I visit many forums, and one topic comes up again and again on those for Toyota and Lexus models: many options and option combinations are simply not available. At least not in your area, or not this month.

Sometimes no cars without options are available. Sometimes you can get the Premium Package, but only if you also get a Towing Package and a Preferred Accessories Package that includes overpriced floormats, cargo nets, and such. For months after the 2006 Toyota RAV4 was introduced, maybe for a whole year, the much-marketed third row seat was not officially available where I live.

I’ve heard that some dealers will special order a car if one with the options you want (and without the options you don’t want) is not available. But many resist this.

Toyota has said that they decide what to offer in a given place in a given time based on what is selling there. But since what is on the lot is what sells…

TrueDelta’s pricing system will display all theoretically possible option combinations for Toyota and Lexus models, not just those that are readily available. Every other third-party site I’ve checked does the same. I suspect this is because no one but Toyota can keep track of their insane system for officially offering only a limited number of option combinations in any given region at any given time.

It reminds me of the stories you used to hear about Soviet supermarkets: meat this week, butter next week, maybe soup the week after that. And if the soup is available, it might only be available if you also buy biscuits. You’ll know when you get there.

Frankly, few other manufacturers could remain in business with such a product allocation system. It’s amazing that Toyota and Lexus have done so well despite it.