Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Miami Toyota dealer tacks $7,000 onto price of Prius C *UPDATE]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/21/miami-toyota-dealer-tacks-7-000-onto-price-of-prius-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/21/miami-toyota-dealer-tacks-7-000-onto-price-of-prius-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/21/miami-toyota-dealer-tacks-7-000-onto-price-of-prius-c/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


A Twitter user with the handle miami4me2c discovered something interesting at a Toyota dealer in Miami and thankfully shared pictures of this unusual Prius C Two window sticker. Remember, the base Prius C starts at just $18,950, and the upgraded Two trim normally starts at $19,900. With the options that dealer Al Hendrickson has added to the car, it should cost $20,839, but then someone at the dealer added a "Market Value Adjustment," which comes in at an astonishing $6,995. Total cost for the "cheap" Prius at this particular dealer? $27,834. We agree with what you just thought: that's completely absurd.

Or is it? We called Al Hendrickson Toyota with some questions for the general manager - why so much? and are people still interested at this price? - but were asked to leave a message and have not yet heard back. But think about it. This is one of the most popular high-efficiency vehicles in the U.S. right now, selling 1,200 units in the first three days it was on sale, and Toyota is increasing production to meet demand (both here and in Japan).

We admit that the market values this car, but does it do so enough to tack on an extra 33 percent? We doubt it - especially when you can get a regular Prius Liftback or Prius V for around that much - but maybe someone down in Florida thinks so. Either way, Toyota representatives wouldn't comment and we know that dealers are independent and don't have to follow the MSRP. Still, $7,000 extra? C'mon, man.

*UPDATE: Toyota gave Autoblog the following statement on the matter: "While Toyota Motor Sales does not advocate mark ups beyond the MSRP, the dealers are independent business operations and though we advise against raising prices beyond suggested retail, ultimately the final price is determined in the negotiations between a dealer and the customer."

Miami Toyota dealer tacks $7,000 onto price of Prius C *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>al hendrickson toyotahybrid pricehybrid price increasemarket value adjustmentmsrpprice gougingpriusprius ctoyotaWed, 21 Mar 2012 09:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20197511/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/03/21/miami-toyota-dealer-tacks-7-000-onto-price-of-prius-c/20197511/article-detail.xml 20197511 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/prius-c-7000-dollar-market-adjustment_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2012/03/prius-c-7000-dollar-market-adjustment.jpg <![CDATA[Report: Some dealers price gouging Chevy Volt up to $65K]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/17/chevy-volt-price-gouging-dealers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/17/chevy-volt-price-gouging-dealers/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/17/chevy-volt-price-gouging-dealers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

chevy volt
2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though some Chevrolet dealers were warned not to sell the Volt above the MSRP, there is a distinct trend around the country where some dealers are trying to make a few extra (thousand) bucks off the popular plug-in vehicle. In fact, Ward's Auto found a dealer in Florida that is listing a Volt at $65,590. That's a wee bit more than the car's $41,000 suggested retail price.

We heard about the possibility of sky-high mark-ups last year, but it turns out there's very little General Motors can do in this situation. As GM's Tony DiSalle told Ward's Auto, "there isn't a mechanism to prevent that from happening." Motor Trend also found Volts around the country priced at $46,923 (MI), $47,700 (CA) and $49,000 (NC). Guess this is why you should never trust MSRP, huh?

Our advice would be to keep shopping until you find a dealer willing to honor GM's specified asking price, even if that means waiting a little bit longer for your future plug-in machine.


Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt


[Source: Ward's Auto via Motor Trend]

Report: Some dealers price gouging Chevy Volt up to $65K originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 chevrolet volt2011 chevy voltelectric vehicleplug-in hybridprice gougingvoltvolt msrpvolt pricevolt price gougingThu, 17 Feb 2011 09:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19847294/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/02/17/chevy-volt-price-gouging-dealers/19847294/article-detail.xml 19847294 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/005chevyvolt2011-630op_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/005chevyvolt2011-630op.jpg <![CDATA[Going for Gold: Toyota dealers reportedly price gouging on 2010 Prius]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/26/going-for-the-gold-toyota-dealers-reportedly-price-gouging-on-2/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/26/going-for-the-gold-toyota-dealers-reportedly-price-gouging-on-2/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/26/going-for-the-gold-toyota-dealers-reportedly-price-gouging-on-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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]

Going for Gold: Toyota dealers reportedly price gouging on 2010 Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car buyingCarBuyingdealerdealersdealershipgougegouginghatchbackhybridmarket valuemarket value adjustmentMarketValueMarketValueAdjustmentprice gougingPriceGougingpriustoyotatoyota dealertoyota dealerstoyota dealershiptoyota priusToyotaDealerToyotaDealersToyotaDealershipToyotaPriusWed, 26 Aug 2009 16:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19141307/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/08/26/going-for-the-gold-toyota-dealers-reportedly-price-gouging-on-2/19141307/article-detail.xml 19141307 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/01_2010_toyota_prius_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/01_2010_toyota_prius_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Sky is not the limit for Saturn Sky Redline pricing]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/24/sky-is-not-the-limit-for-saturn-sky-redline-pricing/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/24/sky-is-not-the-limit-for-saturn-sky-redline-pricing/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/24/sky-is-not-the-limit-for-saturn-sky-redline-pricing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Saturn's General Manager Jill Lajdziak has come out to ensure the brand's customers that while they may have to wait in a long line for their Saturn Sky Redline, greedy dealers won't gouge them in the checkout line. While official pricing has yet to be released, insiders peg the price for the turbo ragtop to be around $26K, or $3K above the normal Sky's price. Lajdziak stated, "it doesn't fit with the brand [image]," referring to Saturn's history of no-haggle pricing and stellar customer service. This begs the question whether or not you think dealers are being greedy for charging a premium if people are willing to pay it, as simple supply-and-demand economics suggests the Sky Redline will be worth more in the marketplace than it's priced. While the high performance ragtop has yet to sellout, if it does we'll expect to see some price gouging on eBay Motors and other reselling sites.

Also of note is that Lajdziak revealed there would be no Sky Greenline edition for this generation, but that perhaps the next generation Sky would be large enough to accommodate a battery pack and hybrid drivetrain.

[Source: Inside Line]

Sky is not the limit for Saturn Sky Redline pricing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 May 2006 06:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dealershipmark upMarkUpprice gougingPriceGougingSky RedlineSkyRedlineWed, 24 May 2006 06:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/621276/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/05/24/sky-is-not-the-limit-for-saturn-sky-redline-pricing/621276/article-detail.xml 621276 http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/05/X07ST_SK073_thumbnail.jpg http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/05/X07ST_SK073.jpg -1 2