Seems like every place I see a TCH or Prius there is always this mystery $3-5k add on jut because the market will bear it. Is there some way to buy the car, I don't know, online or factory direct or something where you don't have to get gouged??? I want the vehicle new, not used.

 

Wait a six months, a year or longer for your car.
The market sets the price based upon supply and demand.
If you want to pay the market price, you will get a car.
If you want to pay below the market price, you won't.
If you had a product and you could sell every item in your inventory for $100, would you sell it for $50?
Car manufacturers sell through the dealer network, not online nor direct.
The price is the price, pay it, or you wont get a car...sorry.

 

I bought mine about 3 weeks ago and did not pay it. One dealership had it, but the other did not. Best of luck

 

use the Costco auto program, my assumption that they still honor that. when I bought mine in March the price was 900 over invoice ... I ended up getting it for under invoice

 

Very helpful. Thanks

 

I had not thought of Costco. That is an interesting idea. I am really not trying to get something for nothing here but would love to buy a new car, go green and save money on gas.

If I pay $30,000 for a $25,000 car, get 40 miles to the gallon rather than 20 wouldn't I have to drive 50,000 miles to make that up just the difference?

I know that isn't the ONLY consideration but somehow the math has to work.

 

You can't think of this as a money saver, since it takes a few years to make up the hybrid premium. The premium grew larger as the price of gas rose. Buy the car because you like it, but not because you will 'turn a profit'.

 

I don't mind the "hybrid" premium. I expect to pay that. I don't like the dealer premium on top of the MSRP. I don't like price-gouging because of the demand.

And if it was all about buying a car I really liked, it wouldn't be a Camry or other hybrid.

The turning a profit phrase was yours not mine. I am not sure where the line is on being green and being practical. All things considered, if my favorite car was $25,000 and I could buy a hybrid version for $30,000, I would buy the hybrid.

What I don't want to pay is $35,000 for the hybrid just because of the supply and demand issue enables a dealer to get away with it and if there is a legal, practical way to avoid that I will.

But if you somehow believe that paying a porked price above MSRP without even so much as looking for a better price alternative, then good for you.

 

I'm just trying to show you how the dealers work.
When there is inventory, they 'deal'.
When there isn't, they don't deal or they charge premiums.
Two customers want a car, one wants to pay 28M and the other 30M. Who gets the car?
I'll bet the guy wanting to pay 28M will have to wait a very long time.
The market for these cars changed significantly over the last 9 months.
The deals are harder to find.

My line about 'profit' was meant to imply that the payback on these cars is measured in years, many years.

 

When I bought my TCH in Sept.2006 dealers were upcharging $3500 causing me to walk away in disgust. I went to the Costco auto buying website and dealt with their local cooperating dealer. I bought my TCH at $400 under MSRP, a steal at the time. Then I watched the gas prices go up, and I smiled alot. Shoulda bought a Prius too.
Wait 'til gas goes to $6 a gallon