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Try Before You Buy in SoCal?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by davecook89t, Aug 12, 2017.

  1. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    Location:
    Washington State, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    So SWMBO and I will be driving out to San Diego in a rented truck near the end of the month with our daughter`s furniture. We are both retired now and can take our own sweet time getting where ever we want to go. She will probably stay in San Diego for a week or 2 helping our daughter get settled. I will stay with them a few days, but was then planning to go back up to Washington state where we have some property that needs to be fenced. This same property has a legal address, but no residence currently. (I`m planning to put up a tiny house in the next few years). I`m thinking about buying a 4 Touring in San Diego or LA, driving it up to WA and then back to NY a month or so later. I would probably try to register it either in WA or in Florida, where we have been spending most of the winter. (From now on, I want to spend as little time as possible in NY.)

    As one who does not reside in California, would I have any difficulty arranging a "Try Before You Buy" rental there and other than California sales tax (which I expect I would have to pay there, but could get credited when paying sales tax in the state of registry), are there any other issues of which I should be aware?

    Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
     
  2. tucatz

    tucatz Active Member

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    Model:
    Four Touring
    You should rent a new Prius when you get to San Diego. Couple of years ago they where surprisingly scarse in the south land. Taxi drivers embraced them and now they ARE.

    Between California and Washington is a little state called Oregon. No sales tax and very low registration fees. 'We' used to drive up to Portland and buy a car and return it to California to license and drive. Take a look, but I suspect this tax loophole has been plugged. At any rate, know that the drive from San Diego to Washington is a long haul. Better in a Prius than a truck.
     
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  3. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    Model:
    Four Touring
    Are you saying I might have trouble finding a dealer with a Prius to rent in or near San Diego? I see several dealers there are part of the program, but whether or not they would have the model I want to try is an open question.

    With 34k miles in just over a year, I'm used to doing long drives in my Gen 2. (Seat cushions help with that, I'm hoping I won't need them in the Gen 4). I actually went the other way (Blaine, WA to San Diego) a month ago.

    I know, I know, I should have bought my property in Vancouver, WA so I could avoid state income tax and could make all my purchases in Portland, where there is no sales tax. However, I also like to visit Vancouver, BC and that is why I chose Blaine. I don't think I can fool any taxing authority into thinking that I have a residence in Oregon. Maybe that was possible before the computer age. Nice idea, though.
     
  4. tucatz

    tucatz Active Member

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    I don't know anything about the Try Before you Buy program. I'm looking at dealer websites now, first I've heard of it. If you can get the car you want at a reasonable price go for it!

    I was going to fly to Portland in a couple of weeks. Postponed. Rental car prices were crazy expensive! Everyone is heading to Oregon for the solar eclipse.
     
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  5. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    tucatz, I see you have the Touring package. Is that a 3 or 4? And the Sea Glass Pearl you have is the color I'm hoping to buy. I've been looking for Four Touring with SG Pearl and the Moonstone interior, but finding very few of them. Last time I checked there were only 4 for sale with those specific options in all the western states, at least according to AutoTrader. Did you have trouble getting yours (or did you even care about color and interior)?
     
  6. tucatz

    tucatz Active Member

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    Four Touring
    The gen 4 looks sharp wearing sea glass Pearl, IMO. I found mine in the exterior and interior color combination I wanted at San Francisco Toyota. Great price and great service.
     
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  7. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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  8. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    Model:
    Four Touring
    >(i went to college in Bellingham, WA, about 20 miles south of Blaine, my brother and his family and my daughter and her family live in Bellingham I will visit mid October.)

    No better place to be than Western Washington in the summertime, IMHO. In the wintertime, not so much. ;-)

    P.S. Will reach out to Dianne, once I'm out there.
     
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  9. Shane Burns

    Shane Burns Member

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    May I recommend an app called Turo? Plenty of Prius on the list. I think I saw a 2017 Prius starting $39 a day
     
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  10. 'LectroFuel

    'LectroFuel Senior Member

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    Where I bought my car from, AutoNation Toyota Irvine, they have tons of Prii. In between LA and San Diego in Orange County. I think they have one of the largest inventory in SoCal. Right now they have 52 Prii in stock, 1 of which is a Four Touring in Silver (27 Twos). They have great service and a nice dealer for Toyota standards. I think they will let you rent a Prius (maybe not the Four Touring).
     
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  11. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Thanks for the info. I will give them a call, if none of the dealers closer to San Diego have a Prius in the program. If I'm going to be using public transportation to get around, I would like to start with the ones that are closest to where we are dropping off the truck.
     
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  12. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Washington State, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    *duplicate post.