[whatshisname]

Last Monday I encountered a happy owner who waited only two days for his new 2004 Prius after ordering. Can anyone beat that?

 

[D U I]

I can't, I arranged my Black pkg9 deal in August!
There's no car that's so smoking hot that anyone should pay over sticker.
Don't follow the crowds, get away from Metro areas, maybe get a broker involved to locate the car, be creative!

 

[whatshisname]

Hi Dave: Thanks for the comment. I've tried that, getting away from the crowds. Didn't work. This is the San Francisco Bay Area where the Toyota dealers get the most cars more often. The dealers in the outlying areas, thirty to fifty miles away tell me their waiting lists are longer because thats where the suburban commuters live and they're all trying to convert to the Prius. You're right. Nobody should pay over the MSRP, but that never came up. Not even once. Toyota is now the largest selling car in the world, overtaking and passing Ford and I don't think their dealers got there by being foolish.

 

[moocatdog]

Last Monday I encountered a happy owner who waited only two days for his new 2004 Prius after ordering. Can anyone beat that?

Does getting one without ordering at all count? Not being a previous Prius owner I wasn't able to pre-order on-line and the dealer's were way too vague about delivery times for my taste, so I decided to wait until the first shipments arrived to see if anyone backed out on their deal. I knew the '04s were supposed to arrive mid- to late-October, so I started calling all the dealers in my area on the afternoon of October 29th. By seven o'clock I'd found two that people had decided not to buy; one on the lot, another somewhere on a truck. I told the salesperson with the car on the lot that I'd be down when they opened their doors the next morning. Test drove it and bought the car on the spot. It helped that I didn't really care about the color or options. As it turned out I got the color I like best (silver) with package #1. The only other option I would have liked to have is the side air bags, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. Technically, I suppose you could say I had been waiting since last spring, since that's when I decided to delay my purchase until the new model came out, but I feel pretty lucky getting my car the way I did. I know there are other 04's out there, but yesterday was the first time I've seen another one on the road.
Drivin' with a smile,
Moo

 

[petej88]

I could have had a new Prius with no wait when I first visited Toyota. It had just arrived off the truck and was prepped. I took it for a test ride with my daughter. The next morning I took my wife for a test ride. They didn't like the color so I ordered one and am playing the waiting game now. That same Prius was sold within one hour after I walked away (darn).

I'm number 1 on the waiting list and hope to get "it" within a few weeks. My sales person said there are currently 800 Prius models on allocation for buyers in my area (Oregon). It's a feeding frenzy.

 

[moocatdog]

I could have had a new Prius with no wait when I first visited Toyota. It had just arrived off the truck and was prepped. I took it for a test ride with my daughter. The next morning I took my wife for a test ride. They didn't like the color so I ordered one and am playing the waiting game now. That same Prius was sold within one hour after I walked away (darn).

I'm number 1 on the waiting list and hope to get "it" within a few weeks. My sales person said there are currently 800 Prius models on allocation for buyers in my area (Oregon). It's a feeding frenzy.

Yep. While finalizing the paperwork on my purchase another potential customer was circling my car like a shark and the other sales people kept coming by to see if was going to buy or not. Ever since I bought the car I've had a series of Toyota commercial moments: people peering in the windows when you come out of the grocery store; pedestrians gawking as you glide by in stealth mode. Early one morning last week I was coasting around a gentle curve near a playfield. A young mother, golden retriever in tow and pushing a baby in a stroller, was walking toward the park with her little boy. When the boy saw me coming he started jumping up and down and pointing at the Prius. The three of us exchanged waves as I drove past. One of those odd moments in life that you can't fully understand, but make you feel good anyway.
Drive happy,
Moo

 

[Jerry P]

I can relate to what Moocatdog has said. Took mine in to have snow tires put on last Tuesday and the car effectively shut the place down for a half hour as the service techs looked it over from front to back and asked a lot of questions. I find a few people following closely on the freeway then passing by, all the while checking it out.

 

[patrickg]

If I didn't care about color and options package, I could have bought 3 Prius '04 cars within last 2 weeks. I don't know if this supports or refutes the "get away from the population center" buying strategy. The cars were in Oklahoma city, the largest city around these parts, but not so big compared to any coastal megopolis or "real" inland city. Not many Toyota dealers in the lesser populaltion centers around here and far fewer Prii.

I wonder what there is about a Prius that turns heads. Not likely recognition, since the advertising is low key in general and only intense in limited media like "Popular Science" and the cute little announcements in Mapquest telling you how much $ you would have saved on your planned trip if you had a Prius.

In stealth mode, you have to be alert for pedestrians who can't hear you coming. Navigating through a shopping center parking lot is a series of close calls with people wandering out in front of you or walking along in the way not knowing you are there. I can see how an ah-oo-ga horn might be lots of fun.

Patrick (Trying to remain civil and composed while being denied satisfaction)

 

[RSnyder]

Toyota's been advertising the Prius a lot on the radio here (New York area). Mostly with a Beach Boys sounding tune with lyrics that sound more like ad copy. There's also another ad that lists all 17 models, which gives special mention to the Prius. It seems like I hear at least one of these every day (sometimes more than once).