Some simple buying questions

These answers may depend on where you live, but I can speak for buying an '05 recently in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1) Yes -- you can specify your top few colors and package choices. That will probably speed up your order. I believe they actually order your first choice from the factory, but if they an unallocated car (or somebody changed their mind), they will work their way down the waitlist offering it to people.

2) $500 fully refundable. They prefer you don't put your name on multiple lists, but if you do call up and ask for a refund, they won't have a problem selling your car. (One dealer told me they are obligated by CA law to make deposits refundable unless you place a custom order. Just ask your dealer to make sure they don't consider the car a custom order for some reason -- the one I talked to didn't.)

3) Good luck. Even if they get unallocated cars, chances are that somebody's on the list ahead of you. Especially if you're waiting for an '06.

4) No idea, but from what I've read on this board, the tires were carefully chosen for low rolling resistance --> higher mpg.

5) Just search this board for info. I'm not sure.

6) However long or short the wait is, it will probably feel like a long time. Just do it.

Call some local dealers and ask them over the phone... One other key question to ask when calling around is how many cars they typically get per month -- it sounds like Toyota rewards the dealers that have been selling more all along with a higher allotment. I called several who told me they may get 4-5 per month. At the other extreme, Berkeley and San Francisco Toyota each told me they get about 80 (but have wait lists of approx 120). We gots ours at a dealer (Toyota 101) who said they get around 40. We waited about 3-4 weeks for our '05.

mike

 

My answers differ to greater or lesser degrees.

1. There are no "factory orders". Yes, the more combos acceptable to you of ext color/int color/pkg you give them, the faster you'll get a car. There is no single list that has any meaning; there are several lists of combos that are acceptable to multiple buyers. ASK exactly what place you hold on the list(s) for your acceptable combo(s). An "overall" "you're 31st" tells you nothing.

The various lists fluctuate rapidly as "dropped" cars are offered/sold to the next person on a list, who may have been told he/she had to wait another X weeks---as mike indicates.

2. Some dealers have said they won't even begin wait lists until they actually see that the cars are scheduled to hit the port. Some that do charge between zero and (most I've heard) $1500. I'm on the lists of three dealers, two of which require no upfront money, the other $100 (refundable under all conditions). "Refundability" varies. GET IT IN WRITING, unless you're willing to swallow the loss for being trusting.

No, you don't have to have your financing lined up until the day you take delivery.
Interest rates fluctuate a lot, and they're climbing. Who'll "lock in" a rate for you for a car that will arrive some unspecified time in the future?

3. Don't know about dealers getting unallocated cars. Some have had luck "swooping", including at the expense of someone on a list.

4. Don't know. 5. No, though I suppose anything's possible if you know the right person.

6. Knowing that it depends partly on what combo you want, no one can tell you better than "between Dec. and Mar. or Apr". Mike's right about asking about allocations---but you can get lucky with either a low-volume or high-colume dealer. Don't believe horror stories about 8-9-mo. lists. You'll only get your answer by calling/e-mailing as many dealers as you can within the area you're willing to travel to in order to get a car. Your effort will be rewarded.

Good luck!