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Comments
Terry
I wonder what the reason is for these dramatic regional variances. I understand how different regions would change their bundles for things like cold weather packages, but requiring Nav to get safety features for East Coast customers and not for west coast? I don't get it.
- Mark
With what is available to us here, I think we will opt for the more basic AF wiper and side airbag pkg. I can do without the other options, but I'll miss that Smart Entry/Start system.
You may be right - around here, the size of one's vehicle is a status symbol and few people seem to care about gas consumption, so I would understand if the Prius is a late arrival in this area.
Saw the car at the State Fair, but it was locked up.
I suspect more packages will become available in each region as time goes on, but initially it's more efficient for them to offer just a few packages...
Where do you live in this area if you don't mind me asking? Have you placed an order yet? You can e-mail me privately if you like. Tony.
I plan to rent one for a couple of days' extended test drive when (if) rental units are available in this area. I'll check out the Richardson dealer next time I'm over that way.
No great hurry, I've been looking at new cars for years but my '87 Sentra just won't die (because I keep fixing it, perhaps...)
Tim.
Tony.
Still injoying mine. Decided after 5 days of watching my MPG, to stop monitoring and just enjoy the thing. Then, at my first fill-up, I'll see the numbers.
Extraordinary car!
"Additionally, there is a 3 year or 36,000 mile roadside assistance and scheduled maintenance* program from the date of first use for Prius owners. Please see your Toyota Prius dealership for additional details."
And here's the fine print for the asterisk:
"*Toyota provides five complimentary maintenance services for the Prius, to be performed at the first five 7,500 mile/6-month maintenance intervals."
This is in FAQ #7 (Warranty Coverage) under Search/Help on toyota.com
Personally, I'm going to insist that my dealer provide these 5 services at no cost... I don't see how they can get out of it with it posted on Toyota's website.
scheduled maintenance visits (to 3yr/37500mi at
6mo/7500mi intervals) were provided for free by
Toyota. They are listed in the *Prius* Passport to
Performance (scheduled maintenance guide).
The free maintenances have been discontinued for
the 2004 Prius.
Toyota is still providing in the US 3yr/36,000mi of
Toyota Roadside Assistance with all Prius.
of course, individual dealers are free to "throw in"
free maintenances as they feel fit, but it's a dealer
thing, no longer from Toyota. (but 2001-2003 Prius'
free maintenances are good at any Toyota dealer still)
If you are so inclined, Toyota does offer a prepaid
maintenance plan. MSRP is listed on the toyotafinancial.com
site.
This is not OnStar or Guidepoint. there is no
monthly fees. The map and POI data is stored on a DVD.
It's up to you if you wish to buy the updated DVD
every few years.
The Toyota unit is built by Denso. See the classic
Prius or some of the Lexus models for an example
of what's included.
Do note that the Navigation system option in the
2004 includes the voice-command features (controls
audio and climate control, besides navigation), and
also the Bluetooth functionality (can connect a
phone and addressbook via Bluetooth and make calls
and such hands-free).
CARIBOU COFFEE in WOODBURY at 5:30 this SATURDAY, Oct 25.
Close to the corner of Valley Creek Road (2 miles east of 494) and
Radio Drive (2 miles south of 94), it's definitely an easy location
to drive to and find.
It's quite big inside, there's outside seating and it's connected
to a Bruegger's Bagel (which also just happens to have a lot of
seating available).
The location is in the corner of the City Centre Plaza, which means
there are always a bunch of emtpy parking spots available. That
makes finding us rather easy and provides a great photo opportunity.
Lastly, since it's so close to a number of major attractions in the
city. The die-hard gatherers that just don't want to part quickly
can stroll over to a place to dine afterward.
With three aboard, driven in stop and go traffic, the gasoline engine ran most of the time. It seemed as if more than 35 required gasoline power, but steady 30 or so did not.
Car doesn't feel peppy at all, yet had no trouble keeping up with traffic. I suspect it is quicker than it feels. No wind noise at all up to 65 mph.
More knee room in the back seat than my MDX or Cruiser. Noticed that the $184 carpeted floor mats were on all four cars, so it appears that these are a mandatory option.
Dealer taking orders for February delivery. BTW, the big dealer in town claims he will not be getting a "demo" vehicle. He took his first one and put it in his rental fleet. Said I could rent one for a day if I wanted a test drive.
(Points of Interest), which is name, address, and
phone number, for restaurants, gas stations, hotels,
Toyota dealerships, hospitals, police stations,
public buildings, malls/drug stores, airports and
bus terminals, movie theaters and golf courses, ATMs, and...
Here you can see the voice commands listed in the
online Help screen. POIs are listed on screen 14
through 28.
http://members.cox.net/htmlspinr/voice/
I am just waiting for some litigation to happen when it's clear that the set of big dealerships here in New England (such as Boch, Chambers, etc.) have kept consumers from getting safety options available elsewhere.
For example he Matrix Base and XR 2WD cannot be had with ABS here in New Englad ( it's standard on 4WD so the dealers can't delete it from orders from the factory). You have to order it which generally means finding one somewhere else....
So don't be surprised that the Prius will come with load ups you have to pay for just to be able buy the a safety option like VSC. To get VSC here in New England you have to buy the $5K option with Nav, duh?
My advice is shop around. Dealers from Northern Va to Baltimore seem to have sensible option pkgs applicable to the Northeast. Same for a couple of St. Louis ones.
The ones down South are a different story. Distribution there is dominated large regional distributors that tell the dealers what they can have and add options in 'port'. Gulf States are run by Gulf States Toyota and the Southeast by SET. SET frequently REALLY loads cars up with the non-essentials, like the 1970's fabric protection scams for $599 and 'paint protection', add Enkei wheels for 1700 clams and so on. If the Prius gets popular, the stickers there might end up looking like dealer Christmas trees.
Good luck shopping wherever you are...
Want to inform all you Prius future owners that when your car arrives at the dealer-ship. The Toyota empolyees who set up and clean the cars for delivery will, DRILL HOLES IN THE FRONT BUMPER TO MOUNT THE FRONT LICENSE PLATE.
This is ware you as new owners need to say pay attention, because when the front bumper is drilled the clear coat color coat paint will "CRACK" all around the drilled hole to mount the license plate bracket.
When I pulled off the front license bracket I found that where the dealer had drilled to mount my license bracket there were cracks in the paint. This is late Friday evening and the dealer is closed but I will be on his door step early Monday morning to complain about this type of poor workman-ship on the part of the dealer-
ship.
So when the clear coat peals in a year or so who will pay the bill for re painting?
Over all the car is great and one I plan to keep for some time to come, Salsa Red Pearl with Pkg. # 3 I was the first in the north metro area to receive a 04 Prius (Minneapolis) it was delivered on October 15 the first day of the release.
dupie61
It starts *BETTER* than a traditional vehicle!
The hybrid system has proven a clear winner here in Minnesota over the last 3 years for me. With a motor & battery drastically bigger than a traditional, sitting outside with the temperature at 0 F degrees isn't a even challenge.
And since the steering is electric, there's no fluid to thicken. So turning the wheel feels the same no matter what the temperature is outside.
The heat in the classic Prius comes the same speed as in a traditional. The new Prius has a special rapid-heat design for the engine. We have no idea yet if that means you will get heat any faster, but we know it makes the engine happy really quick.
JOHN
What kind of bracket were you provided with?
Mine is a 2-piece. One part serves as the anchor and provides a flat surface. The other is what actually holds the plate.
JOHN
I think it is a guess. The dealer is vague at best.
Alan
Many folks just leave the front plate off and risk a ticket. Some get by for years this way, others get pulled over leaving the dealer's lot. Personally, I don't want to give the cops any extra excuses to stop me, so if the state requires a plate, I'll figure some what to get it on there.
It shouldn't be, but in the name of customer convenience, most dealers have a policy of drilling bumpers like this so that the customer doesn't come in a month later screaming bloody murder about how there is no place to mount a front license plate. So you generally have to explicitly ask for them NOT to do this.
The bumper is plastic and designed to be somewhat flexible, so I doubt you'll have an issue with the appearance long term. And the fix is probably a new bumper cover, not a repaint. If you are really bothered by this, you should probably push for one now. Just keep in mind that you got to mount the sucker some way or other, so if the current damage is behind the plate, you might just want to accept it as is or you may find yourself drilling your own holes in a month with much the same result.
Good luck,
- Mark
Since I am a little nut about what gets done to my cars, in the past, prior to taking delivery of a car, I call up my sales rep to let him know to absolutely not drill any holes for the front license plate frame. I tell them that I will do it myself. The last Toyota I purchased, an MR2, I had gone to the local hardware store and purchased an aluminum channel (L shape angle iron)and have it cut to same length as my front license plate. I then turn the L shape angle upside down and installed the angle underneath the bumper, just in front of the radiator opening. I then install the front license plate to the part of the angle that hangs down from underneath the bumper. This looks great. The license plate actually looks like they are floating underneath the bumper. No surface holes are visible and no holes to drill at the front face of the bumper. Some of you may be concerned about air moving into the opening underneath the bumper but in all my years of installing my plates on my cars like this, I have yet to see problems with overheating, etc...This is what I plan to do when my Prius comes in. Tony.
Prius (silver with package #7)
LOVE the smart entry system. No more fumbling for keys! And just push a button to start the car! And I absolutely LOVE the dashboard layout. Feels clean, modern, exciting, easy to use. Computer lovers will love the touch screen (computer phobics will hate it). I really didn't look at the computer display much, as I didn't want to get in an accident. I can see where it would be a distraction, but it can be turned off. Also, I bet Toyota included it just to "prove" that the hybrid system was working, because the driving experience is so seamless that you barely notice the switch from gas to electric and back. Most noticeable difference is in the braking, which has a slight pumping motion that I noticed at first then didn't notice after I got used to it. The ride was fairly smooth over bumps and very quiet. And of course, the MPG is awesome.
As a former fond owner of an '86 Honda CRX that got 50 MPG, I must confess that nostalgia for that car makes me like this one a lot. I love the outside styling as well. Front visibility is great. Front and rear legroom are great. Some parts of the fabric (trim) does seem like "mouse fur," but my sales rep said some of it is microfiber, which is supposedly very durable.
DON'T LIKE: driving position seemed a little awkward. I am 5'9", and I felt as though I was sitting "high." (I prefer to sit "down" and "low" in a car.) Steering wheel felt small, almost rinky-dink, and too low. The 16 cubic feet they promise in trunk space is figured up to the hatchback ceiling; in actuality the trunk seems smaller than the Camry's 16 cubic feet--all because of the 2" or so width difference between a Camry and Prius. Rear view is slightly compromised by a spoiler intersecting the back view. Car makes very annoying and loud electronic "beeping" sound when you put it in reverse.
Camry:
LOVE the added width and solidity, covered trunk, quiet ride. Price is reasonable and more availability. Sales rep, who had the Prius over a weekend and drove it extensively on the highway, said Camry is a more comfortable highway vehicle.
DIDN'T LIKE: dull "La-Z-Boy" styling inside. Once you've driven the Prius, this interior seems VERY dated!
Sienna:
LOVE: Family friendly, flexibility of use, quiet ride
DON'T LIKE: MPG (major strike against it in my "CRX" mind) and bulk. I'm afraid of "parking lot" accidents trying to maneuver a big vehicle around, and with only 2 children I don't really need the added seats. I like a car that's more maneuverable, to stay out of accidents.
CONCLUSION: My Toyota sales guy said that a hybrid Camry is likely to be offered as an option by '07 (with the Sienna likely to be one of the last Toyota vehicles to get the hybrid option). If my car lasts that long, I may hold out for the Camry hybrid. If I were single, I'd snatch up the Prius in a heartbeat, but for family needs, I need a slightly larger and more substantial vehicle.
(But I'm jealous of you Prius owners out there! Enjoy!)
Another round of deliveries is expected in SoCal dealerships next week. Hopefully one dealership can get the exact color, package and trim I ordered and give me a call. The first one who gets one and gives me a call gets my business.
> am 5'9", and I felt as though I was sitting "high".
That's a feature many people compliment about. It's totally a personal preference.
> Rear view is slightly compromised by a spoiler intersecting
> the back view.
But it doesn't actually interfere with spotting vehicles behind you. The only purpose of the lower section is for extremely close viewing. All the distance viewing (beyond 20 feet) is through the upper window for me. (I'm 5'8")
> Car makes very annoying and loud electronic "beeping"
> sound when you put it in reverse.
Thank goodness that can be disabled. I don't like it either.
(Note to everyone: the beeping is inside the car, not outside.)
The review was very nice. You've help to confirm that the previously existing dislikes are no longer an issue, that once the size & shape vehicle you desire becomes available as a hybrid you'll buy it right away. Cool!
JOHN
I think we're all expecting the tax deduction to be extended, but does anyone have anything that actually states the deduction is available for the 2004 Prius?
Jill
Prius: Front seats aren't too great (all the seats really needed was a height adjustment and I'd be happy), rear seating was very comfortable. A nit, but the cup holders were a bit disappointing, the Camry’s cup holders have rubber “fingers” to keep cups from bouncing around too much, not sure why they couldn’t do that in the Prius. Engine was a bit "buzzy" when pushed at highway speeds, but I suspect that the noise is exaggerated due to very low wind noise. Handling is adequate, a bit choppy on rough roads at higher speeds. I didn’t have any trouble with the readouts, so I shouldn’t think they would be too hard to get use too. (That touch screen is very dangerous to a geek, I exercised extreme discipline and resisted playing with it while I was driving ;-) Tire noise on the rough pavement was louder than in the camry. Acceleration was certainly adequate, I had no trouble merging into 75 mph traffic. I didn’t get the chance, but one of the other customers said he had taken a 2004 Prius up a long mountain pass a week ago and had no trouble maintaining 65 mph; I believe him. Overall mpg on my 15 mile loop was 45, not bad for a car with only 50 miles on it. I wasn’t very gentle with the accelerator, either. Impression: Neat car, seems as if Toyota might have rushed a bit to get this car out the door, it doesn’t have the ergonomics as well thought out as we’ve come to expect from Toyota (such as the cup holder, a nit, but if you find enough nits in a car, they add up to a “not”). Technology in this car is obviously the way for the immediate future, kudos to Toyota for taking the lead. I’ll be thinking very hard for the next 2 or 3 weeks on getting one of these (black, ivory/tan interior with package #9). I’m a 39 year old geek, so the comfort of a car is getting to be more important I put about 15000 miles per year on commuting to work, and another 5000 miles playing in the mountains, so one of these would easily save me $1200 a year on gas over my 4Runner, which is a big consideration.
Camry: What can I say? This car has set the standard for mid-size sedans, and very little is wrong with it. It is a great cruiser on the highway, effortless to drive. If I could get a 4 cylinder XLE with leather and NAV package, I’d be very tempted ah well.
Another bit of trivia from the article: according to Toyota, the smog-producing emissions from a Prius driving from Anchorage to Miami would be less than from a can of air freshener.
separate letter for the 2004 Prius, but it does
qualify for the federal Clean Fueled Vehicle deduction.
The Prius really intrigues me as my wife's car....even if I am not looking to anything right now.
Caribou coffee is always a strong enticement.
and there sure is plenty of them in the TC...maybe something on the west side?
"My Toyota sales guy said that a hybrid Camry is likely to be offered as an option by '07 (with the Sienna likely to be one of the last Toyota vehicles to get the hybrid option)."
This contradicts what I have heard and read through various tidbits regarding Toyota's plans for the hybrid system. Studies I've read point that moms are finding the most appeal out of the hybrid system than any other consumer demographic. That being the case, Toyota chooses to capitalize on introducing the hybrid system first to the SUV/Minivan market (RX400H, Sienna, and Highlander) before it trickles down to the other models. A hybrid Sienna may be closer than you think.
J
Like any other gathering, all those attending really wanted to do was swap stories. And we did, for quite awhile. At one point, we briefly went out and played with the 2004. It was a lot of fun.
We'll have another in a few weeks. I'm open to time & location suggestions. Last night's worked out great.
JOHN
Lots of storage, the dual glove boxes and various other nooks and crannies are nice, as is the "hidden" storage in the back under the carpet. Plenty of room for emergency stuff (first aid kit, flares, flashlight, etc.). The rear seats fold *nearly* flat, not quite though, say flat withing 10 degrees. Someone had kept making a point about the cost of replacing the battery, so while I was waiting for my turn to drive, I asked the service manager a couple of questions. The 2004 prius battery pack cost is about $4300, but from the past track record he felt that replacing the battery pack before 120K+ miles was very unlikely. Also, he felt the repair record for the prius was better than your average Toyota (guess that's a good thing). When the couple that was test driving the Prius ahead of me came back, the man was sitting in the back. He was 6'3", and he said while head room was a bit cramped, he fit. He fit much better in the front. We talked a bit and examined the car, turns out that the wheels have some sort of "beauty" rings on the wheels. We popped one off, and decided that it looked better without the rings.
On the road, I pulled a couple of very tight U turns with no problems, the Prius has a very tight turning radius ('course I'm used to a 4runner, which needs 60 feet or so ;-). I had one emergency stop, which was straight and controlled. If the anti-locks kicked in, I couldn't tell. Haven't had a chance to try any emergency handling stuff, maybe one of the lucky new owners could try some stuff and tell us? Hopefully I can find a Toyota dealer in Colorado that has a Prius on the TRAC program....The dealership I went to doesn't participate in the program.
That's in LOW-VOLUME early introduction $$$.
Many, many years & miles from now *IF* you actually need to replace some modules or the entire pack, production volume will be significantly higher. That will drive the price down.
It's no different than anything else that is new. At first, it is expensive. Then later, it becomes so affordable no one gives it much thought anymore.
JOHN