Hi everyone. Seems like an active and friendly forum. I'll probably be trading in my 22 MINI S coupe for a 26 Prius LE hybrid (only). I like the way it looks, and change is good, right? lol. I'll be perusing the forums, I imagine, for things like a spare tire solution (in my MINI, I dragged around a full size spare, hydraulic jack, breaker bar. Then, there's the bicycle question. I manage to squeeze my hybrid Trek into the MINI, along with aforementioned spare, with the front wheel and seat removed. I used to have a 2000 VW TDI Beetle and was a denizen of Fred's TDIClub, hence the screen name. Would regularly hit 50 mpg, and one time, as I recall, almost made 900 miles on a tank. Pro tip: don't let your diesel tank run dry, lol. The new model Prius is snazzy looking, and I'm looking forward to perhaps doing some quasi hypermiling again.
The Sales Manager informed me that there a Reservoir Blue Prius LE arriving soon and it has "my name on it", lol.
Have a temporary VIN-supposed to be made next week. Delivery estimated 1st or 2nd week in November. Now, I wonder if I can track its progress once it has a final VIN?
Welcome! I’ve got a 2012 still going strong, but the 2026 is a bit of different beast. It’s not slow anymore for one. But my 2012 gets around fine. You might check the tires the 2026 comes with - I have seen rumors that some of them are hard to find replacements for because they’re a bit of an odd size. The LE that might be less true. They can always be swapped out too. Curious to hear what you think of it - I might get one myself at some point.
Thanks. The waiting is tough. I'm reading up on spare tire options. I never carry passengers in the rear seats, so I carried a full size spare in the back of the MINI, with the seatbelt limiting its movement. There was no room in the well. The Prius HEV seems to have some room there-it would be nice to use it. Typically the tires that come with a new car don't last. The exception, for me, were the Michelin Energies that came with my 2000 VW TDI-I think I got 70k + miles out of them. Generally, I'm going to make an attempt to keep it as stock as possible.
"Reservoir Blue", is that seriously the paint name? Next it'll be "Septic Tank Olive". Tell them to whizzy wheel your name off it, too!
I assume you put a deposit on the vehicle to hold it for you. My experiences are based on my purchase late last year of a 2025 Camry made in the US, The salesman can track the progress somewhat and tell when the manufacturing ID is changed to a VIN. My salesman was able to finally find what week the car was to be assembled. After that, you basically need to wait until it magically arrives on the dealer lot.
