xcel
09-26-2008, 01:01 PM
On the Thursday before Labor Day, the wait was over. (http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/prius-diary-part-ii-the-long-wait/)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Toyota_Prius_Touring1.jpgMicheline Maynard – NY Times – Sept. 25, 2008
A 2009 Red Toyota Prius-II Touring arrives on Micheline’s doorstep.
Anticipation and anxiety was driving her nuts… And then it arrived :) -- Ed.
Michigan was still seeing a snow flurry or two when I put down a $500 deposit on the Prius in May. By the time it arrived Labor Day weekend, the first leaves were beginning to change color.
In between, I wondered whether it was worth the wait.
My decision to begin Prius shopping in earnest came after a false start in the summer of 2007. More than a year ago, I visited the Toyota Web site and went to the “build your own” button. I selected the features I wanted on the car, like a navigation system and a touring package, and then clicked on “request a quote.” I received e-mail messages back from two dealers in my area. One, from Dunning Toyota in Ann Arbor, Mich., was signed by a saleswoman named Beth Bashert, who ultimately sold me my car…
That left two options: extend my lease another year, with no idea when the Lexus Prius might arrive, or get something else. I ran through a list of alternatives to the Prius, like the BMW 1-series and 3-series, the Mini Clubman, and the Lexus 400h, the hybrid version of the car I already owned. One by one, I eliminated them: the BWMs for gas mileage; the Clubman because its rear door configuration seemed unwieldy; and the 400h because the improvement in gas mileage over my RX 330 was not significant. Just for comparison sake, I put the Camry hybrid on my list, however.
Moreover, the next version of the Prius most likely would be later than expected while Toyota sorted out the problem. Figuring it was better to get in line, I sent Beth an e-mail message and made an appointment to visit the dealership on a Monday night… http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/prius-diary-part-ii-the-long-wait/
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Toyota_Prius_Touring1.jpgMicheline Maynard – NY Times – Sept. 25, 2008
A 2009 Red Toyota Prius-II Touring arrives on Micheline’s doorstep.
Anticipation and anxiety was driving her nuts… And then it arrived :) -- Ed.
Michigan was still seeing a snow flurry or two when I put down a $500 deposit on the Prius in May. By the time it arrived Labor Day weekend, the first leaves were beginning to change color.
In between, I wondered whether it was worth the wait.
My decision to begin Prius shopping in earnest came after a false start in the summer of 2007. More than a year ago, I visited the Toyota Web site and went to the “build your own” button. I selected the features I wanted on the car, like a navigation system and a touring package, and then clicked on “request a quote.” I received e-mail messages back from two dealers in my area. One, from Dunning Toyota in Ann Arbor, Mich., was signed by a saleswoman named Beth Bashert, who ultimately sold me my car…
That left two options: extend my lease another year, with no idea when the Lexus Prius might arrive, or get something else. I ran through a list of alternatives to the Prius, like the BMW 1-series and 3-series, the Mini Clubman, and the Lexus 400h, the hybrid version of the car I already owned. One by one, I eliminated them: the BWMs for gas mileage; the Clubman because its rear door configuration seemed unwieldy; and the 400h because the improvement in gas mileage over my RX 330 was not significant. Just for comparison sake, I put the Camry hybrid on my list, however.
Moreover, the next version of the Prius most likely would be later than expected while Toyota sorted out the problem. Figuring it was better to get in line, I sent Beth an e-mail message and made an appointment to visit the dealership on a Monday night… http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/prius-diary-part-ii-the-long-wait/