Not actually an order, as I'm buying ex-demo, but I am having to wait for it. Date Ordered: 21 May 2004 Dealer Ordered From: Cambridge Toyota, Cambridge, UK Timeframe given for delivery: 15 July 2004 Color: Silver Option Package: T4, cargo mat Your # on Dealer's Waiting List:n/a I waited nearly a month for the test drive (imagine how excited I was when I got the call to say, "We've got one in and you can drive it tomorrow." Anyway, it turns out that the demo car is for sale, and it's very low mileage for a motor first registered in October - it reached the 1500-mile whilst on the test drive. Apparently, it has been used as a static demonstrator at trade fairs and so on. (As an aside, it's lowest mileage of the three cars I've ever bought, despite being the oldest) They don't get their replacement demonstrator until mid-July, so they won't let me have it until then. Meanwhile, I'm nursing my old Peugeot turbo-diesel along and lusting for the silent, smooth ride I had in the Prius. According to the salesman, an order would be filled around September/October, but buying the demo car guarantees my date. And it stops me wasting money on a T5 (sorry, "T Spirit") with its sat-nav (I know my around pretty well) and Bluetooth (no plans to get a mobile phone).
So it seems I'm going to be taking your car for a test drive on Monday. I'll try not to bend it. :lol:
Have fun, KMO - and do let us know what you think of it. If you order, we should have a Cambridge Prius gathering. I'm told there's a few of them around, but I've not spotted one yet.
Getting nearer... I just received a call from my salesman - and it's good news. I can have it later this month. I'm away on holiday for most of the second half of June, so I'm going to have to finish gathering the money into one place before I go - and race into the dealer the moment I return!
The test drive was a bit too short to form that strong an impression; I'd really like to take it out for longer (and without the salesbloke in the back...) My wife is extremely unconvinced to say the least. She thinks it's too big, and that £20000 is a ridiculous price for a car; it's totally out of our league. Personally, I don't think it would be an extravagant sole car for a 30-year-old couple earning £88000 between them, but hey, what do I know? :roll: She wants us to get a 6-year-old Corsa. Maybe the dealer will accept her as a trade-in. 8) Anyway, I did note that your rear-left corner bumper was well scraped (before I took it out, honest). Make sure they've done a good job of fixing that before you accept it.
Got it! Picked it up on Tuesday (29 June). And I'm still walking around with a manic grin (my colleagues all look a little scared of me - like, more than they usually do). Rear bumper looked like new, no problems there. Hopefully, I'll have time for a proper report later this month, when I've had a weekend or two away in the hills.
It seems I never did get around to that proper report - too busy driving here, there and everywhere! In the 13 years since, I clocked up 356,000 miles without major problems. I've had three or four new front bumpers, due to the Highlands' errant deer population, and a couple of wing mirrors, due to the Lowlands' errant youth population, but she did me proud until last week, when a worn-out steering rack made the MOT failure not worth pursuing. I've just upgraded to a new (ex-demo again) plug-in model, and I'm already a fan of it.
