A Prius in hand ??

Varko · 09-22-2004, 10:08 PM

It's cliche, but a Prius in the hand is worth...?

Could you believe it?!!

After saying I would not buy from Moses Lake, they called this morning to say they have a 2005 Tideland AM (the car I want) and offered it to us at MSRP! I could not believe it, after I wrote yesterday that I would not buy from them because they were greedy and changed their pricing policy.

http://priuschat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?...r=asc&&start=35

We got on the phone to Burlington where we had an 'order' and we were number 12 on the list with 2 others wanting the same car ahead of us. They just had received word yesterday that they had a silver AM and white BC, both 2005, due in. No one ahead of us on the list had noted interest in them, so they offered them to us. The BC was out due to color. We agonized for hours abou the silver AM, calling and asking about our options:

If Burlington could swap with Moses Lake? - No; I understand due to the increase of expense to the dealerships.

I had read here that someone's dealer was able to swap allocations to get the car they wanted, so-
Could they swap with someone else who is allocated a Tideland that they don't have yet? - Not likely, many orders are for Tideland or Seaside.

That's when we asked how many ahead of us ordered the same car (2). We also found out that they had only seen about 4 Tidelands in they last 6 months. It could be a long wait.

Moses Lake called back around 5pm and my husband tried to get them to throw in the extended warranty or sweeten the pot, but they wouldn't - not surprising. We told them that it would be a few weeks before we could get over there and they said that wouldn't be a problem. We declined because at this point we do not trust them. And we don't want to go all that way to be surprised with add-ons or other "oh, didn't we tell you"s.

Finally, I decided that a Prius in the hand was better than a green one. We said we would take the silver one from Burlington. We will ask to stay on the list for a Tideland and perhaps keep or sell the silver one, if it comes in.

We don't have many details about the car yet. They say they just learned about it yesterday. Apparently Tuesdays are when most of the dealers around here learn about their allocations. Our salesperson said they would have more details next Tuesday, but that the car was about 4 weeks away.

After thinking about it, Moses Lake probably doesn't have the car in their lot like they gave the impression of. I'll bet that they got their allocation info yesterday and offered us the allocation.

I have to let off some steam-

This shouldn't be this stressful.

bookrats · 09-23-2004, 12:48 PM

My position is usually to "stick to your guns" (I mean, I'm sticking to mine, rather than calling up Moses Lake and saying, "Hey, I hear you're getting EXACTLY the car I'm looking for...").

However, reading PriusChat over the last couple of weeks, my feeling is that the tide is turning -- that dealers are really starting to get more Prii in, and that the wait will begin to dwindle.

It already seems to be resulting in the unheard of situation of Prii being offered to people at MSRP, off the top of deck (so to speak).

Good -- the Prius has been a ridiculous seller's market long enough. Hopefully it will just transform into a solid seller's market.

Varko · 09-23-2004, 01:50 PM

I agree with you - the tide is turning. Last night after deciding on the silver one. I remembered to see if Dianne had posted the latest allocation numbers for SoCal. They are getting a whopping 561 Prii for the last half of the month. That is over double of what they usually get, except the exceptionally high month of July. So I think Toyota has finally gotten the picture and ramped up production of the 2005 model. If this trend continues they will get over 1000 allocations in October, increasing their numbers by a third to double to that of the past. That is significant.

That green one may not be as far away as I thought.

bookrats · 09-23-2004, 02:20 PM

And Bob Allen just posted that Toyota of Lake City says their waiting list wait is now down to ~4 months.

DaveinOlyWA · 09-23-2004, 10:23 PM

varko:

dont hold out for a green Prius. the reason i say that is because i have a tideland and it aint green, its a light charcoal gray. its too bad i miss you at brad's house, then you could have seen first hand what they look like.

Varko · 09-24-2004, 12:34 AM

I did get a look at another Toyota car with a similar green and when we bought our minivan (shame on us, but I'm reformed now) a few years ago Ford's green was the same. In overcast conditions it was gray, in bright sun it could be green. But I kind of like the dark gray and it is different than silver. After making this decision I have seen tons of silver vehicles on the roads in the last day.

I'm sorry I missed you too. I might/hope to make it down this Sunday and maybe I can see your car then.

DaveinOlyWA · 09-24-2004, 12:43 AM

umm. i dont know if you know what im talking about. the only time tideland even remotely resembles green is in very low light.

in bright sunlight it looks even grayer. keep in mind that the classic Prius has a color of green that is light years away from what i have

Varko · 09-24-2004, 01:09 AM

hmm...have you washed it lately? :P

That is different than I expected, but I am still not totally sold on silver. I will really try to make it down to Bellevue to see your car. There is suppose to be some sun, so maybe I will get a chance to see what you mean.

DaveinOlyWA · 09-24-2004, 01:14 AM

i wash my Priuscess every week rain or shine!!

Varko · 09-24-2004, 01:22 AM

That is just one more thing I am looking forward to. Now when I wash our van it is like washing two cars and I can never get the center of the roof even with a handled brush. I even have to get on a ladder if I want to get the windshield really clean.

A Prius will be a joy to wash. ahhhh

09-22-2004, 10:08 PM	#1
Varko Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North of Seattle Posts: 113 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	A Prius in hand ?? It's cliche, but a Prius in the hand is worth...? Could you believe it?!! After saying I would not buy from Moses Lake, they called this morning to say they have a 2005 Tideland AM (the car I want) and offered it to us at MSRP! I could not believe it, after I wrote yesterday that I would not buy from them because they were greedy and changed their pricing policy. http://priuschat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?...r=asc&&start=35 We got on the phone to Burlington where we had an 'order' and we were number 12 on the list with 2 others wanting the same car ahead of us. They just had received word yesterday that they had a silver AM and white BC, both 2005, due in. No one ahead of us on the list had noted interest in them, so they offered them to us. The BC was out due to color. We agonized for hours abou the silver AM, calling and asking about our options: If Burlington could swap with Moses Lake? - No; I understand due to the increase of expense to the dealerships. I had read here that someone's dealer was able to swap allocations to get the car they wanted, so- Could they swap with someone else who is allocated a Tideland that they don't have yet? - Not likely, many orders are for Tideland or Seaside. That's when we asked how many ahead of us ordered the same car (2). We also found out that they had only seen about 4 Tidelands in they last 6 months. It could be a long wait. Moses Lake called back around 5pm and my husband tried to get them to throw in the extended warranty or sweeten the pot, but they wouldn't - not surprising. We told them that it would be a few weeks before we could get over there and they said that wouldn't be a problem. We declined because at this point we do not trust them. And we don't want to go all that way to be surprised with add-ons or other "oh, didn't we tell you"s. Finally, I decided that a Prius in the hand was better than a green one. We said we would take the silver one from Burlington. We will ask to stay on the list for a Tideland and perhaps keep or sell the silver one, if it comes in. We don't have many details about the car yet. They say they just learned about it yesterday. Apparently Tuesdays are when most of the dealers around here learn about their allocations. Our salesperson said they would have more details next Tuesday, but that the car was about 4 weeks away. After thinking about it, Moses Lake probably doesn't have the car in their lot like they gave the impression of. I'll bet that they got their allocation info yesterday and offered us the allocation. I have to let off some steam- This shouldn't be this stressful. __________________ As of October 6, 2004 (Prius Owner Wannabe) After a seven month (to the day) wait I am a proud owner of a 2005 silver AM. I am glad that that phase of Prius Enlightenment is over and the practical application phase has begun.

09-23-2004, 12:48 PM	#2
bookrats Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,843 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	My position is usually to "stick to your guns" (I mean, I'm sticking to mine, rather than calling up Moses Lake and saying, "Hey, I hear you're getting EXACTLY the car I'm looking for..."). However, reading PriusChat over the last couple of weeks, my feeling is that the tide is turning -- that dealers are really starting to get more Prii in, and that the wait will begin to dwindle. It already seems to be resulting in the unheard of situation of Prii being offered to people at MSRP, off the top of deck (so to speak). Good -- the Prius has been a ridiculous seller's market long enough. Hopefully it will just transform into a solid seller's market. __________________ "Have you ever noticed.... Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" -- George Carlin</span> Jeff Meyer <span style=\'color:green\'>Tideland '05 AM Package, 12 November 2004

09-23-2004, 01:50 PM	#3
Varko Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North of Seattle Posts: 113 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Re: A Prius in hand ?? I agree with you - the tide is turning. Last night after deciding on the silver one. I remembered to see if Dianne had posted the latest allocation numbers for SoCal. They are getting a whopping 561 Prii for the last half of the month. That is over double of what they usually get, except the exceptionally high month of July. So I think Toyota has finally gotten the picture and ramped up production of the 2005 model. If this trend continues they will get over 1000 allocations in October, increasing their numbers by a third to double to that of the past. That is significant. That green one may not be as far away as I thought.

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09-23-2004, 02:20 PM	#4
bookrats Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,843 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	And Bob Allen just posted that Toyota of Lake City says their waiting list wait is now down to ~4 months.

09-23-2004, 10:23 PM	#5
DaveinOlyWA Opps !! I Did it Again!! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Puget Sound, WA Posts: 9,529 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #4 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 4	varko: dont hold out for a green Prius. the reason i say that is because i have a tideland and it aint green, its a light charcoal gray. its too bad i miss you at brad's house, then you could have seen first hand what they look like.

09-24-2004, 12:34 AM	#6
Varko Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North of Seattle Posts: 113 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I did get a look at another Toyota car with a similar green and when we bought our minivan (shame on us, but I'm reformed now) a few years ago Ford's green was the same. In overcast conditions it was gray, in bright sun it could be green. But I kind of like the dark gray and it is different than silver. After making this decision I have seen tons of silver vehicles on the roads in the last day. I'm sorry I missed you too. I might/hope to make it down this Sunday and maybe I can see your car then.

09-24-2004, 12:43 AM	#7
DaveinOlyWA Opps !! I Did it Again!! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Puget Sound, WA Posts: 9,529 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #4 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 4	umm. i dont know if you know what im talking about. the only time tideland even remotely resembles green is in very low light. in bright sunlight it looks even grayer. keep in mind that the classic Prius has a color of green that is light years away from what i have

09-24-2004, 01:09 AM	#8
Varko Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North of Seattle Posts: 113 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	hmm...have you washed it lately? :P That is different than I expected, but I am still not totally sold on silver. I will really try to make it down to Bellevue to see your car. There is suppose to be some sun, so maybe I will get a chance to see what you mean.

09-24-2004, 01:14 AM	#9
DaveinOlyWA Opps !! I Did it Again!! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Puget Sound, WA Posts: 9,529 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #4 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 4	i wash my Priuscess every week rain or shine!!

09-24-2004, 01:22 AM	#10
Varko Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North of Seattle Posts: 113 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	That is just one more thing I am looking forward to. Now when I wash our van it is like washing two cars and I can never get the center of the roof even with a handled brush. I even have to get on a ladder if I want to get the windshield really clean. A Prius will be a joy to wash. ahhhh