[scilady]

Will allocations and deliveries continue seamlessly as 2005 models are introduced or will there be some break in availability?
Just wondering what to expect in the coming months.

 

[Jeffand]

Toyota has increase production from 30,000 too 47,000 Prius's for U.S. delivery.
They are also talking about a opening a second manufacturing plant in order to try and meet customer demand.
Some dealerships are telling thier customers that they may have to wait over a year for thier cars!!
I was told by the dealership that my March order should arrive in 8 to 14 months from now.
This means that if you order now you could end up with a 2006 Prius. :x

 

[TauZero]

from the three or four local dealers I've contacted, the coupel firm responses I've received are

"...18-20 months..."

" We're not taking orders for the 2004 any more, since we are still filling very old orders. We are signing up current folks for the 2005, for which we will guarantee 2004 MSRP, even if Toyota raises it for the '05"

So on the bright side, it seems I won't get screwed on Market Value Adjustment premiums. Though I'll have to wait a year to not get screwed....

Tau Zero

 

[artman67]

As I hear it allocations are differnt for dealer to dealer and state to state

might check out of your area

for example
make arrangements to fly to visit your relatives and drive your car back

 

[bradca21]

for example
make arrangements to fly to visit your relatives and drive your car back

As I've heard it put sometimes on ebay and the like, delivery of cars (by a service, not the approx $500 delivery fee for the dealer) can BE around $500-1000.... Depending on how bad you want one, if you don't mind thinking "I'd pay $1000 over MSRP for one of those" consider it as an option. I had NO IDEA the Prius was quoted 18-20 months in some markets right now... Holy Crap!!

 

[hdrygas]

As I hear it allocations are differnt for dealer to dealer and state to state

might check out of your area

for example
make arrangements to fly to visit your relatives and drive your car back

The dealer I am working with stated that they get more cars per month because thay have sold more Prii over the past severl years that others in the state of Washington. This latter part may be true I see a lot of Prii around and have seen 8 different 04's in the past week. I see quite a few Classics around. I believe he said they were getting 6 a month recently and occassional extra "orphan" ones from other areas. I don't know how true it is but he did show me a computer print out showing allocations for the region and the dealer ship for the second quarter that supported the statment though I did not have time to study it.
Henry Drygas

 

[Jeffand]

It is true dealerships alotment is determinded by previous sales. Like a small dealership may only get two. While a large dealership may get five Prius.

Also the oldest order may not be the one that is filled. It all depends on the level and color purchased. It seems that in my area that number 9's are moving faster than the 3's, and 7's. This dealership seems to be getting mostly 9's in, and a occational 3 or 7. Some dealership do have shorter waiting list than others. The question to ask when vistiting a dealership would be: What level Priuss have they been getting in the most of. Also by going too Toyota's WEB site and use the "Build and price your car".
Go threw the build process. If the level you choose is flagged as "limited stock" avoid ordering this level. This could mean lengthy delays in getting your vehicle.
Toyota maybe trying to simplify the manufacturing process. Certain combinations of level and color may not be made too often. Like a silver number 9 with a gray interior would be the most popular combination. This could possible have the shortest wait time.
Cars in general silver is the most popular color.

 

[03Jill]

The longest I have been quoted for the wait is 8 mo. One of the dealerships that I put my name on in the middle of May called yesterday (June 14) to say they had a White #9 in and was I interested. I don't want white because our 03 Prius is white and we don't want the driveway to look like a Fleet lot. Anyway this dealership is adding on $670 "shipping" and because shipping is already built into the MSRP, we got the Sales Manager to admit that it was like slipping a $50 to a waiter for the best table. I am not going to name the dealership because we really like the Service Dept. We have removed our name from that list.

Jill

 

[Jeffand]

Update: My Prius just arrived at the dealership. WOW! This is a very plesant suprize. Since I was exspecting it's arrival sometime next year. Car was order on march 22nd.

 

[wizardbill]

There aren't any "orders"

There really aren't any "orders". The 04 prius is done totally on an allocation basis. Each month, Toyota ships the dealer some number of cars in an assortment of colors and options.

The dealer has no influence over what they get. That is totally controlled by Toyota. If you are at the top of the list, you get first pick at whatever comes in. If you like it, fine. If not, wait for the next delivery and see what shows up.

That's how it works. Toyota is in complete and total control of the marketing for this car. Anyone who has told you something different is making things up as they go along.

 

[jlmdutch]

I just picked mine up yesterday (red #9) after putting my name on the list in early June so 7 weeks was not bad and I'm thrilled with it!! My dealer had been conservative and was predicting late August. He also said there was a 50/50 chance it would be an 05' so it sounds to me like the model year transistion is going to be seamless with no differences in the cars other than MSRP's (my dealer also said if I got an 05' I wouldn't have to pay the higher MSRP). What I heard from my dealer is like what WizardBill said, the dealers take what Toyota allocates in the order and quantities Toyota dictates.

P.S. It looks like I may need to search out a college level training course on how to use the NAV system!!!

 

[AgentElrond]

It looks like I may need to search out a college level training course on how to use the NAV system!!!

Congratulations on your new car. If you've got NAV questions, post 'em here; I'm sure there's enough of us around willing to help. It takes some getting used to, but personally I don't find it difficult. I do find the "one touch" buttons useful for common locations like home, work, Epcot, etc.

 

[CaPriusLover]

Re: There aren't any "orders"

There really aren't any "orders". The 04 prius is done totally on an allocation basis. Each month, Toyota ships the dealer some number of cars in an assortment of colors and options.

The dealer has no influence over what they get. That is totally controlled by Toyota. If you are at the top of the list, you get first pick at whatever comes in. If you like it, fine. If not, wait for the next delivery and see what shows up.

That's how it works. Toyota is in complete and total control of the marketing for this car. Anyone who has told you something different is making things up as they go along.

Yep!! That is exactly how it works. Four months after ordering mine I was told the option package I ordered is no longer available. If it took them 4 months to determine this, it makes sense that it was not an order so much as a preferance. This also explains why the dealer told me that if someone refuses the car, they go down the list until someone wants it. I kept thinking, "Who wouldn't want the car they ordered?" The ansewr: you don't order a car, you decide if you want what comes in!!

Needless to say, I had to select one that had more options and a higher price!! That was the other thing that got my wife pissed off; you order a car with certain options and they tell how much it will be. Then when they offer you a car with more options (since our option package was not available), you don't get a break!

But I still love my car!! The dealer I went to was the only one I could find that actually had a Prius you could test drive.

Steve