Order without seeing??

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kgraves1989 @ May 4 2006, 12:13 AM) [snapback]249528[/snapback]</div>

Ayuh. We did. Well, not exactly. We looked at a Classic, knowing that our '05 would be bigger with a different body style. The Classic never would have worked for us. A month later (after ordering) we saw one in the lot and got to drive one.

 

Best bet: Find a volume dealer in your area. (Mine was Faulkner Toyota in Trevose, PA.) They get larger allocations of Prii. Contact their web salesperson (Patty--tell her Gene sent you). Ask what Prii they have on hand and what's coming in. Go there, see and drive one on the lot. Make your deal for color and option pkgs from the stock or incoming.

Your on your way!

 

Well I never saw a Prius like mine, but I did get to drive one before I bought it, and back in 04 that was really something! I chose colors from paint chips. BTW do not trust paint chips unless you have to! I did get a great car in a color I like and wanted so I did not do too bad. Not bad at all.

 

Heck yeah. I ordered an 06 prius after taking a look at 05 prius, and I couldn't even test drive it because the dealership didn't have a model car around and they took me to their garage to "show" me a car that was about to be picked up by an owner.

I don't think I'm a very smart customer. After writing my 27K check to my dealer, I realized that I haven't even looked at my car yet. I told the guy, "this car better be silver, just as you promised"

ah well.. at least I paid MSRP, no premium.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hdrygas @ May 4 2006, 01:25 AM) [snapback]249562[/snapback]</div>

I ordered and put down a $1000 non-refundable deposit on a 10 minute 2005 Prius test drive.

Totall agree with hdrygas....the paint ships aren't that good, but better than the computer screen and the Toyota web site though. There, the Seaside Pearl looks (at least on my screen at work and at home) darker blue. In real life, the Seaside Pearl changes color with the outside lighting. Sometimes it looks blue and other times it looks kind of purple. Kind of cool though. I stuck with boring Classic Silver. Don't want to stand out that much since there are so many "Hybrid Haters" on the roads these days, if you believe the mainstream media.

 

When I walked past my car on Pickup Day, it was the first time I'd seen one in-person.

When I drove it home, it was my first drive.

I can only hope that things work out that well the next time I try for a scarce car...

 

I went through an auto sales service through my local credit union here in San Diego. They ordered me a 2006 Prius, option package #3 in Classic Silver.

So I KIND OF ordered without seeing, but I know the exact options and color I wanted

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kgraves1989 @ May 4 2006, 09:18 AM) [snapback]249688[/snapback]</div>

I just couldn't do that. But I was lucky. I live in Huntsville, AL. I called around and Beaman in Nashville keeps a 2004 Prius on the lot for test drives. Beaman was the only one in a 2 hour drive that had one to test drive. I went Saturday (29 Apr 06) to test drive it and LOVED it! It is roomy and it drives nice. So I put my $500 down and thought I would have to wait 6-8 week. But they had ONE on the lot that someone had ordered and didn't like the color (Beaman will work with you if you want to re-order since they sell so many.) It was the right color, but I wanted package 8 and it was the 7. Beaman said that he could have it ready in 2 days for me with a thicker leather than the manufactures leather and same price or I could drive it off the lot and bring it back if I wanted to get the leather for the same price ($1200). So, I took it home. The cloth is comfortable and I'm not sure if I'll go back and have it changed.

I have to say that I was very happy with my experience with Beaman and my saleman, Fred Johnson, did everything he could to make me happy and he knew all about the Prius. (He didn't not pay me to say this. )

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ramona @ May 4 2006, 08:45 AM) [snapback]249702[/snapback]</div>

I couldn't do that, either. I had to see a car and drive one. To be honest, that is why I own a Prius rather than a HCH. The Honda dealers couldn't find one for me to test drive or even look at, and I went to several. Of course, I went to several Toyota dealers, too, and most of them didn't have a Prius. In the end, I test drove a Prius, then made the purchase through the Internet department. I suppose that is just me...
However, I did not know the exact price...but my guess was within a couple $k.

 

hadn't seen a black one before we ordered. there was a blue one in my parking lot at the uni. i originally wanted blue but picked up the first black one when my car died. i hadn't driven one, but DH had (only for service work, not a test drive) and told me i'd love it. he was right... as usual :wub:

 

I did see a number of Priuses on the road around town before I ordered mine. I had peered into some that were parked here and there, but there weren't any Priuses at any local dealers for me to really get into and test drive before I ordered. I figured I couldn't go wrong with the color: black.

About a month or month and a half after I placed my order, my brother in law called up to say they just had a Prius come into their dealership that I could test drive that afternoon if I wanted to (he worked for a local Toyota). Apparently it was someone else's car, and they were due to pick it up the following day. Needless to say, I was very careful during the test drive (I mean, it's someone's car!!) and was even more sold on the Prius after sitting inside of it and driving it for ~20 minutes.

You will not be disappointed when your Prius arrives, that's for sure!! I still remember the night we pulled into my dealer to pay for and pick up my Prius. It was sitting right out front, all black and shiny and waiting for ME. The first thing we did before going inside to deal w/paperwork and payment, was to drive that guy around town for 30-45 minutes and get familiar with him. I was in love at first sight/drive!!

 

When I ordered my 05, I was lucky enough to get to drive a used 05 they had on the lot. It didn't have the package I was ordering, but gave me a feel for the vehicle.

Now I *DID* order my 06 without ever having seen the COLOR I ordered: BARCELONA RED <grin>

 

In our case, on a whim, one night in October of last year my wife and I went into the dealership to ask about the Prius --- the cost of gasoline was about $1.20 a litre that night. He gave us the brochures and promised to call us when the next arrived at the dealership so that we could see one. there were no Prius on the lot at that time. He called two weeks later and my wife and I went out --- again in the dark of a late October evening. Someone else's Prius was in the garage being dealer prepared for delivery. we couldn't get a test drive but he did allow us to sit in it for a few minutes after the pair ahead of us. Lots of people wanted to see this car.

We liked what we saw and left having put $1000 down and ordering a 'red' Prius. The new Barcelona red was not even released then. The new prices were not released either and we ordered the base level model. Shortly after I started to read this chat line and learned and learned and learned. I changed my order to the fully loaded model with some additions to that and requested delivery in April.

So we ordered after two minutes in the car --- colour unknown at the time and prices not yet established. Our first drive was actually the day we picked it up. I had talked to a few other area owners by then and was confident that we had made the right choice. I still am --- three weeks later!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(drummoros @ May 5 2006, 01:36 PM) [snapback]250322[/snapback]</div>

Yes, looked at one on the Toyota Website. Never saw one in person, never drove one, never sat in one. The dealer didn't have any in the showroom, didn't have any, but had one coming in. So I bought it, sight unseen, with whatever package was in it (#5). Crazy, not really. I bought another car on e bay, sight unseen, a car I liked but had never driven and never sat in. I love both cars. Anyone want to sell me something sight unseen???

 

I rented one for two weeks to make sure it would work for me (it did).

The biggest problem of buying one without at least a test drive is the seats. I don't have any problems with the seats, but some are in pain after driving for a 1/2 hour.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kgraves1989 @ May 3 2006, 09:13 PM) [snapback]249528[/snapback]</div>

No...I saw a Prius with the color/package that I intended to get, test drove another Prius. I had been looking to buy a Honda hybrid, but no Honda dealer had one for me to drive. Even a couple of the other Toyota salesmen tried to dissuade me from buying a Prius...they wanted to sell me a Camry (and make more commission $$$). But that is just the way I was taught that one should buy a car.

You will like the mileage. I am averaging about 50 mpg so far, and I have only had mine for 3 months.

 

I remember when i bought my 2002 echo (new),i saw the earlier version of the prius in the showroom.At that time i predicted that my next car would be a prius.Didnt buy one then because i wasnt sure of its reliability and future. Well about 2 months ago my echo needed some recall work.dealership gave me a 2006 prius as a loner.I had it for the weekend and fell in love.Shortly after that i traded in my echo for the prius.