How the Mighty Have Fallen: Another Prius Discounting Program

How the Mighty Have Fallen: Another Prius Discounting Program

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

We've watched hybrid sales, especially the league-leading Toyota Prius, plummet in recent months along with gasoline prices and consumers' overall purchasing power.

Now the hybrid car that people stood in line for and willingly paid premiums to snag at the height of the gas price run-up this summer is being discounted in a growing number of markets as Toyota dealers seek to get rid of their growing stock of '09 Priuses as the automaker gets ready to launch to redesigned and slightly larger 2010 model.

Latest to join the discounting crowd are the Los Angeles area Toyota dealers. They may not be advertising the discounts, but Toyota is giving them an extra $750 "marketing support" allowance for each 2009 Prius (right)  they move off the lot.

Go Shopping Fully Armed 

Obviously, most sales people would like to keep as much of that as possible for themselves and many may not be all that willing to volunteer the info.

But the Edmunds.com incentives and rebates center provides the info - at no charge - with the click of a mouse.

Just follow this link, which is pre-populated with a West Los Angeles zip code that you can change to see what, if anything, Toyota dealers in your region have available to bargain with - and how much more you can ask for.

Unlike direct consumer rebates, marketing money is provided by the carmaker to the dealer to encourage sales of a particular model or models, and the dealer can use to lower the price to the customer, to reward successful sales people or for anything else that helps move the targeted vehicles.

It's Not Just Toyota

The marketing money often is used when a carmaker doesn't want to have to admit out loud that it needs to incentivize a particular model.

Honda has long used such funds to let it continue to boast that it almost never offers incentives. 

And, BTW, if you are looking for a hybrid and the Prius doesn't move you, even at a possible $750 off MSRP, check out your area Honda dealer on our incentives finder.

With Honda about to unleash the sub-$20,000 Insight hybrid next year, they're offering steeply discounted interest rates on the '08 Civic hybrid (right).

John O'Dell:  is an AutoObserver Senior Editor. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.