2011 Prius not coming till Feb/Mar 2011?

Why odd? There's still plenty of 10's to sell, so we're focused on selling them out as quickly as possible. Toyota.com is the simplest and highest profile way to do that.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

Maybe customers coming to the Toyota site might actually want 2011's and could be turned off by 2010's selling for not that much of a discount and you're losing sales.

It would probably help if you at least electronically link the local discounts to the final price when you go through the "build a toyota". Easy enough to also toss in a few words along the lines of the the 2010sale prices are only good on remaining 2010's which won't last long on the final build 2010 screen.

 

Trust me, we are very market sensitive. If the sales pace of 2010s were not what we wanted, we would increase the discount. But right now the sales pace is pretty good (partly due to higher gas prices pulling in cost-conscious consumers toward Prius, esp. 2010s).

But it won't be more than a month or so and the 2010s will be sold out.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

Gosh, I wonder if there's anybody on this thread who knows what the January 2011 incentives will be in order to ensure that the 13,000+ remaining 2010s will be "sold out in a month or so?"

 

I just left the local dealer and 2011 are being shipped now. I saw the one I wanted routed to Hot Springs AK. The black exterior with the bisque interior is being shipped.
Can't wait!

 

I spoke with Toyota Sunnyvale who has no-haggle pricing, here's the deal .... they have 2010 at discount and $1k cash back, 2011's are discounted (example ~$1k in three w/nav)

a 2010 III w/nav would be $23,947
a 2011 three w/nav is $25,847 ($1.9 more)

but, if you say, I want either 2010, or 2011 III (three) w/nav in Silver, they have no Silver and you lose the incentive to xfer in.

So, at this point it may be a hunt to get exactly what you want at steep discount. Or maybe compromise on color/trim.

 

As 2010's have more discounts then 2011's it makes sense to buy a 2010. Sure, in resale it will be worth less, but you will have that money up front in your bank account now. Trust me, the 2010's will be gone soon enough!

 

Just announced today I believe...

2010 Prius revised incentive of 0% APR 60 months or $1k cash back until 1/31 tells me there is no incentive on 2011 Prius this month. So, you try for discount at local dealer. Supply and demand always rules.

 

Doug (or any of the Prius Product Development Team),
I WAS anxiously anticipating the '11 Prius - only to find out the solar roof would not be offered AGAIN with the technology package on the Prius Five. Is there a reason why Toyota decided you can't have your cake and eat it too?

I'd like the radar cruise control, Lane Keep Assist, Alloy Wheels, Fog Lamps, Leather, Navigation AND the Solar Roof. Unfortunately, I'm disappointed to say the least.

 

While I don't recall Doug answering this when the 2010 came out, some PC participants who got the special preview shows were given reason to believe that this related at least in part to EPA labeling configuration limits. The equipment you want is incompatible with the EPA 50 MPG sticker. And if it could be lumped in with all other Priuses (not sure it was close enough for that to even be allowed), could have killed the 50 MPG label for the whole line. A sticker of '49' would have have carried far less marketing weight.

But this may not be the only reason. For one thing, all these options add weight, which infringes on the load limit rating.

 

how big will the resale value be hit if one would get a 10 vs. an 11?

 

That depends on how long you keep it before reselling it.

If I keep mine as long as I kept its predecessor -- almost 23 years -- I doubt the difference will be even five dollars.

 

I don't think the model year is all too critical, but a later build date in 2010 would certainly help. If the 2010 was built in mid '09, first few months of production, that's what you get. If 2010 is built in Aug. 2010, they'd have already been building the same car for 1 year and 3 months. Something you can tell a buyer.

Build date shown on placard by driver's door.

 

is there any other way to find how when the build date was? the placard has been discarded. any way other then contacting the dealer?

nm: i googled it and the date should be on the driver's door side B-piller to the right.

 

My car was manufactured 10/10. I intend to keep the car for at least 5-7 years. I drive less then 10,000 miles a year.

I was just thinking if i made the wrong move by purchasing a 2010 Prius instead of a 2011. Although I'm guessing I saved at least 1.5k in purchasing a 2010 instead of a 2011.

How big of a difference in resale value would that make in 5-7 years?

 

plug in a similar genII for 2 different years to get an idea of value difference. it's not that bi a deal, especially after a few years.

 

Doug, and Prius team, if the Toyota web site does not update to the 2011 before the Hyundai and Kia hybrids arrive you may lose a loyal two Prii owner. I am ready to order but will definitely take a look at the competition for they sound good.

 

Anyone have a guess why Toyota chose to keep shipping 2010 model Priuses into dealers until about December instead of being cool, stopping it by at least October / shiiping 2011's by October?

The net effect was prices on 2011's were kept higher early January due to extra (and odd color / packaged) 2010's hanging around.

 

Its the same as any car. They overestimated world wide demand. They decided the most profitable place to sell these prii was in the united states.