought the last touring edition on the lot and I almost had to go lick the handle like that guy in that Volkswagon commercial.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kuki @ Jan 12 2007, 09:24 PM) [snapback]374994[/snapback]</div>

I just bought a 2007 Touring Edition in Seattle and paid $1000 under MSRP. Most of the other dealers in the area laughed at wanting to pay under MSRP -- one started asking me for a $3000 "market adjustment" above MSRP -- but I just kept calling around until I found Bob Bridge Toyota in Renton who gave me under MSRP with no hesitation.

 

A dealer here has 23 Priuses on the lot! With inventory like that, deals have to be made.

 

"Next Thursday, January 18th, a brand new Earl Stewart TV ad will BLITZ Palm Beach County (includes northern Broward and Martin counties). It features Earl Stewart walking among row after row of Prius and talking about our huge selection. He will also announce that, for a limited time, we will be selling Prius at factory invoice. No Games. No Surprises. No Fees. The first REAL sale in the car business!!!"

I guess I should have waited longer. I bought one from them two weeks ago. Still waiting for them to arrange for an alignment. They must be busy.

 

When i bought my prius in the early summer there were very few around. At one of my local dealerships it was hard to find any on the lot! Today i looked for fun at that same dealerships prius inventory and i found 17 listed OMG!!!.

 

definitely shop around and talk to the internet fleet managers right now. i got mine this past week at 2000 below MSRP and i've heard of even 3000 below now. there shouldn't be any reason to pay MSRP in the southern california area now. there definitely seems to be a surplus of the prius at many of the dealers. probably due to the increase in factory productions and demand adjustment right now.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sprague @ Jan 12 2007, 10:43 PM) [snapback]375028[/snapback]</div>

Market "adjustment" - as if getting full MSRP for it isn't enough ... :angry:
Glad you didn't fall for it.

With the full $3150 tax credit, dealers had no incentive to deal, particularly with all the buyers trying to beat the 9/30/06 deadline.

 

The explaination may simply be the selection of hybrids has expanded. Some of the people that might have bought a Prius might be getting a hybrid Camery instead?

Plausible?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ Jan 13 2007, 02:56 PM) [snapback]375212[/snapback]</div>

I don't think there is just one reason for the change. I believe there were a lot of people like me who accelerated their purchase to qualify for the full tax credit. So here's my list of reasons for the market change.

1. Expiration of Toyota tax credit
2. Increased production
3. Price of gasoline
3. Increased selection of hybrids

As I posted earlier, since Uncle Sam was writing the check Toyota didn't have to deal. Now for the buyer to pay the same net amount Toyota has to cut its price. The hybrid market was artificially heated now it is normalizing. The culture shock is that the dealer has to actually work to sell the car now, just like the rest of the inventory.

 

Toyota of Orange near Los Angeles was offering me a Prius at $400 below invoice. Whoever said the LA market for Prius is tight must not be going to Toyota of Orange.

I bought a 2007 Prius #2 for $200 over invoice at Toyota of Marina Del Rey (before Toyota of Orange told me about their Prius Event)

 

Cherry Hill Toyota's website is listing 25 Prii including 1 Touring and is advertizing "$750 off". They also have 2 used. If I were in the market now I wouild start negotiating at invoice, like any other car.

 

I haven't been looking around me, but I know that the dealerships in my area were saying last summer (when we bought ours) that they couldn't keep a Prius on the lot more than about 24 hours.

 

my wife and i just purchased a 2007 prius package #2. we paid sticker price for it, but that was actually a great deal. we had a 2006 mazdaspeed6 that we were offered 21,000 for a trade in at one dealership with in mechanicsburg, pa with no discount on prius. we were at one dealership in york, pa where we were offered 19,600 on the trade in with no discount on prius. so, finally i went to a dealership in harrisburg, pa where we were offered 24,000 for our trade in. we were told basically that they seriously discounted the prius for us to get that much for our trade, so i'm thinking we must have gotten btw 2,000 and 3,000 off of the msrp to get that kind of deal. the other 2 high volume toyota dealerships were absolutely unwilling to budge on priuses because they said they have no problem selling them. go figure.

 

where DH works, they still can't keep camry hybrids or hihy's on the lot. but there were about 45 prius sitting around before we left on our trip.

depends on the allotment that the individual dealer gets, how many they sell, other hybrids available, gas prices, tax credit, all that.

 

The Sunday 1/14/2007 LA Times had a dealer (Clairmont Toyota I think) that advertised 2 Prius base models at $4000 under MSRP. That the biggest discount I have ever seen...