Hi,

I propose adding a purchase price and list of options for our vehicles with the option of 'keep this anonymous.' New and existing hybrid owners could put in their 'closing cost' and a comma delimited list of options. It should also include the purchase date so the price over time can be plotted. If the individual chooses to make it known, good deal, but the default should be to keep it anonymous (no need to let 'land sharks' know more than is necessary!)

Today, Edmunds and other 'marketing' firms try to track purchase price which they share with reporters. Unfortunately, they do not include the list of options on each vehicle. We already know our Prius are overloaded with 'options', which we may or may not need but are there regardless. This inflates the cost of our hybrids BEYOND the cost the hybrid electric drive train.

By collecting the purchase price and list of options and making it available to our members, we will have the facts and data to counter these inflated claims. The only alternative is to survey "completed" Ebay sales and though useful, many of these are 'used' versus 'new' Prius.

To further improve the service here, I would like to see something that looks like "going rate" for hybids that uses the most recent "n" purchases with a high, average and low price. This would help members and/or 'tire kickers' get an idea of how the market is working.

I fully understand the technical details of designing a service like this. Also, I'm aware that it nibbles on periphery of "carsdirect" business model. However, I think it can segway into getting the 'tire kickers' to 'click through' 'first with 'carsdirect'.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
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