How to deal with Toyota dealerships?

NO, the point really is:
There is NO good reason for them to do that because if they call you and you say "I've changed my mind." they have lost only about 3 minutes making the phone call. Likely the next guy they call WILL take it.

AND......once they have your money, then you are subject to them screwing with you when it is time to give it back.
And then there is the interest they can earn on the "deposits", which now is not as insignificant as it was for the past few years.

I would NEVER, EVER put a "deposit" down on something that I can't see and touch.
And no honest dealer would ever ask for one.......in my opinion.

 

I get what you are saying and that a lot of dealerships are dishonest. All probably in some way or another. This family owned dealership doesn’t charge a markup. They also didn’t actually ask me to hand over the $1000 when they had a 2022 Prius allocated to me. Once it’s allocated it’s only about a 30 day waiting process. It’s looking like I might not have to but I don’t have a problem putting down $1000 as long as it’s in writing that it’s refundable.

 

Ha, ha, ha. They don't have to charge an extra "mark up" because there is plenty built into the MSRP to start with.
And telling customers that like it is a big deal should actually give them a competitive advantage.

 

Yes, I get that. Their competitors are charging $3500 markup so of course they want to keep their customers and get a few more.

Unfortunately there are no cars to sell. Being in car sales must be loads of fun these days.

 

Without checking, the Prime might have a lower ground clearance. If so, it isn't because of a vital part. Its plastic fairings could simply be lower for aerodynamics. Not ideal, something like that scraping a speed hump isn't the same issue as the metal body rails for instance.

Where the measurement taken is likely why you have found different numbers for the same model.

 

I had a dealer (that wanted a deposit in order to be placed on their waiting list) try to tell me it was “illegal” for another dealer to put me on the waiting list for a Prius without taking a deposit. Both dealerships that I am waiting with have not taken a dime yet.

 

You mean in terms of the powertrain.

The cabins are pretty different. Try either in family vacation mode, you'll spot more differences.

 

Yep..powertrain. Yes..I'm well versed in the differences between sedans and liftbacks. Truth be told though...out of all vehicles we have had, in terms of interior space, I love our 2012 Hyundai Sonata. It is huuuuuge inside. It also has a full glass panoramic roof so it feels even larger. I'm assuming the Camry is similar to the Sonata in terms of interior space.

 

Sonata and Camry very similar based on my recent rentals of both. Sonata trunk felt bigger though I didn't measure.

The new Prius & Prime has me feeling left out because it's right in the middle. It's too small to replace our big car, and it's too big to replace our small car.

 

It's going to be a difficult choice between the two. I was going to throw the new Honda Accord Hybrid into the equation but Honda is really not promoting the car. Very little test drive information though the Accord Hybrid is supposedly coming out this month for sale.

I need to do the math but it appears the Camry will be cheaper than the Prime in all trim levels. Personally I think the Prime looks way better and can't stand ugly front grill on the Camry. My assumption is the Camry will be nicer inside and more room back seat, trunk.
But driving almost 40 miles daily on Prime battery is a big bonus. Since I'm kind of a noise freak I assume while on battery power the Prime will drive quieter than the Camry but when both cars are working the hybrid motor - freeway driving - hills/mountains I bet the Camry is quieter. Need to do a weight check between the two cars but usually the heavier/larger car has potential to have a quieter cabin versus the smaller car.

 

i love mrs b's hycam, and it's great for long trips, but the prius is perfect for me. it is nice to have both available for different needs.
if only they would make a phev camry, she would be covered for all local trips, and long trips.

 

I wouldn't make that assumption. Your Sonata has more cabin space than a 2020 Avalon. It's 4 more cubic feet in the cabin and 2 more in the trunk than a 2022 Camry. Looks like Honda and Hyundai took their 'midsize' sedan models up to full size to differentiate them further from the 'compact' model, and to cut the costs of having three different sizes of the same economic class.

Bolt? It is the same size class as the Prius c. If two seats are enough, the Aptera. The Mini EV's range is on the short side.

There doesn't seem to be any option left for an actual car smaller than a Corolla. Want something the size of the Prius c, and your options are tiny SUVs.

You are more likely to be able to test drive the Accord before the Prius.

Hyundai has discontinued the Sonata PHEV, so I don't think we'll see a Camry Prime soon. Maybe a Crown one. The BEV was cancelled, but the PHEV may still be planned.

 

Crown is too expensive

 

Nah, the small car is burdened with very long range tasks, just wouldn't work as an EV yet. If something happened to our Prius c, we would almost certainly replace it with Corolla Hatchback, Nissan Versa or the littlest Kia.

Our bigger car is taking on a lot of very short hauls, and likely will stay that way for years. It would be a great candidate for replacement with a PHEV. But to do that, the inside has to be just as big as a Camry, and we would want the outside to be no bigger than a Camry.

 

You think a Camry Prime will be cheap?

The Crown was Toyota's Lexus before there was a Lexus. I mentioned it because a Prime version is more likely than a Camry at this point.

Don't recall the battery packaging, but the Sonata PHEV was cancelled only recently. Overseas got a Kia wagon version.

 

probably not, but it starts a lot lower than crown

 

How much for the car that doesn't exist?

The truth for the American market is that we likely won't see a PHEV sedan soon. All the ones that were available are now gone. BEVs are planned, but it feels like PHEVs are mostly limited to SUVs these days.

 

Agreed, but a man can dream.

plus, Toyota reads priuschat, and if we push it, they’ll probably build one

 

Took awhile for that Rav4 and Sienna hybrid though.

 

I’ve only been waiting since 2008