July 31, 2007 3:28 PM PDT

Toyota to sell a cheaper Prius

by Stefanie Olsen
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Turns out that the most popular car in Silicon Valley will now have a slightly less expensive price tag.

Toyota said this week that it will sell a new standard 2008 model of its gas-electric hybrid car for $20,950, or 5.5 percent less than its 2007 version, according to a story from the Los Angeles Times (readable here without subscription at the Cincinnati Post's site.) The base price does not include destination charges and options like cruise control and heated rear-view mirrors.

Still, Toyota is raising the price of its midsize and Touring models of the Prius by $150 each. The three versions will start selling at dealerships in August.

On a related note, Toyota is also testing hybrid cars with rechargeable batteries in the United States and Japan.

Earlier this month, research firm R.L. Polk reported that the Prius was the best-selling car in Silicon Valley in the first five months of 2007, comprising just over 5 percent of the new cars and trucks registered in the county.

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Proof that free online news is better
by sdandrew75 July 31, 2007 6:53 PM PDT
I like the link to the Cincinnati Post (for free!!!) I used to live in Cincinnati, haven't read the local news in a decade, but now that I know I can read them online for free, I am hooked! I used to get the LA Times delivered at home, used it to start the BBQ. Old school media (newspapers) need to realize that there websites are about add and traffic, not $4.95 a month! Rupert, give me the WSJ.com!!!!
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Heated rear-view mirrors?
by lynxss August 1, 2007 8:49 AM PDT
Heated rear-view mirrors? What on earth would you ever need that for? Here in the cold of the rocky mountain winters I've never needed a defroster for my rear view mirror, even the few weeks when my heater broke and I had to continually scrape the ice off the inside of my windshield from my breath.. no ice on the mirror.

I hope they mean heated side view mirrors.
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Bait on the hook
by rcrusoe August 1, 2007 12:00 PM PDT
IMO the only reason for dropping the base price is to allow for a cheaper price when advertising the Prius.

Good luck actually finding one of the stripped down models when you show up at the dealership.
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