WWYD: More than what you need more than you want to pay?

Eep. My previous car was a Legacy wagon. I went from it to a Prius,
and one of the main considerations was hauling space ... took a little
bit of a hit in that department, but not nearly as much as I thought.
.
I could only get 28 mpg max out of the legacy, though... which still
wasn't quite where I wanted to be.
.
_H*

 

VERY FEW people seem to regret getting more options than they originally wanted (if they can afford it). I stretched my budget to get the VSC on my 2004 for safety reasons, but I could not have afforded a fully loaded one (so I was very lucky to find a dealer who had a short waiting list). I have to say that I really like the HID headlights, and they're only available on the more expensive package for 2006. If it does not put you in a real bind financially, you'll probably be quite happy with the higher package. If it would stretch you almost to the breaking point, either look to another region for a Package 4 (do LOTS of calling and e-mailing, be prepared to travel, and you might get one sooner than you think...) or get a much less expensive car that gets reasonable mileage. If the potential replacement car is in the same neighborhood pricewise as the Prius there's NO reason to settle for it. Get a junker car for a few months if you need to in order to be emotionally and financially satisfied with your purchase.

Good luck!

 

Hmm.. package #4 has VSC as well, according to the Toyota site. It all depends on how many of the additional Option 6 features you plan on using. The HomeLink and HIDs are generally good as well as the auto-dimming mirror. The upgraded sound system and Bluetooth is a toss up, as you may not feel the need for a cd-changer or you might not have a phone or PDA to take advantage of the Bluetooth.

Personally, I would take the package 6 since it is below MSRP and I really like HomeLink and HIDs. I wish the 2005 had an aux audio-in as that would have made wiring easier for my entertainment system.

 

You can make a LOT of calls/e-mails in a day or two, though it's tedious. It worked for me (3 days, 50 dealers, 5 states). If you do it, though, don't let them waste your phone time by sidetracking you with. "we might have XXXX or YYYY coming in in 3 weeks...", etc. After a few calls, I got in the habit of opening my call with, "I'm looking for a dealer that has ZZZZ ON THE GROUND that I can buy in a day or two."

Good luck!

 

I sympathize - my old car was totalled April 11. I drove my Prius home on April 19 - a week after my first visit to a dealer and testdriving other cars. But that first day I drove a used Prius and fell in love with the car.

I started calling around - could get a tan #3 coming in the following week, lots of package 7 or 8 but I didn't want to pay that much for a nav system - I've never felt the need for a GPS. ALMOST got a red package 6 but the dealer called back half an hour later to say it was a mistake - the car was sold. I found the white #5 that night for less than the tan #3. I'm happy, and especiially happy that I got VSC along with some gadgets I won't use, like Homelink (I live in a condo-no garage).

If I consider the federal tax credit, I paid around $21,000 for my car. I'd test driven a Scion and a Corolla but didn't like them - they were just basic transportation. But they would have cost me 18,000 or more with side air bags (and after getting t-boned, I wouldn't buy a car without side air bags!). So I paid $3000 extra for a car I loved. If I have the car for 10 years, thats $300 a year.

The price you mentioned seems to be a reasonable price to me when Edmunds.com says what people are paying for a Prius in my area is over MSRP.

Have fun with your decision and enjoy your new car!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcbrunnhilde @ May 31 2006, 09:17 PM) [snapback]263782[/snapback]</div>

I agree will ALL of the above.

I bought my 04 with the VSC and HIDs for a Safety Package, as I couldn't afford more, and didn't regret it. I bought a #8 06 as soon as I paid off the loan on the 04 (the 04 is now my wife's), and I definitely do NOT regret getting the top package minus leather. Whenever we go on long trips, I am the sole driver, having the NAV has made things a lot easier on me.

Go for as much as you can possibly afford.