I think you're right on the money. My original preference for silver or black with AM package (7), placed back in August has now arrived in white with package 6. Dealer got info on next allocation, one black with 9. I've decided to wait until 2005 model year arrives. Better luck with your situation.
How do you ORDER a Prius?
It is, in fact, a trick question. You can't ACTUALLY order a Prius. Your dealer can't even order a Prius. You can make a request for some specific color and accessories but whether or not those accessories are even available in your region is up to the whims of Toyota.
Toyota ships whatever they choose to ship in whatever color they choose, configured with whatever accessories they decide. There are port and dealer options that you can control in that you can add them or not add them to whatever car you might decide to accept.
There is absolutely no such thing as ordering a Prius from Toyota either by a customer or a dealer. Toyota ships allocations to dealerships. If an allocated car happens to be offered to you and it happens to be the color you want and happens to have the accessory package you want it is like winning the lottery, not real likely but wonderful nevertheless.
This is why so many in our ranks didn't get first choice and so many of us still waiting may opt to "just take something" to get it over with.
I'll wait for what I want (#9) or defect but will not accept any other package. Color is negotiable and I could accept 6 of the 7 colors, just not black.
If anyone has factual information that materially conflicts with what I have set down, please jump right in and let us hear it. I wish the situation were better than I describe but that is the consensus of opinion from a couple general managers of dealerships with whom I have had discussions. Maybe Toyota gives better treatment to some other collection of states but this is the status quo in my 5 state Toyota zone.
Pat
Toyota ships whatever they choose to ship in whatever color they choose, configured with whatever accessories they decide. There are port and dealer options that you can control in that you can add them or not add them to whatever car you might decide to accept.
There is absolutely no such thing as ordering a Prius from Toyota either by a customer or a dealer. Toyota ships allocations to dealerships. If an allocated car happens to be offered to you and it happens to be the color you want and happens to have the accessory package you want it is like winning the lottery, not real likely but wonderful nevertheless.
This is why so many in our ranks didn't get first choice and so many of us still waiting may opt to "just take something" to get it over with.
I'll wait for what I want (#9) or defect but will not accept any other package. Color is negotiable and I could accept 6 of the 7 colors, just not black.
If anyone has factual information that materially conflicts with what I have set down, please jump right in and let us hear it. I wish the situation were better than I describe but that is the consensus of opinion from a couple general managers of dealerships with whom I have had discussions. Maybe Toyota gives better treatment to some other collection of states but this is the status quo in my 5 state Toyota zone.
Pat 1 - 15 of 15 Posts
Evan et al, Well especially Evan, There have been recent posts that told us of dealerships that would put you at the back of the list if they offer you a Prius and you refuse it. If you pref/order a green #9 and they offer a black #6, it seems a bit unfair to put you to the back of the list. How are they harmed? Why is this arm twisting needed? They could sell the car in a day or two by cycling on down the list or just offering it to the general public.
That would be a good reason to boycot a dealership after confirming with top management that it was in fact policy and not a comment from a sales slug who was too lazy to make a few phone calls and tried to throw his weight around.
Insurance statistics have clearly defined car color as a risk factor. It does matter, perhaps not to you, but it is a real factor and not so small as to be meaningless. We don't like our options narrowed by reality so we tend to ignore this sort of thing. How many doctors smoke?
As to the red ticket magnet. This is not an urban myth either. Some folks argue that the personality type attracted to red are the ones who would get more tickets no matter what color of car they drove. It doesn't matter. Since there is a real corelation of red cars and wilder driving including speeding there is an expectation on the part of law enforcement types that red cars are driven by unsafe drivers who often speed. The ticketing becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. Red cars will be given more scrutiny and less benefit of the doubt due to this predjudice. If you don't want to be thought a duck, don't waddle and quack. It isn't fair and I wish it weren't so but the effect does exist. Sometimes I wish gravity were different but it doesn't help.
I live in a rural area, fairly remote (not the middle of nowhere but you can see it from here) and dirt or gravel roads are common. I'm building a new house 1/4 mile off the paved highway with an 800ft gravel drive from the graveled section line. The look of a car with some dust or mud (frequent condition) is at least as important as how it looks all clean and polished (less frequent condition.)
Non-hybrid cars that run the engine all the time are easier to heat in the winter than cool in the summer so black can be a dangerous choice in some regions. I'm not sure just where the chips will fall with a Prius in black as regards cooling although I know it would not look good with red mud or much dust.
Given the REAL WORLD impact of color on ease of maintaining a minimally accceptable appearance, driving safety, and unwanted/unwarranted attention (from the police) I think color is NOT just a whim to be considered quite so lightly as some suggest. So, there can be more to color preference than coordinating with your eyes or tie collection.
I think a Prius wold look real good in a bright sunflower yellow (hi-vis too).
I think a prius would look even better in my garage!
Pat
That would be a good reason to boycot a dealership after confirming with top management that it was in fact policy and not a comment from a sales slug who was too lazy to make a few phone calls and tried to throw his weight around.
Insurance statistics have clearly defined car color as a risk factor. It does matter, perhaps not to you, but it is a real factor and not so small as to be meaningless. We don't like our options narrowed by reality so we tend to ignore this sort of thing. How many doctors smoke?
As to the red ticket magnet. This is not an urban myth either. Some folks argue that the personality type attracted to red are the ones who would get more tickets no matter what color of car they drove. It doesn't matter. Since there is a real corelation of red cars and wilder driving including speeding there is an expectation on the part of law enforcement types that red cars are driven by unsafe drivers who often speed. The ticketing becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. Red cars will be given more scrutiny and less benefit of the doubt due to this predjudice. If you don't want to be thought a duck, don't waddle and quack. It isn't fair and I wish it weren't so but the effect does exist. Sometimes I wish gravity were different but it doesn't help.
I live in a rural area, fairly remote (not the middle of nowhere but you can see it from here) and dirt or gravel roads are common. I'm building a new house 1/4 mile off the paved highway with an 800ft gravel drive from the graveled section line. The look of a car with some dust or mud (frequent condition) is at least as important as how it looks all clean and polished (less frequent condition.)
Non-hybrid cars that run the engine all the time are easier to heat in the winter than cool in the summer so black can be a dangerous choice in some regions. I'm not sure just where the chips will fall with a Prius in black as regards cooling although I know it would not look good with red mud or much dust.
Given the REAL WORLD impact of color on ease of maintaining a minimally accceptable appearance, driving safety, and unwanted/unwarranted attention (from the police) I think color is NOT just a whim to be considered quite so lightly as some suggest. So, there can be more to color preference than coordinating with your eyes or tie collection.
I think a Prius wold look real good in a bright sunflower yellow (hi-vis too).
I think a prius would look even better in my garage!
Pat 1 - 15 of 15 Posts
