Really discouraged...been waiting 4 months and still no prius!

I really am trying to be patient here in TX for my prius V with nav I ordered on June 25. I've been waiting for my first choice barcelona red with a charcoal grey interior. At this point I'm thinking I would really rather have the AT instead of the nav only. No matter because I haven't been able to get either. There's a place in NV, and in TN that have the color combo with the AT. Do you think I should wait until my ordered prius comes in or try to get it elsewhere? Anyone have dealings with Chuck Hutton Toyota in Memphis, TN, Findlay Toyota in Henderson, NV or Marina DelRay in CA? Thanks priuschat members you're the greatest! I've learned a great deal on this forum...I hope to be a prius owner soon. Did I mention this is going to be a cash deal?

Kathy

If you can get to Sunnyvale, CA, they have plenty of them. I got on the wait list for a V with ATP 2 weeks ago thinking it would take a month and it came in a week.

I agree that going out-of-region is a good alternative. Dianne at Long Beach Toyota had my deposit for a V with AT in Winter gray/dark gray, until the local dealer pulled a rabbit out if the hat. Shipping to your driveway is split between LBT and you. My niece in LA agreed to inspect and photograph the car before shipping.

Don't pick it up in CA, they'll have to charge 9+% sales tax (3% for new cars in NM). This tax may be somehow retrievable, and I hope someone knowledgeable will contribute. Maybe even a sticky thread about buying remotely would help those of us in "flyover country."

Even the pressure of buying where the cars are might motivate your dealer, although I'm pretty sure that is not Dianne's preferred role ;->.

My wait was, overall, 4 months.

On a cash deal I can't imagine why you have not just gone elsewhere and gotten one. I got my V about 5 weeks after I first saw pictures and decided I would get one.

Cash means nothing to the dealer. They get paid the same money whether cash or financed. They dealer does not hold the loan so they get paid in full by the lender immediately upon purchase.

I think he meant that cash gives you more flexibility. You can walk in any dealership in the country plop down the cash and drive away. Get on the phone or internet, find a dealer that has the car you want and go get it. Pick someplace you've always wanted to see and kill two birds with one stone. 20 gallons of gas will get you about 1000 miles in a Prius.

And I would be very surprised if the dealer did not make a profit from the financing.

I saw exactly what you are looking for yesterday at Tri-City Motors in Kennewick, WA. Barcelona Red with Dark Gray Prius V with ATP.

I have been seriously thinking about that. I've looked at cars.com and there appears to be one in Memphis, TN about 500 miles from where I am now. I have emailed the dealer for details. There's also one in Henderson, NV. I just am a little wary of dealing with someone I've never met, and I'd like to get the best deal possible. Thanks for your input!

Kathy

The likelihood of you paying less than MSRP anywhere in the country is pretty slim, especially for a low supply, high demand car. Not sure how it is elsewhere, but the supply of Vs in Texas (or the rest of the Gulf States Toyota region) has always been low. If you're willing to travel, jump on a plane and go for it, or have the car shipped to you.

i think you need to look for a more motivated dealer. i had dealers telling me they would go all over the state to find me the car i wanted...

I bought out of region (Portland, Oregon, a little far for you) to get what I wanted. I had an excellent experience and a wonderfull drive home.

You do have to ask for full disclosure of all fees, whether there are any add ons that you don't want. My dealer didn't add any costs above msrp but some do.

Good luck. Many on the forum know what it is like to wait.

You aren't the only one.
I ordered a Prius 'LUNA' color Blue Grey (8V1) (I think model III in USA) on sept. 23 with delivrery on dec. 15 (the model I choosed was the last in Belgium for 2009 - good luck- ).
Now the next Prius are promised for february, march and even April depending on the model, the color and so on.
In Belgium, Pearl White are the most asked followed by the black ones. Come after light metal grey and blue grey (dark grey in USA). A few blue but never seen a barcolona red.
As you do I'm waiting my Prius.

Best regards, Guy

barcelona red with a charcoal grey interior.,,we can not get the colour combination in Canada
Barcelona red only come in the beige interoir which was to light for me
Good luck in your search

I understand that. But on a cash deal you have no trade that has to be negotiated. You walk in and you buy a car. Anywhere. It shouldn't be hard to find one if you're dealing with a no-trade purchase.

Finding a dealer that will deal with you on a trade is another matter.

Dealers get an allocation. If this dealer has gotten any Prius at all on the lot he should have been able to match up an allocation by now. My dealer was a small town rural dealer with only a few allocations early in the program. However he was able to get a V w/ NAV within a month by placing a specific request with the region. I actually would have gotten my car earlier as I was getting a IV and it came in earlier. But I decided on a V and had to wait two more weeks.

If you lived in the country where they make em, then you have a wait on your hands!!

Kathy,

I had been waiting for my local dealer in DC for a Sandy Beach V/ATP over two months. I was getting impatient. So I called arround. A CarMax agent helped me to search within 500 miles. He told me there was one just landed in NJ port that is heading to a NJ dealer. They are kind enough to give me the direct number of that dealer (by the way the CarMax did not make any profit by doing this for me). Then, I called the NJ dealer and paid the $500 deposit right away. They faxed me the order form with all the fees and taxes. I signed it and faxed it back. After all these (within 2 weeks), I rent a one-way car to go to New Jersey (280 miles) on a Saturday. Everything went smoothly and I had a very pleasant drive home.

So the key things are: (1) get detailed documents in writing, make sure to get a VIN; (2) reach agreements about all terms (such as form of payments, etc.); (3) understand the title/registration issues cross states (actually tax is not an issue because you just pay your own state's tax, no matter where you buy the car); (4) some dealer may require you to have insurance prior to pick up the car, so you might need to talk to your insurance agent about that.

I did not get a peny off sticker from such a remote deal. I guess the dealer knew that I was desparate to go out of my way, so they did not alow negotiate. They did not even gave me a $69 accessory I asked. So be prepared to pay full price. To me this was OK because I do need the car soon and willing to pay the extra cost (car rental, travel, ect.). Actually by doing this, I avoided the Oct. 18 price increase. So, in a sense it basically paid all my expenses. Of course you should avoid any fees over sticker if you don't want to spend the extra.

Good luck!

I have been waiting on a IV Solar Barcelona red and tan interior since June 2, and just got my VIN number on the 19th, still dont have the ship designated but do know it will be going into Portland and shipped by rail to Chicago.

I searched and found what I wanted elsewhere several places, but did not want to deal with trying to reach a trade in value with a dealer 300 miles away. He wont give you a price other than low ball until he sees your car and then you are out 600 miles of driving if you walk away. Anyway the out of town dealer has the upper hand as he knows you are there because he has what you cant get at home. Cash deal no trade is another matter. I still prefer to spend my money where I am going to take it for help when it needs fixed under warranty. Plus its not recommended to drive a long distance at steady speeds for you first 600 miles according to the manual.

That's a good point. When I drove 280 miles home after picking up my car, I planed my route so that I was not on interstate highways all the time. Even on the highways, I kept driving on the slow lane and varied my speed.

Thanks, this is really good information. I appreciate all your advice and it makes me realize I will probably have to go out of the gulf states region to expeditiously find what i want. How did you find a carmax salesperson, did you find the number online?

Kathy