I'm just curious if anyone has seen an increase in the availability of the 2005 Prius. Are they easier to get yet? When will Toyota's production boost kick in? I won't consider getting any new car just before Winter, but I'm not sure how soon I should get on a Prius waiting list. I'm not planning on buying before April or May next year.
Now is the time to get on a waiting list indeed. My wife & I are getting a second Prius. We got on a waiting list (same dealer as our current Prius) a month ago. We expect the Prius March or April at the earliest.
There's no question that more Prii are arriving at dealerships these days than there were before September -- that's been pretty well documented. And the waiting period appears to have shortened significantly. However, when to sign up, given that you're aiming for April or May of 2005, is a good question. I'd ask your local dealer how long the waiting time is, and how many Prii they're getting in a month. Around Seattle, I keep hearing 3-4 months bandied about these days. (Also depends on what options package you're picking, and how flexible you are on colors.) However, the danger is that if gas prices shoot up even farther, the demand for Prii will get larger, and bingo: you'll find the waiting list is longer than you expected.
and if you reside in CA. where the carpool lane might be a possiblity for us all solo with Prius, your wait time's no different now... even with NO sure bet for that carpool lane law to pass. Di
Thanks for the feedback! I live in Connecticut and have a great Toyota dealer where we bought a Sienna in April this year. I'll have to go in and see what their allotment is.
Stopped by the dealer today and spoke to my saleman. He said their list is still a "year" long. He said they've stopped accepting names right now and they're only getting one (maybe two) Prius a month. Since I'm a previous customer, he'd see if the sales manager would put me on their list, but I told him I really won't be ready until next year. They're so desparate to sell the Prius, they actually bought a 2004 from an auction. It has some miles on it, but they're going to offer it with all of the warranties. He knows I'm not buying yet, but I'm going to test drive it this weekend.
Scalz -- I'm curious: do you live in a relatively small town? It sounds as if the dealership is getting very few Prii in.
I've seen the same amount listed at dealers since March when I placed my order. Each dealer seems to be getting in anywhere from 2-5 each allocation. I've been offered 2 so far both white a color I don't want. We have 4 Toyota dealers in Orlando.
Somebody is in luck. I saw a truck carrying a new seaside heading up the 405 this morning. Couldn't miss it... as it was on the front top of the carrier. Not sure if there were any more with it. =)
The dealership is in Bristol, CT. By population, it qualifies as a city, but it's a little off the beaten trail. Still, it's a pretty big Toyota location for the state.
It definitely depends on location. There are numerous Toyota dealerships in my area. Just the one I bought mine through was getting 18-20 a month as of this summer; probably more now that production has increased. I know my wait time certainly shortened since September. If I had to guess, I'd say that the west coast has the largest distribution in the US. I don't know about international distribution levels.
