Interestingly I got my Prius for the sticker price, with Package #4, was
$23,676 Plus TAX/License and I bought also the out and inside finish since I
intend to keep it a while.  I went on the list in April, 2004 and received
it October 12, 2004

Ken

what exactly happened? did he return your deposit?

exactly. Production is up, there are other manufacturers making
hybrids(competion), people are learning more about hybrids like the
cost benefits are only after 50k miles or more. I expect dealers to
sell priuses somewhere around invoice prices maybe in 2 months.

-Prasad

<snip>

Thanks RZ for the info.  I have been debating with myself and reading
everything I could find for several months about whether to buy a
Prius, Corolla, Civic or Civic Hybrid. I'm not concerned about the
price of gasoline but rather its future availability.

I am a chemical engineer, PhD, retired former PE who was employed by a
major oil company from 1961 to 1969 in oil production research
(reserves estimation & getting it out of the ground by secondary
methods). Along with many others, I have known for decades that an oil
crunch was inevitable.

As a chem engineer, I am convinced there is no substitute for oil, an
easily portable liquid fuel, and further, that there is no alternate
technology on the horizon that can supply the massive energy
requirements for food production, manufacturing and transportation
that currently sustains our population. Anyone who thinks hydrogen,
oil shale, solar, wind, biomass, tides or fuel cells are going to do
it, you don't know enough about energy utilization. Coal has
possibilities, but that is non-renewable too.

My expectations for the future have been expressed in unvarnished
detail by Matt Savinar:

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

Maybe Matt and I are too pessimistic about the future, but I don't
think so.

I won't detail my car-buying decision-making process since it's too
involved, and besides, each of us has his/her own reasons for buying
anything.

Yesterday I bought a Corolla LE with cruise control, 6-CD changer (VV
option), carpet mats, and that odious "protection" group. I went to
Edmunds, calculated the invoice price ($15,285)  and missed it by $9.
I added $285 for the $699 "protection" group which I was told was the
dealer price(??) giving $15,570 as total invoice.  I added $500 for
"profit" and made an offer of $16,100.  The "manager" raised me $150
to $16,250 (sticker price was $17,340), and I accepted.  Then there
was a $500 rebate which gave a final price to me of $15,750.  Of
course document fee ($249), sales tax (4.5% = $742) and title ($16.50)
were added to this. Out-the-door cost was $16,758.

You might ask why I didn't buy an Echo, or a motorcycle, or a bicycle
if I'm so concerned about the future. Good question that can be argued
indefinitely. I might get one of those as time goes by, although I'm
too old for a motorcycle or bicycle. :-)

I expect some flack from this posting, but I'm nott going to get
involved in a flame war.  I posted it mainly to provide some
comparative data to assist anyone else wrestling with the same
decision I was making.

Thanks to all the good posters on this and other groups who helped me
to reach my conclusion.

Rod