Going for Gold: Toyota dealers reportedly price gouging on 2010 Prius
2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery
The last time we heard about gouging on the Toyota Prius was, oh, just last summer when gas prices put the frugal flyer at the top of shopping lists. Things were so bad then that used Priuses were going for more than new models because dealers couldn't keep the fresh stuff in stock.
Cash-for-Clunkers appears to have had the same affect on some Toyota dealers this summer. Even though cars like the Ford Fusion and Toyota Corolla grabbed the top slots and headlines, the Prius was so popular as a swap-car that dealers again ran short on inventory. Daily Tech reports that the tight supply llead some dealerships to start adding a Market Value Adjustment (MVA) to the MSRP of up to $5,000.
It wasn't all Toyota dealers that took to making dough while the sun shone, of course – and the gist of the story appears to be that if you really want a Prius, shop around for MSRP and you'll probably find it. In the long run, until the Prius gets some real competition for the mantle of Greenest Thing on Earth, be ready to hear this story again.
Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius
[Source: Daily Tech]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Trace 5:01PM (8/26/2009)
$3500 and $5000 "MVA" in North FL. Cannot believe people are desperate enough to pay it.
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audi_arena 6:07PM (8/26/2009)
it's the law of supply and demand, and the basis of our entire economy. There are plenty of cheap cars that no one wants, so props to Toyota for making such a desireable product.
TigerMil 6:37PM (8/26/2009)
Eff em. Any dealer that does MVA won't get my money and should be boycotted.
Tool 8:24PM (8/26/2009)
$3500 over at Marina Del Rey Toyota.
Anyone with half a brain could make a phone call to another dealer and get a new Prius at MSRP or lower.
It's really amazing the cojones / stupidity / greed at these dealers.
the4thheat 1:41AM (8/27/2009)
You know, the dealers only get away with this because there's idiots willing to pay the stupid $5000 market adjustments. Enough idiots for the small inventory they have anyway.
Of course I just don't see how it makes sense to trade in your clunker for $4500 then spend all of it on a market adjustment...you could just sell/keep your old car and wait a while to buy a Prius then...idiotic.
That said I love the look of the new Prius...dunno why so many autobloggers think it's ugly, I think it's one of the best looking non-luxury cars right now.
ezalg54 11:48PM (8/28/2009)
Go get a Jetta Clean Diesel w/6speed DSG Auto....World Record just set at 67.9 mpg and you don't have to drive it like a grandma to get great mileage....and the driveability of it is awsome.
N 5:03PM (8/26/2009)
The Prius is a heap of undignified crusty dog turd. Same goes for all the self righteous smug b@stards who buy them.
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Luis 5:05PM (8/26/2009)
Someone's jealous. I'm sure your Camaro or Mustang doesn't make you think you're badass either.
MKIV 5:07PM (8/26/2009)
What a retarded comment.
Blacksabre 5:53PM (8/26/2009)
Luis, he may not be the most elegant of orators, but...honest to god, I'd rather run out of gas once a week in a Mustang than join those pompous, self-satisfied people who buy a Prius and think because they did, it somehow makes them morally superior to the rest of us. I wish them well, and hope they never, EVER decide to like Corvettes.
Prius drivers are a self-fulfilling prophesy...because they own a Prius, they HAVE to fall all over themselves decrying what everyone else drives, since without the environmental morality in owning a Prius, it's a fairly impractical vehicle which compares poorly to a dozen perfectly useful cars which do not have a big battery inside.
Will 6:58PM (8/26/2009)
It's a stereotype, sure
But I race and burn all sorts of rubber when I can but do ride a Prius 70+ miles/day for my commute
All cars are dirty, take up space and pollute
Polly Prissy Pants 11:09AM (8/27/2009)
While a Prius may not be terribly attractive or sporty, they are very practical and I'd love to have one just because of the tech involved. It would be like a giant, 4 wheeled $25,000 gadget that IMO would be fun to drive around in but for entirely different reasons.
KeatMP 5:03PM (8/26/2009)
And the fact that people are paying over MSRP is astounding...people need to learn to be patient.
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Jeff Johnson 5:57PM (8/26/2009)
totally agree - "patience" is something we Americans lost long ago. Patience is exactly why cash for clunkers got thrown out there and 3 billion up in smoke.
Not to go off topic but many people don't understand that we have a cyclical economy, there will be good times and bad times. The key is planning and doing the best you can till the good times come back around. Since nobody has any patience tax payers got to pay for another 3 billion out the window to try and stimulate something that should be left to the free market. Then again, "free market" is something else that went out the window long ago. Do i care if dealers jack up the price? not one bit because I know I'd never pay MSRP, or even sticker for ANY car. The people that have to have it now and sport the attitude of "gimmie gimmie gimmie" are the reasons why dealers can get away with it. These are the same people that are probably ridden with consumer debt as they are so willing to swipe and sign their life away for a hunk of metal that's not really doing a damn thing to save the planet.
I think the one thing people don't realize these days is that they have a much stronger voice with their dollars than they do just complaining about something. Don't want to pay 30,000 dollars for a prius? go buy a tiny turbo diesel that gets 50-60mpg. You always have options, and despite what the TV might tell you... its not always a good thing to jump on the bandwagon of consumer whoring.
tankd0g 6:10PM (8/26/2009)
Further proof that cost per mile is not a factor at all for hybrid buyers no matter how much they gloat about the money on gas their saving.
geoff 5:08PM (8/26/2009)
Shouldn't the plural of Prius be Prii rather than Priuses?
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homunculus 5:36PM (8/26/2009)
no because prius isn't a latin word. it's made up ad speak.
carcomptoy 7:55PM (8/26/2009)
Please tell me you're joking that "Prius" isn't Latin...
In any case, concerning it's Anglicized, then I think Prii or Priuses is fine--only if you're really speaking/writing Latin would I hound you for "Prii."
the4thheat 9:46AM (8/27/2009)
For the Latin grammar nazis:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/brainiac/2007/03/the_plurals_of.html
The plural is actually Prioria in Latin, although I don't think anybody would know wtf you're talking about.
Shadyman 5:07PM (8/26/2009)
I hope they've fixed that "uncontrolled acceleration" problem that they were refusing to admit to. That sounded kinda scary.
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