I just went to my local (Cincinnati) Toyota dealer to check out a Prime and was told they don't have any in stock and they have no idea when they would get one. A quick check on Toyota's website shows zero Prime's at any local dealers in the city area. Is this normal? I have narrowed it down to this or a Volt and I would like to see one in person before I make a decision. I already test drove a Volt. If it is impossible for any Toyota dealer to get one then that may make my decision for me.
Certain areas have a hard time getting them and others have an easier time getting them. I use http://www.autotrader.com to search a wider area for dealers that have one. I think it would definitely be worth your wild to see and drive a Prime before you make your decision. Primes are wonderful cars! I love mine! Best car that I have ever bought. Some people have flown across the country to get a Prime because their area does not have one. The northeast part of the country seems to have quite a few to choose from with incentives for Toyota. Good luck! It is worth the work and search! #1 in Easley,SC
I agree that you should try Autotrader.com to locate them in the midwest. I know there are a couple available in central Indiana. Most of us in this part of the country had to order ours and wait anywhere from 3 to 6 months! Good luck.
It is sad that in this so-called free country of ours, a potential purchaser cannot gain access to a desired product due to politics and shady distributors. Faced with your lack of locally available stock, I'd scout out local people through this and other web posters, etc. to locate, see, drive the car. I'd have no problem going back east even from, my state California if that's the only way to get a car. The Prime is worth the hassle. I did buy a 2001 Acura Integra Type R, which I had never seen in person, not to mention driven, and bought it purely on reputation. It was a wonderful car, although the salesman was a donkey!! The Type R was a very low volume high performance car. If you read the posts here, you'll see that the Prime is beloved by the frugal, informed owners, who have come to rely on Toyota's stellar reliability. It's fun to drive too!! Good luck! .
If you use http://www.cars.com, use your zip code, search all and nearest and you come up with this. I used 45222 in Cincinnati for this example. Cars.com Be advised, Your local can get any vehicle available in the US and order one from the factory for you...but they only like to trade with other Dealerships within their own Region. You really want to look at the Prime...drive to the closest and check it out. If your local won't get you exactly what you want, go find another Dealership or go buy the car where it's at. You can, and I suggest you do, take care of the TTL back home yourself. Have done this many times. Good luck.
Man, if you only knew the stories so many here went through a year back. I bought sight unseen. A Prime is a rare bird but an amazing car. Good luck on your search.
If I am going to get a new plug-in hybrid I am going to do it this year before the tax incentive (maybe) goes away entirely. But I am not buying a Prime sight unseen, and I am not all too keen on driving three hours just for a test drive... But you never know.
I believe there are several Prime Premiums at Autonation Toyota in Denver if you are considering traveling to find one.
About the Volt? From the short amount of time I had with one today I would say the manual seats, small amount of legroom for the rear passengers, and the narrow trunk. Seriously, the sides of the car towards the rear probably flare out more than my 2010 Prius so why do the walls of the inside of the hatchback area go straight up? It seems like there is a lot of wasted space around the rear wheel wells that is totally open on a Prius that is walled off in the Volt. My only concern with the Prime is the lack of Android Auto on the stereo. Toyota needs to get with the times with that.
It seems like the Volt is a little more expensive but it also gets the full tax rebate of $7500. I think the Prime only gets $2500. I have only seen photos/video of the Prime but it seems to have a fancier interior than the Volt so you would think the Prime would be more expensive.
prime gets $4,500. most have said that volt is quite, tight and sportier. interior volume and comfort needs to be seen and felt to be appreciated. i have heard that chevy is greatly discounting volt price, but have no personal experience. people are getting $3,500. factory rebate on prime in ny/nj, and several thousand off from the dealers, depending on package. agree with you on infotainment, toyota is severely lacking.
$4500, sorry. The Volt certainly seemed more lively to drive but I have been driving a Prius for so many years now that I doubt I would mind driving the Prime. I test drove a Hyundai Ioniq first and that thing was a piece of junk. I was concerned the interior of the Volt would be just as cheap as that but it had pretty comfortable seats and a nice center stack. The photos of the seats in the Prime look even better but I would like to try them out to know for sure. That has been a lot harder to do than I anticipated.
Mr. Bisco, I've not heard thoughts regarding Prime voice command vs. Volt. The Prime's voice command system is very good; I have heard of a good deal of problems with the Volt, their "logic" system not recognizing commands, or having to be set to Spanish, then back to English in order to function! Reliability is a major concern for me, and with my experience, I still don't trust these guys! .