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Prius Loaner Car !!!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by randalla, May 26, 2004.

  1. randalla

    randalla Member

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    Five
    This morning I dropped off my '04 Prius at Fitzgerald Automall in Gaithersburg to have my mudflaps that I ordered from toyota.parts.ca installed. They're replacing the cheesy generic mudflaps that they had originally installed as a "We Owe" item and are reimbursing me for the cost of the new ones that I ordered from Canada. :)

    They also told me as I checked in at the service desk that they would be addressing a Toyota recall item that they had just received within the last two days. It supposedly involves a download they are making into the computer. The service writer didn't have any further details on the recall. Does anyone else out there know any more about this?

    Things got more interesting after the shuttle van dropped me off at the loaner car depot area. I spotted a parked silver prius in the area where the loaner cars were parked and within half a minute the porter brought around a Driftwood pearl '04 Prius! I happened to be the first out of the shuttle so I was lucky enough to get the Prius! :clap: The porter asked me if I knew how to drive the Prius, and of course I smiled and answered that I certainly did and mentioned that I had just dropped off my Prius for service. I noted that the car is apparently a base model as it doesn't have a rear wiper, side air bags, and has halogen headlights and only 700 miles.

    Needless to say, what a pleasure it was to get to drive a second Prius in the same day! After all those months waiting for mine to arrive and getting the exact car that I had ordered, it seems like perhaps the Gods of Prius are blessing me again!
     
    #1 randalla, May 26, 2004
  2. Sun__Tzu

    Sun__Tzu New Member

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    Hmm, Fitzgerald Automall you say? I wonder if those loaners are available for test drive? If so, I might head up there on Thursday (assuming you've returned it by then).
     
    #2 Sun__Tzu, May 26, 2004
  3. randalla

    randalla Member

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    They do have a Trac car available there at the dealership. BTW, I give Fitzgerald high marks for being a legit and reasonably upfront and honest as a car dealership can possibly be. :wink:
     
    #3 randalla, May 26, 2004
  4. rflagg

    rflagg Member

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    Let us know on what exactly this "recall software" thingie is once you find out, I'm very interested! :)

    -m.
     
    #4 rflagg, May 26, 2004
  5. 8AA

    8AA Active Member

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    If you're interested in more than a test drive, Budget car rental is right behind Fitzgerald's Automall (Gaithersburg) and has a few Prius for rent. You might want to call ahead and reserve one. Renting the car for a whole day let me evaluate it a lot better than driving it around the block.
     
    #5 8AA, May 26, 2004
  6. Sun__Tzu

    Sun__Tzu New Member

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    Thanks vapor. I'd look into that, but I'm actually only 24 right now. Well, almost 24 1/2 : ) I think people my age tend to get screwed by rental car companies. Then again, if its only for a day . . .
     
    #6 Sun__Tzu, May 27, 2004
  7. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    Actually, people your age can't even rent a car from many of the major companies. However, in just over 6 months, you will magically gain enormous self control and driving skill and can rent a car from any company (as long as you have a credit card). Your insurance will also go down substantially. Of course you can obtain this same magic for insurance by getting married. :)
     
    #7 bruceha_2000, May 27, 2004
  8. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    Looks like they will, but they usually have a surcharge:

    BETHESDA $12 Age 21-24 only allowed on economy, compact & mid-size

    http://www.budget.com/visitor/questions/us...rements.html#MD
     
    #8 Danny, May 27, 2004
  9. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Don't rent a Prius! If you rent one, you'll never be happy again until you own one.

    But seriously, I wanted to rent one and nobody had one to rent in the whole city. But then the dealer let me take his TRAC car from Saturday night to Monday morning, for no charge. He was pleased, but did not appear at all surprised, when I immediately plunked down my $500 deposit. (Interestingly, the TRAC car was a blue #7: exactly what I wanted and ended up getting, two months later.)
     
    #9 daniel, May 27, 2004
  10. randalla

    randalla Member

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    When I went to pick up my car, I went in to speak with the Business Manager who had been working with me to get my ordered mudflaps installed, about my Prius loaner car. He said that the dealership is looking into purchasing the two loaners from Zippy car rentals and putting them up for auction. They are looking at around a $2000 per car mark-up when they get them.
     
    #10 randalla, May 27, 2004
  11. rflagg

    rflagg Member

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    Any word on that recall fix?

    -m.
     
    #11 rflagg, May 27, 2004
  12. randalla

    randalla Member

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    Five
    There was no detailed explanation on the work order/receipt other than to say (I don't have the receipt here with me at work) recall campaign, I think it said 200. I'll check the receipt again tonight.
     
    #12 randalla, May 27, 2004
  13. Sun__Tzu

    Sun__Tzu New Member

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    Are they crazy? A $2000 markup on a pair of rental cars? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't rental cars typically abused as if they were Iraqi prisoners? I know that when I get my car, I'm going to be driving gently for the first couple hundred miles. Not sure I would care so much about a rental car (or if anyone drives rental cars gently).
     
    #13 Sun__Tzu, May 27, 2004
  14. randalla

    randalla Member

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    Model:
    Five
    You are right about how the typical rental car gets treated. The dealership seems to feel confident that they can get what they want on the open market it seems.
     
    #14 randalla, May 27, 2004
  15. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    1. I hope NO ONE buys them for even MSRP
    2. If someone IS going to be that stupid or "gotta have one, don't care how I get it", I hope Zippy reads these threads and auctions them rather than selling them to the dealer.
     
    #15 bruceha_2000, May 28, 2004
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