January 20, 2004

Prius Envy

My car, she is coming.

I head from the Toyota dealership today at lunch. After two-and-a-half months, we finally have word on our Prius: red, package seven, by the end of the month. I'll decode that for you:

• Red = "Salsa Red Pearl," a somewhat dark metallic red, slightly sharper than the standard, say, Chrysler minivan red.

• Package Seven = Rear wiper, side curtain airbags (in addition to the usual front ones), Smart Entry & Start system, "High Intensity Discharge" headlamps, fog lamps and Vehicle Stability Control.

• By the End of the Month = They don't have a firm delivery date, but they know it'll be before February 1.

We don't get the superduper stereo system, but I can always upgrade if I want to. We also don't get the DVD navigation system or the Bluetooth-enabled hands-free phone capability, but we weren't too worried about either of those -- we generally know where we're going, and I've got a speakerphone on my cell.

I am so ready to be out of the Aerostar. It's just about the worst automobile possible in the city, and I'm going to have to drive the Prius for several months before I make up for the incredible amounts of gas the van swallows.

[UPDATE] 1/22: We get the car tonight!

Posted by Andrew Huff at January 20, 2004 02:03 PM
Comments

looks great, andrew! congrats. that is one red car i actually like the look of....not too many red cars catch my eye.

Posted by: miss ellen at January 20, 2004 03:28 PM

You'd better post weekly MPG, so everyone else can be jealous.

Posted by: Paul at January 20, 2004 03:34 PM

I might just do that! :)

Posted by: Andrew at January 20, 2004 04:10 PM

Nice. It must be such a relief to get out of a gas-guzzler. When we finally buy a car -- in say, 2-3 years -- we'll consider a Prius, too.

Posted by: +mojan. at January 21, 2004 03:05 PM

God, that is one sexy and fuel efficient automobile. Congrats to you and Cinnamon! I hope the car was worth the wait.

Posted by: bran at January 21, 2004 10:55 PM

eeek, i'm excited for you guys! good luck & enjoy the ride..........

Posted by: miss ellen at January 22, 2004 04:48 PM

i thought it was only going to take a month. where have _i_ been?

Posted by: unmute at January 23, 2004 11:34 AM

woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Roni at January 23, 2004 02:59 PM

Oooh, y'all! Is it sexy! And quiet, and smooth. Yep, durned nice. And we had two different companies bidding for our loan. Haggle war means the buyer is always the winner. Yeah, buddy! Saved almost a percent on the interest!

If you're considering purchasing one of these, do it! If you live in the Chicagoland area, ask for Mohammed at Evanston Toyota and tell them we sent you. Super-nice guy!

Posted by: Cinnamon at January 23, 2004 03:05 PM