the hunt to a prius

so we started off with longo toyota. sticker price $26700, fully loaded. fico scroe 71*, 5.6 apr for 60 months. no room for negotiation, 2 cars ready to be driven off the lot.

claremount toyota, elastic from 26800 to 26***. 5.4 apr for 60 months. prius won't come in untli the 29th. at least that's the ETA.

so guys, is claremont just doing bet and switch(their ad says they have prius in stock)?? from my understanding, bet and switch is illegal.

for longo toyota, i can understand why the sales didn't discount me, for i wasn't there for too long(to show my commitment level)

we went to power nissan for a break from longo's firm stand. first time test drove a 350z. not bad at all. drove like the GS =lexus rules=

 

we are planning to go back to longo again tomorrow morning. so if you guys know any decent sales who's committed to work with customers, holla back!!

 

Having bought Toyotas from Longo for a number of years, I get the sense that they don't budge much on price...Longo Toyota that is...our best discounts were from San Bernardino.

But being a Prius I don't really know how purchasing that hot car goes...

 

yeah thanks man. friend's landlord is the fleet manager @ s.b. and the offer was $29000 out door. longo lexus always gave us very pleasing elasticity, how come longo toyota isn't committing to the same...

 

The correct term is BAIT and switch, not bet and switch.

If you want a Prius, and Longo has 2 in stock whose colors and equipment are acceptable to you, and they are willing to let them go for list without an ADM (additional dealer markup) and charge you only tax, tags, and a reasonable dealer processing fee (if CA allows processing fees), I would say go for it. These cars routinely bring a substantial markup from excessive demand and low supply, especially in CA, and list price IMO is a bargain.
5.6% is also reasonable for a car like this. I would avoid the dealer "Packs" if they offer them....things like rustproofing, paint sealant, etc.......


BUT.....keep one other thing in mind also. Corollas start around $14,000-15,000 or so.....and, unlike Priuses, are in PLENTIFUL supply. They are also routinely discounted, For what a Prius will cost even without a markup, you can have a Corolla and $10,000 in change. While of course the Corolla will not get the Prius's mileage, 25-35 MPG is still nothing to sneer at........and that $10,000 you save will buy a LOT of gasoline even at today's prices.....or can be invested for your retirement.

The Echo and Scion xA are even cheaper and get even better mileage, but both are tinny, quirky and ugly IMO, and I don't think you would like either one.

The 350Z you mention, of course, is a blast to drive, but they ride stiffly, have cheap, flimsy interiors, develop squeaks and rattles, use a lot of gas for a car its size, have relatively high insurance rates, and have had teething problems from the factory with suspension settings and tire wear.

You smiling sheep logo, by the way, rocks. That is just hilarious.

 

thank you mmarshall for your reply. so what happened just now is that i got whipped by the Z so i went back for more.

the sales @ power nissan told me the deal of a $28000 04 convertible z is off. he suggested i can wait and see if there's ad next friday. (i was thinking, r u out of your mind? you lied to me and now you want me to look up the paper myself?)

so we went to superior nissan, a very nice sales lady encouraged me to test drive the 03 z. it was yes, got some noice here and there.

we sat down with the sales, negotiating for a 350z convertible, and either the director of the sales lady or the sales manager just screwed up the sales for that poor lady. why? because he offered 84 months finance. hahaha. for $590 dollars a month. hahaha. jeez, cut the game and let's work some reall, sincere numbers. we got fed up and the sales lady's director got scolded by the sales manager so bad. the director chased behind us and asked very nicely if we were willing to listen to the every best way he can do to accomandate us. but it was just too late.

i felt bad coz i wanted the Z on the way back home the sales lady called again. i'm not too sure if i should call her back?

 

i admire how you appreciate the smiling sheep, it's pretty cool i like it too.


we hope that the claremont toyota can step up with the promise they told us..., without the markup. otherwise we should've just signed with longo yesterday. a whole weekend of down time is regrettable.

 

Financing terms for 84 months, $590 a month.!!! Yeah, somebody sure screwed up. I'm sure they meant 48 months.

 

I agree that $590 a month for 84 months (7 years) is a little steep for a car that they are asking $28,000 for in cash. 590 X 84 = $49,560....almost $50,000 for a 28K car. Even considering the fact that interest rates are higher for both used cars and longer loan terms (this one is 7 years), that still doesn't sound like much of a deal to me.

The Prius deal you described at Longo, if they will honor it, sounds pretty good......but keep in mind some of the Prius alternatives I described, too.

I think they are trying to rip you off on the 350Z convertible. If you got your heart set on a sports car, for 28K or less you got several good choices.....brand new, not used. There's the Mazda Miata, Toyota MR2, and Toyota Celica GTS. (the Celica and MR2 will soon be dropped, so move quickly if you want one). If you can spend a little more.....30-40K...you have even more nice choices....the Honda S2000, a brand-new 350Z coupe, Mazda RX-8 (the rotary engine uses a lot of both gas and oil, though), and Infiniti G35 coupe.

 

You may have a point, dmodstl.....see my post above. 590 X 48 = $28320, which is almost exactly what they are asking for it. If that is the case, it puts the shoe on the other foot.....maybe then that Z convertible is worth considering.

 

yeah and here's a treat for you guys... that's with 5000 down. so.. wow, that's one fine Z that we were looking at.

mmarshall, after your pointer, i went to scion and check out the tC. i'm also now considering the celica action package. i like the factory HID and leather seats. i'll PM you right now, to explore some options helping me to purchase a vehicle.

 

hello scott. the Scenario was failed to be presented to its reality, for it really wasn't worth the time to the 84 months was on a convertible. which is still ridiculous because the amount came out to be like close to 70,000. HA. deranged.

 

Toyota isnt discounting any of the Prius's.

A Prius blows away the Corolla in noise, power, comfort, appearance and of course fuel economy.

Is it worth double the cost? You wont make up the cost in fuel savings, maintenance. Maybe, if you are extremely lucky, can make it up on resale value.

If you walk out of the dealership because the first numbers are ridiculous, you may as well never go to a Toyota dealership again.

 

No, they meant 84. 590 at 48=28320. I doubt they only wanted #320 in interest.
Why not jack up the initial price, some sucker might actually go for it.

 

The Z's are usually marked up $10k above MSRP. There are those that pay it.

Sounds like you're gonna buy a car based on price so good luck. Theres always a better deal somewhere else.