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Toyota Prius

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    jacqueusijacqueusi Member Posts: 55
    otis1, I know you weren't comparing the Prius to a Corolla. If you re-read my post, you'll notice I was replying to stevedebi's comparison of a Prius to Corolla. And I quote, "[stevedebi] In terms of actual size and weight, it is very close to the Corolla."
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    jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...but what does ANY of this debate have to do with the purpose of this particular forum?
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    Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    Folks, we need to stick to pricing and the purchasing experience only. This topic is primarily for those who have already decided on the Prius, and are in the shopping process. There are numerous places throughout the Forums where you can compare vehicles and the Toyota Prius 2004+ discussion is the place to talk about the size/weight of the Prius.

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    zoranzoran Member Posts: 69
    Please advise? any ongoing experiences, prices, discounts, color changes, leather option? etc.
    BTW! When are 06 expected??
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    zoranzoran Member Posts: 69
    Any final word on pricing and mileage? I am not excited about High 20s number/Gallon advertised!
    If lexus can get mid 30s from 07 8cyl LS 470H then mid 20s on 6Cyl H are preposterous imho
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    bdouglasbdouglas Member Posts: 6
    I just got a call saying my Prius would arrive in September, wondering if I should wait for the 06's to come out. I have the same questions. When are the 06's coming out and are they any different. Anyone know?
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    bic1bic1 Member Posts: 5
    I went to two dealers in the Los Angeles area, both took my name and wish list (seaside blue Prius '06, package 3). Both said they expected several hundred dollar increase in prices ($300), and one quoted me $23,100 MSRP for package 3 (without taxes, license, etc.). One dealer (Longo -- nation's largest Toyota dealer) said they never add any dealer fee above the MSRP and would not be putting on surcharges as others might do.

    I want to wait until Jan. 1 for the tax credit and both said to call back in November just in case it takes 2 months to get one. Only 1 salesman out of 4 knew the difference between this year's tax deduction of $2000 and next year's tax credit (possibly as high as $3000 for the Prius). Someone at Toyota is not training their salesman.

    In any case, no one had any more 2005 and they were all awaiting the 2006.
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    jacqueusijacqueusi Member Posts: 55
    The $300 price increase came into effect Aug. 1st. Also, from what I've been reading on various "Prius Chat" and "Prius Online" sites, the packages are being reconfigured again which will also include some new options (MP3 stereo, backup camera, leather) and colors. As much as I am enjoying my 2005, I'm seriously contemplating selling in favor of a 2006. Besides the camera option, the tax credit is very, very tempting assuming I don't run into any AMT issues.
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    bdouglasbdouglas Member Posts: 6
    Anyone know how helpful the back up Camera will be? Thanks
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    voiturevoiture Member Posts: 1
    my understanding is that tax credits are not affected by AMT. Does anyone know for sure?
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    falcononefalconone Member Posts: 1,726
    It will be quite effective. I tried that feature in the Infiniti M35 and it REALLY makes a difference. I hope every car offers this feature in the future.
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    jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    The Wall St Journal's article on this topic specifically warned that the '06 credits would be subject to the AMT - they are rarely wrong on this kind of thing.
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    larryb2larryb2 Member Posts: 3
    Here’s my rather odd experience at Miller Toyota in Culver City, CA.

    I recently enquired through their website about availability and pricing on the Prius.

    On August 18 the internet sales manager wrote: Our price for a Prius with the Package 1 option that comes with: driver & passenger side and curtain airbags, and carpeted floor mats is $22,351 plus tax, license, and documentation fees.

    On August 20 the internet sales manager wrote: Toyota has just rewarded us with an unexpected allocation of vehicles. As a result we have lowered our prices on many of our most popular models. Including the Prius 4-dr Gas/elec Hybrid Constant Variable Trans you inquired about. When you get this email, please call me back so I can provide you with our new lower price for the vehicle you requested. Thank you!

    On August 24 I went to the dealer and spoke with the internet sales manager and he said they no longer had any Prius models. He wasn’t sure if they would be getting any more 05 models and wasn’t sure when the 06 models would arrive. He wasn’t knowledgeable on the 06 tax credit. I asked him if I could preorder a 06 for January 06 delivery and he didn’t know if/when they would do that. What happened to pushy salesmen? He didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

    On August 25 the internet sales manager wrote: If you’re still in the market for this vehicle, here’s a little incentive: Call us back at within 24 hours of receiving this email, and you will receive an additional discount on the vehicle you selected.

    I emailed him right back and informed him that I had spoken to him yesterday at the dealership and reminded him of our conversation. He wrote back apologizing for the “automatic email.”

    Why would anyone want to take delivery of a 06 model in 05 with the tax credit in 06? I’m confused. Can you preorder? Will the tax credit really be a dealer advantage because they will simply jack up the price? Anyone have a crystal ball?
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    spaziwkspaziwk Member Posts: 9
    Anyone know if a Remote Starter can be intsalled in a 2005 Prius? Has anyone had one installed and if so were there any problems?

    Thanks in Advance.
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    dreasdaddreasdad Member Posts: 276
    2006 Prius are not scheduled to be released until Nov 21st.
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    dreasdaddreasdad Member Posts: 276
    Most saleman are trained to sell the car out front rather than a car that is 5 months away. Tax credits is not something that concerns the saleman just you as the buyer. I have pulled up the energy bill and tried to read it to make sense of it and can not.
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    stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "I have pulled up the energy bill and tried to read it to make sense of it and can not."

    Don't feel bad, that is a politician for you - unreadable. However, there have been posts by people in the tax attorney business saying that the Prius will qualify for around $3000 of tax credits if purchased after Dec 31, 2005. The full credits go through the annual quarter after the quarter in which Toyota sells 60,000 hybrid vehicles. Then the credits continue, but diminshed, for one year.
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    molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    John has posted all the deductions on his website. His information is very accurate.

    www.john1701a.com

    Numerous sources claim the Prius will enjoy a $3,150 tax credit. How's that for being nice and juicy. Now you can really close the gap on the supposed hybrid premium.
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    fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Received my HOV decals from CA DMV today. They are numbered and it looks like about 4000 have been issued so far.

    They are large UGLY mustard yellow decals, with black letters, that the CA DMV wants placed on both rear fenders, low, behind each rear wheel. These are 3 1/2 inches x 7 inches. There are also two smaller ones, 2 1/2 inches x 5 inches, that are to be placed on the right side when facing the car, of the vertical part of each bumper.

    They make the car stick out like a sore thumb. I expected much smaller stickers and I expected them to be for the rear side windows as well as one for the lower hatch window and possibly another for the windshield. I don't like putting large stickers on the paint, especially if the glue is like the license plate stickers (very hard to remove without paint damage). Came with a certificate to be kept with the vehicle registration.
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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I agree. I hate putting anything on the paint of a car. I would think the window would be sufficient for ID. When you go to sell that may leave a different color patch on your fenders.
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    ira7ira7 Member Posts: 1
    We're interested in anyone whose been driving the 05-have you had trouble seeing out the back window? That concerns us.
    Also, has anyone had better luck buying through a credit union or AAA type service than directly through a dealer? We are in the Portland, OR area and wonder the best way to go. The cars have been extremely popular in Oregon with little leverage for bargaining but we gave it up several months ago and haven't checked since. Maybe it's changed.
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    dreasdaddreasdad Member Posts: 276
    which section are they on his website? Usatoday quoted a Toyota rep that the Prius deduction would be around 1,400.
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    vegasgeorgevegasgeorge Member Posts: 1
    I was just wandering where you received your information about a $3100 tax break for 2006. I searched it on google and I can not find out anything about it.
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    nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    The reason the HOV stickers "stick out like a sore thumb" is for the Cal. Highway Patrol and Patrol Helicoptors to make sure it is an HOV approved vehicle.
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    falcononefalconone Member Posts: 1,726
    Have a look at www.john1701a.com

    He has a list of all the deductions for the hybrids. I'll post them later. In the meantime, his site is a very good resource for hybrid information. He is usually very accurate with his information. In the meantime, this is what he claims. If someone out there has better information, please post it.

    $3,150 Prius
    $2,600 Escape-Hybrid FWD
    $2,200 Lexus RX-400h
    $2,200 Highlander-Hybrid FWD
    $1,950 Highlander-Hybrid 4WD
    $1,950 Escape-Hybrid 4WD
    $1,950 Mariner-Hybrid 4WD
    $1,700 Civic-Hybrid (SULEV or cleaner)
    $1,450 Insight (SULEV or cleaner)
    $ 650 Accord-Hybrid
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    shubashuba Member Posts: 1
    We just picked up our new Prius pkg. 6 (Seaside Pearl) on Saturday. We paid MSRP plus $168 for title and plates, the charge DMV makes if you handle the registration yourself. I've seen a few posts from other areas where the buyer beat MSRP by a few hundred dollars, but none from around here. You might want to check VancouverToyota.com, a dealer who promises not to charge more than MSRP. You may even want to drive over the bridge to visit them. If there's a Prius like the one you want in inventory, you can make a printout from the web site to show to Portland dealers, asking them if they can beat the price.

    Bottom line is don't pay more than MSRP and think about insisting on delivery after Jan. 1 when you can get the big tax credit. On the other hand, with Katrina creaming the oil facilities in New Orleans as I write this, maybe you want to nail down a new Prius somewhere today.
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    jacqueusijacqueusi Member Posts: 55
    I have an '05 and the back window is certainly an issue, but you get used to it. I do wish the car had backup sensors though.

    My CU easily beat Toyota's rates, BUT as a Grad student, I managed to get a $400 credit through their educational program. My plan is to refinance in another month through my CU hopefully at a used car rate which is a full percent lower than Toyota's new car rate.
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    railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    Testimonials are about as good as you can get when New car buyers want to be ..."In The Know".I suggest anyone wanting to get it from the horse's mouth then here is an avenue. Go to MSN Auto section and look up '04 & '05 Toyota Prius and see what new owners have to say. You'll find a number of testimonials that tell it like it is. They, like myself, get a bit giddy when gas prices soar and smile while passing gas-stations. WOULDN'T YOU?
    Railroadjames (Remember....Friends don't let Friends drive S.U.V.'s) :):):)
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    rsharprsharp Member Posts: 103
    2006 Prius option codes, package contents and exterior/interior color combinations. Please note that each of the twelve Toyota regions are able to order any, all or none of the packages.

    FE- 50 State Emissions, Included w/All Packages

    GY #1- Driver and Passenger Side and Curtain Airbags (your basic TRAC car)

    HE #2- Rear Camera, AM/FM CD 6 Speakers & MP3, Smart Key System

    HF #3- RC, AM/FM etc., SKS, All the airbags

    HG #4- Vehicle Stability Control, RC, AM/FM etc., SKS, All the airbags

    HI #5- VSC, RC, JBL AM/FM, CD Changer, 9 Speakers, Bluetooth & MP3, SKS, Security Alarm & Homelink, All the airbags

    HK #6- VSC, HID's, RC, JBL etc., SKS, Alarm & HL, All the airbags, Front Fog & Driving Lamps

    NL #7- VSC, HID's, RC, JBL etc., SKS, Alarm & HL, All the airbags, Navi, Fog & Driving Lamps

    NW #8- VSC, HID's, RC, JBL etc., Natural Leather Seating Material, SKS, Alarm & HL, All the airbags, Navi, Fog & Driving Lamps

    Exterior/Interior Colors- Super White (040) G/B, Classic Silver Metallic (1F7) G/G, Magnetic Grey (1G3) available w/04/06 production G/G, Black (202) G/B, Barcelona Red Metallic (3R3) G/B, Driftwood Pearl (4S2) B/B, Silver Pine Mica (6U0) G/B, Seaside Pearl (8S2) G/B. The G or B indicate the interior colors (Gray or Beige) that will be available for either the cloth or leather. G/B means Grey or Beige is available for both, G/G is Grey only for both, B/B is Beige only for both.
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    kwiskwis Member Posts: 2
    I'm considering buying a Prius, but I'm a little concern about how it handles on snow or ice covered roads. Can anyone share any winter driving experiences with me?
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    igkigk Member Posts: 2
    I suggest you look more closely at the differences between a hybrid Prius and a Civic. The civic has one 10 kw motor-generator and a transmission. The Prius has one small (Size of your outstretched hand) planetary gear, an internal combustion engine and two motor-generator (one 10 kw and one 50 kw) The PSD is the planetary gear; usually several of these are used as part of an automatic transmission. The ICE can only go forward or be stopped. The MG's go backwards or forward individually to match the wheel speed and the ICE and the power needed to drive or retard (Braking) the wheels. Thus, the single planetary gear and two motor-generators do the job of a transmission. :)
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    rsharprsharp Member Posts: 103
    The local dealer uses the Prius as their courtesy car. The guy who drives it all the time was telling me that last winter he took the Prius everywhere. He said he took it on some very questionable roads covered with snow and ice, hills, etc. He was looking to see how far he could reasonably push it. In his words, "I was amazed, I never got stuck."

    We had a very snowy winter, our city has lots of very steep hills that get very little snow clearing.
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    jmc0816jmc0816 Member Posts: 8
    Thinking about buying an '06. If I pay MSRP does that include the delivery charge? Or has anyone been able to get out of paying this? I'm not used to paying sticker for a vehicle so I want to make sure I'm not being taken to the cleaners.
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    jmc0816jmc0816 Member Posts: 8
    I'm thinking about buying a Prius but I have a dog. I would like nothing more to look at an actual vehicle, but the dealer won't have one in for another 3 weeks. Can someone tell me what the height is in the hatch from floor to glass? I'm curious to know whether my dog will have enough room. I understand that the glass tapers so I'd like to know the maximum and minimum heights.

    Thanks.
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    blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    The delivery charge printed on the federally-required window sticker is non-negotiable.
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    pjyoungpjyoung Member Posts: 885
    Don't know the exact height, but my labrador has no problems in the back -even with the rear seats upright. She actually kind of likes to lay down and look out the glass below the spoiler when she's riding.
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    jmc0816jmc0816 Member Posts: 8
    Has anyone installed a hitch such as a 1 1/4 inch for a bike rack? Does this work well and is there any effect on mileage?
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    kiki23kiki23 Member Posts: 3
    Can't find a dealer with one on the lot....all want to "take my name". I'm ready to buy, have test driven, paying cash. Anyone out there bought from a dealer recently in Socal who has inventory??
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    kiki23kiki23 Member Posts: 3
    Wow, that buys a lot of gas. They have prius in stock at a few socal dealerships. They're getting $6,000 over sticker. Amazing. For a Toyota! God bless us everyone.
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    zoranzoran Member Posts: 69
    I did order my 06, start build in October, delievry in Nov/Dec..in bay area, at MSRP with promise of possible discount? No long list on 2006 at this time! I ordered from two dealers, wherever it comes first!
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    dreasdaddreasdad Member Posts: 276
    keep looking , there are still some dealers that sell the car at msrp, you just have to find them, when you call ask if they have a fleetsales or internet dept

    good luck
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    gmaneugenegmaneugene Member Posts: 1
    Could you explain what you mean by "purchased aftermarket"? Do you mean the fabric seats would be recovered w/leather at a non-dealer?
    Thanks
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    jason_jmjason_jm Member Posts: 5
    does anyone know if i lease a prius in 2006 if i can still get the tax credit?

    also anyone know what residuals / mf are for prius and which banks are doing good leases?

    thanks
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    kwiskwis Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for sharing this with me. I'm encouraged to hear that the Prius handles well on snow/ice, and particularly on hills.
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    igkigk Member Posts: 2
    The back seats fold down to gives lots of carrying room. In addition, the trunk has a false top that hides a plastic tray which is indented to hold the tire changing tools. That tray is 6" deep by 34' wide and 23' front to back. I'm always carrying things so I've stored that folding top and carpeted the tray. Holds two 22" rollaboards plus, etc. If you leave the visibility cover for the trunk open, the space to the center of the rear window (Glass) is about 29". Hope that helps. :)
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    fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    The stickers would be just as visible if they were placed on windows. In California, the law that allows use of HOV lanes with a single occupant vehicle with stickers attached sunsets on 12-31-07, a little over two years from now (from a CA DMV web page: ... section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2008, and as of that date is repealed.). Having to put the stickers on the paint effectively eliminates removal because the paint will most likely come off with the stickers. This may have a significant adverse effect on resale value.
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    explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,320
    my sister has a priius and she and her husband are not too happy with winter handling. he said he was trying get some winter tires, but could not find any rims to mount them on. they live in western pa, very hilly.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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    mossymanmossyman Member Posts: 5
    Lease is basically like renting and according to the news, it's only good if you purchase one. Besides, in my opinion, it's always better to buy than lease. At least you get some money back when you decide to sell the vehicle. If you lease, it's like renting. You're just giving that money away and nothing in return. Just my 2 cents.
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    mossymanmossyman Member Posts: 5
    Kiki23, Puente Hills Toyota had 2 yesterday in a package 6. They had a red and a white one available. I had my name on their list so they called me as soon as they had one. I'm not sure if they still have it now. When they called me, I already purchased mine about $4k below MSRP. It is cheaper because I bought mine used, but in pristine condition. It was a 2005 in a package 6 and the previous owner installed an XM satellite (dealer install), bought the extended warranty and the maintenance package for 60,000 miles. Although the car does have about 1 1/2 years worth of miles on it, it is still in an outstanding condition, and I think I got a really good deal on it. I also got mine in the seaside pearl (blue) color, which I think is pretty rare, because all the dealerships I called usually have only white, black, or silver available. Recently I've noticed a lot of Priuses on the road but only have seen a couple in the seaside pearls, so I think it's a pretty unique color.

    I was thinking about purchasing a 2006 model and waiting until Jan 1st, but California is only giving out 75,000 of those HOV lane stickers, and from what I heard from the DMV, they are running pretty low because they are also giving those stickers to previous owners of HCH and Prius. And the HOV sticker was the biggest reason of why I wanted to buy the Prius in the first place. So if you are in California and you want to drive on the HOV lanes by yourself, I suggest you buy one as soon as possible. I think the stickers will be gone by the end of the month. DMV would not give me an actual number, but they did mention that they have received a lot of applications for the stickers, and they are running low on it.

    Good luck to everyone looking for a Prius in SoCal. There was a Toyota Dealership in Ontario, CA that was willing to give me a few hundreds discounts off the MSRP. Try to find someone in the Fleet department. They are willing to take deposits on the Priuses that are already allocated to them and when they have the VIN's. After that, your Prius will arrive in about 2 weeks. The one night I talked to the guy in the fleet department, they had one package 6 in a tideland pearl (green) available on their list, which was the color we also liked. (My wife is tired of having a black, white, and silver vehicle) We should have placed a deposit on it, but at the time we weren't sure if wanted one in a package 3 or 6. We decided to get the tideland pearl in package 6 the next morning, but as soon as I called them, it was already sold to someone else. We missed our chance. But if we did place the deposit on that Prius that night, I don't think we would have gotten the better deal with the seaside pearl Prius. So far I have driven about 600 miles on the car and only had to fill up the gas once. Many people complained about not getting the mileage as advertised, but it really depends on how you drive the car. If you keep revving up the engine, you'll waste a lot more gas that way. There is an article that I read before about a group of guys driving an unmodified Prius and getting over 110 mpg. Besides, isn't the reason you bought this vehicle in the first place is to save gas? Driving conservatively will allow you to get 600 miles per full tank. You can't really race these vehicles anyway.

    Good luck to all looking for a Prius.
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    falcononefalconone Member Posts: 1,726
    Tell them to get Nokian WRs. Mount them on the OEM rims. They can go anywhere with those pups. Original OEM tires on the Prius are horrible.
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