2010 Prius - sneak peek of solar roof panel

[Paradox]

I tried several dealers both near and some far away from my house and all told me the same story, that you could get the Prius loaded but Toyota isn't sending any leather ones into this region/area or whatever they call it. Yet Pennsylvania dealers were able to get them. Now come on, nothing against PA but Toyota, really, you'll send leather there but not the Tri-State area?!

Anyways, I'm just HOPING that they don't pull this stunt again when it comes to the 2010 with upscale packages such as the solar roof panel etc... Maybe with the help of sites such as priuschat opening their eyes small problems such as this will be easily corrected.

[Rokeby]

Why ToyotaUSA apportions the Touring model in particular, and the various
packages on both Std and Touring, has been a frustrating unsolvable
mystery for some time. At best it seems like some weird sociological/
psychological/marketing game.

If I were to be thinking of getting a specific 2010 model, -- Std or Touring --
a particular option package, and maybe even color, I would start now to
pre-identify likely regions, and even dealers that will get what I wanted. It's
going to be a multi-step process.

First you have to expect that Toyota will continue its strange apportionment
game. So here's a map showing the different sales regions:

http://www.sponsorwise.com/images/sp...gionalList.pdf

[Edit: Uh oh! the map is no longer available, it was on a Toyota related site,
maybe they decided it's open availability is "unauthorized." With luck a member
downloaded it before it disappeared. This could be a real problem. Sorry]

Next you need a list of cities and their zip codes.

Lastly, you would go to the Toyota site for "building" your own car, which I
understand allows for 2010 "building." Plug in your zip code, and see what
you can get. If you don't like it, plug in the zip for a city in an adjacent sales
region. You will see that different regions get different option packages.
Repeat as necessary to find the region where your preferred car is
available. It may be many miles away.

Knowing the correct sales region should mean that any dealer in that region
can get your car. Lastly, using Internet car search sites, you would identify
and contact dealers to begin the negotiation get your best price -- there may
not be any actual negotiating opportunity for 6-9 months after model
introduction.

A real pain in the butt, but as I see it, that's the way the game has to be
played if you absi-tively, posi-lutely have to get your perfect dream 2010
Prius.

Hope this helps, and good luck finding your perfect Prius.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by Paradox

I tried several dealers both near and some far away from my house and all told me the same story, that you could get the Prius loaded but Toyota isn't sending any leather ones into this region/area or whatever they call it. Yet Pennsylvania dealers were able to get them. Now come on, nothing against PA but Toyota, really, you'll send leather there but not the Tri-State area?!

Anyways, I'm just HOPING that they don't pull this stunt again when it comes to the 2010 with upscale packages such as the solar roof panel etc... Maybe with the help of sites such as priuschat opening their eyes small problems such as this will be easily corrected.

It is purely a regional thing. Toyota corporate actually has no say whatsoever what a local region orders. What the dealers were telling you at that time was that in the NY/NJ region the dealers at the regional level decided that leather wouldn't sell.

PA btw is in my region, CAT. In those states the dealers decided to order Prius' with leather.

In the Boston region they may have had a different position altogether.
Ditto the Cincinnati region.
Ditto in spades for SET and GST...they are always different.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by Rokeby

Why ToyotaUSA apportions the Touring model in particular, and the various
packages on both Std and Touring, has been a frustrating unsolvable
mystery for some time. At best it seems like some weird sociological/
psychological/marketing game.

If I were to be thinking of getting a specific 2010 model, -- Std or Touring --
a particular option package, and maybe even color, I would start now to
pre-identify likely regions, and even dealers that will get what I wanted. It's
going to be a multi-step process.

First you have to expect that Toyota will continue its strange apportionment
game. So here's a map showing the different sales regions:

http://www.sponsorwise.com/images/sp...gionalList.pdf

[Edit: Uh oh! the map is no longer available, it was on a Toyota related site,
maybe they decided it's open availability is "unauthorized." With luck a member
downloaded it before it disappeared. This could be a real problem. Sorry]

Next you need a list of cities and their zip codes.

Lastly, you would go to the Toyota site for "building" your own car, which I
understand allows for 2010 "building." Plug in your zip code, and see what
you can get. If you don't like it, plug in the zip for a city in an adjacent sales
region. You will see that different regions get different option packages.
Repeat as necessary to find the region where your preferred car is
available. It may be many miles away.

Knowing the correct sales region should mean that any dealer in that region
can get your car. Lastly, using Internet car search sites, you would identify
and contact dealers to begin the negotiation get your best price -- there may
not be any actual negotiating opportunity for 6-9 months after model
introduction.

A real pain in the butt, but as I see it, that's the way the game has to be
played if you absi-tively, posi-lutely have to get your perfect dream 2010
Prius.

Hope this helps, and good luck finding your perfect Prius.

Again this is done solely on a regional basis and TMS has little or no say in what each region decides as long as it's within TMS's overall guidelines. In CAT ( Central Atlantic Toyota ) region we did order some Touring models when they were first introduced. They all sat and sat and sat and sat. The dealers as a group decided after a few months never to order them again except as special orders and then prolly they looked outside the region, say to NY/NJ, if they had to get one.

[Rokeby]

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

Again this is done solely on a regional basis and TMS has little or no say in
what each region decides as long as it's within TMS's overall guidelines. In
CAT ( Central Atlantic Toyota ) region we did order some Touring
models when they were first introduced....[Emphasis added]

[And your previous post]

DeadPhish,

By your use of "we," I'm taking it that you are, or work at, a dealer, and
speak from direct, first-hand experience.

Thank you for revealing what's up on the Touring availability question in the
Central Atlantic Region. In my direct experience with 4 dealers in the
Ballamer area, you are the first and only dealer that didn't get more than a
little testy when I asked the question last year.

FWIW, I ended up getting my Touring in Rhode Island with an Internet sale.

Again, a tip o' the hat.

Having my question finally answered is just another example of why I find
PriusChat to be a real asset and treasure trove if useful information.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by Rokeby

DeadPhish,

By your use of "we," I'm taking it that you are, or work at, a dealer, and
speak from direct, first-hand experience.

Thank you for revealing what's up on the Touring availability question in the
Central Atlantic Region. In my direct experience with 4 dealers in the
Ballamer area, you are the first and only dealer that didn't get more than a
little testy when I asked the question last year.

FWIW, I ended up getting my Touring in Rhode Island with an Internet sale.

Again, a tip o' the hat.

Having my question finally answered is just another example of why I find
PriusChat to be a real asset and treasure trove if useful information.

We are only here to be of service ... you're welcome.

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

It is purely a regional thing. Toyota corporate actually has no say whatsoever what a local region orders. What the dealers were telling you at that time was that in the NY/NJ region the dealers at the regional level decided that leather wouldn't sell.

PA btw is in my region, CAT. In those states the dealers decided to order Prius' with leather.

In the Boston region they may have had a different position altogether.
Ditto the Cincinnati region.
Ditto in spades for SET and GST...they are always different.

I stopped in my local dealer yesterday and has a discussion with the general manager about a few things one of which was about this regional issue. I explained to him how when I ordered my 06' thru him it became a problem once we found out that NYC wasn't getting leather.

At that time I didn't bother to have him look in other area's for one but now I let him know that once the info is available for the 2010 I do want it with everything. He said that he would be able to look or ask other regions if they would swap but he did say (and I forgot his wording) that they either don't like to do it or it isn't 'technically' allowed. Would you be able to clarify DeadPhish? Thanks for the help and trying to make us better understand all of this. I still say it is weird that in NYC though they wouldnt make that a region and that this region wouldnt allow loaded cars to be brought in...

[Rokeby]

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

We are only here to be of service ... you're welcome.

DeadPhish,

Perhaps you would consider one additional small item of service for Touring
model searchers.

The map of the Toyota sales regions that I found on the 'net last year is no
longer available. I know from my experience that not having the map is a
real stumbling block for folks who really, really want a Touring, and are
prepared to travel to get it.

Would it be at all possible for you to provide a cite to a similar map, or if
not a map, a listing of the states in each sales region?

Thanks in advance.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by Paradox

I stopped in my local dealer yesterday and has a discussion with the general manager about a few things one of which was about this regional issue. I explained to him how when I ordered my 06' thru him it became a problem once we found out that NYC wasn't getting leather.

At that time I didn't bother to have him look in other area's for one but now I let him know that once the info is available for the 2010 I do want it with everything. He said that he would be able to look or ask other regions if they would swap but he did say (and I forgot his wording) that they either don't like to do it or it isn't 'technically' allowed. Would you be able to clarify DeadPhish? Thanks for the help and trying to make us better understand all of this. I still say it is weird that in NYC though they wouldnt make that a region and that this region wouldnt allow loaded cars to be brought in...

I believe that you did the right thing in introducing yourself to the GSM at your local store. Developing a relationship is always a good thing. His one objective is more units. If he can get you one I'm certain that he will.

That being said some stores, like ours, is just more flexible in trying different ways of accomodating buyers. We will bend over backwards to make a sale if necessary ( I've personally delivered vehicles to DC, Cincinnati and Atlanta buyers ). Being from NYC myself I also understand the pressures of the city. There are an awful lot of buyers in your immediate market. One more or less is not huge in the overall picture.

Most dealers will do a 'preferencing' for serious buyers. That's actually what an order is in Toyota's lingo. The plant builds the vehicles, especially when they're made in Japan, puts them on a ship and sends them. Just before the vessel arrives at Newark ( for stores from Maine to our store on the VA/NC line) each store is given an allocation. Toyota at the regional level ( Boston, NY/NJ, CAT ) will assign these arriving vehicles to each store based on past selling performance and recent investments. The bigger stores get more and get taken care of first.

This is where 'preferencing' is important. The dealer and the region know that this preferenced vehicle is a real firm sale with a deposit with a buyer that will not back out. The regional office tries to fill these preferences first to make sure these real actual customers get served first. That assumes that the color and package combo actually exists and is actually on that ship. If it's not on the vessel then it stays in abeyance until the next vessel and allocation arrive. Repeat process.

Ordering a specific non-standard configuration from Japan is next to impossible.

If all else fails then the GSM can look into Dealer Daily and see all the inbound shipments and all the on hand inventory for every dealer under the Toyota regional control. They all use Dealer Daily as an intranet.

Two regions are outside this system. SET from NC to Miami to Alabama and GST which covers LA, TX, Ark and maybe OK. They each have their own systems since they are independent distributors.

If your local GSM can locate the vehicle in the configuration you want outside his region then he likely can try to get it but it won't be inexpensive. Cincinatti is the region next to CAT and we never exchange with them. However CAT stores in WV will exchange with Ohio stores. In NYC your store does have access to the Boston and CAT data since all the vehicles arrive at Port of Newark.

All that being said this is the normal situation say at this time. When the Prius first arrives nothing will be normal. It may be months or even years until there are 'free units' available for swapping. When the Gen 2's first came out all stores were sold out for 18 months. At the same time the current Sienna arrived and it too was sold out for 12 months. It just depends.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by Rokeby

DeadPhish,

Perhaps you would consider one additional small item of service for Touring
model searchers.

The map of the Toyota sales regions that I found on the 'net last year is no
longer available. I know from my experience that not having the map is a
real stumbling block for folks who really, really want a Touring, and are
prepared to travel to get it.

Would it be at all possible for you to provide a cite to a similar map, or if
not a map, a listing of the states in each sales region?

Thanks in advance.

I don't have all the states just a listing by memory..
Boston is the N England states
NY/NJ is NY, NJ & Ct I believe
CAT is PA, MD, DE, DC, WV, VA
SET is NC, SC, GA, FL, AL
GST is MS, LA, TX, AK, OK
Cinci is OH, KY, TN and MI (?)
Chicago
St Louis
Denver
SoCal ( 2 regions? )
NorCal
Sea/Port

Others might be able to fill in the holes above.