Buying a Prius in St. Louis

Buying a 2011 Prius in St. Louis

On Christmas day the last gift my wife and I received was the announcement of a grandchild due in June to be born and raised in Roanoke ,VA. This news started my quest to buy a Prius. First I decided to pick color and style but I wanted to see the actual car. In Saint Louis that was difficult since dealer,s sold their Prius as soon as they hit their lot or before. Every two weeks I call or cruise the local dealers to see what they had. Dropping by was better since the dealer was clueless of what he had are what was showing up that week.

I found a winter gray with misty gray seats that just turned up on the lot that I wanted to buy at full price but missed it because the person test driving it before me bought it.

I decided on a dealer that I'd buy the car from and with the help of this forum decided on a level two with floor mats only. I would add the Rosen head unit later. I also wanted to see the Prius v before I'd buy any thing. This was in July but they keep pushing the Prius v date back. I got a call on October 7th from the salesmen I been working with that he could sell me a Prius at his cost from current inventory that day only. I found a silver with dark gray seats that my wife and I liked that I could buy and did for $23,566  incl. floor mats, bumper appliqué and dest. charge from Seeger Toyota.

I then started looking for the Rosen unit to install and found a company that would install the latest version of the Rosen unit and back up camera for $1500.00 including tax with a 3 year warranty. The first unit had to be returned because the volume control dial would crash the unit when you turned the volume up. The new unit is great. It has the Navigation software that they call Primo Navigation on it. (If you google it you get IGO Primo Navigation) It looks like factory install (texture and color) and the sound is outstanding, Bluetooth phone is very good. Back up camera is a God send, I highly recommend going this route.

I believe that I got the best deal at that time but today 10/22/11 Seeger has 4 2011 Prius's on their lot that I bet can be had cheaper than what I paid.

On third tank this week. First. tank got 55 by computer 52 by my calculation (3 hr trip in the Ozark mountains and 26 miles one way to work every day on highway, no cruise at all but used AC)

Second tank got 52 by computer and 50 by my calculation using cruise, same work trip and 5 hour trip in the Ozark's not as much AC.

Love my Prius. Do not like drive side door armrest, it to low by five inches and I am getting Prius elbow. Designing a Prius pillow for long trips. Do not like the back up beeper, dealer is turning it off Monday.

If you do not like the Prius look at the Elantra, my daughter bought the 2012 and it is a great car but gets about only 40 miles to gallon if you try. GO CARD'S !!!