How long IS the wait?

Things dealing with the Prius stopped being real about 6 months ago. As far as I can tell from writing letters and talking to dealers, including a broker, no one really knows the mind of Toyota on this. The inscrutable East is being just that. The only thing everyone agrees on, including Toyota, is that they vastly underestimated the demand for the Prius.
From what I have learned, dealers take whatever cars Toyota sends them; they do not and cannot place specific orders for specific options, colors, etc. Dealers trade cars all the time, however, which is why they often can match you up with what you want, assuming a normal supply of cars.
Since the dealers don't know exactly how many Prii they will get, nor how many are even being made, an honest dealer will tell you that he/she cannot give you a fixed waiting time, only an estimate.
As for the pricing, that's a different game played by the dealers themselves and not sanctioned by Toyota, which does assign MSRP to the cars. Toyota probably has run out of 2004 models, or will very soon, and will move seamlessly into the 2005 model year with little changes as this car is pretty hot as is. There may be some slight price increase which Toyota may not have announced yet to the public or to the dealers. I'll bet your dealer is being deliberately vague, hoping he can get a huge markup without your having quoted him as offering the car at a lower price when the order was placed. What I'm saying is that I think your dealer has a better idea of the actual price than he is willing to admit to you now.
Advice (if you are interested): try dealing with a dealer in a small town in your state. Small town dealers, I think, tend to be more considerate of their customers because they have fewer of them and probably know most of them already. They simply cannot afford to jack people around and hope to stay in business. Since you may have a long wait ahead, try to develop a rapport with asmall town dealer who, once primed by the prospect of a happy sale, will do what he/she can to get you into a Prius.
Big city dealers, in general, really don't seem to care much after you leave the lot.
Bob

 

That's a great explanation, Bob. Maybe it should go in the Knowledge Base FAQ list.

 

For what it's worth: I placed an order for a Tideland#7 on March 19th in Savannah and I drove my new Prius home today, April 14th. It was a black #7. So it took me less than a month to get a car from one dealer when another one in the area had me 10th on their list and told me to expect an '05 in December. That deposit was fully-refundable.

I believe it is important to get on someone's list with a fully-refundable deposit, and then go out and shake the trees. There are cars out there. I paid straight MSRP, and got Kelly Blue Book + $500 on my '97 Ford Explorer trade-in. You don't necessarily have to pay excessively for expediency.

 

I found mine in montana after calling around dealerships. got it in 10 days as they had allocations coming in and no wait list.
Also only paid msrp and nothing more.

see my first post in this forum.

Good Luck!

 

I'm a first time poster, but a long time Prius owner, and we'll soon be welcoming Prius #2 into the family - the '01 has over 50,000 miles on it and will be passed to the eldest child. We placed a deposit down on an '04 Prius on Oct. 22, 2003. We expect it to arrive within a week. It's interesting to note that we received an aknowledgement of our "interest in a Prius" exactly 5 months after we put the deposit down. What the?

They threw in a Prius keychain so that was an unexpected bonus, but still...

Also interesting to note that our dealership promised our school fundraising committee a Prius for our raffle in time for the 4th of July parade. That was sometime in early March.

 

I am also a first time poster with almost the exact same experience. I put down my deposit on 10/28 and expect delivery in about one week. I was happy not to get the car during Minnesota's winter, but I am more than ready now. I stuck with that dealer because he offered 500 below MSRP. It has been fun and informative to read the posts here and on Priusonline, though I am not sure that it made the wait any easier! Thanks to all who contribute valuable insights.

 

I picked my prius up the other day from Attleboro Toyota, just over the border from you in RI. I placed my order back in Nov. and had a total of a 5 month wait. While I was getting my car I asked them about people placing new orders, they were estimating about an 8 month wait and many of those people would most likely get a 2005. Other people have had better luck getting their cars sooner if you are open to multiple colors and packages. I was set on one color and package so that may have cause my wait to be longer.

 

I got my name on the list last night and was told a year and a half wait. The dealer is not taking deposits. I didn't ask why--could it be too much of a hassle for them with all these people wanting this car, perhaps? I do have a specific color and package and don't want to be flexible in that regard so it may indeed be a while. (I am optimistic that I am getting a 2005, however; not a 2006!). I'm tempted to call around and see what the wait is like elsewhere but on the other hand I feel good about this dealer.

 

I placed my order on Nov 5 in northeastern Massachusetts and I'm still waiting. I joined the waiting list before the car had won any awards and just 2 short weeks after it became available in the US. I am frustrated and amazed at the same time and I can't wait to get the call!

 

Placed my order Jan 28th...picked up my car yesterday.
Was third in line but first two wanted other colors/packages. Hundred miles today on interstate in mountains...51.4 mpg w/ac most of trip.
Couldn't be happier.
Tom