There are a lot of factors that determine the final cost of a car.

I paid $1000 under MSRP, $250 dealer fees, and that was it. Got a good finance rate from Honda. When they printed the invoice and I checked it, there was a $400 charge for 'ETCH". I refused to pay it and they took it off.

I have heard here that many have pad over MSRP, as well as many that have paid under MSRP.

Best time, apparantly, is to buy is very late in the month, late in the evening. Be prepared to walk if they don't give you the deal you want. You can always turn around and walk back in the showroom. If the deal is workable, they will come after you.

There are many books you can buy that teach how to save money on a new car. As the hybrids are in demand, not all of them work. But there are still good deals to be had.

I bought a Prius 3 months ago. We were ready to buy but really only went to the dealer to test drive it. I had shopped a little bit and had been told by several local dealers they would sell at MSRP (most are going for $3000 or more over MSRP). I told them I would not pay over MSRP. They said they would not do the deal at MSRP. We walked out of the showroom and before we got to our car, they were running after us trying to make a deal. We still said no. I was then buckling my son into his car seat and they came after us again and offered us the car at MSRP and 1/2 of their dealer fees. The car was in stock and we bought it. They told us that that was the lowest price they had ever sold a Prius (who knows...).

I considered buying a 2nd Prius for myself (the car was for my wife) and they would not do the same deal. I test drove the HCHII, really liked it, and was able to work out a great deal.

Here is a quick tip... most dealerships now have internet departements where you can work out a deal in advance without having to haggle with salesmen. I made a deal at MSRP prior to going into the showroom. I went in but told him I did not like the color he had and was not going to take the car. They came down $1000 to make the deal.

Most people have an interesting story to tell about their purchase. Hopefully you will make a great deal and have one to tell yourself. Good luck.