Salsa Red; #9; January 24, 2004; Ramsey, NJ

Date Ordered: January 24, 2004
Dealer Ordered From (Incl. City/State): Prestige Toyota Ramsey, NJ
Timeframe given for delivery: 6 months
Color: Salsa Red
Option Package: #9
Your # on Dealer's Waiting List: ??

I had been researching the Prius (and other hybrids) for years, but wasn't in the market for a car. Since we bought a Subaru Forester for my wife in September '03, I was planning to buy a Prius in September of '04. I had heard rumors that they were hard to get, but hadn't really looked into that aspect of the purchase.

I received a flyer in the mail from another dealer which said (believe it or not) "Prius 2004 Motor Trend Car of the Year In stock and Ready to Drive". Perhaps I should scan it in and post it for those with a more active fantasy life... :wink:

So, I went to my local dealer for a test drive and heard about the 6 month wait. They had none to test drive and were pressuring me to purchase something else.

When I got home, I called the dealer who sent out the flyer and heard that they had "just sold the last one" and that there would be a 6 month wait for another one....a likely story! :cussing:

So, I called around and found a dealer who had one to test drive...I enjoyed the drive and put down a deposit. (They insist I'm "ordering" a car just for me, but I've read the forum enough to doubt that.)

So, if all goes well (and our '94 Civic holds out), I'll have a Prius just about when I wanted to purchase one.

Of course, I didn't really want package #9, but that's the only one with VSC in this area...and with recent weather, I want all the help I can get.

P.S. Almost forgot...the dealer has already called me back to check up as promised. Perhaps I won't be complaining about my never hearing from the dealer as others do.

 

Here's a scan of that ad saying that the Prius is "in stock and ready to drive"...

 

I didn't bother visiting that dealer, as they didn't have one to test drive. But, below the ad (on the same page) is a Scion ad.

 

Well, tonight we go to the Toyota dealer to pick up my new car! It's not red like I wanted, it's blue. And, it's not a Prius like I wanted, it's a Camry.

My 10-year-old Civic was in the shop on Friday, and the mechanic told me it was time to buy a new car. It would take very many bucks & over a week to repair...putting more money into the car than its resale value.

I called the salesman who had my order, and he predicted it would be around September before they had a car for me. He offered to cancel the order & reverse the charges on the deposit, which I accepted.

We looked around, found a number of nice cars on the market. Not as good gas mileage, but certainly more available A local dealer had a Camry XLE with side airbags on the lot & we bought it. (I must say, I was tempted by Scion xA...looked fun, 38 highway MPG & quite a bit less expensive, but not enough room for anyone in the back seat when I set it to a comfortable driving position.)

Thanks to Danny & the PriusChat community for a fun 5 months of dreaming. Enjoy your cars!

Bob

 

My wife was the one who pointed out the Scion to me. At 32/38 MPG, the xA is one of the more fuel-efficient non-hybrid cars on the market. In fact in my area, with the Prius & HCH not available, it's one of the most fuel efficient cars you can buy. (if you don't have anyone to sit in the back seat...)

 

Top reasons I love my camry

You're right. While I miss such things as SE/SS, silence at stoplights, and regenerative breaking, I'm quite satisfied.

Top reasons I love my Camry:

10. No one asks me annoying questions about my car when I park at Whole Foods.

9. Dual power driver & passenger seats. (my wife loves that!)

8. Air conditioning vents for the rear seats (my 6-year-old loves that!)

7. No CamryChat.com to waste^H^H^H^H^H spend my time on.

6. My real-time MPG display shows exciting numbers other than just 99.9 when I'm coasting down a hill. *

5. Thrill of negotiating a price below MSRP.

4. It's easy to get fresh air through the automatic climate control system.

3. It looks the same great blue color on sunny & cloudy days.

2. No fuel bladder...My fuel gauge actually shows how much fuel I have left. :lol:

and the number one reason:

1. Now I see Priuses everywhere! (I had rarely seen one, now I'm seeing 1 or 2 a day)





* While I see 99.9 much of the time, at low speeds the idle consumption is enough to give less than 99.9 MPG.

(Much of my Prius experience comes from a week-long rental of a Tideland in Austin, TX.)