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Car Forum / Toyota / Prius / January 2007Dealer Availability of Prius, any waiting lists?
what with fuel prices, what is the demand/availablity of the Prius at USA dealers now? Are there waiting lists in effect, or are they reasonably available if you shoop around? Are dealers charging a premium above list? Just go to autotrader.com and there are lots of them. No waiting. > what with fuel prices, what is the demand/availablity of the Prius at > USA dealers now? Are there waiting lists in effect, or are they > reasonably available if you shoop around? Are dealers charging a > premium above list? Just got a 2006 Prius after wating over 5 months in Northern Califonia. The price was the full list price with no markup nor discount. I expect that if I wanted one sooner I may have gotten it if I had paid more, but I was patient. Peter > what with fuel prices, what is the demand/availablity of the Prius at > USA dealers now? Are there waiting lists in effect, or are they > reasonably available if you shoop around? Are dealers charging a > premium above list? > Just got a 2006 Prius after wating over 5 months in Northern Califonia. > The price was the full list price with no markup nor discount. I expect > that if I wanted one sooner I may have gotten it if I had paid more, > but I was patient. There's evidently a fair bit of regional variation, then; my wife and I recently purchased a new Prius in northern Virginia for $400 under MSRP after waiting only about a week, and we would have been able to do somewhat better in both respects if we had been willing to spring for a more expensive options package. Granted, we did get somewhat lucky, as the dealer originally told us we'd probably have to wait a few weeks, and was able to get us the car early only because the customer to whom they had originally promised it had to drop out of the running temporarily. (They called us at the last minute to say that they wanted to sell the car ASAP because a delivery truck was on the way, with the number of new deliveries apparently tied to the number of recent purchases.)  SignatureAaron M. Ucko, KB1CJC (amu at alum.mit.edu, ucko at debian.org) Finger amu@monk.mit.edu (NOT a valid e-mail address) for more info. > what with fuel prices, what is the demand/availablity of the Prius at > USA dealers now? Are there waiting lists in effect, or are they > reasonably available if you shoop around? Are dealers charging a > premium above list? Generally fairly tight supply. By sheer luck I found the one I wanted at CarMax in Laurel, MD, yesterday on a walk-in basis. A lot of people had seen it on their web site and had phoned, but I was the first to arrive. A friend of mine bought one recently at the same place after waiting a for a month. Davoud Signatureusenet *at* davidillig dawt com > Generally fairly tight supply. By sheer luck I found the one I wanted > at CarMax in Laurel, MD, yesterday on a walk-in basis Which option package did you get? SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. Davoud: > > Generally fairly tight supply. By sheer luck I found the one I wanted > > at CarMax in Laurel, MD, yesterday on a walk-in basis... Michelle Steiner: > Which option package did you get? I think it's top-end. Is it #D or something like that? Nav, leather, JBL audio, auto-dimming mirror/HomeLink, backup camera... I wasn't interested in less and the guy who was on the waiting list for this car wanted basic transportation and wouldn't pay for this $6890 option package. Davoud > > Which option package did you get? > > I think it's top-end. Is it #D or something like that? Nav, leather, > JBL audio, auto-dimming mirror/HomeLink, backup camera... Yup; that's the "everything" package. I have an 04 with what was the tope end package then. If I would get an 06 (and I was tempted, but managed to resist the temptation), I'd get the package just below yours; the only difference between the two is that yours has leather seats. -- Michelle SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. Davoud: > > I think it's top-end. Is it #D or something like that? Nav, leather, > > JBL audio, auto-dimming mirror/HomeLink, backup camera... Michelle Steiner: > Yup; that's the "everything" package. I have an 04 with what was the > tope end package then. If I would get an 06 (and I was tempted, but > managed to resist the temptation), I'd get the package just below yours; > the only difference between the two is that yours has leather seats. I would have taken that if it had been available. IMO leather seats are not as durable as good cloth, and they add no value to any car I own. Ditto a sunroof. Would love to have had my Avalon without one, but no deal. Delighted the Prius doesn't have one; love the headroom. Davoud > Davoud: > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Davoud Ditto re the seat, which just get hot or cold, depending.... BUT I would really like to vent my Prius when it's parked. It's one hot car. SignatureJean B. > Ditto re the seat, which just get hot or cold, depending.... BUT I would > really like to vent my Prius when it's parked. It's one hot car. Is there a remote start or something like that that would allow pre-heating/cooling using the batteries for the climate control like on the late GM EV? >> Ditto re the seat, which just get hot or cold, depending.... BUT I would >> really like to vent my Prius when it's parked. It's one hot car. > > Is there a remote start or something like that that would allow > pre-heating/cooling using the batteries for the climate control like on > the late GM EV? I don't know how Toyota does it, Dave, but my Prius puts out cold air immediately. >>> Ditto re the seat, which just get hot or cold, depending.... BUT I would >>> really like to vent my Prius when it's parked. It's one hot car. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I don't know how Toyota does it, Dave, but my Prius puts out cold air > immediately. I believe the climate control is all electric on hybrid cars. Otherwise the engine would have to be running anytime the heat or AC was on. > I believe the climate control is all electric on hybrid cars. > Otherwise the engine would have to be running anytime the heat or AC > was on. That is true for the Prius, but not for the Honda hybrids; they run the AC conventionally, but they do have a cutout option. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > I believe the climate control is all electric on hybrid cars. Otherwise > the engine would have to be running anytime the heat or AC was on. True on the current generation of Prius, but the pre-2004s (like our 2002) have an ICE driven A/C that really is a bit of a compromise. Mike > I believe the climate control is all electric on hybrid cars. Otherwise > the engine would have to be running anytime the heat or AC was on. I've only kept track for the Prius: Heat is provided in the traditional way - via "waste" heat from the engine. Since the Prius' engine is rather efficient, it is not uncommon for the engine to start just to provide the occupants with more heating (and therefore also heat the hybrid batteries), such as if you are stuck in unmoving traffic (or at a stoplight) when otherwise the engine would turn off. In some markets, there are some small electric PTC heaters for the front floor, but they're not very powerful/noticable. This is one of the (many) reasons that those in cold weather climates notice worse fuel economy in the colder winter months. AC source depends on which Prius you're talking about. The 2001-2003 "Classic" Prius (and I think also the original 1998-2000 Japanese Prius) have an AC compressor run the conventional way - by a belt off of the gasoline engine. If the compressor is running, then the engine must be on. (However, after a short while the AC compressor isn't needed constantly, and will cycle on and off as needed to provide more dehumidifying or a little more cooling (provided that you don't have the MAX AC button on), but the fan will stay on. So, the engine will cycle on/off as needed to run the AC compressor.) This is one of the reasons that those who live in warm weather climates notice worse fuel economy in the warmer summer months. The 2004-current Prius has an electrically-driven AC compressor, run off of the hybrid traction battery. The engine is not required to be on for the AC compressor to be on. However, the charge for the hybrid battery has to come from somewhere, so it is not uncommon for the gasoline engine to come on just to recharge the hybrid battery (which was discharged due to heavy AC use). Again, this is one of the reasons that those who live in warm weather climates notice worse fuel economy in the warmer summer months. >> Ditto re the seat, which just get hot or cold, depending.... BUT I >> would really like to vent my Prius when it's parked. It's one hot car. > > Is there a remote start or something like that that would allow > pre-heating/cooling using the batteries for the climate control like on > the late GM EV? I don't know. And as tempting as that may be, I can't see doing that. Wouldn't this violate anti-idling laws? (Not that most folks pay any attention to them, although I suspect the folks in this group just may do so more than the avg person...) SignatureJean B. >> Is there a remote start or something like that that would allow >> pre-heating/cooling using the batteries for the climate control like on [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > attention to them, although I suspect the folks in this group just may do > so more than the avg person...) In theory, the A/C could be run without engaging the drive system or starting the engine, the principle concerns of anti-idling laws. It would be more like listening to the radio with the engine off... just running an accessory. In practice, it would require some changes to the control system to allow the battery to be used that way and I don't think Toyota wants to treat the battery that way. They are trying to build a reputation for reliable hybrids and seem uninterested in exploring more adventurous uses. Mike >> Is there a remote start or something like that that would allow >> pre-heating/cooling using the batteries for the climate control like on [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > attention to them, although I suspect the folks in this group just may do > so more than the avg person...) I looked for a Prius AstroStart without success. Yes, that would violate the anti-idling laws where I live, laws that are generally ignored when the temps get well into the -F range. I have this picture of a cop midway through writing a ticket when the engine shuts down. Shortly after tearing up the ticket, it starts again. :-) >> Davoud: >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Ditto re the seat, which just get hot or cold, depending.... BUT I would > really like to vent my Prius when it's parked. It's one hot car. My black Prius is an oven in the summer too, Jean, but the color is a definite advantage in the winter. Fortunately the Prius air conditioner puts out cold air almost immediately. BTW, I filled my car this morning. Had 560 miles on the tank with an average 54.8 mpg. Haven't quite achieved 55 but I'm trying. > My black Prius is an oven in the summer too, Jean, but the color is a > definite advantage in the winter. Fortunately the Prius air conditioner > puts out cold air almost immediately. BTW, I filled my car this morning. > Had 560 miles on the tank with an average 54.8 mpg. Haven't quite achieved > 55 but I'm trying. Hurrah re the mileage, Bill! After I said my avg was ca 55 mpg, I took my car in for service, and the mpgs have not been the same since. :-( It really hacks me off that this seems to happen every time my car gets serviced!!!! Re the temp, my car is silver. Of course, that ended up being a function of what was available, but it is also what I would have ordered. Yes, it does cool down pretty rapidly, and the AC is effective, but it is most unpleasant to get into--or to wait in (turned off, of course). SignatureJean B. >> My black Prius is an oven in the summer too, Jean, but the color is a >> definite advantage in the winter. Fortunately the Prius air conditioner [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > really hacks me off that this seems to happen every time my car gets > serviced!!!! There have been a lot of complaints about that. The most common culprits are: *They set tire pressure to Toyota standards, rather than the higher numbers many of us prefer *They run the engine a while during service, burning gas and making that tank have lower economy *They overfill the oil, putting in 4 qts instead of 3.5 *They fill the oil too fast, causing it to back up into the PCV and intake *They overadjust the parking brake - applying it hard and releasing ten times seems to help that. Mike > There have been a lot of complaints about that. The most common > culprits are: > *They set tire pressure to Toyota standards, rather than the higher > numbers many of us prefer Or they don't set it at all. I've given up on them in this regard. I just take the car to a filling station and set the tire pressure myself. > *They run the engine a while during service, burning gas and making > that tank have lower economy Yuppers. I had service done on Friday; when I brought it in, my mileage on the tank was 47.9 (I still had ten bars on it, and only about 100 miles on the tank); when I got it back, the mileage was 46.1 > *They overfill the oil, putting in 4 qts instead of 3.5 Instead of 3.9, not 3.5. When I brought mine in on Friday, I specifically told the service manager about that. They filled it properly this time. > *They fill the oil too fast, causing it to back up into the PCV and > intake I wouldn't know how to check on that. > *They overadjust the parking brake - applying it hard and releasing > ten times seems to help that. That's one problem I haven't had. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > There have been a lot of complaints about that. The most common culprits > are: [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Mike Thanks. I'm going to save this post. I have rectified the situation (before) with the last-mentioned, but this time something else is happening. I will check all the things that I CAN check. If this keeps happening, I will try another dealership for service. SignatureJean B. >>> Ditto a sunroof. Would love to have had my Avalon without one, but no >>> deal. Delighted the Prius doesn't have one; love the headroom. >>> Davoud I really miss not having a sunroof, but I hadn't considered the headroom issue. > .......... BTW, I filled my car this morning. Had 560 miles on the tank > with an average 54.8 mpg. Haven't quite achieved 55 but I'm trying. With summer weather, possible helped by summer fuel formulation, my mileage has shown a dramatic improvement. I decided to try to see what I could do by being careful. I switched from the left lane to the right lane on the highways and mostly tried to not exceed 65 or so. I went 533 miles on 9.7 gallons or 55 mpg. Surprisingly, the indicated mpg was very close to that calculated for the last couple of tanks. Before that, the indicated mpg averaged about 1.4 mpg higher. Long term average mpg is 45.2 while average of indicated mpg is 46.5 Al call weathertech, window vents are 100$ for front and rear, they are out of dark but have clear >> Davoud: >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Ditto re the seat, which just get hot or cold, depending.... BUT I would > really like to vent my Prius when it's parked. It's one hot car. > call weathertech, window vents are 100$ for front and rear, they are out of > dark but have clear I'll look into those--and the shades made especially for the Prius. SignatureJean B. > I would have taken that if it had been available. IMO leather seats > are not as durable as good cloth, and they add no value to any car I > own. Ditto a sunroof. Would love to have had my Avalon without one, > but no deal. Delighted the Prius doesn't have one; love the headroom. I had a 93 Saturn with a sunroof; I usually used it as a moonroof, but sometimes I opened it part way, just to let air slip through. I later had an 01 Acura TL, and I hardly ever opened its sunroof, and didn't use it as a moonroof either. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. I have a 2004 top end also and we got a 2006 with the leather for my wife at the beginning of the year. I personally think that the cloth seats in the 2004 are more comfortable than the leather (although the leather is not bad). We actually ordered our 2006 with cloth seats but the dealer ordered by the 2005 package number and we would not have gotten the navigation system. The car that we bought became available and was offered to us, so rather than wait for a reorder, we took it. Kari > Davoud: >> > I think it's top-end. Is it #D or something like that? Nav, leather, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Davoud > Yup; that's the "everything" package... P.S. to my previous: Get your a** off this forum and back to CSMS and fix my networking problem. Believe I have a failing cable modem, but I'm not certain. Davoud >> Yup; that's the "everything" package... > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Davoud My limited experience makes me think you're right. The last one I had worked for about half an hour after spending some time in the freezer, then it wouldn't lock up on the cable side. And I thought D-Link was good.... Mike > P.S. to my previous: Get your a** off this forum and back to CSMS and > fix my networking problem. Believe I have a failing cable modem, but > I'm not certain. Sorry, but networking is one of the areas that I do not know much about. I couldn't even understand your problem, let alone offer advice about it. SignatureStop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush. > what with fuel prices, what is the demand/availablity of the Prius at > USA dealers now? Are there waiting lists in effect, or are they > reasonably available if you shoop around? Are dealers charging a > premium above list? To resurrect an old topic.... Times are a changing. My local dealer (Lexington, MA) currently has 9 displayed on the front lot with more (for customer delivery?) in the back. One even has the windshield marked "$500 discount". Al |
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