Prius Waiting List Stretches to at Least 3 Months ??? - GreenHybrid

lkewin · #1 (**permalink**) 10-25-2005, 05:39 AM

I just read the below in Edmonds.com. Is the waiting list for a '06 Prius really 3 months?
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=107673

With Gas Prices Up, Prius Waiting List Stretches to at Least 3 Months

Date Posted 10-24-2005

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp. said late last week the waiting list for its gas-electric Prius has grown to three or four months in the United States, up from a two-month wait a month ago.

The Prius gets 60 miles per gallon in city driving and 51 mpg on the highway, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Toyota has said it plans to raise production of hybrids to 400,000 in 2006 from 300,000 in 2005.

The Prius, which went on sale in Japan in 1997, is the world's first commercially mass-produced gas-electric hybrid. Celebrities have fueled its popularity, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, both of whom have owned a Prius.

Toyota's announcement came on the heels of yet another poll charting the effect of high fuel costs on American consumers. More than half those surveyed by Sacred Heart University Polling Institute in Fairfield, Connecticut, said their next car will be smaller and more fuel-efficient. About 45 percent of those polled said they'll consider a hybrid.

What this means to you: Want a Prius? Take an even higher number.

infael · #2 (**permalink**) 10-25-2005, 07:20 AM

I waited 2 months for mine and that was in winter of 03.

tanstaafl14 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-25-2005, 10:54 AM

Back in March the wait at the local dealer was 9 months -- which was why I got a HCH instead.

JeromeP · #4 (**permalink**) 10-26-2005, 12:52 PM

Different dealers have different wait times. Some have stock on the lot all the time, and others always have a waiting list. Don't deal with just one dealer, talk to many. Why not go out there and find dealers not in your local area, but in a few hours drive from where you live and see what they can do for you?

A dealer who has lot stock of the Prius may be your best bet for getting exactly what you want in a timely manner. A dealer who is managing a wait list might be the last place you want to deal with.