First off the good news. MY PRIUS HAS ARRIVED. After three months of searching and dealing with over 30 dealers in three states, I was finally able to get the Black Package 7 Prius I was hoping for. Oh the drama, the stories, the lies, the ups and downs. I want to thank Diane at Carson Toyota, Ryan Lake at Irvine Toyota and Julie Derby of Puente Hills Toyota for having been kind and honest in the help they offered me. The dealer that finally came through was Clarence at Hansel Toyota in San Francisco. Sorry this sounds like an awards acceptance speech but the process almost felt like one. I have never gotten so in depth in the purchase of a vehicle before. All the info and help I got here at PriusChat was invaluable and helped me keep my negotiations honest. I am flying up to SanFran on March 2nd to pick it up and drive back to Orange County. I have two questions: 1.) I have the VIN number and signed all the paperwork. Am I good to send in the HOV sticker application? 2.) Do I need to fill in the license number box or is the VIN sufficient? 3.) In driving home for my first trip, do you recommend the scenic coast with more stops/starts and changing driving patterns or the inland I5 route to see what kind of freeway mileage I can get? Thanks again for everyone's help. You are a wonderful family!!!
First off, congratulations!! 1) That's what I did; as soon as I received the VIN, I filled out and mailed the application. I don't have my license # either. I've heard some folks mention that all you need is the VIN for the DMV to process the application. So I guess I'll find out if that's correct, if I don't receive my stickers. 2) In the license # section I wrote in 'New Vehicle' 3) Not sure which would be better for the car. If you have the time, by all means I suggest you take the scenic route. It's gorgeous! If you're strapped for time, then the I5 straight down. I'm heading to SJ next month for a roadtrip and taking the I5 up to get there quicker on a Friday evening, then taking my sweet time coming home by taking the coastal route all day on Sunday.
The DMV will not have a record of the car until after the dealer submits the paperwork. The application will not be precessed if the car is not in the system.
