Excellent Prius purchase experience

:mrgreen: Gotta give my props to Heartland Toyota in Bremerton, WA and salesman Dixon Baker for an outstanding experience getting my Super White #9 yesterday. I signed a contract for two Priuses on February 19, put down a $500 deposit each on February 25, and picked up my first car yesterday, March 16. The only concession I made was accepting a beige interior when I originally thought I wanted grey.

I took the pickup checklists from the forums, and they had prepped the car flawlessly. They were happy to take me through every detail at my pace. I got a little 'pad' of valet cards with the paperwork- didn't count them, but should be plenty for my lifetime.

They sold me the car at MSRP, no BS or add-ons. They gave me a few hundred bucks more than the Kelley 'private party' price on my '01 Highlander tradein (it was top-of-the-line and flawless). It's the business manager's job to 'suggest' a few things like glass etching and undercoating, but a simple 'no' was sufficient- no high pressure tactics. When he got to the 7yr/100,000mi Platinum warranty, I was prepared for him to ask for $2k, and to negotiate down closer to the $980 price I've seen on the forums. He offered it (the full Toyota package) for $900! Needless to say, I said OK.

Here's why my acquisition went so quick and smooth. I ordered a popular package, and Heartland has an especially large allocation- 77 Priuses for the rest of this model year. That's based on Toyota's allocation system, which is in turn based on past sales. Many classic Priuses were sold in this county- they're way too common to be considered a 'sighting' up here. Salesman says they have some people on the list since November, but they're waiting for a specific, unpopular color and a very basic package, and won't take anything else. I don't know how long it will take for my second Prius, and they haven't made any unsupported promises.

I took a 'break in' drive yesterday to Whidbey Island- we couldn't bear to just pick up the car and put it in the garage. Part of the way we were following a silver '04 with Cougar plates.

Initial driving impressions: I find the seats quite comfortable- I've learned over the years that a seat that starts out firm stays comfy over the long term. Had a back seat passenger, who reported that it was the most comfortable back seat she'd experienced in a long while.

Plenty of pep for insertion into traffic and for passing- subjectively a bit more than in the V6 Highlander. Not a dragster, but then I'm not doing any full-throttle during the breakin period. Lower profile, and the quiet, makes the same speed seem more leisurely. I have a 'just drive' philosophy- not my thing to geek out on squeezing the last MPG. I want to keep up with traffic, be safe, and get where I'm going expeditiously. I do, however, make extensive use of the cruise control- accelerate to speed, flip on the cruise, use the bump up/down feature to adjust to prevailing traffic. I figure the cruise is smarter (in its domain) than I am. So far I'm pleased with how that's working out- showing 50.3 mpg for my first 200 miles.

These mailing lists tend to emphasize the problems and the 'squeaky wheels', so I thought I'd add the counterbalance of a great experience. And no, I have no connection with the dealership other than being a satisfied customer.

 

Efusco, in response to your question, I rechecked the paperwork and it is zero deductible. I don't know whether that price is available to everyone, and really don't have time to check with the business manager. Check out www.heartlandtoyota.com for contact information.