Barcelona Red, Pkg 7, 12/26/05, Madison, WI

Date Ordered: 12/26/05
Dealer Ordered From (Incl. City/State): Smart Motors, Madison, WI
Timeframe given for delivery: 4-5 Months ("May")
Color: Barcelona Red / Gray interior
Option Package: 7 (Nav)
Your # on Dealer's Waiting List: ~160!

Ohh, I'm so excited to be finally replacing my '93 Nissan Maxima! I was very pleased with the test drive at the dealer, and the dealer was very friendly and knowledgeable. Thanks to sites like this, I was really on top of the technical side of things--to the point where the dealer was impressed with me! B)

Dealer tells me today that I've been pushed back to the August allocation.

*sniff* :-(

Sometimes a setback is just what is needed...

I started looking at inventories of other local dealers online, and I actually found the right package and color Prius available immediately on another lot!! I called up Smart Motors & canceled my order, and then I put down a deposit over the phone with Fox Lake Toyota in Fox Lake, IL for my new baby.

I'll be getting my Prius within a week. I'm so excited!!! B)

Well, I went and got my Prius today. This car is the most fantastic vehicle ever made (yes, I know I'm preaching to the choir...), and I just can't get over it. Barcelona Red looks stunning on a sunny day and the gray interior looks great with it. The nav system is fantastic -- serious improvement with the high-res display! I find the seats to be comfortable, and better than what I remember from my short test drive in an '05 in December. I think the worst thing is the non-telescoping of the steering wheel... my previous car didn't have it either, but the wheel feels far away! Also its ovalness is kind of weird... I'll get used to it. Tried out Bluetooth with my phone; works great. Smart key system is stellar. The HID lights are fantastic and definitely worth getting. I'm actually happy with the JBL speaker system -- I was worried about it since I don't like the sound of the JBL systems in my parents' Sienna and Avalon, but this sounds almost as good as the Bose speakers in my old Nissan Maxima.

Driving back from the dealer (90 miles), I got 51mpg. This was 80% 2-lane highway, 10% freeway, and 10% city driving. Can't complain!!

Ahhh, now time to sit down to some light reading ;-)

Pictures of my Barcelona Beauty attached... The van alongside in the last 2 is my dad's Sienna in Salsa Red, so it's a good comparison of the Prius red shades as well.

nice pics and congrats on delivery!