I have begun the search for 2010 Prius II. I am in the Rhode Island/Southern New England market and contacting about 10 different dealerships via e-mail. I have received 3 e-mails so far from dealers who want to set up a test drive without mentioning the price. I have replied each time and told them that I have contacted several dealerships and am not willing to drive all over southern New England to get a price. I want the price before I go to the dealership. Any suggestions? Any honest New England Toyota dealers out there reading this who will talk straight with me?
I got a couple quotes via email by signing up online at Kelly Blue Book and at Auto USA Dealer Network. If you don't want phone calls just enter a fake number. Going through one of these sites lets the dealer know you have looked up dealer invoice so you are aware of what the price should be, so maybe that's why they go ahead and give email quotes? I think I read one this board that if you deal with the internet guys they know you're an informed buyer so they're less likely to try to jerk you around. I don't think the dealer I ended up buying from had given me an email quote but the first time I talked to them on the phone they promised me the CostCo rate of $400 over dealer invoice right off the bat. I visited one other dealer after that and test drove the car, couldn't stand the guys at that dealership, made my deal at Toyota of Hollywood and was done. Easy peasy.
Any Toyota dealers with an "Internet Sales Team" should be able to give you a price in an email. Fox Toyota in Rhode Island won't do it? Those internet sales teams are much more common in California though (Longo Toyota, Carson Toyota, etc.)
Thanks. Funny thing is that Fox is the one dealership that I didn't contact. They are sleazy. I have tried dealing with them before. They are a small dealer that acts like their shitt doesn't stink.
Hi - I am shopping also and I finally found a dealer who is working with you through email - Acton (mass) Toyota - you can google them - Steve Jenson is who I am dealing with - you can use my name gail from Newburyport mass. Good luck !
I think that many dealers are using the "get a quote" e-mails to get you to talk to them. That's probably the style of selling most sales people are comfortable with. I had the same problems reported here actually getting quotes. I wound up buying from the first dealer that actually gave me a quote doing anything other than saying "here's the MSRP and we will sell it for that." You might say that you want specific figures for specific cars in print in front of you and that's how its easiest for you to work. Some dealers ought to be ready to respond to that.
