Prime in the wild.

When we went shopping for our 2017 Prime, the dealership had a "Blue Magnetism" Prime on the showroom floor but the florescent lights made the color appear like a very faded aquamarine -- like the paint on a poorly maintained swimming pool badly in need of cleaning. It absolutely made me nauseous. We ended up buying our Prime in the very classic but stodgy Magnetic Gray.

A few weeks later I saw a Blue Magnetism Prime in daylight at the parking lot at our nearby commuter rail station. It was GORGEOUS!! It's a beautiful blue color and, while I absolutely love our gray Prime, it regret that we did not get it in a more distinctive color like the Blue Magnetism or even the Hypersonic Red.

 

The Blue Magnetism is one of those colors you actually get to appreciate when you own the car. I don't think there is anyone who bought the Blue Magnetism and later didn't like it a lot, even if they were initially unwilling about it.

 

I haven't seen a single one: not in Germany before I left in July 2019 (btw, I just discovered they don't sell the Gen4 anymore in Germany!!, only the Prime); none in Italy when I visited after that, and none in Australia after moving here beginning of 2020.

I am getting a red one soon. I hope I like the color.
The blue one doesn't speak to me. I had a chance to see it at a dealership in Germany and I wasn't convinced.
I also didn't want a 3rd gray Prius.

Toyota has never really won me over with its color choices. Other manufacturers out there have fantastic palette ranges and tones in comparison.

 

It is a great color. But I agree that it should not be a common color.

A half dozen Primes the same color in the same day? I don't think I saw a half dozen of ANY color all last year around here. But regular Prii? I sometimes see three or four sitting at the same traffic light.

 

Southern California is the Prius Prime capital of the world, and even here I don't see that many Prius Primes—typically between zero and two a day. The vanilla Prius? They are dime a dozen, especially among taxi/Uber/Lyft drivers.

The vanilla Prius seems to be popular among youngsters (hence, they are driven fast), while Prius Prime seems popular among educators, green people, etc.

I was spooked when I saw that many Blue Magnetisms in one day—it made me feel less special. LOL The first time I saw one, I waved at the guy, who was some green dude.

 

Tonight I spotted a Prius Prime Plus Blue Magnetism with purple HOV stickers—likely a 2019 model—and Bernie and Biden/Harris bumper stickers. It is a very blue car indeed (pun intended). I should probably put my blue HOV stickers on my 2021 Prius Prime Limited Blue Magnetism when they arrive.

 

Considering the issues I am having in getting mine in Red (or any other color really, with black interiors), with delivery needed one month from now (that is, when I can pick it up), I am wondering: is there really a big demand of Primes? or dealers have a lack of stock due to the recent electronics components delivery constraints at all automotive manufacturers? or there is some other reason?
Why they seem to be so rare?

 

Where are you located? Prime availability depends largely on where in the US you are. In the northeast, I have not seen shortage of PP any time of year, but some area never has enough PP in stock. My local dealer always has over 10 PP in a lot, but have only a few regular Prius.

 

Due to logistics/family reasons, I am purchasing it through a south-SLC dealer. I am moving to Denver.
The dealer there told me that they checked the whole western USA (including Colorado) and have next to no stock. And only one is like the one I want: red, black interiors, Limited trim. It will need to be shipped over from New Mexico for an extra transport fee.

I could go with another color, even go with grey yet again (it would be my 3rd time,) but they are all with white interiors. Good luck keeping a light-colored interior clean, especially the plastic inserts. Plus, I don't like their aesthetic.
All other Primes available are either 2020 models and/or XLE trim. I want the head-up display (after using it on my two previous Prii, a must) and the TSS2.0 (only on the 2021 model.) So it must be a Limited and 2021 model.
I was surprised by how little stock there is in such a big geographical area.

The other option is to order it and wait three months. Were I to move to Europe, it would not be a problem. There are always several public transport options. Usually, a lot can be done on foot or with a bicycle: not a chance in suburban Denver, though.

In Europe, waiting for a new car for 3 months is not a big deal. Dealers do not hold significant stock, mostly due to lack of space and general way of doing business. Consumers expect to wait, as long as they get exactly what they want. Otherwise, the dealer better be ready to offer you a significant discount.
Moreover, depending on how the manufacturers manage their options, trims, and model availability, you can wait easily from one to six or more months to get what you want. When the new Audi A2 came out in Italy 20 years ago, it was such a hit that one friend waited 9 months to get it. Because it has to be black.

It is a rarity that what you want is readily available: usually, in this case, it is a car that was in the show room.

 

I don't know the availability of PP in your area. From what I have read, CA and northeast are the only areas that have an excess of PP in stock, and they are the two areas selling PP at a deep discount.

Just to clarify, you mean moonstone interior ant nod white? PP only comes in either black or moonstone which is two-tone white and black. Also, you are aware that red is a special color that costs an extra $450? I have never ordered a new car from a dealer. I always pick one from what they have in stock to maximize bargaining power.

 

For "white" yes, I mean moonstone. I simply don't like light colored interiors.
And yes, I am aware that red is a color that you have against a fee.
In Europe when I bought my Gen4, all colors except plain matte white, were extra.

 

You can search the inventory at this link. They have one Limited Blue Magnetism with Black interior over there:

Toyota Inventory | New Toyota Inventory Search

 

When I was looking in Indiana at the time, I could only find two near me.

 

Beck to the interior color -

There are a couple things I don't like about black. First, if it's leather or Softex, it scorches your legs when you get in the car for most of the year here in FL. Second, it shows, magnifies, and highlights every speck of dust.

White does neither of those. And the white/moonestone Softex seats seem to be resistant to grime and mine have always cleaned easily with nothing but a damp cloth. (Which I've had to do twice so far since I got it 22 months ago.) I'm constantly dusting the black part of the interior, never the white.

 

White or light-colored interiors add a nice touch. However, one drawback is the reflections on the windshield, which could be distracting.

 

There are two major drawbacks of the color red, in case you aren't aware of.

The first one is that it's at the extreme end of the visible spectrum and it is entirely invisible to the human eye peripherally. If you're to the side of another driver, you will be invisible. You can test this by holding a red object on the side of your head.

The second is that it will show dirt and scratches more so than most or all other colors.

I specifically bought a Barcelona Red Metallic Corolla once—I was only shopping for red cars—but for these reasons I didn't want a red car anymore after that one. I had some close calls because of the invisibility issue I mentioned. Red cars are also not that unique and some people may find it hard to look at them.

Classic Silver Metallic I traded in is classy-looking but turned out to be a boring choice for me; so, there may not be another silver car for me either.

Magnetic Gray Metallic seems to be a good color choice.

Blue Magnetism—I can't be any happier with it—unique, classy, visible, not too dark, not too light, not too metallic but not solid either: best of all words. It is a color choice you get to like more and more everyday after you buy the car, which is the opposite of the experience you typically have with the other color choices.

 

We liked the Red and the Blue, but this year went with the Titanium (has a slight rose tint). Here's our progression. Red to blue to Titanium (with our "old" blue PP at the dealer):

 

I have never noticed any reflections in my windshield from the white parts of the interior. In fact, I don't recall noticing any reflections in my windshield at all. The chrome and the glass on the cars in front of me on bright days is often another matter.