Order a Sienna from factory, still stuck with options packages?

Has anyone ordered a Sienna from the factory? I see from previous
threads that this can be done with other Toyotas, and that in any case
you're not REALLY ordering a car from the factory, just initiating a
dealer search for a vehicle that matches your request. Can that be
done for a Sienna?

I'm grasping at straws with the second question, but if a Sienna can be
ordered with just the features you want, do you still have to stick
with the options packages, or can you order ala carte? If it's true
that you don't really order from the factory in the first place, just
get a matching vehicle from the pipeline, then I assume the answer is
No. I really want the extra airbags and other safety features, but
equally don't want the power doors that come with that options package.
Any hope?

Thanks,
Duffy Tweedy

The Sienna is made in the US and you can (one hopes -- the 2006's are
coming) order from the "Factory".

However, it's even worse than you think.

For example, I live in the Pacific Northwest and wanted the AWD LE with
POWER seats (which is the top-of-the-line option for the LE AWD). I did a
factory order thru a local dealer and it was "rejected" by Toyota...
appearently they do not want to "allocate" this option to a Pacific
Northwest LE [i.e., if I wanted power seats I would have to upgrade to a XLE
AWD]. I ended up going down a notch (since I wanted the JBL audio system)
and going for manual seats.

Plus, in some areas of the country they have "Port installed options" that
are regional only. In at least one "Port" you can get optional side mirrors
that include those LED turn-arrow indicators (but naturally, not in the
Pacific Northwest).

So yes, like the other poster said, we have been screwed by the
Japanese/European "All-or-nothing" option packages.




<duffytweedy@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1116887213.189857.121810@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Has anyone ordered a Sienna from the factory? I see from previous
> threads that this can be done with other Toyotas, and that in any case
> you're not REALLY ordering a car from the factory, just initiating a
> dealer search for a vehicle that matches your request. Can that be
> done for a Sienna?
>
> I'm grasping at straws with the second question, but if a Sienna can be
> ordered with just the features you want, do you still have to stick
> with the options packages, or can you order ala carte? If it's true
> that you don't really order from the factory in the first place, just
> get a matching vehicle from the pipeline, then I assume the answer is
> No. I really want the extra airbags and other safety features, but
> equally don't want the power doors that come with that options package.
> Any hope?
>
> Thanks,
> Duffy Tweedy
>[/color]

Thanks for your answers. I was afraid of that. It's been a long, long
time since I bought a new car (Taurus), and I loved being able to
fine-tune exactly what I wanted. Oh well.

On 24 May 2005 20:07:24 -0700, [email]duffytweedy@gmail.com[/email] wrote:
[color=blue]
>Thanks for your answers. I was afraid of that. It's been a long, long
>time since I bought a new car (Taurus), and I loved being able to
>fine-tune exactly what I wanted. Oh well.[/color]

Another idea might be...

Since all areas seem to have different 'packages'....

Find an area that has exactly what you want....call the fleet manager
and negotiate the price....fly there and have a vacation bringing your
new car home.

When my trusty '92 Corolla gives up the ghost, I plan to do that.
Might even wing my way out Washington state way and shoot a few rounds
with MDT Tech.....lol


--

Scott in Florida

Scott in Florida, 5/25/2005, 2:47:42 PM,
<ruh9911g9djltcv7afhgsqpg3m2c6orb2d@4ax.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> When my trusty '92 Corolla gives up the ghost, I plan to do that.[/color]

I must say this is the first time I've seen you mention owning a
Toyota! Here's hoping for more Toyota news and less political news.

--
No matter what happens, someone will find a way to take it too
seriously.

"Private Person" <ries@ccountry.net> wrote in message
news:1197gu2e1la5d51@corp.supernews.com...[color=blue]
> The Sienna is made in the US and you can (one hopes -- the 2006's are
> coming) order from the "Factory".
>
> However, it's even worse than you think.
>
> For example, I live in the Pacific Northwest and wanted the AWD LE with
> POWER seats (which is the top-of-the-line option for the LE AWD). I did a
> factory order thru a local dealer and it was "rejected" by Toyota...
> appearently they do not want to "allocate" this option to a Pacific
> Northwest LE [i.e., if I wanted power seats I would have to upgrade to a
> XLE
> AWD]. I ended up going down a notch (since I wanted the JBL audio system)
> and going for manual seats.[/color]

Each of the 12 regional offices in the U.S. does their own production order
preference (known as POP) for each series. A series is what most people
consider model, i.e, Sienna, Corolla, Celica, etc. Each particular
trim/engine/transmission/drivetrain is considered one model, so an AWD LE
Sienna and a FWD LE Sienna are 2 different models.

If you look at the list of options and colors, there could easily be more
possible permutations than actual numbers of a particular model sold. Since
the regional offices want to sell as many vehicles as quickly as possible,
they will order color and option combinations that they think will sell the
quickest. If a buyer doesn't take delivery of an unpopular model/option
mix, then it will sit around for a long time.

As far as port installed options (PIO's), not every port operation is owned
by Toyota. In some ports of entry, Toyota contracts with a port operator to
prepare the vehicles for shipment to dealers and to install PIOs. The port
operators often sell additional accessories that may not be genuine Toyota
accessories and can install them for the dealer while they are at the port.
Genuine Toyota PIOs will show up on the window label, aftermarket parts will
not.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

[color=blue]
>
> Plus, in some areas of the country they have "Port installed options" that
> are regional only. In at least one "Port" you can get optional side
> mirrors
> that include those LED turn-arrow indicators (but naturally, not in the
> Pacific Northwest).
>
> So yes, like the other poster said, we have been screwed by the
> Japanese/European "All-or-nothing" option packages.
>
>
>
>
> <duffytweedy@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1116887213.189857.121810@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> Has anyone ordered a Sienna from the factory? I see from previous
>> threads that this can be done with other Toyotas, and that in any case
>> you're not REALLY ordering a car from the factory, just initiating a
>> dealer search for a vehicle that matches your request. Can that be
>> done for a Sienna?
>>
>> I'm grasping at straws with the second question, but if a Sienna can be
>> ordered with just the features you want, do you still have to stick
>> with the options packages, or can you order ala carte? If it's true
>> that you don't really order from the factory in the first place, just
>> get a matching vehicle from the pipeline, then I assume the answer is
>> No. I really want the extra airbags and other safety features, but
>> equally don't want the power doors that come with that options package.
>> Any hope?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Duffy Tweedy
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]