Just bought 2012 Prius 4 w/ Solar Pkg Today

I know what you mean! I had a terrible experience at the first dealer I went to. They tried to rip me off on my trade-in and were really combative when I pushed back and showed them all my research on my trade value. I ended up using Edmunds to put a group request out to dealers asking for their best offers. I got one to quote me $30,500, which is below invoice. I then had them give me estimates on the trade. I then took that info at a local dealer and asked them if they'd match by best trade value and lowest new car price. To my surprise they actually did. My advice: be patient, and use the internet to your advantage. We'll both have our shiny new priuses soon enough.

 

Hey Matt--$31,050 is not a bad price at all. You can always sell your car to one dealership and buy the new car from another if you find yourself with a great deal on a new car and a lousy offer on the trade. In my state (CT), however, you get a tax break by selling and buying at the same place because you only pay sales tax on the spread between the purchase price and trade in. So that's a consideration.

What worked for me was once I got a few competitive quotes on the internet ranging from $30,500 to $31,500 was to go to the dealer I purchased from and negotiate on the trade first under the assumption that the trade is a higher variance issue than new car price. There just seems to be more that is inherently qualitative and vague about a trade-in. I came in and said, "Based on all my research and some quotes from other dealers, my expectation on the trade is $11K". If they low-ball you, just walk out. There's no point in wasting your time talking about a new car if they're going to screw you on a trade. Once a dealer gives you a fair deal on the trade, then it's relatively smooth sailing unless they try bait-and-switch tecniques like they did with you.

Finally, we should all be aware that many dealers make the majority of their money on trade-ins and it's the biggest source of lost value for us consumers. This makes sense from a psychological perspective because our tendency is to get so excited about the new car that we don't pay attention to the value of our trade-in. And that's why they get away with so many low-ball offers.

Sorry for the unorganized ramblings, but hopefully some of that helps.

 

Do any of you happen to know of a video showing the HUD in action? Could you post a link? I'd love to see. Still waiting on the dealer to locate my car by the way.

 

A link to the 2012 Online Owner's Manual in case anyone is looking:

http://www.toyota.com/owners/web/pa...neportlet_javax.portlet.action=processRequest

 

After a week of waiting the Prius arrived. The dealer couldn't find the dark grey Prius I wanted, so when he told me that he found a white one that otherwise had the same specs (2012 Prius 4 with solar roof), I said yes!

So, as requested, I'll post a pic or 2 below and give some impressions on the head up display (HUD) and "softtex":

The HUD: I absolutely love it. I have it set to show the HSI, speed, and navigation instructions. You have the option, however, of showing any combination of the three. One feature I love about showing the navigation instructions on the HUD is that it displays the distance until the next turn, which counts down in 10ths of a mile and then 100s of feet until you're ready to turn, at which point the arrow blinks for you. I find it really useful because it can be distracting to have to look down at the Nav system screen. I only wish that I could make the nav projecitions a little larger. Also, on the HSI projected on the windshield you can see whether you're in EV or ECO mode.

Softex seats: they feel a little softer than leather, but I like them a lot. They certainly don't feel cheap, which was a concern. Passengers didn't seem to notice that they weren't leather. I have the dark grey, which is a nice 2-tone. They still produce a "new car smell" similar to real leather. It remains to be seen how durable they are, and whether they'll be resistant to stains.

A few thoughts on Entune: I've been messing around with Entune, and have a mixed review. I think it has a lot of potential, but as of now I find it slow, a bit buggy, and mostly impractical. Firstly, you connect to Entune via your smartphone, which for me, is an iPhone 3Gs. It seems to take a little while to connect, and with iPhones, as opposed to droids, you can't do it wirelessly and need to use the bluetooth USB connection. Once your phone is connected, you then need to open the Entune app on your phone before you can use Entune in the car. Once you do connect, Pandora doesn't always work. iHeart Radio is more consistent. These are the primary apps I use. I don't think I'll need to buy movie tickets or make restaurant reservations while driving. Haven't tried Bing yet. Maybe passengers will get more use out of these features. Also, you have to be careful because pandora will eat through your data plan very quickly. I like the fact that Toyota will update entune and add apps, which will allow the system to evolve. But as of right now, unless I'm on a long drive, it seems to be too much of a hassle.

So, hopefully some of this is helpful. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the stuff I mentioned above.