If I wanted to buy a Hummer in the greater Los Angeles area, I'd know just where to go. I could leave my house and pull that new Hummer into my driveway a couple of hours later. Same with a Ford Expedition. Or a Suburban. Or various other vehicles that get 15 miles to the gallon on a good day.

If, on the other hand, if I wanted to buy a Prius (55 miles per gallon, combined city and highway) in the greater Los Angeles area, I'd get letters like this one:

Dear Shasta,

At this time, we currently have a waiting list of customers wanting the 2004 Toyota Prius. To be placed on this list we require a $500 refundable deposit. This will place you on the list, and we will call you when we have a vehicle that is a match for you. The price for this vehicle is MSRP, depending on the equipment package that you choose.

At this time we are estimating March/April delivery.

Kisses,
Every Toyota Dealer South of the Grapevine

I would then start getting (rare) emails informing me that one dealer has just received one Prius, and it can belong to one of the lucky people reading this email for just $33,000! Never mind that $33,000 is about $10,000 more than the MSRP on a fully equipped and generously accessorized Prius; think of it as a donation--a donation to the planet!

Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to be quite so charitable, so Corolla it is. "Why, , did you not just sell a Corolla that you had owned for nearly ten years?" you might ask. Yes, yes I did. It was a great little car. I'll pretend to be creative by selecting a different color.