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Costco-Good or So-So Price 2008 Touring?

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Madeleine, Mar 13, 2008.

  1. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    Hi Folks!
    We're in Oregon, and after shopping around, we got our "best offer" on a package 6 Touring '08 dropped another 1K by going though Costco pricing for the same dealer.

    We're getting closer to signing. Does this price sound good?
    $26,300.
    They have just over 40 Prius on the lot, with over a dozen Touring models w/6 pkg, so does that mean the price shouldn't include for delivery to the dealer?

    For an additional $1000, the dealer says they can have a moonroof installed. :confused: ???????????????

    My sincere thanks for any opinions on this. I've only bought 3 cars in my life... I'm a fish out of water in negotiating this.
    Hugs all 'round,
    Madeleine:wave:
     
  2. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    Dang, that seems like a great price....at least in my area it sounds like it.....guess i gotta go look at Costco now if this used one doesnt turn out to be so good
     
  3. zeeman

    zeeman Member

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    price seems ok to me. I have a comment on moon roof (i was a car mechanic at one time);
    if the moonroof is an aftermarket job, i'd stay away from it as i have seldom
    seen a nice, clean moonroof conversion that lasts.
    and, i do not see how can it be factory upgrade as you can't really be making factory moonroof upgrade by cutting a hole in roof.
     
  4. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    Yeah, I thought it was a good price too.
    You have to have a costco membership, then you plug in all your details of what you want, and they forward it to the dealers who are in their "agreement" for "Costco pricing". You get to see the actual Costco pricing list, so there is no bull back and forth about pricing.

    Just the same, I'm also looking at a 2007 package 6 Touring... 25,000 flat w/11,000 miles. In general, I'm not sure I know why an '08 is any better than an '07model. Sounds like it was just a carryover of '07.

    What are you looking at?
     
  5. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    I'm lookin for anything i can get my hands on either 2007 or 2008 with low mileage....ive wanted a Prius since September 2007 but still needed a truck, until now......
     
  6. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    You should be in hog-heaven switching from the mileage of a truck to a Prius. I just saw an '07 Touring for 25K in Orange County via Google search.
     
  7. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    That's a good price.

    Regarding the sunroof, $1000 also sounds decent. Problem is you don't know anything about it or the installer.

    A few PriusChatters have posted here about their satisfaction with a particular sunroof made by Webasto and that costs $1100 installed. If you're uncertain about your dealer's sunroof, you can consider getting the Webasto sunroof installed yourself. Here's the latest thread on the subject:

    http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-modifications/43736-sunroof-installed.html

    Good luck!
     
  8. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    Boo, thanks so much for that info!
    By the way, do you personally know how to achieve cool air blowing from the vents near chest/face level off the dash, AND heat on the feet at the same time?

    There seems to be a lot of confusion as to if this is possible.???
     
  9. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Sorry, Madeleine, I don't know the answer.
     
  10. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    Re: The plot thickens!!!

    I just test drove the Touring... the handling was EXCELLENT! It was a dark, raining downpour night... I drove sharp turns on narrow roads, drove over pot holes in pavement... I mean, I really gave it a chance to show me it's failings, and I have to say, the Touring performed responsively and elegantly in it's simplicity of design. (I can add as a devoted BMW driver, I wasn't expecting to love the drive, but it was a great surprise to learn that I didn't have to give up enjoying driving in order to be socially responsible. Frankly, I'd have let go the driving pleasure to "do the right thing" but how nice to learn I didn't have to!

    The sales person threw me for a loop in suggesting a package option I'd not considered, and I wanted to run it by this chat community for any input from the REAL WORLD of Prius. :) He said, "why not buy a Touring in a pkg 3 then upgrade to leather seats? He thought that would cost considerably less than a factory pkg 6. He'll give a bid tomorrow...

    Not all the goodies matter to me, but I'd like to have: leather seats, iPod-friendly (is the doc much better than just a cable port? I'm thinking it is, though I've never seen one in the car...) and bluetooth.

    I've read some posts where buyers weren't happy with dealer installed leather because it didn't include arm rest/door panels etc...

    What do you all think? Lower pkg 3 then add leather seats, vs. pkg 6 and call it good?

    THANKS for any opinions on this! :grouphug:
    -Maddie
     
  11. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    If leather means a lot to you, for the $2000 price difference between pkg 3 and 6, I'd go for pkg 6. If you went for pkg 3, at least $1000 would have to be spent to install aftermarket leather. So the price difference is really $1000.

    BTW, why won't the dealer do a nice aftermarket leather install for you for $1000? If it would, then I'd go for pkg 3 + the dealer's $1000 aftermarket leather, which would make it $1000 less than the pkg 6.
     
  12. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

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    Hi Maddie, welcome to PriusChat! I'm not sure I understand your options. When I went to Toyota.com and built a Touring in northern Oregon I saw only two packages:

    Option A $2,105

    50 state emissions (FE)
    Package #3-includes Smart Key System [1], backup camera [7], Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) [11], anti-theft system and auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink® [6] universal transceiver, and JBL® AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with nine speakers in seven locations, auxiliary audio jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, satellite radio capability [2] and hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth® [3] wireless technology (HI)


    Option B $4,175

    50 state emissions [FE]
    Package #6-includes Smart Key System [1], backup camera [7], Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) [11], anti-theft system and auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink® [6] universal transceiver, JBL® AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with nine speakers in seven locations, auxiliary audio jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, satellite radio capability [2] and hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth® [3] wireless technology, voice-activated DVD navigation system [4], and leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel [NR]

    This was on a base Touring at $24,229 plus $660 handling, so your Costco price is very good. Bracketed numbers refer to footnotes.

    If you go with the lower cost package, how much extra will the leather seats cost? $2070? You won't get a leather wrapped steering wheel, but a Wheelskin is pretty good. Negotiate for a tire upgrade.
     
  13. Andie Baton Rouge

    Andie Baton Rouge New Member

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    I'll be picking up my Barcelona Red '08 Pruis, pkg 2, in about three weeks when it comes in. I started my pricing by going through Sam's Club, which also requires a membership. Sam's price for a Prius is 4% over invoice. Then, Sam's referred me to a particular dealership. That dealership gave me a price of $23,564. After that, I contacted a much larger dealership that gave me a price of $23,364. I went with the second dealership because of good things I'd been told about their service dept. I was also referred by a co-worker to a particular salesman. I'm hopeful that I got a good price. (If I didn't, please don't tell me; it's too late now.;))

    My question is this: Has anyone who has picked up a new Prius recently been given or asked for the dealer's pre-delivery check list? The most recent info. that I could find on this site is from '04. Thanks.
     
  14. philjonescrs

    philjonescrs Junior Member

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    Sounds like a good price :) We got 3 bids on non-touring Package 6 in the Bay area (I was ready to fly one-way down there with 10,000 Alaska air miles and drive the car back) for between $25,486 and $25,600 -- found the leads to those folks here late last night. Stopped in Lexus of Bellevue (WA - outside of Seattle) today to get a price for the LS 400 I'm selling. While the used-car manager was gone, I asked the receptionist who handled new-car licensing. A salesman overheard me and asked me why I wanted to know. I told him I was flying down to the Bay area to buy a Prius and drive it back. He said -- "You don't want to do that. I used to work at Lexus of Kirkland (where I live); let me call the manager there. We drove our new Prius home this evening. Their price was $25,800 plus tax and license. I figured for $300 more it was worth NOT taking the trip. I'm going from an LS 400 to the Prius. Should be interesting; I KNOW it will be cheaper on gas!
     
  15. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    Re: Hi Bill

    Hi Bill,

    Nice to hear from a local Prius person... so THANKS!

    We're told by the dealer in Beaverton (and Gladstone Toyota agrees) that new for '08 you can order a Touring model in a lesser package. You can get 2, 3, 5, 6. They leave out 4 package as an option, because the only difference between 3 and 4 is what comes standard on a touring model in the first place. The large brochure for Prius does show same info re: increased Pirus packages.

    Dealer installed leather is around 1K to 1500. This price includes not just the front of the seat but trim areas too, though not sure about the steering wrap... we're still negotiating. We've switched to Beaverton T. for the sale, we THINK... we'll see. Gladstone's price was good. I think Beav. will be better by a tad, and I suspect their outside vendor for the leather work may be higher quality. Essentially, we're trading the navigation system for custom leather and decreasing the overall cost to ??? probably around 26,300 or so for a pkg 3 touring with custom leather.

    Having read up so many posts on the priuschat, I know we'll want to get more integration for iPod via that 3rd party company... too bad no one has developed a system that allows the viewing/control of playlists from the stereo system... I'm told other cars can do that so you don't have to twist around and grab your iPod to mess with the controls there...

    Other goodie that seems essential is a liner for the hatch cargo area. How nice to have something more "cargo" friendly like plastic or rubber... I mean, hey, this IS Oregon. Gardening, rain, carting recycling bits (we live outside of Metro so less curbside...)

    If I understand the packages right, on a 3 package, we would still get the controls on the steering wheel.
    -Madeleine
     
  16. Rockville1

    Rockville1 Silver Pine Mica

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    Sounds to me as the dealer is trying to make money off you through dealer installs (moonroof and leather install).

    I would not do the moonroof as someone else suggested above.

    I would also skip the delar leather installation on the pckg 3 and just buy the pkg 6. The dealer install will not include leather on the arm rests or the middle console. Personally, I would pay the slight additional cost, get the pckg 6 and not have to worry about the dealer screwing something up on on the leather install.
     
  17. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    Re: NO, dealer install is good price AND quality!

    Re: dealer installed leather, they DO install for other areas like arm rests etc... I know some dealers apparently do not, but this one does. Actually, so does the Nissan dealer across the street. A number of dealers in our area offer higher quality leather installs that are on all the right areas within the interior.

    The install is CHEAPER than buying factory leather. I guess I'm not being very clear here... sorry if I'm not. We don't want the navigation system. We do want good leather seats. We SAVE money AND get a BETTER quality of leather interior by buying the pkg 3 w/dealer installed leather.

    I don't know if the dealer is making more profit this way or not, but we will save money and get better quality. Why not?

    Re: the moonroof, the dealer isn't pushing it at all. We just asked how much. The dealer we are working with now actually said NO to a moonroof. So he isn't trying to scalp us on this. He said it is a safety issue and the car really shouldn't structurally have one installed.
     
  18. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Madeleine,

    Sounds good! Sounds like you've found the car that you want with the options that you want and at a price that you're OK with. So I say, go for it!

    Re Sunroof: I think your current dealer may be wrong re the structural issue. But you can always explore that issue further later. Here are the two best threads here about the Webasto sunroof:

    http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-modifications/43736-sunroof-installed.html

    http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-modifications/32662-sunroof-installed-2007-prius-minneapolis.html
     
  19. Madeleine

    Madeleine Student of Prius

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    Hi Tom,
    Nice to hear from you again! So, you don't think I'm being a fool falling for dealer installed leather vs. factory? I know some people get poor quality, but surely there are others in Prius land who've had good experiences...

    Yeah, I wondered about that structural issue too. I'm with you - post purchase. :) Those links you sent are really great. I appreciate it.

    How's NY? I've not been back since last May. Do you drive in the city?
    -Madeleine
     
  20. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Hey Madeleine,

    No, of course not re factory vs aftermarket leather. Sounds like you're getting at least as-good-as-factory aftermarket leather, and you're saving $1000 by not having to get a package 6 with Nav which you don't want. That $1000 savings pays for the Webasto sunroof if you decide to go there later.

    New York is good, although we've had to deal with things like falling cranes recently. Really looking forward to the warmer weather promised by Spring -- but I wish I had the $1000 right now for that sunroof lol! Maybe Santa will bring me one next Christmas.