New Prius Owners - Give Us Your Report

tbhoward · February 2008

I just traded my Highlander for a 2008 Prius, and I have a headlight question. I was used to the automatic feature of the headlights in the Highlander--they stayed on all the time, adjusted as needed to conditions, and turned off with the key. I thought the Prius would be the same, but don't find any info that indicates that is the case. It is not a big deal--after three days I am in love with the car--but it is a question.

210delray · February 2008

The Prius does not offer auto-on headlights like many other current Toyotas. It does not even have daytime running lights.

So you must manually turn on your parking lights or headlights. However, I thought that if you accidentally left your headlights on when parking the car, turning off the car would also turn off the headlights, but I could be mistaken.

kdhspyder · February 2008

Correct. When you power OFF the headlights go out. Power ON the next morning then headlights are on again.

railroadjames · February 2008

Alright boys & girls ....The fact is the Prius Hdlts work with the ignition. When you turn off said ignition the lts stay on till you open Driver's Door....Lts are off. Of course the Hd lt control on the left side has to be left in the on position.

pinkskim · February 2008

I recently purchased a 2008 package 2 and my gas mileage has been much lower than expected. The first tank averaged 41mpg and my second tank was a mere 39mpg. Granted I've been driving in hilly areas like Ithaca, NY but every other entry I have read seemed to get at least 45mpg. My roommate owns a civic hybrid and told me that hybrid vehicles have a "break-in" period to break in the electric motor/battery. Is this true for the 08 prius? Should my mileage be increasing the longer I drive the car? I currently have about 1000mileson the car, so at what point in the battery "broken in"?

kdhspyder · February 2008

You need to do a lot more research here and on the internet. You live in Upstate NY ( I grew up there ) and it's been cold and snowy. There is a 5000 and 10000 breakin period on almost all Toyota's.

Here's a post I made last year concerning potential fuel economy losses,. fuel economy losses
Pick from the list and see how many of these apply to your personal situation...then add them up. Your nominal expected rating should be about 48 mpg on an annual basis. See here for a database of 1500 current PriusII owners.

prelec · February 2008

We picked this up last sat. I was a little aprehensive about the "basicness" of the prius. We also have an 04 acura tl. after a week and about 275 mi I have to say that there is not much I don't like about this car. We have 45 mpg so far, it is comfortable, everything works - satisfied. I think we will keep the acura or maybe get a new lux car, but maybe not.

richardye · March 2008

It is not surprising because you live in a cold place. My 2007 Prius produces different gas mileage, from 56 mpg in the summer to 40 mpg in winder (Chicago). At 32Fto 40F, it gives about 45 mpg. Wait til summer and you will see gas mileage go up.

tiff_c · March 2008

It is not surprising because you live in a cold place. My 2007 Prius produces different gas mileage, from 56 mpg in the summer to 40 mpg in winder (Chicago). At 32Fto 40F, it gives about 45 mpg. Wait til summer and you will see gas mileage go up.

Wow I would like to see it that Hot here! 32F would be a heat wave! We have been below zero for quite a few nights now.

Lots of Priuses on the road tho and all seem ok, but I wonder how well they'd climb the roads going to my house. I have to shut traction control Off in my Civic or I can't make it even with snow tires.

snowboarder4 · March 2008

I purchased a 2007 Prius without an owner's manual.
Please provide me with a web-site where I can study or download an owner's manual. I still have not been under the hood.

florida_wen · March 2008

It sounds like you must have purchased a "used" 2007 and the owner (seller) decided to KEEP the manual and plastic pouch it comes in ?? I have seen legitimate owner's manuals for Prius for sale on eBay, along with "bootleg" (homemade) CDROMS which are downloaded and copied Toyota .pdf files.
By the way, the REPAIR manual(s) come in 4 volumes and cost nearly $500 (maybe more lately) !!

bigmiked · March 2008

After having read almost every post on this site over the past several months and being very satisified with what I had been reading here in addition to talking to many owners of the Prius (I may have been the stranger in the parking lot who kept asking you to many questions)----I made the plunge one week ago. I purchased an '08 Silver Pine Mica with package 6. I was apprehensive as I was downsizing from a Ford Explorer Limited and also a Lexus ES-300, both of these vehicles were fully equipped with all the options and creature comforts. I have to admit now, the Prius is probably the most enjoyable vehicle I have ever owned and I have owned many----about 45-50 over the past 45 years-------well maybe the Corvette was more fun to drive when I was younger. The Prius is a hi-tech marvel, I spent the first 4 nights of ownership just reading the manuals that came with it so I would understand everything and I am still learning. The sound system is outstanding and I am comparing this to the premium sound systems I have in both the Lexus and the Ford Explorer, maybe a little lite on the bass but the mid-range and the higher ranges are fantastic. When I plug my Ipod into the system I do not believe the Lexus/Ford can beat the Prius for sound quality. I greatly enjoy the built in Blue-Tooth phone system and the ability to dial by voice commands. I also enjoy giving the navigation sytem voice commands to operate it. The dash display unit almost gives the feeling of being in the cockpit of an airplane with all the feedback and options availible. The steering wheel push button controls are the best I have ever used in any vehicle, I have very little reason to take my hands off the wheel.
My first week and my MPG's I experienced----after driving it for 6 days I filled up and I got 46.3 miles per gallon, It only required 6 gallons and a little over $20, what a change from the SUV which would require 15-18 gallons and about $55---now I am really happy. Then on the 7th day we decide to take a trip to Bakersfield, Ca. from near the DisneyLand area of southern California which takes us from near sea level to over 4,000, feet and the return trip in the same day for a total distance of about 340 miles. I had 4 full size adults in the Prius for an approximent passenger weight of 650 pounds. The vehicle rode very nice for all of us, had enough power to negotiate the mountain climbing in the "Grapevine" area, we all returned home late last night with the feeling of everyone pleased with the Prius and of course I had an audience to demostrate all the high tech wizardry to during the course of the journey. The dash display showed I achieved 50.4 mpg and the calculated mpg's were 50.1. Now----I am very HAPPY.

p.s. One more thing I was pleased with was the ability to put my golf clubs/bag into the rear storage space without having to lay down any seats. I have a near tour bag in size (this means large) and I am able to place it in there on the diagonal. The cargo cover then hides it nicely from prying eyes. This was a pleasant surprise as I thought the seats would have to come down to get the clubs in.

snowboarder4 · March 2008

Concerning my recent purchase of a 2007 Used Prius with 7,070 miles on the odometer, I contacted Toyota directly when I realized that my vehicle came to me missing an Owner's Manual.
In light of my past experiences with computer technical support, Toyota Customer Service is spectacular and delivered a new manual to me within a week of my request: 1-800-622-2033.

I live at 9,600 feet. I drive down to 9,000 feet and back every day. Although I have been unable to go through more than 4 gallons of fuel this month, I am averaging between 45 MPG and 50 MPG by calculation of my two-gallon toppers.

Despite warnings from several people that a Prius cannot function in the mountains and does not have enough power to handle grades, I have nothing but evidence to the contrary. The Prius has already performed wonderfully on ice, through snow ridges, and within slush without winter tires. Although I will probably buy snow tires or snow tires with studs for the next full winter, I am very impressed with the performance of my Prius to date. I have passed many monster AWD SUV's stranded in the ditch at Officers Gulch on I-70. My Prius holds the road spendidly. The Prius is fantastic.

If everyone in the United States purchased a Prius, I have no doubt that we would not be importing foreign oil and our strategic reliance on the Middle East could finally end.

beerbrewer · March 2008

I was the owner of a 2004 GMC Yukon (5.3L V8 - 14 lousy mpg) and with rising fuel prices, my monthly cost for gasoline climbed above $350. I decided it was time to take drastic measures and ordered a Prius sight unseen, not even a test drive.

It took eight weeks to arrive but on 3/7/08 I took delivery of my new Magnetic Gray Prius. The first time I drove a Prius was when I took mine on its check out drive. I currently average 42 mpg on a tank of gas (only 2 tanks of gas so far) and have averaged as high as 48 mpg on my daily commute to and from work. As I learn how to drive the car I know my mpg per tank will increase.

I have to say it was a huge mental shift moving from a full size SUV to a Prius, but I do love the new car and 3 X mpg of my Yukon. I am also happy to report that I sold my Yukon on 3/20 and I am not looking back. :shades:

ultrahawg · March 2008

Hi, all. Not to bore you: 37 year old husband and father of 4. A quick background of how I ended-up here.

My wife and I currently drive a 2003 Dodge Ram Quad and a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country, both paid for. The Ram gets about 13 mpg and the van about 19. A few weeks ago we decided to just window shop for a replacement for the van. We were trying to find something more efficient. My wife drives about 22,000 a year, much of it shuttling our kids to and from school, heading to the mall, etc. Maybe 10% of our driving is all 6 of us together as a family.

Anyhow, somehow in looking for a more fuel efficient family vehicle we ended-up looking very closely at a GMC Acadia. A nice vehicle, better gas mileage than my truck and about the same as the van. We came very close to buying one but I just had a bad feeling. The whole idea in looking for a new vehicle in the first place was to find something fuel efficient, or at least moreso. The van is still in good shape and I plan to drive the truck til I can't fix it any more as we have a 12x7 trailer and plan to get a boat one day (I've had it 5 years and it has just 38K on it).

After the close call with the Acadia I started looking closely at the available 6 passenger fuel-efficient vehicles. Slim, slim pickings in that department. The Ford Escape Hybrid didn't jump out at me and the fuel savings weren't that great. So I started looking at the Prius, just looking. It was the only car that really jumped out at me. I am not a particularly "green" person. I mean, I believe in being a good steward of what God's given us, but "green" is not my raison d'etre. But the Prius just had so much to offer. It's just so different and the mpg was the best part of the whole deal. (I think the Prius is attracting a lot more folks like me these days: we want a fule efficient family car and all the green features are a great bonus). It just seemed impractical to buy a Prius as we'd have to keep the van for family outings. But like I said, 90% of our driving is not together.

So after falling in love with the car (without ever having driven one or even seen one up close) I told my wife of all the virtues of purchasing a third car. She finally succumbed and agreed to go look at one today. To make a long story short we plunked down a deposit on a 2008 Driftwood Pearl Package 6.

I keep thinking to myself that this was the wrong decision, but I'm so sick of spending $70 to get 270 miles out of my truck (less than 200 towing the trailer) and $65 for 350 miles from the van. The way I see it we'll save at least $200 a month on fuel alone. I think in the long run it'll turn out to be a good decision. Right about the 6 year mark our oldest son will start driving and what better way to begin than a paid for Prius that gets great gas mileage? I mean, in 2013 gas will be $6 a gallon, right? And even if it is $6 I won't fret too much since a full tank on the Prius will be the same price as a full tank in my truck today and I'll get 40% more miles out of it!

Well, we picked it up this morning. So far we've driven it about 50 miles (it already had 460 miles on it since they swapped it out with one from the dealer in Athens). My wife drove it home from the dealership and then I took it to work and then to the kids' school twice. I averaged 61 mpg on the work trip! (about 9 miles, stop and go, max speed limit of 45. Overall average from the computer is 54.7 mpg. My truck would've used 4 gallons of gas today. The Prius used about 1.

It's funny how before I really thought a lot about gas usage and could literally watch the needle wind down. Now I don't think I'll even think about it.

The hardest thing to get used to is the absolute quiet at stoplights. But the JBL sound system with my iPod is awesome.

The nav system isn't that intuitive and I'm pretty computer/gadget smart. It works well so far though. I'll have to get into the manual tonight.

I told my wife that I've never had so much fun just driving a car. All the reviews that said that is was a pedestrian vehicle got it wrong. People who buy a Prius don't care about performance as much as others. Give me a small engine with great efficiency. I couldn't care less whether it takes me 10 seconds or 5 to get to 60mph.

kdhspyder · March 2008

Hi great story. Congrats and welcome to the community. For quite a while you'll be more and more impressed with the vehicle day after day after day.

My raison d'achet

was very similar to yours. Money. LOL.

I too am not a fanatic greenie but I do appreciate the benefits to everyone around me but frankly the economics swayed me since I put 35000 mi on mine annually. After Katrina and the first run above $3 I didn't want to be beholden to any oil company or any unforeseen circumstances.

You will find the Navi to be a hoot to use. There is a lot to use, talk to it.

I agree about the sound being very very good via an iPod or MP3..and I've only got the standard issue.

How about this nugget, from a friend who also posts here... 'carbot'.. he bought one of the first 04's and now after 50 months he's right at 190,000 miles!!!!!

...on his original brakes!!
...on one set of plugs!!
...oil and filters every 5000 miles
...tires every 40-50K
...that's it..nothing else spent.

It engages your brain to use it to its fullest. Enjoy.

graygator · March 2008

Bought and took delivery of my Magnetic gray Prius package 2, on 3/28 and the next day took a 200 mile round trip to Orlando.
The trip was about a third interstate, a third two lane rural and the remaining third suburban. I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I got a computed indication of 52.5 mpg. For a new car, right out of the box this was great. I drove conservatively but took care to drive the speed limit as much as possible. (interstate was 70, rural roads from 50 to 65.
I am not thrilled with the rather vague steering and so so handling but it's good enough.
I did tons of research as well as renting a car. One of the reviews I read complained about all the strange noises of pumps and motors going off.
That's the best part! I've always been somewhat of a technophile and all the noises set off by computer is confirmation that I am driving a truly state of the art machine.
Have enjoyed reading this forum and am happy that I can now contribute.

eba55 · March 2008

:confuse: still researching and trying to decide on new or used- came across and 07 with only 9k miles and the colors I want, but no back up camera. Can someone whose been driving give me an opinion on getting one without a back up camera?

snowboarder4 · March 2008

What is your concern about owning a back-up camera?

If your concern is that you are going to parallel park and strike your bumper against the vehicle behind you, then practice with some cones or cardboard boxes on the ground in a parallel park arrangement. Pass the space, begin entry at a 45° angle, then straighten the vehicle, as you learned in driver's ed class. Give yourself as much space as the typical over-sized SUV. It is extremely unlikely that you are going to bump your boundary.

I drive 1,200 miles a week in a 42 foot bus. If I can back one of those without contact against obstacles, then a little Prius should be no problem for you. On perpendicular parking, always back into your stall, then you will avoid blind backing on your way out, as police officers and firefighters always park. Avoid backing as much as possible, as any driver is instructed in any thorough driving course. Also, never drive while on a cell phone or putting on clothes or covering your face with cosmetics and you will decrease your chances of serious accidents more than a back-up camera will assist you. Furthermore, avoid unsignaled lane changes and turns, especially U-turns, most importantly in front of an on-coming bus or truck. Rather than ever doing a U-turn, turn into a driveway or drive around the block when you are lost. This will also greatly reduce your chances of a stupid accident. In addition, giving adequate following distance behind all vehicles, like a football field on highways, will eliminate your chance of rear-ending anyone who suddenly hits the brakes. Also, lower your speed by twenty miles an hour on snowpack and ice to avoid putting that Prius in the ditch. During a typical snowstorm, I observe five vehicles, usually large SUV's in the ditch due to excessive speed. Reduce your most likely causes of accidents and you will be making real in-roads into your chance of damage to your Prius.

If you can find a low-mileage used Prius at around $20,000, then your savings will exceed the added costs of a rear-view camera. Furthermore, your annual fuel savings will cover more than the cost of replacing your bumper every year.

If you are still concerned about accidents in parking lots, then buy a zero deductible insurance policy. Within a few years, you will be paying the cost of any minor damages with your premium, but your bad driving habits will be covered. As you back into a position, park with your driver's door across from any dragon-length SUV beside you and your rear clearance should be a few feet short of any obstacle behind you.

schaeffz · March 2008

First week with about 420 miles, mixed driving, 49+ MPG per the computer.
The gas fill-up took 8.5 gal, matching the 49+. I am very happy!
But the gas gauge indicated one box (out of 10). The low fuel indicator had not yet beeped. With an 11.5 gas tank capacity, I figured the gas gauge would be about 1 gallon per box, but this is not the case. It is not linear. It seems that I should have several gallons left when close to "empty". Reading on the thread about filling the gas tank, I am a bit worried about letting the tank go until the low fuel beep.

Otherwise, WHAT A GREAT WEEK OF DRIVING !!!!! I love the feel of the car in every way.

I decided that the only practical use of the "B", breaking, gear is one stretch of my commute where there are seven stop lights along a seven mile stretch. It just helps keep me from having to hit the brake pedal as often. Back in the day with manual transy, I'd downshift to avoid using the brakes. I do understand that regenerative braking is used by the Prius (that is, breaking with the electric motor instead of with the wheel brakes) down to 10MPH or so. But I seem to be able to ease to a couple miles per hour without hitting the brakes in "B". Thus, saving brake pads, maybe? Even with this that stop and go stretch still gives me in the high 40's, since the engine shuts off when I stop, and the electric engine tends to drive at the slower speeds. I have a 10 mile stretch on the commute that is two-lane 45MPH winding up-and-down country road. I am getting in the mid 50's on that stretch! The trick is simply to not "gun" the gas pedal. Steady right foot is the ticket!
The back-up camera is a fun novelty, but very hard to judge distance. It is somewhat distracting to look at the screen to look behind, and I probably shouldn't use it as a back-up view anyway for safety! Great picture tho.
I have come to appreciate the split back window. The bar in the middle tends to block out bright headlights from the car behind! Otherwise, I do not mind the split visibility at all.
Got my golf clubs and my softball bag in the trunk, with still lots of room for groceries, etc. I am trying to find an inexpensive option for a protective floor mat for the trunk. There are some pretty expensive mats on the internet. Any suggestions here?
I love the keyless system! I was leery at first about never pulling my keys from my pocket. But it is fun to walk up to the car and have it greet me with friendly beeps. It would be cool be able to attach a voice to that, like, "W'sup Mike!" Now I feel a bit perturbed at having to pull out the keys to open my house door. Wonder if I can get keyless entry for my house too! Better yet, implant that thing somewhere in my body, to unlock everything!
I am a bit annoyed by the lack of info as to how to use the Aux feature of the Audio system. I have package 2, the no NAV and single-CD system. I've found on here some links to iPod adapter cables, but they are very expensive! The Owner's manual does not tell me what type of plug that Aux plug is or what I can hook up to it and how the Audio system deals with devices on the screen. I wonder if anyone has help for this? You'd think that with the backup camera capability, that you'd be able to simply plug in a DVD player and see great video on that screen, even without the NAV system. Same screen I suppose, just different software. I did read where video files from an iPod work well, but that may be with the NAV system, wasn't clear.

I really LOVE my Prius!

Mike

kdhspyder · March 2008

When the last bar is left you have about 1 gal to drive ( 40-50 mi ) then the warning will come on and the last bar will blink constinually. You have approximately an additional 2 gal or so to drive ( 80-100 mi ).

After 71000 miles I always drive til the bar blinks then fill up. I normally put 9.5 to 10.3 gal in at that time.

Regarding the 'B' it is intended only for use in steep downhill declines as a type of engine braking. Don't use it in normal day to day driving. Look it up in your owners manual.

Regarding the brake pads this is one of the best features of the Toyota hybrids. Whenever you let off the gas the computer changes the e-motor to a generator and makes the front wheels drive this generator to charge the battery. This puts a load on the front wheels and helps you slow without use of the brakes.

The regen brakes only kick in when your actually press the brake pedal which you shouldn't be doing too often. Coast freely as far as possible then use the brakes only to come to a safe stop without hitting anyone. Your original brakes should last well over 100,000 miles with no problem.

YOu've already discovered one of the best 'unspoken' features of the Prius. Being a 5 door hatch it's actually like a small light truck. I've had a 43" flatscreen TV, my golf clubs and briefcase and two pizza's in the back....with room to spare. I have a customer who goes surfing with 2 friends on the Outer Banks. They carry 6 surfboards ...inside!!!

trofrnk · March 2008

My wife and I have decided that the backup camera would not be any reason to buy or not buy the car. The problem with it is that, like some mirrors, its very hard to judge distance with it. It is also like having blinders on as peripheral vision is very poor. The only time this camera is worth having (IMO) is when your in the downtown minneapolis and need to parallel park very quickly. Its a good Idea, but just using the backup camera without looking would be very dangerous. So if you have to look behind anyway, whats the point of having the camera. Plus, its a distraction. Just one of those gadgets that seems neat, BUT NEVER GETS USED.

eba55 · March 2008

Thanks. That's what I was thinking too. MPG is much more important

richardye · April 2008

I have driven a '07 Prius for a year now, and I do not use the backup camera very often. It's like a wide angle lens which makes estimating distance difficult. You can back your car perfectly fine without this camera.

schaeffz · April 2008

The camera does give a pretty good view of what's right behind the bumper. So I suppose a quick glance at it, since it is on the display anyway, could give a warning that there is something there that you may run over. So, I'm going to get in the habit of glancing at the screen before I let off the brake, just in case. I paid for this, so I'll try to use it. And there is the Gee-Wizz factor showing it to a first-time passenger. The beeping also does not annoy me, since I have already several times pushed the gear selector the wrong way, wanting to go to D but pushed it to R. The beep warned me BEFORE I hit the gas pedal. So, both features are there I am sure because a designer anticipated problems. There is a way to disable the reverse beep, but I won't do it.

bigmiked · April 2008

This is a further update to my post on my Prius when it was a week old (post #425). I am now up to 1200 miles and it is a month old, it is still performing flawlessly. I continue to enjoy the vehicle so much I look for places to drive it. I just filled it up today with 430 miles on this tank and received 52.1 mpg with about 50/50 driving on surface streets vrs. freeways. I added window tinting to all windows, with limo tint in the back and on the driver-passenger windows the lightest tint they had. After reading so much on needing non-metallic tinting because of the Navigation system, the installer I went to did not use a non-metallic tint. He assured me in 21 years at his location he has never had a problem with either radio reception or Navigation(maybe 7 years on this). His price was only $150, so I took the gamble. No problems, everything still works great and the car looks great coupled with the cooling/light glare reduction----I am very pleased.

pt95148 · April 2008

can you give the address of your tinting guy?

PF_Flyer · April 2008

If you are going to try and pass along persoanl information like adresses or phone numbers, please do so via email by setting your email address to public in your profile (Only registered Edmunds users can view profile info) and then folks can click on your username to contact you.

trofrnk · April 2008

I am posting this due to the accident my wife had april 10 with our 2007 prius. Basically she rear ended someone who stopped on a freeway on ramp doing 40 mph. (ouch) The car she hit only needs a bumper, but the prius is a very sorry sight. It actually drove underneath the rear of the other car. The good news is that my wife was not injured even being 8 1/2 months pregnant. The air bag did not deploy basically because the hood and radiator support crumpling as she drove under the other car cushioned the impact. So overall the car did its job. The repair bill??? Well lets just say my insurance MAY be buying a new car. So far, the estimate is at $10,500, but they still can't get the car to power up, and I doubt they know the extent of the drivetrain damage. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH- TAKE THIS CAR TO THE DEALER BODY SHOP WHO HAS FIXED THEM BEFORE FOR REPAIRS. BODY SHOPS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TROUBLE SHOOT THEM!!!!! Now the body shop manager thinks I am second guessing his judgment. Being a mechanic myself I can tell you that if they start "throwing parts" at this car, it will get expensive. Another thing I wanted to mention, Immediately following the accident, the car would not power up at all. In fact, the tow truck driver was swearing about how much he hates these cars, because you can't put them in neutral!!! When theres damage to the electrical system, the car is LOCKED in park so they literally had to drag it out of the lane of traffic. that can't be good for the front tires, or your sanity due to the honking of idiots on the freeway. I found out why later. The car has no brakes when it won't power up so if you could put it in neutral it would likely roll into something. At this point, I realize that my idea to get this car to save gas and pay for itself is not going to pan out.

stevegold · April 2008

Glad your wife is OK.
I backed my 2004 Prius out of my garage the other morning, right into the side of a workman's pickup truck. Not a scratch or dent on the Prius but a lot of damage to the truck.

snowboarder4 · April 2008

What is the proper technique to tow a Prius if it is disabled and unable to move into neutral?

Drag it up on a flatbed?

Where does one attach the cables to drag it?

Kirstie_H · April 2008

A reporter hopes to speak with anyone who purchased or considered a hybrid vehicle in 2007. If this describes you and you care to share your story with a reporter, please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience no later than Friday, April 18, 2008.

chadx · April 2008

"I told my wife of all the virtues of purchasing a third car. She finally succumbed..."
I keep thinking to myself that this was the wrong decision, but I'm so sick of spending $70 to get 270 miles out of my truck (less than 200 towing the trailer) and $65 for 350 miles from the van. The way I see it we'll save at least $200 a month on fuel alone. "

I salute you for being willing to increase your monthly spending to reduce the amount of gas you use per month. Obviously this was not a financial situation but an environmental one, so congrats, you are more green than you claimed in your post.

I wish we were in the position to do the same, but I can't justify the extra expense of a third vehicle or even replacing my current since it's paid off and the car payment will outway the amount of money I'd save on gas.

Financially, owning a third car makes no sence. If the expected gas savings is $200 a month, that won't come close to making up for an extra car payment, insurance and maintenance of a third vehicle.

You could always consider selling truck and keep the van so you have one vehicle that the while family can still fit in and it sound like it's still pretty new. You could still haul things with your trailer behind the van. I don't know the towing rate, but the owners manual should say. It might even be able to tow the boat you say you might buy in the future.

railroadjames · April 2008

Thanks for your info. It helps to know these things as to the quirks of the Prius in case of an accident. Towing is another perplexing problem because I own an R.V. and was hopefull that I'd be able to tow behind it. This looks to be unlikely. I'm not giving up though. Still trying to find a way. Another thing is a Rr hitch to tow small & lightweight items. Toyota frowns on any towing but to my way of thinking .....If you can put 4 people in a Prius (approx weight 800lbs) why not a lt weight trailer and a Jet-Ski or utility trailer w/ a riding mower? Seems reasonable to me. I personally love the '04 Prius I own w/ 75K miles w/ no problems.

snowboarder4 · April 2008

Lately, I have been spending quite a bit of time discussing the
benefits of operating a Prius. Everyone at work is considering a Prius as either a first or second family vehicle for commuting.

Personally, I am estimating $2,000 to $3,000 per year in fuel savings, with the range resulting from uncertainties over fuel prices. From my previous vehicle, I am estimating $3,000 per year in maintenance cost savings. :lemon:

After 5 years, this means that I will save $25,000 which matches the cost of a new Prius. Of course, resale value after 5 years for a Prius is about $16,000. Essentially, my Prius is a free vehicle, my operational savings will meet or exceed my monthy car payments which I have already noticed in my healthy checking account balance.

Today, I received an estimate on a new battery bank for the Prius of
$4,000. Spreading the cost of a full battery bank over 6 years of
15,000 miles per year, gives me one extra year of car payments to pay for battery replacement at 90,000 miles. However, my calculation is apparently erroneous, since my research estimates battery life to extend over at least 180,000 miles. If only all of my calculations were so imbalanced in my favor.

oldsarg · April 2008

I bought my Prius for the sole purpose of saving money on gas mileage. I drive up to 2000 miles per month or more. The re-imbursement percentage is significantly higher with the 50 MPG with the Prius. In the past two days I drove 350 miles to and from a job. I am always dead tired when I come home from such a long trip when driving my Prius. I am much more comfortable in my SUV and I drive it on occasions especially when I am taking secondary roads. As of late, I am thinking of driving it more, maybe 50% of the time, in order to take advantage of the comfort. There is a significant difference in the comfort. We could all be more comfortable in larger vehicles thus causing much less stress on our lives if the price of oil were reduced so that it does not cause a significant amount of stress on our budgets. There are significant amounts of oil that have been located in Alaska and elsewhere. Oil deposits are the natural process of residue seeping into pockets in the earth's crust. Converting corn into gas is an un-natural process and the cost of making gas in this fashion is significantly higher. I suggest that everyone call their representatives to allow immediate drilling in areas where oil has been discovered thus driving down the price of gas. Just think of the reduction of stress in our lives. We would live longer and be much more comfortable. If you really want the facts, don't listen to politicians and their distortions of the facts.

kdhspyder · April 2008

well it's good that you're even considering the "...uncertainties over fuel prices..". Most people that do any analyses ( including some purported experts ) do it all wrong by ignoring 3 key factors.

The first is the price of fuel is probably never going down again. It's almost always going to go up for a number of reasons. Certain analyses like some done here at Edmunds assume that fuel will remain at $2.85 a gallon forever ( wait that can't be right ). As you imply by 'uncertainties' you should factor in some inflation factor in the cost of fuel over the lifetime of the vehicle. If you're a keeper an you stay with the vehicle for 10 yrs and 150000 miles do you really think fuel will be $2.85 a gallon in the year 2018!!!! It's probably going to be closer to $6 or $8 a gallon by then.

The second huge error all the analyses make is that they ignore resale values. Yes a Prius or a TCH cost more to start out, sometimes. But they also bring more at time of resale. There are now 7 yrs of records on resales on the Prius, a little less on the HCH and the TCH but in every case the hybrid vehicle brings more to the seller. IOW the 'hybrid premium' doesn't cost you nearly as much as you might think. A similarly equipped Matrix and Prius cost about $4000 difference when new. 4 yrs later the Prius brings about $3000 more at trade in or in resale. IOW the 'hybrid premium is really only about $1000.

The third error made by the 'expert analysts' is that they try to simplify the problem for the uninformed, or lazy, or just not very smart public by reducing the problem to a simple 'recovery period'. There simply is no such concept. The whole idea is faulty. Vehicles are depreciating assets that simply cost us money from the day we buy them til the day we get rid of them. The only valid analysis is to add up all the expected costs over the expected life of the vehicle ( in miles ). Then choose the one that costs the least. This is what small businesses do every day. We afterall are millions of small businesses ( our budgets ).

But since the 'analysts' have gotten the first two key concepts wrong all of their 'expert' results are also wrong.

Tell me what you're driving now, how many miles driven annually and it's real world fuel economy. Then tell me how long you'd expect to keep a new Prius, how many miles you'd expect to drive it annually and which package you're thinking of buying and I'll plug these factors into the spreadsheet and show you the results.

BTW there is no need ever to replace your battery unless you go out of your way to try to damage it. Yes that $4000 quote is correct on getting a new one ( plus labor ) but the warranties are very very long. Most Parts Dept will tell you that they've almost never replaced one, except a few under warranty. It might be the most reliable and durable part of the vehicle. If you live in a CARB state you're covered up to 10 yrs / 150,000 miles.

stevedebi · April 2008

" I am much more comfortable in my SUV and I drive it on occasions especially when I am taking secondary roads. As of late, I am thinking of driving it more, maybe 50% of the time, in order to take advantage of the comfort. "

Not sure how new your Prius is, but you might try a Ford Escape Hybrid. The FWD model is rated at 34 city / 30 highway, and I suspect you could match or better the EPA figures. I just got mine and it is very comfortable on the road.

toyolla2 · April 2008

Sorry to hear of her accident, but your hottie escaped unscathed so things could have been much worse !!
I expected someone else should have jumped in before me, but here goes :

First you DO NOT want this car back under any condition. Here's what you should know.

1. The structural integrity of this vehicle has been compromised in many places.Some of which will be spotted by the bodyshop and corrected, some won't show up until 6months, one year, 18months later etc. At this point the insurance company will be long gone.
Try claiming a front or rear suspension collapse a month later. Sudden shocks are known to untemper a spring or leave it in a weakened state. Well you must have hit a pothole sir will be the response. We don't cover that.

2. The electrical integrity may have been compromised with shorts and overvoltages during repair and refurb. Then again the computer modules may have been handled without proper static protection safeguards in place. I'm talking anti-static pads on counters, benches and floors. After all, it's a bodyshop not the final assembly at an electronics manufacturing facility so mishandling, despite the best intentions, is possible. The modules will appear to work fine then fail suddenly on you without warning. It will have been that static damage inflicted months before. Of course you can't prove that. Prius has lots of expensive modules, why carry that risk ?

The best interest for the insurers is to continue to fund the body shop even if they can get full repair with $500 below replacement cost they saved $500 so it's cheaper for them to keep going.
The best interest of the body shop is to say they can repair anything since Toyota can supply any part of the Prius. The whole car - in the worst case ! The body shop stands to make more money the longer they work, they do not need to consider the economics of the repair. With the insurer in the picture the body shop won't be asking questions, they have almost carte blanche in this scenario.
The best interest for you is to bargain with the insurer, their first offer "to get customer release" will be low. The cheapest option for them is to have you get the vehicle repaired. They will try to scare you off by deliberately tendering a low price. They want you to adopt the natural reaction which is for you to say " if that's your offer then you can pay for my complete sactisfaction in getting it repaired !" But what you should be doing is bargain with the insurer since that initial offer won't be his final, but you have to get into the ring, as it were.
Quite frankly you DON"T WANT this car and you may have to take a hit of $5K+ just to get into a car of equal value. Avoiding problems upstream with your old car is probably worth this despite the fact that you were fully insured. Respect that this is a complex machine that you got damaged. Take the hit is my 2cents. You'll thank me.

Somewhere on Edmunds they must have some articles dealing with insurers no doubt.

They say that Experience is something you get -- just after you needed it .
T2

hihostevo · April 2008

What has been your experiences with Extended Warranties?

Somewhere in all of my reading I have seen mentioned a 7yr/75000 mile warranty for $800... but when I mentioned this to my dealer he claims that the price is more like $1,300.

I am getting the option package 6 so there are more electronics to worry about..........

Just would like you folks opinions and experience.

I am supposed to pick up the car this weekend.

scottc3 · April 2008

I got the 7/75000 for $800. If you want me to scan the invoice and email to you, let me know. You can send me an email at scott cov at sbc global dot net - all one word. You can get this for $800, and I would imagine even less if you were ready to buy - all paperwork done except signing, and got up and started to walk out because the Ext Warranty was to expensive!

sc

hihostevo · April 2008

Scott - you've got mail!

carbot · April 2008

What about the Prius makes you dead tired? I drive my '04 all day every day and it fits like a glove. I have 194.000 miles on it and have had no problems. Still have the original brakes. If you babying it for mileage, don't. Drive it like a car. You will still get great mileage and have less stress. Some people on these forums try and try to stretch their mileage by using all sorts or strategies to increase mileage. That just adds to stress. My car is my office. If it isn't moving, I am not making money. No time for babying. I still average around 48+ MPG.
I agree with you about using corn for fuel. All it does is drive food prices up.
I disagree with you about drilling in pristine areas. Solar is the answer and all we have to do is find an efficient way to harness it. If we had no oil or gas the solution would suddenly be discovered.

tothemaxx2 · April 2008

Just purchased a 2008 Prius on 4/18/08. 250 miles, averaging 46 mpg. Nothing else I would even consider driving comes even close. I drove a lot of other high mileage cars for about two months before buying. Nothing else even came close. Every day I have this car I am more amazed. Whether it is the technology, the comfort, the fit & finish, the ride, whatever. The overall quality of the Prius is better compared to a $35,000 car. It is a far better car in many ways, even without leather, than the $35,000 Volvo S60 I traded for the Prius, and I love Volvos - my other car is a XC70. Three days after buying the Prius I gave a co-worker a ride home in the Prius. Two days later he bought one!

hihostevo · April 2008

Scott........ thanks for the copy of your invoice.........

Boy you should have heard the "weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth" at the dealership when I pulled that out!

However, I wound up with the Platinum 7/75 extended warranty with Zero deductible for $850. They also offered pre-paid maintenance plan for 3 years for $800... would that have been a "good deal?"

hihostevo · April 2008

Well we picked up our '08 Prius yesterday... by the time we got home we had driven 680 miles from No. Calif. to Las Vegas. Up and down many hills....... car says we averaged 48 mpg for entire trip.

I checked mileage the old fashioned way during half of the trip by attempting to fill the tank to the same amount of fullness and then dividing miles traveled by fuel used and I came up with 50.9mpg. It is possible that the car was sitting at a slightly different angle while being fueled the second time, but I thought it was interesting that my "old-school" calculations were even better than the readout on the car.

I have a couple of questions........

1. Have any of you put the "invisible bra" type coverings on your sloped hoods?? I think I may have already picked up a rock-chip on the hood?

2. Is there a way to turn off the voice on the voice-command... I understand how it works and just would like it to beep after I push the button rather than waiting for it to tell me EACH TIME I push the button to "wait for the beep and then state the command." It drives me nuts to have to listen to the instructions on how to use the function each and every time I go to use it!

3. What really additional functional items do I need to consider for my Prius? (I have the option package #6 car)

rolin · April 2008

Hi

I purchased my 2008 Prius with #6 package this past Friday. Naturally, I am new at this, and am trying to understand how to "drive" this car in order to get the best MPG. I drove a Pathfinder for many years, and I have the feeling that I need to learn a different way of driving. I would appreciate it if anyone could pass along some tips to maximize the MPG. I believe that I will love this car as more time passes.

kdhspyder · April 2008

The first point is you are asking the right questions.

I've been involved with them since they first came here in 2000. The initial thoughts about driving them turned out to be wrong.!! Surprisingly..

Initially when starting from a dead stop just accelerate normally up to the speed of traffic. Don't baby it or try to 'use the battery'.
Then when at driving speed let off the pedal and try to maintain your speed with the lightest possible touch on the pedal.
That's it...Well there are a few other 'tricks'.
When you think you might have to slow down or stop let off the gas pedal as early as possible and coast to a stop. During this time you won't be burning any fuel normally.
Keep your tires inflated as much as you can comfortably.
Try to stay off the highway as much as possible within reason.
When you are in the city try to keep rolling as much as possible maybe by choosing a route with the least number of stops and stop lights.
Design your trips with as many right hand turns as possible.!!!

rolin · April 2008

Many thanks for your reply! I truly appreciate it. Regarding the tires. There is a feature where the tire pressure light will come on if the pressure falls below normal. Should I test the pressure otherwise or rely on the pressure gauge?

Thank you again

Linda

snowboarder4 · April 2008

When I read that Oldsarg needs to ride an SUV for his comfort, I felt that I was reading the sentiments of more than half of all citizens of the United States. I hope that this attitude will change someday soon. As long as we are driven to have a strategic military interest in the Middle East that leads to repeated wars, then driving an inefficient vehicle is a core cause of maiming and murdering our own citizens as well as those of foreign lands. As long as we import oil from foreign states, the United States will need to kill or maim people abroad as well as our own soldiers. The best response is conservation of resources through the operation of vehicles like the Prius, living in smaller efficient houses, and generally consuming fewer disposables.

The great myth about oil reserves in the United States, whether in Alaska or off-shore, is that we possess adequate supplies to perpetuate our current level of consumption. Here are a few of the relevant facts:

Currently, the United States consumes 19.6 million barrels per day, of oil, which is more than 25% of the world's total.. Despite predictions that the U.S. will exhaust it's supply of oil in as little as forty years, the demand is on the increase. Consumption of oil in the United States is increasing at a rate of about 2% annually.

Oil production for 2000 in the United States was 5.8 million barrels per day of crude oil. The U.S. produces 12% of the world's oil, and and this production is concentrated on-shore, and off-shore along the Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast, extending inland through west Texas, Oklahoma, and eastern Kansas. There are also oil fields in Alaska along the central North Slope.

The United States has 21 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. The U.S. uses about 6.6 billion barrels per year. That is only enough oil to last the U.S. about three and a half years without importing oil from other countries.

The top five nations with proven oil reserves are:
Saudi Arabia, 264 billion barrels; Canada, 178 bb; Iran 132 bb; Iraq, 115 bb; and Kuwait, 101. Note for indications of dangerous strategic entanglements that we have occupied Iraq and Kuwait during the past couple of decades as well as shown a desire to invade Iran.

My conclusions: 1] We need to get out of our SUVs; 2] We cannot produce enough domestic oil to provide for our present demands; 3] We cannot produce enough domestic oil even with the total exploitation of all oil reserves in ANWAR, Alaska, and off-shore taps.

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