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Ready to pull the trigger on a v 5.

Discussion in 'Dealers & Pricing' started by Kensterfly, Aug 30, 2013.

  1. Kensterfly

    Kensterfly Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
    95
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I think we have zeroed in on a 2013 Prius v 5 to replace my bride's 2004 Lexus RX330. We wanted a hybrid but couldn't go down too much in size. I loved the sportiness of the Lexus CT 200h but it was way too small. The Ford CMax was a surprisingly nice, solid car with more oooommfff than the Prius and perhaps a little nicer interior appointments but it was also too small.
    The Prius V is nice, though the cockpit materials are definitely cheap looking, especially compared to the Lexus and even the Ford. A little more noise at highway speeds than what we are used to. Would it kill Toyota to put an insulating blanket under the hood? Maybe some sound deadening in the cabin, especially on the 5 trim cars?

    So, we've locked in on a v 5 Blizzard Pearl with Bisque interior. Probably go for all the bells and whistles though we don't care about the sun roof.

    My questions are these:

    We haven't done any real negotiations yet but it appears most internet offers are coming in maybe $2000 under MSRP price. Basically bringing a $32k car down to around $30k. I'm wondering if it might be better to just wait for the 2014s to come in in a few weeks? What do you think? I don't want to wait too long if we decide to get a 2013 as the inventory is getting small and we have specific color requirements.

    Extended warranty. I could take or leave them but my bride likes them. We tend to drive a car for up to 10 years. She has 131K on her Lexus and the 6yr/100k miles extended warranty paid off on that after the side view mirror motor, driver seat motor, driver lumbar support and stereo all went out after the original warranty expired. The stereo itself pretty much paid for the extended warranty.

    So, what should I expect to pay for the Ext warranty from our dealer?
    What other sources are there for an official Toyota Ext warranty?

    I appreciate your input.

    Cheers!
     
  2. Kurt E Sanders

    Kurt E Sanders Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2013
    36
    11
    0
    Location:
    Xenia, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I just purchased the 2013 Prius v Metallic Sky Blue with the ATP, floor and cargo mats for $32K. We live close to 6 Toyota dealers (<60 miles), so it was easy to have each dealer bid via email and lower their matching price on the same models till the only one left with actual floor inventory was selected. All the dealers were willing to deal on the 2013 models. From what I have read in blogs and auto reviews, there isn't any material changes to the 2014 year for Prius, perhaps a new color. I did not want to pay extra for the newer year and the associated higher auto insurance, when the car is exactly the same as a 2013. We keep our cars for 20 years and only have routine oil changes and tires/brakes.

    As a rule, we do not purchase "Extended Warranty" packages, they are not a smart bet. Sure, you can win one time, but over the long haul, keeping the money in a mutual fund and paying for minor maintenance wins. Most covered parts on quality manufactured Honda and Toyota auto's wear out in their average predicted lifetime before they might fail early and might not be covered by the extended warranty contract language. If you have to repairs and have moved away from the original dealership where you purchased the extended warranty, you might have to pay a deductible (check the language of the extended warranty contract).

    My humble advice, purchase a 2013 now in the model and color you want, make the dealers who have that model in inventory painfully lower the price again and again, until they do not want to bid any further, wait for 5 days, check for a dealer that will match the lowest deal. If you are lucky, you will find a Toyota dealer that offers a matching price & credit back of $100/$250 or throw in a VISA gift card, or factory OEM accessories.
     
    Michael M. Maslowski likes this.
  3. blisterpeanuts

    blisterpeanuts Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2008
    28
    7
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I guess I would wait and get the 2014, because it comes with daytime running lights. Not much else has changed, from what I could find.

    The v is a great wagon; you're going to love it!
     
    Michael M. Maslowski likes this.
  4. jlaibson

    jlaibson Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2011
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    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    32K with ATP that's a great deal!
     
    Kurt E Sanders likes this.
  5. Kurt E Sanders

    Kurt E Sanders Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2013
    36
    11
    0
    Location:
    Xenia, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    It was the Prius Perfect Storm! Several regional dealers had this high end model with ATP in a color we preferred, it was close to the end of the month and the model year for the Prius v is closing for new 2014's. It probably helped that gas prices had not risen or stayed above $4.00 in a few months, and the subsequent demand for high mileage cars had plateaued.

    I kept the emails and phone calls going for 7 days between the dealers that were eager to respond. I indicated that I would easily qualify for the 0% financing promotion (dealers are given incentives from Toyota Corporate for financing) having no other debt and high credit score. Two dealers ran our credit reports and knew we were serious about purchasing and were going to be an easy deal.

    I think that the Prius v model 5 with ATP is a unique configuration for dealerships and does not sell as frequently as other Prius models 3, 4 or 5's. I eliminated selected dealers from our bidding process that did not have this exact model 5 with ATP configuration on their lot, but indicated they could "Swap" for one in another state, but that they could not confirm a price to us because it depended on what that dealership would require for the swap.
     
    Michael M. Maslowski likes this.
  6. Kensterfly

    Kensterfly Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
    95
    4
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I did the Truecars.com thing last night. I got instant/automatic replies and purchase certificates from four Houston area dealers. They were all for $1266 dollars off bringing the targeted $31,580 MSRP down to just over $30k. I was surprised that all four dealers offered the exact same discount. (About a 4% reduction). I think my very friendly, nearby small town dealer will do better than that.

    I got seven email replies from one Houston dealer (four different salesmen.) in just a few hours. When I got a further email from the internet sales manager of the same dealer this morning I replied that I didn't really like the aggressive stance they were taking with their mass emailings from different staff members. After that, I got two more cookie cutter emails AND a phone call from the same sales manager! I wrote back and said that they could scratch me off their list of potential customers.
     
  7. Kurt E Sanders

    Kurt E Sanders Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2013
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    11
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    Location:
    Xenia, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I also first received immediate "Truecars" fixed quotes (See example below) for the wrong model (they were exactly the same) from two participating Toyota dealerships but they were not even close to the lower bid I received from the other internet salesmen who personally responded and I followed up with a phone call to verify the model, color, availability and accessories I required.

    Off course, nothing beats frequent verbal conversations and a final face to face meetings for showing that you are serious about an expected price.

     
  8. jlaibson

    jlaibson Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2011
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    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I don't buy cars often - only have owned 3 and I'm 42! I've been coveting the Prius since 2010 and now the v. The sales manager at Toyota knows me by face and I've got his cell phone programmed. He knows that when I'm ready, I'm ready, but that I'm obviously never in a rush, so I'm gonna want a deal, but this is all great advice. Thanks!
     
  9. mhagadorn

    mhagadorn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
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    Location:
    Western Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I'm going to three dealers next week to start the same game. Looking for a v Five (non ATP most likely). My usual local dealer has no 2013's, and they have 1 2014 coming in 2 weeks. Two other dealers have 2013's.

    I'll be trading my 09 prius, so that's a big factor.
    I have always had best luck beating a dealer down at the end of a quarter, so this may be a 3-4 week process.

    I ended up with my 2010 Rav4 V6 limited almost by accident that way. I was looking at a 1yr old used one at another dealer, and just wanted to look at one again. Stopped in on my lunch break, and ended up with a new Rav for the same price I was going to offer for the used one.

    On the 2014 V5, I am targeting $2500 off sticker, and KBB trade for the 09.
     
  10. Kensterfly

    Kensterfly Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I'm going to talk to my salesguy at the nearest dealer and get his thoughts on waiting for the 2014s re: purchase price. If I can get a 2014 for close to a 2013 price, I may wait. The thing is....2013s in our color combo are getting scarce. We want a Blizzard Pearl/Bisque v5, not ATP. This dealer only has one 2013 in stock (a v3) and would have to seek our car from a Houston area dealer. Since it's not in his inventory, he may make waiting for a 2014 more attractive for us. We'll see....
     
  11. mhagadorn

    mhagadorn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
    28
    6
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    Location:
    Western Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Head up to PA. There are a couple blizzard pearl v5 non ATP's. not sure about interior color.

    I'd prefer silver, but I may end up with the blizzard pearl.
     
  12. Kensterfly

    Kensterfly Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    PA is a little far to travel from Houston. ;-)
     
  13. mhagadorn

    mhagadorn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
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    Location:
    Western Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Yah, I suppose. LOL
     
  14. harold

    harold Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2005
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    Location:
    SoFla
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    You'll love the color combo!
     
  15. mhagadorn

    mhagadorn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2013
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    Location:
    Western Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I sat in a 2014 v Five yesterday. Not even close to making a deal on it yet, but who knows. They want $22k plus my 09 prius (package 5 with 48k miles). Forget that.