"PRION" REVOLT? Prius Buyers Unite in Toyota Gaff

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I think that's a reasonable and fair request and firmly believe would satisfy the vast majority of folks on waiting lists.

 

I think Toyota knows they have a problem, but what a wonderful problem to have - too much demand for a product only they can provide. They have begun to address the issue with the apology on the Prius site, but maybe they could do a bit more on keeping individual purchasers informed on their order status.

 

AAAARRRRGGHHHH : 5-6 months to wait !!!! Do you have already order a Prius ? Is this an official answer from your dealer ?
The Prius will be avalaible on march '04 in France, and I don't think the problem will be solved until there. Better fix my bicycle ...

Richard. 8)

 

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I think Toyota is everything but stupid. They're doing a trial run at Les Champs Elysées since a few months, and every comment from prospective customers are scrupulously forward to Toyota France. FYI, the main topic is the hardness of suspension. Toyota is supposed to fix this before the first sales.

BUT : if you read the marketing data from Toyota pressroom http://www.toyota-media.com, you will know that the main customer target is :

'Typical Prius drivers would be an ‘early adopter’, in their
40s, professionals or executives with a higher level of
education and above average income, usually living and/or
working in metropolitan areas. These are the same sort of
individuals who would typically use DVD, digital TV and
Bluetooth® technology and the latest electronic personal
organisers as part of their daily working and social life.
They would also have a socio-environmental conscience,
but still want to enjoy their driving and might currently
drive one of the sportier diesel cars in the D-segment or
small-premium sector. They are interested in low fuel
consumption and, by inference, low emissions and are
willing to pay extra for these benefits which have a positive
effect on the environment. '

In other words, only a few old techies who have an above average income to afford this car. Not so much people, isn't-it ?

WHY ?
The main reason is, I think, that the FRENCH driver DO like FRENCH Diesel manual gear box cars (65 % of brand new cars sold in France are Diesel manual gear box).
We don't like :
- automatic transmission (only 10% of cars in France),
- gasoline engines (gasoil cost 20% less than gasoline),
- foreign cars (we have 3 french brands- Renault, Peugeot and Citroën),
- strange technology,
and more, nobody knows that Toyota is more reliable than German cars (and, of course, much more than French cars).

SO, the Toyota's target is not to sale huge quantities of Prius as in the USA, because they know they won't be able to do it. The more realistic target is to sell a few hundred (last expectation is 500) of expensive Prius to a few techies who REALLY know what they will buy.

To do another comparison than the BMW, the Renault Laguna Privilège 2,2dci 150HP automatic transmission costs 29,500 euros (same as the Prius top price in France), the average mileage is 7.6l/100 of gasoil (costs 20% less than gasoline) compared to 4.5l/100 of gasoline for the Prius. But, the Renault has HID, rain detector, automatic lights, tires pressure indicator, automatic door-lock, cruise control AND speed limiting device, etc. (but no GPS, and - of course - no THS), AND, at last but not at least, it's french 'Monsieur !'. http://www.renault.fr

Of course, I'll buy a Prius (some day ...), but I'll buy it BECAUSE it has a THS, and it's precisly where Toyota missed the point : when people in France will buy a Prius (or equivalent in the future) because it's a nice car, nice accesories, good look, cheap, etc. and - by the the way it's a THS ! Oh, yes ? I didn't notice ... Then it will be a real progress ! But we, in France, are far from that ...

Richard. 8)