2006, silver, #6, 01/18/06, Davis, CA

Date Ordered: Jan 18, 2006
Dealer Ordered From (Incl. City/State): Hanlees, Davis, CA
Timeframe given for delivery: 3-8 weeks
Color: silver
Option Package: 6
Your # on Dealer's Waiting List: Not relevant. There are 31 people on the list, but I'm the only one that wants this particular package.

 

OK.. so the plot thickens. I was just called by Roseville toyota, and they have a silver #6 coming into Benicia on Feb 11. Expected on the lot by Feb 20. All good news, right? Just 30 minutes away. BUT...

The car will cost me $1000 more that my local dealer (Hanlees) because I won't get the Costco discount, and I will have to buy the floor mats at full retail (about $200).

I have NO idea when Hanlees (much smaller dealer) will get one in for me, so I guess I'd better take the Roseville one if I've heard nothing from my local dealer by then. Grrr.

In other news, Hanlees is expected to hear about their allocation on the 7th. So I guess that'll tell me everything I need to know.

 

At the risk of talking to myself (thanks for the Elk Grove tip, Janern - no love from them this time) I'll update the situation.

1. I apparently still have the silver (first choice) #6 coming into Roseville Toyota on about the 20th of Feb.
2. I was just called regarding a white (second choice) #6 coming into Hanlees (my local dealer) on about the 23rd of Feb. This car would cost me $1000 less than the other one.

I think I'm OK with the white... but I forgot to ask about the interior (was easy with silver since there was no choice). I really don't want the lighter bisque, so that may be a deal breaker for the "cheap" car.

But either way, it would appear that I have *some* car at *some* price coming my way in just about two more weeks. Save an HOV sticker for me!

 

Yay! First choice color is in at the cheap dealer! Screwed up order (sales guy wrote "silver pine" instead of Pine Mica, or whatever it is. A silver came in and was being sold to the nice lady... until she realized it was SILVER and not PINE. I just happened to be on the phone with the guy when all this was happening, and he said the silver is mine.

Yay.

Stand by for me being even MORE obnoxious.

 

Hey Joe -

In means IN. Been sitting on the lot for four days, apparently. Confusion on the color for the previous buyer. Buyer wanted "Pine Mica" and sales guy (Phil) wrote down Silver Pine. A Silver one came in, and Phil thought they would go for either Silver or Pine when he looked at his notes again. Buyers came to pay, and found it wasn't the color they wanted. Since I was on the phone bitching when this all happened, I was offered the car.

What combo are you looking for, and what are they telling you? Phil is no longer handling the Prius orders now. John Thompson is the guy now. All kinds of cloak-and-dagger as to why that's happening. As far as I'm concerned, sales guys are sales guys. I haven't been shown differently yet.

Each time I go to buy a new car, I spend an hour with Google, and know WAY more about the vehicle than any of the sales people. They don't even know the color combinations. Yesterday I was asked if I wanted tan, oak, sand, beige. And what they all meant was "bisque." Since the whole confusion on what is now my car was regarding color nomenclature, you'd think they could maybe use the official Toyota terms???

I'm getting a good deal, which is the ONLY reason I'm buying here. This will be over $70k that I've spent at this dealer now, and they treat me like any other bum off the street. I can go to any out-of-state dealer to save 50% on any accessories. You'd think they didn't really want my business. I'm offered the same "full MSRP" as anybody who is NOT a customer. Way to keep me loyal! Not.

Oops. Sorry about the rant.

 

Awesome, Scott. Makes my day when I hear somebody say that they've learned something from my site. I know all too well what info the public is spoon-fed from the car makers and the media. The public is told that there was no "market" for EVs. Well surprise! They were never marketed, now where they?

EVs are obviously not the perfect choice for every driver. But then neither are sports cars, pickups, motorcycles, etc. And yet we still keep selling those vehicles, don't we? For a commute car, there is simply nothing better than an EV. And commute miles comprise MOST of the miles driven in the US.

Ah... but I'll try not to get on that rant here. Enough info on my site.

Good luck with your search. After almost a month of being "on the list" I just sort of fell into this car today. Still haven't seen it though! No idea how many miles are on it, or what shape it is in. Supposed to be "new." But then they let me drive somebody else's "new" car for my test drive.

 

Yikes. That would be Sarah who called. I guess she called everybody on the list. I spoke with her Monday evening regarding my color choices (again!) and then Tuesday morning she called to verify the colors she had (wrong again!). I asked if she remembered our conversation from the previous evening. ???

Well, maybe you still get Phil. John insists that he's my new guy now. Maybe he just gets the disgruntled customers. He called himself Phil's boss the last time I talked to him. Then when I next spoke to Phil, he said John isn't my boss, the sales manager is the only guy over me.

Oh, the drama. Yes, I would have picked it up ASAP yesterday, but I put it off until this morning to make sure I had my finances in order. I head up there in about an hour. Wish me luck!

 

Robert -

Great timing. My custom-etched license plate frames just arrived yesterday as well. I'll take a picture on the new car... as soon as I pick it up.

Says:

This is our...
PLATE
Gas GUZZLER

 

Ah! But my Prius is also my most polluting vehicle as well.

Anyway... the car is real, it is mine, and it is parked in the driveway. Everything is as it should be. Got my price, my package and my color. Now I'm busy putting my new frame on, my new leather steering wheel cover, disabling all the beepers, putting the racks on, the mud flaps, ordering the floor mats, submitting the HOV sticker form.... need I go on?

I'm a bit busy here! Be back with pictures eventually. Except for the gas engine running, this is a really cool car!

 

Robert -

Yeah, I was gone for like six hours there. Nobody sent a search party... :angry:

I've disabled all the beeps, I laced on the leather steering wheel cover, set up the Home link... tonight I read the manual to find out just how wrong the sales guy was about all the gadgets. With my limited non-owner knowledge, I could only pick out about half the things that were incorrect.

Yes, #6 has the upgraded stereo. Everything but GPS and leather actually. Man, the Street Pilot fits up on the dash just perfectly. I'm glad I saved the $2k there. For the next three days, I have FOUR cars here! Eeek.

 

I've already registered. But I picked the car up with 2 miles, and have only added six more. My mileage sucks so far! 

I don't LIKE to burn gasoline, so joy-rides are out unless they're by EV or bicycle. We'll drive it 300 miles this weekend for the maiden voyage.

Ha. You're talking to an EV guy here! I run 50 PSI in my other cars. This one I'm going 40 in the front. I may go higher, the ride is still too soft.

Awesome. In five years, I hope to trade in this new Prius for either a PHEV or a long-range EV myself. I have very little need for liquid fuels. If I had a 200-mile EV with non-proprietary charing, I'd need to borrow an ICE maybe once per year, and the rest I could handle cleanly.

I do, yes. But I'm taking comfort inspending my quality time in the driveway with the car, getting all the new goodies changed around and bolted on. I'm going to do the Fog light-only mod and the EV mod today

This is a fine car! I am pleasantly surprised at how much power it has. No neck-snapper, but it sure has more power than anybody would "need."