My wife and I would like to buy an '06 Prius someplace near Minneapolis. We don't need anything fancy (upgrading from a Geo Metro), so we were looking at package #1. Also wanted to take advantage of the tax incentives. Does anybody have tips, or warnings, we ought to consider? Have you purchased a Prius? Any thoughts on the process? If you could go back and do it over again, would you? If so, what would you do differently? Any "must have" options? How did you pick a dealer? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

You may have to chose between option packages 4 and 6. I don't know of anyone, with a different package.

No warnings. When I bought mine, there was one on the lot, with the package I wanted, in the color I wanted. There was literally someone at the table next to me, who was going to buy it if I didn't. It made the buying process less protracted.

I'd buy the car again, in a heartbeat. I don't think I'll ever buy another car, which isn't a hybrid. They're fun and I enjoy the smug sense of superiority.

Use GreenHybrid to track your mileage from the start.

Use Ebay, completed sales, to see what folks have been paying. There are other car buying web sites but I found Ebay to be the easiest to use.

If you arrange for your bank to finance it, talk to the loan officer about buying it from an out of state dealer. By having options and watching, you can find the occasional bargan.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

I just ordered a new Prius with Pkg# 4 today. I went to the dealer closest to my house for a test drive and received what turned out to be the highest price ($1490 more than I eventually settled for) by far there. I then used the Edmunds website to solicit bids from three more dealers. They were all at MSRP Plus $300-$400 "dealer handling charge". I got the best price ($114 less than MSRP and no handling charge) through the Costco program. I found this the best way to go not only because of price but there's none of the usual car buying BS. We received the price right over the phone. There's a 2 1/2 month wait to get the car. To get the full federal credit ($3150 but check with your tax adviser) you'll want to take delivery at least by the end of June because the full credit is only good until 60,000 are sold in the US and that should (from what I've read) be about then. The credit decreases after that. More information at http://go.ucsusa.org/hybridcenter/incentives.cfm The Consumer Reports pricing for a 2006 Prius with Pkg#1 is: MSRP=$22955 Dealer Cost=$20960

God luck

Low packages are generally hard to find and dealers don't move them very well so they avoid bringing them in if possible. Do you have a financial reason for shooting toward a low package? There is no meaningful technical reason for avoiding higher packages. The vehicle basically comes with the wireing harness for every option available and likewise the control logic for things such as smart key and the security system is onboard from the time you purchase. The security system can be activated at any time, however smart key also requires certain hardware elements that are not on such a low package.

Your first step is to see what packages are being brought in as allocation stock into your region. Do this by doing a configuration on Toyota's web site. It will ask for your zip code and that determines which region you are in and will then only offer packages that are part of normal allocation stock.

I am living proof that just because packages on allocation to the region do not include the package you want that you cannot get it at all. And you shouldn't have to go out of region to find the car you want either. The trick is to find a dealer who is going to go out there, work with region management to allow them to bring in a vehicle into the region that meets your desires. Some dealers will absolutly refuse to do this. Other dealers are more than happy. I think part of it has to do with how good a relationship the dealership has with regional management. I'm under the impression that the regional management needs to be on board for a cross regional vehicle trade.

The point is that if you want a particular package decide which one you really want and then go to dealers and see how they are going to get it. Their response to bringing in a specific color and package will determine your response to dealing with them.

It has been said:
Hybrid drivers come in 3 flavors, greenie, techie and cheapie. Pick any 2.
2005 Prius, Melinium Silver over gray, package 5 (AI)

Thanks for the responses. Actually, we'd like to buy the base model Prius, but it looks as if Toyota doesn't offer that. Reasoning we're interested in a stripped down Prius, JeromeP: save $, standard equipment is pretty good, and, in my eyes, less to go wrong. Perhaps that's flawed thinking? If I asked the dealer for a base model '06 Prius in silver do you think they'd accomodate us? Or are there options y'all think we shouldn't pass up?

I'd suggest at least SmartKey, since it is extremely useful, and like a poster above said, it might be really hard to get the package without it. SmartKey is a lifesaver, you don't have to get out keys, just carry the key with you and the car unlocks and starts. Also, some of the other safety packages (Vehicle Stability Control, side air bags, etc) might be tipping points. I don't this its a lot of $$$ from pkg. 1 to pkg. 2, and SmartKey is worth twice the price, whatever it is.

--
Hillary

Of course this is just my perspective but I opted for a package 4, based almost entirely on safety. It seems to me that package 4 provides a basic car with all the safety features (side cushion air bags, rear camera, vsc, etc).

Of course there are some things in the package that make it cool as well, in particular the smart key. I wouldn't purchase a car without a keyless entry and the smart key just takes it a step furhter.

Some might argue that the backup camera is a needless luxury. However I have yet to give a ride to anyone didn't comment about what a great safety feature it is.

In reality if you are looking for a luxury hybrid car I would probably wait and purchase a 2007 Camry Hybrid.

I understand the need to save money. I can't argue with that and frankly for 21 or 22k this is the only car with auto climate, trip computer, digital dash touch screen control out there for that price. So, no harm or foul for going after a "stripper" (I had thought about refering to package 1 as a stripper in my earlier post, however no Prius is stripped from the factory).

The truth is that you can get a package 1 in any color combination you want even in a region that isn't carrying it, but since you have apparently gone to the Toyota web site and looked at your region's package offerings it appears that package 1 is not in your region's normal allocation, meaning that the region is not bringing in package 1 vehicles to port and then sending them off to dealers for standard lot stock. Again, probably back to my reference that dealers find it hard to sell less equipped cars. But that doesn't mean that you cannot find a dealer who is willing to work inside their distribution channels and with region management to get you the color and package you want. Remember, you are buying a car, the most expensive consumer item out there; no compromises. You get what you want or you walk.

Don't give up, start calling dealers. Or better yet, get the fleet sales fax number (or email address) from a dealer receptionist and send out bids for the cars. Serious dealers will offer prices, dealers who are not serious will not respond. No need to travel around and talk with dealers in person. That isn't good for your mind, heart or blood pressure. Do as much over email or by phone as possible.

As for the thougtht about "less stuff to go wrong", I have to say that most vehicles built today include all the stuff that was usually thought to go wrong 30 or even 20 years ago in vehicles, power equipment, electonric instrumentation, etc. SmartKey is entirely solid state and as such is a nearly guaranteed lifetime operator, plus the wireing for the radio transponders is built into every Prius with or without SmartKey, although non-SmartKey vehicles do not have the radio transponders or the tactile sensor door handles, and since so much of the vehicle operates under the control of the various onboard computer systems, many "optional" items are really just hiding in the programming of the vehicle waiting to be turned on by somebody with a Toyota Hand Held tester. In short, nearly every "option" on the Prius is not mechanical in nature, but electronic and more a component of computer programming than anything else. So, i can't side with the concept of the optional equipment having much go wrong.

I admit I've oversimplified some aspects of this conversation, but the jist is that with this vehicle, if you would even like to have SmartKey or Nav or any of the other goodies that this car comes with you need to spring for it when you buy, because it is impossible to get it aftermarket.

Keep asking questions. We're happy to answerk.

It has been said:
Hybrid drivers come in 3 flavors, greenie, techie and cheapie. Pick any 2.
2005 Prius, Melinium Silver over gray, package 5 (AI)

At the moment, here's what Toyota's quoting us for what we're looking at:

Base Price: $21,725, delivery/processing/handling Fee: $580, options: $0, accessories: $186, total MSRP: $22,491

From what people are saying around here, maybe we should add the Smart-Key option too. That said, is MSRP a fair price or could we reasonably negotiate a lower price?