We’ve gotten several cars in during the past week and now have a good selection of Prius and Civics available.  As always, to see our current list of cars for sale, click on the Inventory tab.

The market remains very tight for new and pre-owned Prius.  Based on recent surging oil prices, I expect prices for gas in Northern CA to reach $5/gallon by the July 4th holiday weekend.    But late June/early July is usually the seasonal peak for gas prices, after which they typically drift lower into the Fall.    By the way, here is a cool little site that will give you real time gas prices for the stations in your zip code so you can find the cheapest gas in the neighborhood:  www.GasGuideUSA.com

The rapid rise in gas prices is causing sticker shock at the pumps, especially for people with 50-100 mile/day commutes.    The savings you’ll see with a 50 mpg Prius are dramatic.    And having a carpool sticker so you can drive in the HOV lanes during commutes can save you 30-60 minutes a day.  What’s that worth?

As expected, a spike in demand combined with a shortage of supply has resulted in limited availability and surging prices for new Prius in Northern CA. Most dealerships have substantial waiting lists. Some are charging hefty mark-ups to MSRP.

The tight market for new Prius is also effecting the pre-owned market. The average price we pay for the cars we buy has gone up $2000-$3000 in just the past two weeks. In turn, we have had to raise our prices. Even so, we are selling carpool hybrids as quick as we can get them in. And the nicest cars are increasingly being pre-sold before we acquire them.

With the price of oil surging this week, we’ll likely see even higher gas prices in the weeks ahead and more people throwing in the towel on their gas guzzling SUV’s and seeking relief with the Prius. In short, the market is likely to get even tighter. If you are considering a Prius, especially one with carpool stickers, grab one now.

As usual, prices and availability of Honda Civic Hybrids are slightly better than the Prius.

As always, to see our current list of cars for sale, click on the Inventory tab.