No HID or VSC starting in August?

i will not order my 2006 if it doesnt have HID...its a MUST have for me

 

I think the dealer you are talking to is just trying to make a sale today rather than get your business at a later date. So, sometimes they choose to spout falsehoods about the vehicle in order to get it out the door. He figures that HID and VSC are the selling points for you and as such he is using that to try to scare you into buying now because "Toyota is canceling those options."

I have not heard that those options are being canceled. In fact, why make the vehicle for this many model years and then drop two of the basic safety upgrade options that have made packages 4 and 6 so popular? Does that make a lot of sense? No!

I think this is dealer double speak. Find another dealer, call Toyota corporate and ask their representative about the next model year.

 

I believe this rumor started when a dealer (Diane at Carson Toyota) posted the same information in one of the Prius Yahoo Groups last year.

I don't believe there was ever any truth to the rumor, and now you've just got more people propagating the same bad information.

 

I could live without HIDs but NEVER stability control. My vote says it's a rumor.

 

In a few years, VSC will be so commonplace that it would be rare to find a car without it.

The very idea that Toyota would consider getting rid of it is preposterous.

Rick above did not say they were getting rid of the HID. However, his reasoning that it COULD happen does make sense.

However, I suspect this too is a hoax.

 

I could live without HIDs but NEVER stability control. My vote says it's a rumor.

 

In Economics it's called "imperfect information". Perfect knowledge by consumers is a requirement of perfect competition. When imperfect information exists, sellers can take advantage of it, and charge a higher price. If perfect competition existed (and perfect knowledge), all dealers would have to charge the same price for a Prius and the extended warranty.

The Internet has enabled the motivated consumer to acquire nearly perfect knowledge, but plenty of less informed people still pay 100% markup on extended warranties and thousands more than they need to for a new car.

 

I believe I read somewhere that Toyota/Lexus has a newer VSC called VSC2. Maybe that's what the dealer was referring to with slight of hand wording.

 

It's true. Got to KBB or NADA. I haven't checked Edmunds though. Vehicles built in August or later will not have VSC or HID. Through dumb luck, I closed on a Prius June 30th with the VSC and HID. This package #6 is called BCA and the new package #6 (without) is BJI. That said, if anyone is looking to close on a new Prius be sure you check the dealers invoice and ascertain that it is the older package #6. The former being more desireable of course.

I wonder if they are going to reduce the price due to this? I doubt it!

 

This is not exactly on-topic, but what exactly is Vehicle Stability Control? How does it affect the handling of the car? I'm on the waiting list for a package #6 (specifically, I'm just waiting for my color; I'm picky) and of course it has VSC but I'm indifferent about that. I'd get a #5 if they were carried in CA, in fact, and that has no VSC or HID.

 

Wth! How can you say that the rumor is true, then leave us hanging with a wimpy generic mention of a couple of auto sites.

WHERE ARE THE LINKS TO THE PROOF?!!!
Before you make a bold statement like, “It’s trueâ€, provide us with links to the article(s) from which you get your information. Don’t expect everyone who reads your post to go on a scavenger hunt for the information! Be a hero and provide a link directly to the information!!!

I looked. I found nothing. I think you are full of hot air.
Please prove me wrong.

 

You didn't look hard enough. It's there.

They list a second #6 package with the letters "BJ" instead of "BC", with a price about $1k less than BC. Here is the exact text:

(August Production Only) Includes Front Head Curtain & Front Side Impact Air Bag Restraint System, Smart Key System, Garage Door Opener, Alarm System, GPS Navigation & JBL Premium AM/FM Stereo w/6-Disc CD Changer & Cassette.

I don't know how to interpret this. There's no package #4 w/o HID and VSC, but that could be explained by the fact that that's what package #3 is. Maybe this is a new package #6, and the current package #6 will become package #7 for 2006.

If it is true that HID and VSC won't be available, I still don't believe it 1) has anything to do with mercury content, or 2) that this is a permanent change. I'm more inclined to believe that this has something to do with reaching the end of production for a model year, and suppliers already producing revised parts for 2006 models that won't fit in the 2005s.

I mean, BMW must put more cars on the road with HIDs and VSC than Toyota, and I've never heard anything about them having to limit the number of cars that could be produced with those features.