Hello, my car (galaxy gray c navi) is scheduled to come in 11/15-11/19 and i was just wondering what prices you guys are paying. This will be my first hybrid car. Thanks

Lee

Where do you live? I have a deposit with one dealer that charges MSRP with no accessories at all and no B.S. fees whatsoever (Fuller in Chula Vista). I also have another, which I'm going to have refunded, with a dealer that wanted $1000 over MSRP and will probably try to throw a bunch of worthless accessories and fees my way. There's a third dealer that doesn't take deposits but I expect them to sell for MSRP... but we'll see.

I've spoken with other dealers and they all were charging above MSRP. You really need to frequent this forum and look for reports of people paying MSRP so you know where to go.

$1,499 below MSRP at Mark Roberts in OK. They, too, are a no B.S. dealer. My local dealer (Allen Honda) wanted $100 below MSRP. The $1,400 difference is worth the road trip to me.

The four dealers in NJ all have a waiting list of two to five people for MSRP. That was as of two weeks ago. That's why I bought the 05 leftover. I can't wait 4 years to regain my money spent for a hybrid to breakeven.

The price my salesmen is giving me (galaxy gray c Navi) is $23,865 + 189 (VIN Etch Service) + 299 (dealer conveyance charge) + 165 (reg/title/lien) =
$24, 518.

This is from a dealership in Wallingford, CT. This is my first new car purchase so what do you guys think. Are those extra fees B.S.??? I do realize that the MSRP is $23,350 and i need to talk to my salesman about that. The car is due
w/in a week.

lee

I've purchased several new cars, so I'll chime in. Let me preface what I'm about to say with this: I'm not a fan of car dealers, so forgive me if I sound harsh.

Most of the fees are BS. The reg/title/license fee looks legit, but you should ask you dealer what you're paying him $299 for. I think VIN etching is a waste of money. The dealers will tell you that insurance companies will offer you a discount and you'll recoup the cost of the service, and furthermore it only adds $x.xx to your payment. My insurance company doesn't care if my windows are etched or not, but you might check with yours. If you decide that VIN etching really is something you need, then you can buy a kit at an auto store for about $30.

Additionally, I don't think there's any reason why anyone should have to pay MSRP for any car. The thought of paying more than MSRP makes me cringe. You should shop around. You can find a better deal (unless, of course you have to have the car NOW).

If you're a first-time new car buyer, I'd highly recommend http://www.carbuyingtips.com/

MSRP for nav with delivery charge is $23900 if I remember right, but you shouldn't pay the VIN etching fee and the "dealer conveyance charge" is a total B.S. charge that you get nothing in return for.

Ditto what others have said.
Regarding the MSRP of the car, most Toyota dealers around here have a 6 month wait on the Prius. The largest Honda dealer in NH has the first 12 06' HCH's sold already. All at MSRP.
Im glad to be paying MSRP and will enjoy the car.
My car was being unloaded from the truck when we got to the dealer. We got lucky.

Eric,

I'm in Houston, and I was wondering what the tax ramifications are for buying a car in Oklahoma and registering it in Texas. Do you have to pay both OK and TX sales tax or both OK and TX registration or all of it?

Thanx,
Jeff

Jeff,
I'll pay for the car, accessories, and a $50 dealer handling fee. Tax, title, and license will be paid when I register the car in TX and I won't have to pay the state of OK anything.

Eric

'06 Magnetic Pearl HCH w/nav

'04 BMW M3

'05 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali