I finally did it

 Hi Everyone,

Since I have impacted your internet experience with my trials, tribulations
and stupid questions over my labored decision to buy a Prius. I feel it is
only fair to inform you that you all helped me immensely in my decision.

Yesterday I took delivery on an 05 Package 6 in Driftwood Pearl. Exactly the
car I wanted. No waiting list either. No deposit. San Diego dealers (as well
as many in CA) commonly attach a $
,000.00 additional mark up over MSRP.
With the information I found through all of you. I was able to talk them
down from that to MSRP. It wasn't easy. but I did it. All in all it was
$
6,800.00 before tax, license paint sealant, seat cover sealant, and
extended warranty.

I just got the SMART Key to work, and the stereo tuned to my favorite
channels. I was able to get the GPS to direct us to our favorite Chinese
restaurant. But I have so much more to learn about this car.

I feel I have taken on a new education. I hope to learn how to use all the
gadgets, and adapt my driving habits to get the best mileage.

Thanks again for all the help!

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life is too short to post at the bottom!
John (remove .remove to reply) DeGrazia

 

Congratulations, John!  Give us a day-by-day as you learn to use the toys.
Do you have a Bluetooth cell phone?  I'm green with envy, having now waited
seven months for mine.

 Thanks Bill!!!

I am elated and overwhelmed at the same time. There is so much stuff to
learn how to use. And I am no novice at new technology. (make a comfortable
living as a Network Engineer) but I went to bed last night exhausted with
the deluge of gadgets and whizz-bang stuff.



I don't have a Bluetooth cell phone. But my wife has a Bluetooth enabled PDA
(Dell Axim) that may have some compatibility with this system. I don't know
if I can use it to play MP3's or extract maintenance data, or even use it to
fill the car's memory with phone numbers and addresses.



But it is early and "our relationship" has just started.



I was teasing my son last night that I was going to find a hack to get the
voice operated GPS to sound more like Catherine Zeta Jones than the Star
Trek Computer.


-John

 Congrats! Just remember that the fuel mileage is speed sensitive. You'll get
much better mileage at 50 on suburban and rural roads or 35 on city streets
than you will at 70 on the interstate. My wife changed her driving patterns
from interstate driving to city street driving (about 10 minutes difference)
and got 6 miles per gallon better.

KK

 John J. DeGrazia wrote:

Congrats, welcome to the club John. I waited 8 months for my first 2004
but my second 2004 was an impulse buy. I don't want to burst your
bubble, but the dealer "packs" you had to pay for...the sealants and the
extended warranty are huge profit items for a dealership, which I still
consider way above MSRP. Technically, if you look at my sticker, MSRP
for the 2004 was $
0295. The BC package added $
245 and the dealer
processing and handling fee (non-negotiable) was $
65, so my car was
$
6105. After that point, the label states "Total from the
Manufacturer's label" and then the dealer installed options are listed.
I got the PV1, carpets for $
69 and had to pay a $
.18 fuel surcharge,
so my total "out-the-door" price was $
6,280.18 before state tax and
license fees. I installed XM satellite radio (which I highly recommend)
and had my dream car.  Unfortunately, its been sold...but I can still
drive my wife's car, so I still get quality Prius time. IMHO, I don't
think west coast dealers are still dealing with Prius buyers fairly. We
have it easier out here in the east, especially now since it seems the
wait lines are ending sooner than on the left coast. BTW, I've never
heard of license plate sealant...is this some California thing? See you
on priuschat.com!

Bill in Cary, NC