This is my”consumer report” on how to save $100 on your battery. It’s time consuming, but these days I have more time than money, so you might not want or be able to do every step, but it still might help you if you do some of it.
Note these prices are specific to my Prius V & location, don’t include core charges, taxes, but can be used for price comparisons.
1. First I compared retailers & OEM, # years in warranty, then price/warranty yrs. When I divides price by warranty years, no retailer can come close to Toyota’s price. It’s by far the most economical buy. (“Results may vary” depending on localities. )
Toyota. Truestart. $159/8 yrs = $20/yr
Autozone Duralast $259/3 yrs = $84/yr
Walmart. $189/2 yrs = $94/yr
Advance Diehard $291/3yrs = $97/yr
Autozone Optima. $312/3 yrs = $104/yr
Better yet, with a little research, my OEM cash price beat Walmart– with a probable 5 extra years of battery life
2. If you possibly can, compare several dealerships, because I saved $100 doing so, getting for $149+ taxes, installation and possible core charges
3. Each Toyota dealership offered different sales, including on-line prices; online prices differed from at-dealership prices; and not all dealerships honor online prices. Also, some dealerships discount installation rather than batteries, some vice-versa, some both.
And if that wasn’t confusing enough, some dealers added more discounts at online checkout.
So yes, confusing, a lot of work checking each dealerships at-store and online prices (through check out), then calling for at-dealership prices and installation, but saving $100 was worth it for me.
4. Dealerships could only quote me their at-store prices, not online prices, so I had to look them up separately. In every case I found the online price better than at the dealership, especially when I went through the checkout process and found more unadvertised discounts added in.
5. The Online prices varied by dealerships in my area up to $40, but online beat at dealership prices every time. All offered free shipping–but not to my location, so had to pick up, so consider your gas prices and time.
6. I didn’t research whether dealership’s installation price varies by whether the battery is purchased at that dealership or online. If you know, maybe you can comment. But my guess is no.
7. I then checked whether the warranty is to Be, or not Be honored if a third party installed the battery.There seems to be some question about whether the warranty would be honored if a third party installed it.
Generally, it would be honored, unless it was installed incorrectly-so that gives Toyota some eighle room. So it’s a choice you will have to make on your own.
My thought is, if the dealership price is not much higher than your mechanic, or you don’t have total confidence in their abilites (if your partner doesn’t have that trust in your abilities ) AND if you can afford dealership prices, go to a dealership.
5. Dealership installation prices in my area varied by over $100 from $40 to $154!! (before taxes, if any–my state taxes all services.)
The $40 and $47 prices may have been incorrect, as this battery is in the back of my wagon, and a real pain to access.
But even if I add the middling installation price of $113 to the $159 battery price, the per year cost of this battery is $39/yr, still way better than other retailers.
6. Below are my local online prices. You should also check local sales prices, and if they will honor online prices if you do installation there. Final reflects price after all the discounts only seen at the online check-out.
1 $197 Labor ?$40. Total $237
No install $149 +taxes
2. $197 Labor. ?$47 Total $269
3.$206 Labor $113 Total. $319
4. $201 Labor $147. Total $349
5. $203 Labor $154. Total. $357
If you don’t need a battery now, or missed the sales, maybe keep this handy for next year.
