Make sure to stop there every day and help yourself to the free doughnuts & coffee. You paid for them.

 

I will be purchasing from a large Atlanta dealership that has sold me 6 or 7 past vehicles and does a great deal of my maintenance work. They will not mark the vehicle up, nor add on silly prep, document, protection, and security fees. They are one of the dealers that recognizes the value of Customers for Life.
Early adopters often give in to the excitement and overlook gouging. I didn't when I bought one of the first Thunderbirds and I won't when the Escape comes in. If it's not the deal you want - walk.

If a dealer thinks you are a one shot customer that won't even be back for service, they have little incentive to cut you a better deal than they would one of their "Good" customers.

 

I just want to add a comment that as time goes by, the Hyrid market tightens more, and dealers become even more tempted to ask a premium over MSRP, it is all important to get everything agreed to IN WRITING. With an expected 12 week wait to build from order after Jan 1, dealers will know that once they have what you ordered they can sell it easily to another walk-in or wholesale at premium plus to another dealer if you walk away from what they ask.

I would get a list of all Big dealers within a 100 miles and buy based on their honesty and giving you a paper trail. Service is important but you can service at any approved dealer. Sales and Service are not mutually exclusive trails in car dealers.

I bought through one dealer's Internet Dept. who was a separate manager than the walk-in manager. I paid no premium and none was asked. I paid no deposit and our deal was based on the order form print out which we initialled and dated.

One other thing. If a person cannot get their car by Spring, and by that time premiums are in the thousands, I would just wait until the current year shuts down late in May and place a build order before the new run in July starts.