Buying a Prius Without Angst

1. If the dealer continues to offer you a car after you have refused several, they at least appear to be honoring their wait list by giving you first choice. I think this alone should earn them some points as some dealers have gone to highest bidder or allowed anyone to walk in off the street and buy if it doesn't match the waitlist customers colors/features.

2. If they finally know what the car on the boat is, and you have a reasonable match, I think you should seriously consider buying it unless your concern is that the dealer is trying to cheat you by changing prices or adding non-factory (dealer options) that you don't want to pay for and haven't ordered. If that is the case, you can walk away-

3. If you want a Prius now, weigh the equation: No Prius from most courteous friendly dealer in the world vs. Yes Prius from somewhat pushy dealer that doesn't have their act totally together in getting you the right information- Again unless the dealer has done something unethical I think right car in hand wins. You can always take car to another Toyota dealer for service or any warranty work.

4. You can always start checking with small town dealer, but unless they are able to get in some cars, it won't matter, and you'll just have to be even luckier for them to get the right color/feature option. See if you can get on their waiting list just so you have plan B working as well. Some Toyota dealers are accepting waitlists without deposit-


When you are enjoying driving your Prius, it won't matter.

Good Luck!

Eric
Black and Tan, BC
Raleigh, NC

 

I agree with everything that was said above. Buy the Prius if it is the one that you want. I understand that you don't want to "reward" the dealership with a sale, but you don't have to deal with that dealership again after that.

 

The main realization here you must have is that you will get a survey from Toyota to find out how your experience went with your dealership. Buy the Prius from them, if it's the one you want, but make sure to point out how cold and ineffective they treated you - and that since this car is near impossible to get, you still purchased from them, but in the future will never have dealings with them again (or anyone you can tell otherwise, as well).

Will someone listen to the survey? At the very least, it'll be making your point without giving up what you've waited so long for, and I think that's worth it.

-m.

 

1. If your deposit is in, chances are good that you won't have to pay the recent $300 price increase if you stick with your current contract.

2. Are you really willing to deny yourself in order to satisfy this matter of principle? Makes me think of what my daddy used to say about cutting my nose off to spite my face.

 

I agree with rflagg; buy the car from this dealer and ding them on the survey. They may have been unsympathetic and generally unhelpful but I can't see waiting 7 months (or possibly longer) to prove a point here. I mean, if you walk away, the dealer will sell your car to someone else, regardless.

FWIW, I've been on a list since mid-November. Since that time the dealership has not contacted me once (with the exception of a form letter in December) and, thus far, I have not been offered a Prius (any package/color combo) despite the fact that there are now only 4 or 5 people ahead of me on the list........and I had to pay a grand to get on that list.

 

I spoke with my salesperson the other night. He said they found out my Prius was on the boat, as ordered, four days before it was delivered to them. I gather they don't really know whats coming till shortly before it arrives.

My guess is when you showed up at the dealer without an appointment they didn't have the info to give you because in the past they never had this problem of long wait lists and people really wanting their car now.

I'd cut the dealer some slack unless they are particularly rude.

 

What if you get both? I found the nicest salesman and he can get me the car this month (hopefully)!

 

Just picked it up yesterday...first spoke with the dealer four days ago. Seems that the car was ordered by a customer who couldn't get financing. They called me at 9am, I picked it up at 11am. Black with package 9.


Sometimes you just luck out.

 

I had a similar experiance. I got on the web and spent 2 hours calling every toyota dealer within 200 miles. Most said that there was a waiting list. Others wanted 2000 over retail. 3 had cars ready to deliver and at sticker. I had the car I wanted 2 hours later.
Keep looking if you arn't happy. It's your money and you can spend it any way you like.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

Do you mean you've been waiting for your car for an entire year?

Oh my.

After six months I would have driven into another state to get the car I wanted. That said, my husband and I lucked out on our Prius. We selected it out of a line-up of four in the local dealer's parking lot. After we'd done our homework, we narrowed it down to three package and color combinations. One of the four on the lot matched one of our choices. We're real happy with it.

P.S. We selected "up" a couple of packages and got a NAV system. I didn't see the need for it but it's come in handy. Took some time to get used to it and to learn how to use it but now I really like it. Dan gets frustrated at it at times. I don't think he enjoys taking "suggestions" from a "lady" voice.

 

In San Diego I got on one list (no deposit) back in September '04 and was told the wait was a year and a half. I was willing to wait and get my finances in order. Starting in January I started getting calls that one had arrived. I didn't want any of the packages offered (I wanted a #5 and could only get #s 1, 3 or 6 in So Cal) and in April tried to get one from a dealer in Nevada, as they said they could.

The day I sent the deposit (a Thursday) I got a call from them saying they couldn't help me (I got them to return the deposit). I went on the web minutes later and made a call to a dealer out of town. They had a #6 available at MSRP, so I decided to bite the bullet and get it. I had a couple of friends drive me up (they didn't even know I was in the market for a new car) and picked it up that Saturday. I've been happy ever since.

 

Honestly, I think waiting for a car is BS. Seriously. I'm not knocking those who waited, as I can understand, sometimes you really don't have a choice. Particularly if you live in an area where they are hard to come across. The only time I want/SHOULD be on a waiting list for, is a new custom Ferrari they're building me!

IMO, the potential of hassles and other bs (xref. dealer jerking me around thread), outweighs the temporary inconvenience of going into another State perhaps, and buying one right off the lot, right then and there. I would ask, is 6 months to a year of waiting, coupled with the probability of BS, worth more or less than buying a one way ticket to some other State and driving it back? Plus, from another perspective, if you really want to get technical about it, every day you're on the waiting list, is another day you're not saving on gas.

Most dealers are scum, they're only nice to you until money changes hands. You'll see precisely what I mean if you were to try to get your $500 back.

 

Having a car to trade in though makes it more difficult to go out of state. Not impossible but more difficult. Selling it on my own makes sense but I have never had any luck doing this.

I am going to hope that availability will not be so bad come spring. I would love to be able to see colors in person etc. Granted I will have to look into dealers then since this will be my first Toyota auto purchase. I am thinking Toyota of Nashua or Autofair Toyota in Manchester.

 

Where I come from, if you want a Prius purchased in '06, buying one off the lot will not be an option until the tax credid allocation has been used up.

So we will have to pay a deposit and then play the crap shoot game of waiting until an acceptable car comes along after nearing the top of the wait list. If you want to increase your chances of gettting the car you want sooner, you can pay multiple deposits, but be prepared to loose them all but one.

Anyone have a more positive view for '06 delivery?

 

You'll only lose your deposits if they're non-refundable. I'm on waiting lists at two dealers. One didn't require a deposit at all; the other did, but it's fully refundable (I can cancel at any time, and they'll give me my money back).

 

Not in the case of the dealer I would like to do business with. The deposit is not UNCONDITIONALLY refundable: If I cancel the order, having bought a car elsewhere, I would loose a grand; same if I turn down a car meeting my specifications. I won't do business here unless all the agreements in NM are the same. I'm trying to get other examples. One other dealer has already told me the deposit is not refundable unless the dealer cannot deliver in 6 months.

C

 

Yeah, it's not as bad---but more complex---than that.

There are two basic reasons why "ordered" Priuses (or any car, but especially Priuses at the present time) end up not being bought by a given individual:

1. "Drops". These deals are never consummated because the buyer changed his/her mind, couldn't get financing, moved, any number of things.

2. People on lists were on other dealers' lists and bought elsewhere. This is also a "drop", but a biggie in the case of the Prius.

No one keeps track of how many prospective buyers are on lists with multiple dealers. I couldn't be far wrong by guessing that half of Prius buyers do this. I was on 6 dealers' lists for an '05, and have turned down two cars---exactly what I wanted before I decided to wait for an '06---in the last 3 weeks.

Thus dealers' "lists" are shorter than they seem. Throw in the complication of how firm or flexible buyers are on color and options, and this can only shorten lists farther ("low-end buyers", like myself, will never step up to a high-end deal, though they may compromise on color---and vice-versa).

Dealers, of course, are only too aware of all this. They may seem to take a delicious satisfaction in telling you their list is 200 buyers long, or the wait is a year and a half, but they're only shooting themselves in the foot when they do so. They know better (except for rookie salescritters, and in that business that's always a large number).

That's why, for example, Carson Toyota had half a dozen unspoken-for Priuses on their lot last Sunday when I stopped by.

The upshot of all this? Get on the lists of as many dealers as you can find who either require no deposits or have minimal, unconditionally refundable ones. This includes dealers in neighboring states (not necessary in CA, where there are Toyota dealers every 3 miles!). Tell them you'll buy a "drop", if the package/color are right, THE SAME DAY someone on the list fails to take it---and that you ALREADY HAVE full financing (if you can swing this).

 

Thanks Jack, for a helpful analysis. It's really difficult devloping a purchase strategy for a car in high demand, that is not even priced yet, and for which the regional package combinations are unknown.

I agree with all you said, except that all the dealerships I have contacted have non-refundable contracts as far as I can tell. (They have evidently got wise to drops) of COURSE they tell you they never enforce this; maybe not?). This condition may not be apparent until I read the acceptance document: for that reason I'm demanding a cc before making any commitments. I've only found one dealer with a $200 deposit, (the one that stated waiting list of 400 - which you thought was exaggerated - I concur).

I'll start looking further afield, which means Denver Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, but then I have to add a travel premium ($250 min); might be worth it. If anyone knows an honest, low deposit dealer in those cities please let me know.

My other worry is if NM will still waive its sales tax (new for '06) if the vehicle is bought out-of-state; I'm sure no-one I can reach quickly knows at this point. (I can imagine NM business interests inserting a NM purchase requirement into the bill).

I can improve my chances and delivery time dramtically by being willing to accept a more costly package , or different color - I think that this would be cheaper that risking multiple deposits. But it encourages the dealer not to make an effort to get the ideal, cheaper configurarion I really want.

One of my problems is I'm a perfectionist and am reluctant to compromise on that one perfect configuration; and being a bottom feeder I want package 1 that may not be very available (not available in NM last year). I need a psychiatrist to make me more flexible (pkg 1 or 3 and any light color).

Your recent proposal of a Yahoo support group for frustrated buyers is a great idea! Or a Frustrated Buyers Thread here (this must be it!)