Safety Features Still Optional

I'm glad Toyota bundles some of the safety stuff into the base model. Not having windows would be real bad. No steering wheel, customer will provide their own is bad. Gas cap optional, rag would do, and we will save $8.29 per car. there would be substantial cost savings to both the company and the customer. However, can we really trust individuals to make and properly attach their own steering wheel, or was it really a great idea by Toyota to make that part of the base model? I think they did the right thing.

Perhaps they did provide a base level of safety, and computer controlled stability and air bags beyond driver/passenger front are OPTIONAL, and JBL stereo is optional and so are curtain airbags. Just because you think those should be required and standard doesn't mean that you run things at Toyota.

One day, it will be all your fault. You won't be blaming lack of this or that on someone else. Could that be? Oh yeah, it really could be all your fault, and those guys you keep pointing at are not responsible for it all.

 

I guess I'm confused by your post. Here are the two situations - the current one and your hypothetical one:

1. Base model has no side/curtain airbags; versus
2. Base model has side/curtain airbags, but costs more.

By definition, the only people affected by the difference in situations 1 and 2 are the tiny fraction of buyers who can afford the base model in situation #1, but cannot afford the base model in situation #2.

Now, the buyer has an accident. In the situation #1 scenario, the buyer must explain to the survivors "that side bags and curtains were just too expensive but were available." That's a tough conversation, but the fact is, the buyer couldn't afford a Prius with side/curtain airbags, and chose to get one anyway. That's an assumption of risk, and in no way Toyota's fault.

In your situation #2, the buyer would have been in a different car, because the base model was too expensive.

Perhaps you're suggesting that Toyota is somehow tempting people to forego side/curtain airbags by making it possible to get a Prius without them? I certainly wouldn't want to be the person explaining to survivors that I tried to save money by foregoing additional safety features. But the responsibility - all if it - is mine, not Toyota's.

 

considering the driving death toll i dont think ALL of us were fine...

 

I believe that even the less expensive VW comes with all the safety features (plus rear disc brakes).

 

I once read a post on the Yahoo chats where someone was considering (or have already done) replacing the seats for something more comfortable. When asked if that would effect the airbags, the response was the chance of the side airbags going off is so remote they're willing to take the chance in order to avoid the pain of everyday driving.

 

I don't mind that the safety features are optional.
I do mind that the package with just the extra safety features (#4) is not among those that my region will be stocking.
I'll have to get package #2 without the extra safety features
or spring for $3k more and get a bunch of luxury features I am not interested
or try to get a package #4 from some other region.

 

IMHO, no amount of equivicating, price and consumer choice included, can excuse an automobile living on the edge of technology from having them.

HOs are one of two commonly acknowledged things we all have. Other people (a majority, judging from both this forum and sales figures) have a different one. Opinion, that is.

 

I like the idea that people can still be a little bit responsible for their own safety, not only can you choose side curtain airbags or not, you can choose what kind of car you want. If you want the maximum possibility of avoiding an accident to start with go to driving school and buy a car that handles and stops well such as an S2000 or a 350Z. If you want the best chance of surviving an accident buy a Suburban or an Excursion or a dump truck, but avoid collisions with railroad locomotives.

 

Hmmm, I don't know about the rest of you but when I bought my Prius I didn't have a choice unless I was willing to get on a waiting list. I called all the dealers in the SF bay area. 2 had cars for sale. One in Concord, one in San Jose. Both were selling at MSRP. Concord had 2 cars. One was a silver package 6, the other a Salsa Red package 3. San Jose had a tideland #6. This was the third week of June this year. I called Concord and said I was on my way to buy a prius. I was about 30 minutes away. They said to hurry. When I got there, the #6 was driving off the lot with a new buyer so, I had a choice. Wait or buy what they had now. I decided to buy the #3 Salsa red. While I worked all the details with the Finance guy there were 3 people begging to buy that car and were offering above MSRP to get it.
I did not even know the real differences between packages. Yes, I had gotten online and checked but I was not entirely sure what all the details were. As it turned out, I went in thinking of a #4 with VIP security and matts. I could not justify the additional cost for a package 6 anyway when all I was looking at a #6 for was the navigation. I settled for a 3 with VIP ,matts, safety kit, cargo net , wheel locks, and bumper applique. I feel lucky to have gotten a car at all without having to be on a waiting list and since then, it's only become worse.
The truth is, I did not absolutly need a new car. It was a present to my wife for completing her post graduate degree and landing a new job requiring a 30 mile each way commute as a grammer school principal. I probably would not have bought it if I had to wait. So, am I angry that certain safety options are only offered in expensive packages? I don't think so.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

Of course everyone would like the freedom to mix and match accessories, but Toyota is not stupid and if they thought that they could sell more accessories that way they would have jumped on it.

The Scion is an interesting example, but completely different from the Prius. Most of the Scion accessories are things that get bolted on and don't require much integration work. Fancy pedals, knobs, wheels, spoilers, etc. For the options that do require electrical or other integration, their prices are ridiculously high.

An auto dimming mirror on a Scion costs $295. An ipod jack for the stereo costs $260.

The equivalent options inside Prius packages cost about half as much or less.

I do think that Toyota could offer side airbags for the Prius ala carte, but because of the liability issues around installing them right, and simply because ala carte costs more, I think it would be reasonable to expect them to cost more much more. It could very well cost as much as buying whatever package had them even with some options you didn't need.

The biggest issue I think with these kinds of options is the "What can I do to get you to drive home in this car tonight" sales mentality. Maybe once cars sales moves towards a more internet-driven, order-based model, these things can start happenning.

 

you can not simply install of those airbags manually - it would take a lot of time, wiring is simply not there and in some parts, it would mean new seats. It really does not work that way.

I dont see whats wrong with having an option, if you want it, simply buy it! Cost of something like that will not be amortized, airbags cost so price of Prius would end up being more...

 

I do mind that the package with just the extra safety features (#4) is not among those that my region will be stocking.


Um... guess what? Your region will not be stocking any of the Prius models.

In fact, all of the Prius in America are ordered to the dealer. I did order a package that is 'meant' for my region, but it would not have mattered a lick if I had ordered any of the packages. get what you want, you're going to have to wait 4 months for it to come, and both toyota and your dealer could care less what number it is.

Now... If you are talking about which cars Toyota would position in areas had they caught up to demand, then it is unlikely the package you want would be sitting on the lot waiting for you. But since there won't be anything sitting on the lot and you will have to order one no matter what, you just go right on ahead and get the one you want.

You have my permission, and if anyone gives you trouble, you tell them you read it on the internet, it has to be true.

Oh.. and, our dealer had a package that is not typical to our area come available. I didn't take it, and someone else did.