DC-MD-VA area inventories

FYI - This one is in Frederick, MD. Note: No solar roof.

- Edited by Paradox

Please call his number to determine model availability. Thanks! -


Eldridge Moses Jr.
DARCARS Toyota of Frederick
301-712-2940

I love how these dealers are telling us we don't need solar roofs because it doesn't get that hot here. HAHAHA. Wow, some of these dealers are all knowing.
It's so interesting, today- one dealer tried to talk me out of the solar- saying how disappointing it was. Why can't they be honest and just say I can't get them?!

If the particular model offers the Solar Package then why not!!! You the consumer have the right to choose, after all you :rockon::rockon:should get what you want since you are the one paying for it...B)

Before we bought the Prius we went to see the Honda Insight. The dealership had one demo model in stock and told us they could not get another one in for a while. He then told us how bad the Insight was because of the battery and how destructive it was to the environment.

I bet if he had 15 Insights laying around he'd be singing a different tune.

BTW, the Insight doesn't even come close in features to the Prius.

This is what I've heard so far:

"People are misinformed about the solar roof. It just cools the car if it's standing in the sun. People in Texas or California need that. It's not really necessary here." (This after he had told me that nobody has the solar roof and I corrected him that many people in California and other places like Texas have got them - this was about a month ago.) He also didn't take into account that maybe I wanted the solar roof because of the moon roof.

Again, about a month ago - "Nobody in the entire UNITED STATES has taken delivery of a car with a solar roof"

And..."Toyota is only making about 5% of their Priuses with solar roofs" (It's pretty amazing then that 25% of the people who have reported on this forum have found one with a roof.)

Recently, a sales man told my friend that NO ONE has them, not even on the West Coast.... even if she could get a solar roof model, the gas mileage would be seriously reduced, and if she was buying the Prius because she wanted good fuel economy, she wouldn’t get it with the solar roof . It is heavy because it is all glass, so it drags the MPG down to an average of 41, not 51 MPG.

I feel a little bit sorry for the Toyota dealers because it isn't their fault that they aren't getting the cars with solar roofs. But really, it is SO annoying when they try to convince you nobody has one and that you shouldn't want one anyway.

That's strange. My dealer has a black package III w/solar roof that has been sitting on his lot for sale for the last two weeks.

My dealer just told me that the 15-20 day estimate (he gave me a week ago) when I ordered the red solar....is now a Sept/Oct estimate. He can get non solars but he says in the mid atlantic the solars are newly being restricted to 3% of the deliveries. I wonder. This dealership moves a lot of them and I saw a red solar there 2 weeks ago so they aren't the kind of dealership that never gets them...they get the most in town. I'm wondering if other dealerships are going to get the same message this week??

hwell:

The rest is questionable as you state, but AFAIK this one is essentially correct. If has to be turned on/enabled and then;

• It won't run for long if at all in the shade, evening or with the sun at a really acute angle to the panel.
• The solar power does not go to a battery, it runs the fan directly so it's not 'stored power.'
• And it won't cool the car, the best it can do is get the interior close to ambient. If it's 110F outside, the car is going to be 110F or more (although that might be an improvement over what it could otherwise be).

Someone please correct me if I have it wrong.

My local dealer sales guy told me the solar actually runs the AC while the car is parked. That was so stupid, I just let it go...

Up here in not-too-far-away Eastern PA, I was told that initial shipments of solar roof cars is limited because they are heavier than non-solar cars! This has the effect of reducing the number of cars they could load on the boats for the launch of the car, and they wanted max number of cars for the introduction.

I was also told that package 3 with Nav is "not available". I either have to take a base car or a package 4 with solar.

I told 'em I'd wait until he could get a blue package 3 with nav. He came back with "we'll look for a regional dealer trade to find your car".

That was last Saturday.

We'll see. We're patient...

Well, I agree, he was correct on that count. But I wasn't the one suggesting that it turns on the A/C, powered the traction battery, heated the car in winter, brewed coffee, or anything else! I just told him I wanted to see a car with the solar roof option. Since he didn't have one, he did his best to try and dissuade me from wanting one.