Put my deposit down with new dealer today!

always go for the car you want. Anything else will nag the back of your brain forever. Other thing is don't be afraid to call afield. Even better chance. I found mine almost 1200 miles from home. Nothing like a road trip right from the start. After 13 months whats another 2? The tax credit I can't help you on.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rebbi @ Jul 27 2006, 07:44 PM) [snapback]293608[/snapback]</div>

Hi Steve,

Like usual, the sales guy doesn't have a clue. You can also take what he says a different way...4's are more popular so he would rather sell you a 3.

VSC has been heralded as one of the best saftey features ever invented on a vehicle.

Yes, on slippery conditions it is an added bonus...BUT the main thing it does is help to control the vehicle when it senses the vehicle is out of control.

This means that in any potential accident situation, the car takes control of the brakes (independent of each other) and the steering to try to bring the vehicle back under control. Like airbags, this is usually in a "life and death" situation...so under normal circumstances in normal weather you will hopefully never need it.

My advice (and I am sure others will agree), the $400 is a very small price to pay for such an incredible safety feature.

If that dealer is telling you that long...I would continue to call around to other dealers...call as many as you can and be prepared to travel a little.

 

There is still no guarantee you'll get a 3 or a 4 in 8-12 weeks.

Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

You've put a deposit down. Chances are no matter what comes in you'll get a call. Probably offering you a package higher than the 4 you want. In fact, closer to the Sept. 30 tax break deadline they may figure you'll take a 7 or 8 just so you don't miss out.

So while you're waiting....call around and keep calling. You'll probably find that 4 quicker and maybe even in your first color choice before the dealer gets his allotment.

You'll need to take deliver by Sept. 30 to get the tax credit. That means you'll have to do the legwork.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rebbi @ Jul 27 2006, 09:44 PM) [snapback]293608[/snapback]</div>

Let's see. You were willing to wait over a year the first time. What's a month more at this point?

When bling features are involved, it's a six of one kind of thing. When safety, & more to the point one's children's safety are involved, the issue has potentially critical consequences.

The way I see it, you may regret the extra 4 weeks at this point in time but you could conceivably regret the option to forgo VSC for a lot longer.

Plus I agree with Godiva, increase your chances of getting what you want by not putting all your eggs in one basket. That's one lesson you've learned before, non?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rebbi @ Jul 27 2006, 09:44 PM) [snapback]293608[/snapback]</div>

I have a Barcalona Red option 3 which I love. I live in Florida and also do not see snow and ice often. I love the way the car rides and handles, and following all of the threads at the Prius and Hybrid site, I don't see many who think the VSC ever has been triggered. Safety is always a really good choice, but nothing in life is for sure and the OEM tires with the VSC and someone who usually doesn't drive on ice and snow may not totally save the day. I think you should go for the option 4 if it really makes you feel safer, but remember that front airbags were the big safety option several years back, and now you can turn the passenger one off because they have actually caused a few fatalities. Anyway, I don't think you will go too wrong going with an option 3 in your area. Enjoy and hope you get it before the end of Sept. when you will only get 1/2 the tax credit.

 

Wait for the VSC. It's well worth it. It has been said that if all vehicles had it we'd save 10,000 lives a year. I went for package 6 which has all the frills I wanted...but I was determined not to go below 4, airbags and VSC were not things I considered options.

 

I know I'm going to get lampooned, but I don't buy into the VSC, hence my choice.

 

Hi Steve, Go for the VSC, it still rains alot which can cause slippery conditions.

On the tax credit, Toyota has already sold its 60,000. The tax credit gets decreased in the quarter after the magic number has been reached, hence the Sept. 30 cut-off for the full credit

 

You have waited this long, what is another 4 weeks?

I'd go for the VSC.
Do you get the side air bags with a #3?

 

Go for the # 4 with the VSC, it is well worth it, but please, don't go with just one dealer. Go on line, get the numbers for dealers within a reasonable distance (in or out of state) and start calling. It seems that many here on PC have managed to bypass longer waits for desired cars, IF they took a little time to call around and look a bit further afield.

Good luck, and Good Shabbos!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sl7vk @ Jul 28 2006, 11:13 AM) [snapback]293839[/snapback]</div>

VSC isn't useful if it makes a driver overconfident. One of the problems with AWD is that it lets you accelerate considerably better in snowy conditions. But when you try to stop or turn too fast with AWD you still get a 4-wheel skid, same as any other car. VSC supposedly helps the 4-wheel skid issue, but if you got yourself into that trouble, VSC is not a guarantee you'll be able to drive out of it.
I'm not sure I'd buy that 10,000 lives estimate - there's about 60,000 fatalities from accidents a year, half of which are alcohol/drug-related. I'd bet a good number more are due to inattention (cell phones, changing CDs), sleeping at the wheel, etc. How many are from bad road conditions where the person could've survived if they had regained control a half-second sooner? Odds are pretty high you're already out of your lane.

Not trying to be a total defeatist here, I'm sure people tried making the same argument with seat belts and crumple zones (I *always* buckle up), but the solutions are getting more complicated and saving fewer lives with each incremental improvement. The best answers are behavioral - slow down in bad weather, don't drive after 11 pm on weekends when a good portion of people on the road are drunk, and don't use your cell phone or allow other distractions.

I assume VSC would help with hydroplaning? When I was living in Texas, I did have a friend get hit by somebody who started hydroplaning after one of their big thunderstorms (nobody was hurt and she was an exotic dancer, so he really didn't seem too upset about the whole thing).

Do what you want, but don't assume VSC will fix bad decisions, and don't assume the person behind you or next to you has the system either.

 

Bottom line: Go with what *you* want & feel is necessary for *you.* Be guided by your judgment but ever mindful of your conscience.

We all answer your question based on *our* own needs, priorities & experiences. Indeed, how else could we possibly answer you?

What counts at the end of the day are YOUR needs. Only you know that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rebbi @ Jul 28 2006, 10:41 AM) [snapback]293823[/snapback]</div>

Toyota reached their quota.

Buy before September 30 and you get $3,400 credit. Wait for October 1 and it's $1,700.

I still suggest you call around and widen your search. Someone in Colorado just found the exact color and package they wanted on the lot in Utah. They're flying in and driving back. I know that doesn't work for everyone. But I still think you should do better than 8-12 weeks in the entire state of Texas. And you're taking a chance at losing $1,700.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nerfer @ Jul 28 2006, 12:01 PM) [snapback]293926[/snapback]</div>

VSC is not like AWD or any other type of driving assist system, like traction control.

It is a life saving feature, like air bags...only to really be deployed when the car senses that something really bad is going to happen. The VSC is not used when making a bad decision, it is used when a decision can not be made fast enough.

And your statement about saving fewer lives...I assume you don't mean that less lives overall are saved with all of these new safety features, and that you mean each additional safety feature saves less lives then the previous one? However, that means that overall more and more lives are being saved.

I can tell you that even if it saves only one life...if that life is mine or someone I love...the $400 is NOTHING!

Since I can not find a single post about any actual negative outcomes with the VSC system (unlike airbags hurting children), I can't understand why one would argue against it...unless they want to put it down because they do not have it on their vehicle.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mssmith95 @ Jul 29 2006, 03:19 AM) [snapback]294219[/snapback]</div>

Well said, I think you can't afford NOT to have it

 

I'm not a "safety first at any price" person. But lets face it some things work really well, like seat belts and smoke detectors. I think VSC is going to fit into that category, it's just that it's more complex and harder to understand so people aren't going to buy into it as quickly as some other things like ABS. Plus I think manufacturers and especially sales people have not done a very good job explaining how it works or even what it is suppose to do.

VSC isn't just an ice and snow thing. When it's been dry for a while oil from passing vehicles builds up on the pavement. Then when the rain finally comes the oil floats to the top and it can get very slippery. We have all seen it happen. I think VSC could be of value under those conditions. Peace of mind is worth quite a bit also.

 

Why the deposit? As popular as this vehicle is, all the dealers I've dealt with simply put you on the list and call when your number comes up. If you don't want it, then the next person will likely take it. I have never put down a deposit for a new vehicle in 40 years of new vehicle buying....but perhaps things work differently in your neck of the woods -- or the dealer just likes extra cash flow. No flame at all -- just curious. Hope it works out great for you.

 

AS others have said phone around and you will get your Prius quicker. Also be flexible with your options and colors. If there are a few colors you like and a number of options that will work for you, let the dealers you speak to know. It makes it easier to locate suitable "candidates".

I initially wanted options 3 or 4, but ended up getting option 6 to get the Prius quicker. Took 2 weeks. FInd out when dealers get their next allocations, what they have in stock, what they will get for their next allocation or when they will know what they get for their next allocation. A good salesperson will find that info for you, normally the internet sales guys seems to be the most savvy vs the normal "lot patrol" guys.

In the end I'm glad I got option 6 as I enjoy and use the extras that came with it. I now wonder if I should have gotten Nav adn maybe leather, but then the Prius gets really pricey.

As to VSC, I dont think it is a dealbreaker if you dont live in a snow/ice area. It is a handy safety feature, but we survived for many years without it. Side/curtain airbags are a bigger deal as they help if another idiot smacks into you vs VSC where it helps you stay in control. We have had 3 vehicles with VSC or similar systems since 2001, a BMW, Toyota and Lexus, the Prius is now the 4th. On a vehcile like the Prius with a low center of gravity it is far less useful compared to the 4R and GX we have. A good set of tires will probably help you more than VSC, as it is better to not loose grip in the first place.