[idealflaw]

why do i get the feeling that when i order my car, it's just not coming?
i don't know why but i see cars on lots sometimes? how did they get those and not my own?

i've been waiting for what seems like eternity (probably early to mid august actually )

 

[aosteele]

Just ordered mine on Sunday! Well "ordered" might be a strong word. I put myself on a list and put down $500. Didn't select a color preference, and getting option #3. Whole process took about 5 minutes and thats just how long they took to run my credit card for the deposit. Dealer said the waiting list looked like about 3 months. Hoping most of the folks on the list find their Prii somewhere else or defer to delivery after Jan 01 , so I can get bumped up!! Three months is an awfully long time to wait, though the good news is I suppose I can save up a bit of a downpayment during that time

 

[evander]

why do i get the feeling that when i order my car, it's just not coming?
i don't know why but i see cars on lots sometimes? how did they get those and not my own?

i've been waiting for what seems like eternity (probably early to mid august actually )

Much the same feeling as awaiting the birth of a baby. It'll come eventually, but the wait is agonizing. Enjoy the delivery.

 

[coloradospringsprius]

You aren't expecting sympathy from people who waited months and months for their Prii, are you? :shock: We initially waited five months, and then had to bail when the dealer jacked up the price at the last moment. We waited three more months from dealer #2.

The good news: Your Prius WILL arrive, and the agony of waiting will quickly fade from your memory. Meanwhile, you can spend hours and hours at PriusOnline!

 

[ChasSuitt]

Howdy idealflaw

New Prii are in stock in many cities. A flight and drive back home could well get you a Prius without the long wait. Any Toyota Dealer can service a Prius and registering in your State is no big problem. I also see some Dealers selling at MSRP and not imposing many ADD-ONS.

I suppose a trade-in could be an issue, but aside from that I can't see flying/driving as a major roadblock. Even with a "trade," if your Dealer is adding "Market adjustments" you might do better to sell your "trade."

We bought our Prius 250 miles from home, a Southwest Air flight, visit with our married kids in the area and a drive home was fun.

 

[KURT]

waiting

Gee, a 2 to 3 week wait??? How can you stand it??

A 1 year wait and a 500 mile flight to get mine (in 2004). I just can't be sympathetic on this one. :wink:

It's worth it!!!

 

[evaunit6]

How is it there are so many people on waiting lists and I literally walked in and walked out with the exact model I wanted? For no markup, either...

Was I just flat-out lucky?

 

[priusenvy]

How is it there are so many people on waiting lists and I literally walked in and walked out with the exact model I wanted? For no markup, either...

I think for some people the long wait must be some kind of badge of honor. It's the only explanation I have for some people waiting 6 months or longer, while a short drive or plane flight would get them a car in just days.

 

[KURT]

Waiting

Waiting was a badge of honor. Almost all the pioneers of this site are gone...still a few left though.

 

[coloradospringsprius]

I think for some people the long wait must be some kind of badge of honor. It's the only explanation I have for some people waiting 6 months or longer, while a short drive or plane flight would get them a car in just days.

An alternative explanation: It depends on where you live and how much extra you're willing to pay. From Colorado, neither the drive nor the flight would have been short, and the idea of paying, say, an additional $500 for a car with 500 miles on it didn't appeal to either my wife or me. (Since the cost of the trip is essentially part of the car's price.) Plus there's the time involved.

After the local dealer tried to gouge us, we ended up buying our Prius in a different city anyway - but one only 45 miles away.

 

[evander]

I was one of the lucky ones. I put $500 down for a long wait after test driving a Tideland which was promised to someone else. Within a few minutes the salesman returns from a phone call telling me that the buyer wanted to wait a couple weeks to take possession. Since demand was so high, the dealership's policy was to sell. "Did I want the car that night?" I was really surprised but said I'd wait till morning. Just 24 hours from showing till taking possession! No badge of honor for me, but no frayed nerves either.

 

[jeromep]

why do i get the feeling that when i order my car, it's just not coming?
i don't know why but i see cars on lots sometimes? how did they get those and not my own?

i've been waiting for what seems like eternity (probably early to mid august actually )

Simply put, if you were ordering a Ford product, you could walk into a dealer, sit down and in 10-30 minutes they would put together your vehicle with the various product and option codes and then transmit that order to Ford for manufacture, giving it a priority level higher than vehicles ordered for stock. That is a true vehicle order. Four to six weeks later the vehicle shows up at your dealer and you complete the transaction.

Every vehicle my parents have purchased has been a true custom order, and they have seen their vehicle parked inside the dealer’s garage with blue plastic on the hood and lots of dealer prep work to be done before they actually drove it home.

Since Toyota doesn't have the ability or chooses to not offer that kind of specificity in order processing, they have created an algorithm which creates cars of various packages and color combinations and then lists them for all dealers to see. There are basically 3 stages in this system. pre-manufacture, where the vehicle has been specified to be built, but hasn't been built, in transit, meaning on the ship coming over, and port, meaning that the vehicle is at the port awaiting final delivery to a dealer. And then of course there is dealer stock.

Your order isn't so much an order where your dealer is out scrubbing this active list of production vehicles looking for your specifications and then doing a dealer trade to get that car on his lot. No, he is just waiting until one shows up on his lot. In other words your dealer isn't working hard enough for you or your money.

Go back into that dealer and ask them to search the Toyota production list for all vehicles, either pre-manufacture, in transit or at port in addition to vehicles on dealer lots and ask them to secure one in exchange for one that is in their allocation. If they don't budge, take your business else ware on the condition that another dealer goes out there and finds your specific vehicle.

 

[hotgazpacho]

3 weeks from deposit to delivery

In Tampa, FL. 3 weeks ago, put down my $500 deposit for a Salsa Red package #1. Got an email from the dealer last Wednesday saying my car had just arrived on the truck. Sadly, I was (still am) in Miami visiting my sick grandfather. Explained the situation to the dealer, and he agreed to hold it until I got back.

Monday at lunch I'm swinging by the credit union to get my loan papers, and after work, straight to the dealer to get my car. Not looking forward to the financing "game", but hey, I've got a backup. Gonna see if the dealer can beat the credit union.

 

[Greengirl]

I put down $200 and waited 2 months past what I'd been promised (8-12 weeks) with no car in sight. Finally went to a dealership I'd read about online that might have a #1 or #2- Miller Toyota in Manasses, Va. They had an online deal which I contacted them about, and I drove 400 miles to get it. (I'm in Ohio). We had a great experience with them.

 

[bgolfv]

I don't know what the problem is I ordered mine (Salsa Red & #6) and it was here in 10 days. I have even ordered with AUTOBYTELL and they even delivered it to my home 90 miles away.

 

[bgolfv]

I don't know what the problem is I ordered mine (Salsa Red & #6) and it was here in 10 days. I have even ordered with AUTOBYTELL and they even delivered it to my home 90 miles away.

 

[DanMan32]

Re: 3 weeks from deposit to delivery

In Tampa, FL. 3 weeks ago, put down my $500 deposit for a Salsa Red package #1. Got an email from the dealer last Wednesday saying my car had just arrived on the truck. Sadly, I was (still am) in Miami visiting my sick grandfather. Explained the situation to the dealer, and he agreed to hold it until I got back.

Monday at lunch I'm swinging by the credit union to get my loan papers, and after work, straight to the dealer to get my car. Not looking forward to the financing "game", but hey, I've got a backup. Gonna see if the dealer can beat the credit union.

Did you pay a 'market adjustment' or did you pay MSRP? If MSRP, where? All the reports I have gotten, all the dealers around here add a markup.

 

[hotgazpacho]

Re: 3 weeks from deposit to delivery

Did you pay a 'market adjustment' or did you pay MSRP? If MSRP, where? All the reports I have gotten, all the dealers around here add a markup.

$240 under MSRP. Kuhn Morgan (formerly Precision) Toyota on Fletcher, near Nebraska. I cannot recommend these guys enough. The purchasing manager dropped $200 on the price just to prevent me from going down to Bradenton (and this was on my word alone... no paperwork at that point). I'm too tired to remember their names, but my buying experience was as pleasurable as possible.

One HUGE caveat: I put my deposit down the day before Katrina hit. They are now selling Prii at $2000 over MSRP.

Picked it up tonight, and man do I LOVE IT! Heck, on the way to drop my old car off at home (friend gave me a ride to the dealer), I was practically giddy! You have never heard such a giggle as when an H3 passed me on I-275!

The girlfriend was feeling sick, but after showing her the new car (and taking her to Outback for dinner , she was in much better spirits. She said she was glad to see me so happy.

 

[hotgazpacho]

One more note: it was 2 weeks (12 days) for delivery.

I would have picked it up last week, but I was in Miami visiting my Grandfather, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last Monday. Sadly, it has spread to his abdomen, and is terminal. Good thing its only like $40 RT in the Prius to go see him now. Gonna get in as much time with him as I can.

 

[idealflaw]

i'm a smart guy. i've gone to every single toyota website in Texas. 1 or 2 dealerships had what I wanted "onsite". I call them and they told me they're pre-sold.

I want a white with package 4.

Those of you who've walked off teh lot are very fortunate, but almost none of you tell me WHERE you live.

I'm in DALLAS.

anyway, I'm still bloody waiting and my car's just collecting milage in the meantime..