How Long is Your Waiting List?

These were my notes two months ago when I was shopping (I'd just totalled my car and needed to buy right away):

<blockquote>Santa Monica:

"We require a $500 refundable deposit."

pkg #1: 100+ people on list, 3-6 month wait
pkg #3: 20+ people 1-3 month wait
pkg #8: 150+ people 3-6 month wait

Marina Del Rey:

"There's no waiting list but we charge a $7000 buyers premium." click

Long Beach:

"No deposit."

pkg #1-8: 30+ people on list no estimate on time

Longo Toyota

"I think were probably going to be charging a premium on those, the list is getting pretty long." click

Bakersfield

"We can sell you one today at MSRP, no waiting, color and package of your choice."</blockquote>

At that point I started driving and came home three hours later with my Prius.

 

I ordered my Prius a few days ago on 5/10 with a hunred dollar deposit in New York and was told factory order 6-8 weeks no waiting list.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cnsxhth @ May 16 2006, 05:37 PM) [snapback]256507[/snapback]</div>

 

When I went to the dealer on 4/10, I was told the wait when I put it "on order" was 2-3 months. I then asked about this on this list. I was told that the dealer has an allocation of Prius that they recieve and that they keep a list. I had put $500 refundable down to be on the list. I then started calling dealers, asking what their allocation per month was, how many they had on their list and did they have a package 6 not allocated. I found one 40 miles away. When I called my dealer and asked if they could get that one for me. They then told me I would have mine in two weeks. Oh, yea??? I get it next week. But I don't know why I was moved up since their allocation is 6 Prius per month and the list was 19 long when I got on it.

 

As far as wait time is concerned, the more important question is, "how long is the wait?" Dealers are allocated a certain number of Prii a month, a number I assume based on their overall inventory sales figures. So your dealer can have 22 people on the list, but if they're getting 4 Prius vehicles a month, the wait is shorter than dealerships that get only one or two a month.

My dealership had 8 people on the list when I ordered back in 2004, but I had a six-month wait because they only received one Prius a month, which stands to reason because they're a fairly small dealership. Why not an 8-month wait? I'm guessing that a few dropped off of the list.

I don't specifically remember leaving a deposit, but another dealership I checked with wanted $500 non-refundable and had an extremely long wait time. I'd walk away if the deposit were non-refundable. Most dealers know they can sell the car within hours even if you do back out of the deal, hence the nonrefundable deposit should not exist, in my opinion.

 

This is my first post. Hope it appears ok. Closest dealer to me in Grants Pass, OR has a 12 week list, $500 deposit. I don't know if it is refundable or not. Dealer in Medford, OR occassionally has vehicles on lot. I contacted a dealer 70 miles away in Roseburg, OR and picked out one of 3 he had. Arrived 30 minutes before closing, salesman knew my wife and I were coming. We drove off an hour after closing. I cannot say enough good thing about them.
My point is call around, especially to some of the dealers in smaller towns.


2006 Barcelona Red, Package #4, right off the lot washed and full of gas.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cnsxhth @ May 16 2006, 02:37 PM) [snapback]256507[/snapback]</div>

I got on the list at Capitol Toyota in San Jose, CA about 2+ weeks ago. $500 refundable deposit. Was told there are "about 100" on the list, and the wait is 1-2 months.

Got a call last week, about 10 days after getting on the list: a Prius was on the way for me if I wanted it. A Super White #8. I wasn't fussy about color, except I didn't want black. Should be in in about 10 days (from then). Today I got the word that it's in San Francisco and would be in SJ in about 3-4 days.

So: the wait was considerably less than I thought. I should have it this week.

 

There are no waiting lists in San Diego, except at a couple of the larger dealerships (Kearny Mesa, Carlsabd). It's just first come, first served now.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cnsxhth @ May 16 2006, 04:37 PM) [snapback]256507[/snapback]</div>

Ordered a Magnetic Gray #6 from Toyota101 in Redwood City, CA on Feb 14th. Got a call from the dealer last week, it should arrive between May 18th and 22nd. So just over 3 months, but the 1G3 color wasn't available until earlier this month so we got one of the first ones.

Wish they had the dark blue metallic that is available on the 2007 Camry. The Magnetic Gray is cool and all, but dark blue is the best car color.

 

Well, this seems to be one of the few times I've ever gotten lucky, as I bought my Prius off the lot (with choice of color and package) without waiting when the dealership had 17 of the Prius on the lot back in late March. I even got a $2000 discount. All of the other dealers in the area only had 1 or 2 on the lot and wouldn't budge from MSRP. Now, all of the dealers, including the one I bought from, are selling at MSRP with only 1 or 2 white models, all package 6, on the lot. Anything else and you're on a waitlist, and I think the current wait time is 6-8 weeks. I thought I was being paranoid by snapping it up the minute I saw a $2000 discount off a package 7, but I'm sure glad I did!

 

I test drove a Silver #6 on 4/21. I could have bought it that day for $500 below MSRP. I wanted Seaside Pearl. The salesman checked and said he would have one in about mid-May. I put down a $200 refundable deposit.

On 5/5, he sent me the VIN by e-mail and said the car was due in between 5/11 and 5/16. On the evening of 5/12, he called to say the car was in. I picked it up on 5/13.

Miller Toyota, Manassas, VA. Salesman: "Toyota Sam" Lee.

 

No waiting in Florida. We've got over 500 available and sitting on the lot in South Florida, according to Toyota's inventory search. I'm thinking that would allow more negotiating power to the consumer because they seem to be having trouble selling them here.

 

In September '04 I put my name down on one list, no deposit. I was told that the waiting list was so long it wouldn't be until February 2006! In January '05 I started getting calls that they had one, but not the model I wanted. In April '05 I put down a $500 deposit at a dealer out of state as they said I could order the model I wanted. The day I mailed the check I got a call from them saying that they couldn't help me (they returned the deposit). I looked online and found one I wanted. I picked it up a couple of days later.

So it's hard to tell, it was several months from September until I was in my Prius, but just a week after I decided to look at other dealerships.

 

Checked on 05-04-06 at Deland Toyota. Just driving by and saw a B-Red 06 on the lot. Went in test drove it and picked it up the next day. $600. under msrp with package #4. SoFar 1100 miles 49.6 mpg and I love it.

 

<_<
Waiting List ???

Why would someone WAIT when dealers around the U.S. have Prius in stock for imemdiate delivery? Seems "fly-drive home" would make lots of sense, particularly when you can find dealers who sell at MSRP. Seems the savings over "paying premiums" would more than compensate for a drive back home.

I suppose "having a trade" would complicate matters in some cases. Even then, selling yourself could offset that inconvenience.

 

Placed my order last Friday with Longo Toyota in El Monte. Was told 4-6 weeks for a seaside pearl #3, but possibly sooner.

 

For Chicago area, the average is about 3 months earlier this year. We first looked into when my wife was going to buy a car in the fall of 2003. We went to Libertyville Toyota, they only had 1 Prius on the lot, nominally as a demo car for test drives, but it wasn't available for that as apparently they recently sold it as well. Waiting list was something like 12-16 months (I guess that was for the newly introduced Gen 2 model). So we gave up and bought her a used Accord.

When I was looking semi-serious in Jan. 2006, I went to Arlington Heights. The first salesman didn't know much about Prius (his own admission) so he went to get another salesperson. Meanwhile I used the bathroom, I came out and waited and waited. Eventually talked to someone with a strong Asian accent (no sign of the original salesman or the person he went to get). I asked about a wait list, it was a few months, faster than others because they were a "preferred dealership" as he said. I asked about the deposit and apparently there were occasional unallocated Prii for various reasons, so I asked if I could get one of those if I had the deposit and got a complicated answer I really couldn't follow (I can handle most accents, but his was quite strong). Apparently no test car for driving. At the same time, I called another dealership (St. Charles) that had advertised some unallocated Prii, but they didn't have a base model available when I called, and the others were out of my range and the features weren't that critical to me. They also had a 3 month wait, more or less. So I gave up for awhile, my car was still okay.

Out of the blue, the St. Charles place called six weeks later, they had an unallocated Pkg 1 coming in (and four or five others), was I interested? So I agree to come in for a test drive, got a decent trade-in estimate, but when I asked if the $500 deposit was refundable I got kind of a cagy answer (I had already tested his patience with the trade-in situation). I figured it would be unlikely for me to change, so I put the money down, the car was coming in 3 weeks. 3 days later I get a call, the car was already there.

So technically I only waited 3 days, but really you should add the six weeks the dealership didn't have an available car, although I wasn't on a waiting list.

 

No list but there is a wait. The dealer I am working with has been getting enough every month to cover the people who want one with 2-3 left over. Which are gone before the next months allocation comes in. So depending on when you put down a refundable deposit it could be anywhere from 4 to 7 weeks.