Toyota sent me another email about the new 2004 Prius yesterday, announcing the EPA-estimated fuel ratings: a pretty impressive 60 mpg city and 51 highway for a combined city/highway average of 55 mpg and the highest fuel economy of any mid-size car. The email also announced that the Prius will begin arriving at dealers on October 17.
With the Saab experiencing yet more problems--yesterday the knob for controlling the air flow location, which I just paid way too much to have repaired a month ago, started to break again, for example--I really need to plan to unload it and try to acquire a Prius instead... soon. I will miss the convertible top, especially since right before the hurricane we were having such beautiful weather for a change, but I won't miss the expense and hassle of the particular lemon of a car I ended up with, or the smug criticism, money-hungry attitude and general unhelpfulness of my dealer over the past year.
I don't understand. Toyota was so nice and solcitous when I bought my first year Prius. They sent me little Earth Day cards, newsletters, etc...
Now that I expressed interest in buying my second Prius, they never e-mail me any more. I have signed up three times for updates, but nothing!
I can't have you buying one before me. That simply WILL NOT STAND. Really. muwah ha ha ha! I am the king of early adopters! I must retain my crown!! I must! I MUST!!
Well, my boss told me today that she's planning on putting down a deposit on one this weekend. When I told her that they weren't arriving at dealers until the 17th, she told me that her dealer (which is not the one in Alexandria, though) said that if she doesn't make a cash deposit now, she won't get one, that most of the stock they expect to get (out of the total 50,000 Toyota allegedly plans to build this year) already are reserved at this point.
With everything going on with my dad, my parents' iffy finances because of the medical bills and my need to replace my heat pump as well, I'm just not prepared to commit to a down payment right now, so it looks like I probably won't be able to get a Prius at all. When my Saab finally dies, which I expect likely will happen within the next six months to a year, I'll just have to buy something other than a Prius then.