Prime scarcity at dealers

The only good part about this situation in the SE is that once you finally get one, it's easy to spot in the parking lot at the mall. We went to St. Augustine a few weeks ago and we waiting for a trolly when a red Prime like mine went by. Scared the crap out of me!!! I thought someone stole my car. Then I saw the custom wheels. Whew!!

Lots of people fly north to get one and then ship or drive it back. I got mine used here in Tampa from a hybrid specialist who gets them off lease.

 

Loads of them around here and there's a Toyotathon going on.
New Cars, Trucks, SUVs & Hybrids | Toyota Official Site

 

It sounds like it is time to travel and shop outside Southeast Toyota's geographic monopoly.

Just don't bother looking in Gulf States Toyota's region.

 

We wanted the blue version, which they had a hard time locating. Finally found one in Regina, which then got sold. So we picked red and that took another week. All in all, probably two-three weeks of waiting and we managed to get it the morning of December 24th, just ahead of the holidays.

 

Wow, PriusChat is a source of 'real news'! Or at least this very thread is:

Electrek: Toyota Prius Prime is scarce at dealerships, leaving demand for its plug-in on the table

" ... Now there’s evidence on PriusChat.com that Toyota isn’t offering nearly enough Prius Primes to meet demand.

A customer in Austin, Tex. wanting to buy a Prius Prime, reports:"

I'm not sure I'd give much credence to a news outlet whose story 'source' is a forum threads containing my participation.

(Stumbled upon while googling for other information.)

 

Coincidently I saw a star in the East and decided to follow it. Low and behold to my amazement under the Star was a single Prime at my dealer. As far as I can tell it’s the first one since I got mine 18 months ago.

 

No, there are more than a couple, but barely.

I have it on sketchy authority from a friend of a guy who's brother owns a Mazda dealership, and who's other brother owns a Toyota dealership in some other state, that there are, in fact, only a couple Primes in each color in the entirety of the North American continent. That's a grand total of about twelve cars. Those that you all keep seeing (or reading about here in the forum) are just the same cars seen over and over again, and are just driving around the country, or sometimes parked near another Prime, merely by coincidence.

I have one in my driveway, in fact..., or I think I have one. I'm not sure. If I go out and look, it seems to be there. But if I am asleep and can't see it, is it really there? Is it?

 

According to the CARS.COM app, there are 980 new 2020 Prius Prime currently available in the United States.

 

Autotrader has over 1000 listings of 2020 Primes, 746 within a 500 mile radius of here.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again if you're not on one of the coasts you're pretty much out of luck.
Sad.

 

Normally, I'd agree. Here in Minnesota in the dead of winter, I wouldn't expect to find any. As it gets warm and RAV4 Prime rollout approaches, that's when I'd expect some inventory. But to my surprise, there are actually 4 listed nearby.

 

For those non coastal folks looking for a PP, timely recent dealer video from Oregon.

 

Why not buy remotely? With a new car, it's not like you gamble or anything. Usually dealers are open to it, as they make quick commission w/o much of a risk.

 

I know most folks think of California when they hear the term "West Coast", but it might surprise you to learn that there are actually another couple of states along the Pacific Coast (well 4 if you include Hawaii, not to mention one Canadian province). No offence taken.

 

In fact, we're so coastal here that we have two coasts!

But have fun finding a Prime.

 

No shortage of PRIME in NE region. 196 listed according to buyatoyota.com. Our local dealer has over 20. I am going to talk to them if the current incentive gets extended and get bigger like it did in the past.

 

I live in Northern Nevada. With global warming upon us, I'm betting on some sort of coast in the future

 

Up here on the ahem North Coast, there are a whopping total of 6 available.

 

I had to fly from DFW to Littlerock, AR to get mine about a month ago. Unicorn Car.


iPad ?

 

Anyone want to make a wager that NONE of them are charged more than 20%?