Prius Production

Welcome aboard Ben! Take a deep breath and relax. Inventory has pretty much stabilized in most areas it appears but don't expect much below MSRP. Heck, I paid MSRP over two years ago myself. If you live in CA, look up Dianne(see her post on this site). If not, do research online. Get armed with quotes and then take them to your dealer.

 

Ben,
It is not unusual right now given the current climate and supply situation for some dealers to be charging over MSRP. That said, dealers with larger inventories will be more accommodating on price. I am not sure where you are writing from but our dealership has about 15+ Prius models in stock right now. We might be somewhat of an anomaly though as we specialize in the Prius. Our prices right now are right at MSRP if not a little lower depending on the particular configuration. Toyota does not currently have an subsidized special interest rates on Prius and we do not imagine that they will any time soon . That said, auto loan rates are lower than ever and you should be able to get some pretty aggressive rates just using conventional financing. In regards to the moonroof... There is a cost savings in adding an aftermarket moonroof which runs at about $1500 however you forego the solar panel function and the factory warranty in doing so. Be happy to help with any other questions and hope your future experiences are more pleasant
Pat Coleman
Jim Coleman Toyota
Bethesda, MD

 

Dealers in my area have all reported that production of Prius models is back to normal, but supply is still heavily constrained due to pre-orders being fulfilled by vehicles now coming into the country. None here are charging above MSRP, but of the three nearest dealers, two have mentioned that they could since there are only 4 Prius models currently on dealer lots within 60 miles - and in fact only 2 at the time I bought mine, 3 weeks ago.

My Prius came from the dealer that didn't mention over-MSRP pricing, and in fact I got my Prius Three for $24,600, which is a bit under because they knew they could make it up on the trade, which was a 2007 Prius.

All dealers said that they expected supply to be back to normal later in the year, and though they didn't say it in so many words, they all suggested that would mean 'more flexibility' on pricing.

 

ask for the invoice…
sticker price & invoice are 2 different prices…
invoice is what the dealer gets it for & sticker price is what they want you to pay…
the difference in the 2 are roughly between $2500/4000k (depending on state)…
imagine saving 4k just asking for invoice…
easiest way to deal with them…
dont budge…
if you get the car anywhere from $500 & less over invoice…
its a great buy…
my good friend is a salesman for cheverolet…
he told me what to do…
also google online "how to deal/talk with car salesman"
good luck and welcome…
i just bought mine 2 weeks ago for $100 over invoice…
2011 PRIUS III blizz peral/nav/jbl/cam/ $25,100

 

ask for the invoice…
sticker price & invoice are 2 different prices…
invoice is what the dealer gets it for & sticker price is what they want you to pay…
the difference in the 2 are roughly between $2500/4000k (depending on state)…
imagine saving 4k just asking for invoice…
easiest way to deal with them…
dont budge…
if you get the car anywhere from $500 & less over invoice…
its a great buy…
my good friend is a salesman for cheverolet…
he told me what to do…
also google online "how to deal/talk with car salesman"(great info)
good luck and welcome…
i just bought mine 2 weeks ago for $100 over invoice…
2011 PRIUS III blizz peral/nav/jbl/cam/ $25,080
finance manager actually didnt even battle with me…
he ask for $300 over and we endend with $100 over within 10 mins
got the deal done early and i had enough time to get my :fish2: fish on!

 

I got mine a couple weeks back a little under MSRP.
The explanation I got was that, with the Dollar to Japanese Yen exchange rate being as it is, and the MSRP not being able to change (don't know how true that is), the invoice prices have gone up, and they don't have much wiggle room in how much they can take off from the MSRP. I think this contributes to some places posting above MSRP. The difference in the invoice and sticker price where I bought it was less than $1000.

Maybe when the dollar gets stronger, then you can negotiate some more...

 

I checked my dealer a couple of weeks ago and they showed 14 either at the dealership or scheduled for delivery in the next week. That is the most that I have seen since the tsunami.

I went by the dealership today to get some parts and they had at least 6 or 7 on the lot, which is very rare scene. I checked again and they are showing 20 available for immediate delivery. So, supply has returned a little better than normal.

I do not know about the yen to dollar exchange rate affect.

 

2012 Prius is coming out next month. If you couldn't get a good deal for the 2011 model now, wait till next month. I just got mine $200 under invoice last weekend.