Rather poor experience trying to buy a Prius v today. Advice for next time?

Many "Demo" cars are never registered so even if they have 6K miles on them, they are sold as "New". This one sounds like it was registered which is why it was being sold as used. I would check that if this comes up again.

Bottom line...there are plenty of dealers and enough inventory that you should be able to find what you want at a price that makes sense. When we bought both our Prii, there was zero inventory. We had to wait 4 weeks for our 07 and there were 2 v's in the state with the color and options we wanted. Different story now as production has caught up.

BTW, the screen that someone showed you earlier displaying dealer cost can not be trusted. There is hidden money that will never show on there.

 

Exactly why I ended with "And dealer taking a loss is all relative. Maybe less profit on a particular sale but holdback & end of year bonus money, they come out ahead. If not, they won't be in business."


iPhone ?

 

Exactly. Unfortunately, many times it goes beyond the bonus $$ and holdback. The screen is very convincing if you are unaware of actual costs.

 

Toyota sells the kit that turns the cloth seats and surfaces into leatherette. I had it installed on my v 3.

 

Look up clazzio leather seats. Cheapest I've found so far is from autoeq.ca for 438 shipped.

 

If the dealer is only asking $90 more than private sale price plus destination, I'm confused at why you think there would be wiggle room. The price is only high because you are in the market for a v3. If I were in the market for a v5 I don't think I would have a problem with a $3500 savings on a 6100 mile used car. But that's my opinion. I think the dealer should've advertised a higher price so that there will be wiggle room in the price.

I went to a dealer once for a new car. I test drove it. I liked the car I drove. I asked the dealer for the price. They said MSRP. I said, "You're joking right? $15,800 for a Yaris with hand crank windows?" They were not. They insisted that I open with a price I was willing to pay. I refused and left. They called me a few days later to see if I was still interested. I received their call from inside my brand new car from a competitor. That dealer pissed me off so much I didn't even buy a Toyota. So I do know how you feel. Lucky for us we don't have to buy from them.

 

Likely scenario: they had a deal working on it. If you would have bit on the asking price, they would have dropped the other deal.

 

I think that they were unwilling to negotiate down in price because they are still using it for "demonstrations." I think that some demonstrations are for the sales exec's wife and family trips. My "demonstration" vehicle had sand under the rear seat from beach trips I presume.

So eventually they will get what they want for it, or let the dealership take the "demonstration" costs and sell it for a more reasonable price so they can get a new "demonstration" vehicle. Let me just say that I'm sure it gets used for customer demonstrations and test drives, and that I don't think there is anything wrong with this dealer perk. But that is just me.

I was/am happy with my deal and 1999 Toyota 4Runner I bought, drove for 10 years, and sold to a friend for low $3500. Even knowing now that I ended up paying most of the Drive-New-Car-Off-the-Lot costs because it was my first car purchase. But I did not pay advertisement or delivery fees, they fixed the scratch and ding I pointed out, and they made me feel special.

 

OP - it seems like there are a couple of things that you are mad about. Let me get this out of the way - there is no way that they should expect you to pay the delivery fee. That is sleazy and unethical on the part of the dealer.

However, the fact that they wanted the price that they were asking and were not willing to negotiate is just fine. So is the fact that the car had some wear and tear and warranty used - that is what you get when you buy a car used. I do not think that any of these issues are something that you can really gripe about.

Had it been be and I wanted the car I would have offered to pay their asking price and refused the delivery charge. I would have brought it to the dealership GM and if they refused to sell it I'd likely file an unfair business practice complaint with the proper government office - here it would be the State's Attorney General.

 

At least here in PA you can - if the car has never been registered it can be sold as new. There is no distinction for brand new versus just new.

 

If you want advice for next time follow these simple rules that my C.P.A. wife and I have been following for decades:

Always be a cash buyer - never finance a car through a dealership. Better yet, never finance a depreciating asset such as a vehicle used for personal use.
Never have a trade-in - it muddies the transaction.
Be educated. Know what you are buying and the dealer's cost. Don't try to "beat up" the dealer. Let him make a reasonable profit - the salesman depends on commissions to make a living.
Never go on a "fishing trip". Don't negotiate unless you are ready write a check.
Never get emotionally involved in the transaction - treat the purchase like buying a piece of business equipment.
Be prepared to walk and not look back if the sales person cannot treat the transaction like a business transaction.

 

Was it a punched vehicle?



iPhone ?

 

I think the OP's reaction is totally valid.
Of course a 2012 model year vehicle with 6,100 miles on it is not "New".

However, the truth is a dealership doesn't necessarily have to give you wiggle room, or negotiate a price. They most often will, and it is somewhat surprising they did not in this case, but they don't necessarily have to do so.

There could be many "behind the scenes" reasons they were not willing to do so. Perhaps they had lot's of interest or calls on the vehicle? Perhaps someone at the dealership itself was interested in purchasing it...you'll never really know.

We really can't control "how" a dealership sells or attempts to sell us a vehicle, we can only control how we act as consumers.

The OP wasn't happy with the dealerships refusal to negotiate price, wasn't happy with the deal as presented, and made the best decision for themselves, to walk away.

I generally hate dealing with car salesmen and the whole car buying experience. I really don't understand why in this day and age, what for many people is the 2nd singularly biggest expense outside of property ownership, is often reduced to a shadowy "camel trader" like bartering experience.

But to the OP and the specifics of his experience? It's good you kept your head, and if for ANY reason you don't feel comfortable with the deal as presented? Walking away is perfectly valid.

I might not be as put off with the dealerships refusal to budge on price, as I would be with their attempt to define what is clearly a used vehicle (Demonstrator or Not...Registered or Not) as "New". When you are looking at a vehicle coming up quickly on 2 model years old, with over 6000 miles on it, don't insult my intelligence by telling me it's "New".

In short, I think the OP's concerns valid, and his reaction correct.

 

I think the mistake the dealership may of made in this case is not honestly explaining what you just explained. Instead it sounds like this dealership just took an outwardly hardline stance that the vehicle was "new" and that it was a great deal, without any of the explanation you just provided.

Things may of played out differently if the dealership would of simply offered the explanation of the price and inflexibility on pricing, just as you did.

Also I think this illuminates a difference that exists in buyers. There are people like myself, that actually dislike the whole bartering "negotiation" aspect and would rather simply have a presented firm "fair price".

And their are others that aren't going to feel like they got a good deal unless they negotiate a lower price.