My 150 mi commute is 90% HWy at 58-62 mph and the rest is typical suburbam driving ~30 mph. It's the 'City' driving( 50-70 mpg) for relatively short distance that boosts the 47 HWY average up to about 49 mpg combined.
On every fillup thus far the trip meter is between 490 and 500 mi and it takes just over 10 gal.
On a 50 mi RT Sunday drive earlier this month we averaged 65 mpg with several segments in the 70's and one in the 90's. It was all done cruising easily in the 25-40 mph range. I could see whre on my old commute into and out of NYC 20 yrs ago this would have been a blessing. But gas was just over $1.00/gal.
Hi I have owned mine for a week 06 White Prius #7 and have been quite thrilled with the mileage. When I am on the highway and travel 65 or so, I average between 51-53 mpg. If I am driving in suburbia I then average in mid to upper 40s. My last car was lucky to get half that. So far I'm loving it!
I like the Prius, but Toyota's are very boring and the dealer customer service is horrible. Toyota dealers are the most arrogant dealers on the planet and they add thousands of markup over the MSRP. And while the mpg is great on the Prius, it is burdened with features that are not needed nor wanted such as bluetooth connectivity. The stereo can not be changed to aftermarket. Add in the fact that you have to drive like a mpg fanatic to obtain anything close to epa mpg while vehicles such as Corolla and TDI VW's obtain epa mpg with normal driving, No thanks to Prius.
Dealer customer service depends on the shop, not the make. There are good and bad for virtually every make.
You should have looked at a Chrysler PT Cruiser or Acura MDX a few years ago if you wanted to see markups over MSRP. None of the Toyota dealers (5) I checked when we bought our Prius were asking more than MSRP.
My Prius gives near EPA highway mpg at 75 mph, just like my two non-hybrid cars. Hard to compare local driving mpg. The Prius shines in near gridlock conditions compared to the other two, but takes a bigger percentage hit (40 vs. 30)when local traffic flows normally.
There are some of us that want Bluetooth, stability control, xenon headlights, automatic temperature control, nav, etc. in our small car. One can get a Prius without most of these too.
You may be correct that there is no after market stereo that fits the space where the factory stereo is located. I suspect that is a non-issue for most people interested in the car.
You didn't say, but diesel fuel costs significantly more than regular gasoline in many places, making a TDI a questionable economic choice (a TDI costs extra too, just like a hybrid).
I'm a big fan of diesel, but the math is tough right now: in our market, it is not unusual to see diesel posted for 20-25% more than unleaded regular [this is Portland OR/Vancouver WA]. This means your diesel Jetta, to take just an example, barely beats an ordinary '06 Civic automatic in terms of cost to run, never mind the $8-9k difference up front in cost to buy. And it means it can't touch the Prius in either category.
The diesel revolution is coming, finally, in the USA, but the cars that will benefit will be mostly priced $30k and up. VW gets snaps for hanging in there when everyone else folded [except MB and its $50k E-class], but the economics at the moment aren't very compelling. They will be, but only when comparing cars that would otherwise be getting mid-20 mpg consumption on premium gasoline.
The Prius remains unique - honest 40 mpg combined with $25-$27k price [less the tax credit for the next few months], and reasonable room inside with a real hatch to get at 16+ cubic feet of cargo area. It's this combination that no one has beaten so far, especially now that VW has at least temporarily dropped the Jetta wagon [a 5-door Golf diesel would compete, but not really in total interior volume].
Drove an 06 package 8 today. The leather is okay and gives the car a more upscale look inside. The arm rests are not cloth. The door panels (lower 2/3) seem to be made of the same material that damages so easily on my 05. The color match of the plastic panels is better than my 05.
The steering has a higher effort feel which we liked better than our 05. Ride and quiet was about the same. The information screen look for the various features has been changed. Neither plus or minus to us. The shift indicator is larger and now on the left, the gas and odometer are now on the right.
Apparently Toyota has changed the EV programming. The 06 always started in EV mode, with the gasoline engine coming on at about 15 mph. My 05 requires almost no pressure on the gas pedal to start off in EV mode while the 06 allows for a lot more pedal travel before starting the gasoline engine. This should improve local mpg.
The backup camera view is outstanding. Still can't program the nav system while the car is in motion or use the phone screen to 'dial' a number while the car is in motion. Still no height adjustment for the driver's seat. Tape player is gone.
I read the "0-60" thread carefully and I'm really on the fence about buying a Prius. Living in the D.C. area, my aged Civic is proving actively dangerous, particularly in any case requiring low and mid-range acceleration - people are so desperate to pass me they zip around me in intersections and I've been run off the road when people sped up to avoid letting me merge on highways.
I certainly don't want or need a "pocket rocket," but I'm worried I'll get to see Toyota's airbags up close and personal if acceleration really lags. When I test-drove, our salesperson went nuts every time I tried to punch the gas and wouldn't let me take it on the highway, leaving me with no sense of how the car really performs. I now wonder if he was hiding something?
Has acceleration been a real problem for anyone here? Should I maybe opt for a hybrid that sacrifices a little fuel economy for a little more speed? Thanks.
All cars have changed a lot since 1990. "boring is in the eyes of the beholder". I found my 5-speed 2002 Lexus IS300 to be boring because it was so quiet and refined. I gues I still like the muscle Car era with loufd engines and road feel. However, I like modern improvements in stability control, breaking suspension, tires, handling , gas mileage and perfomance.
If you don't like the Prius then why are you reading this board? Horrible dealers? All dealers are not horrible which shows how uninformed your opinion really is. There are over 1000 Toyota dealers in the US (dunno maybe less?). Have you been to them all? Don't post about something you know nothing about.
Well it is not at the top of the class but I haven't seen too many rear ended. Go to another dealer that'll let ya punch it. The TDIs are slower so if you're looking for economy, look elsewhere.
Prius is just a car. You would think I had insulted your sister based on your response. Toyota dealers have recently rated poorly by JD Power for their sales and service satisfaction scores.
carsbikesDon't post about something you know nothing about. Take your advice and apply it to yourself.
No they do not lack for anything as compared to your aging Civic. You will find that at a light a Prius will be the first vehicle 'away' if both drivers are paying attention; It's the initial 'torque boost' from the electic motor.
It will not beat a V6 in a race nor will it beat most modern midsized 4c either, but it wont lag either. It drives 'quick', not blazing fast. The one area where I am not a good Prius fuel miser is at stop lights, old habits die hard I guess.
As carsbikes stated, go to another dealer and test one out. It's different because you are waiting for low-gear-torque and all you will find is a smooth consistent acceleration.
The dealer that let me test the original Prius in 2001 was much more wanting to satisfy my automotive needs. The last 3 Toyota dealers I have come in contact with were not as willing to please. I think that JD Powers findings on Toyota customer service going down hill is correct. I would guess that the Prius would go into history if not for the tax incentives. You cannot take one for a test drive as they are dribbled out to the dealers. Same goes for the Honda Civic Hybrid. In CA the hybrids are gouged so much that a sensible buyer would not give them a second look.
Yes, that is indeed the case. There was a good article in the current C/D on this point--how to ensure you get a test drive. As you noted, dealers won't give a test drive to just anyone. But if it is clear you are interested in buying the car and won't destroy it on the test drive (some funny anecdotes in the article on that one), you can get a test drive. I got 3 test drives on the Prius when I was shopping for one in the fall/winter of 2003, so it can be done.
test drives on the Prius when I was shopping for one in the fall/winter of 2003, so it can be done.
In the fall of 2003 they were still having difficulty selling the Prius. Not the same as the last year and a half. I took two test drives in the Classic and the dealer called me several times over the next couple months. I would have bought if my now ex-wife had liked the car.
Since the Gen2's came out in Oct 2003 they have essentially been soldout. By Dec '03 they had orders in hand at dealers for 6 months of production into 2004 at the initial forecasted figure of 35000 units. By March '04 the waiting lists were running 4-18 mo's depending on the dealer and whether he was 'promoting' the vehicle sos they bumped the production up to 70000 units on an annual basis; i.e. ~6000 / mo. In 2005 the production and sales were again bumped up to ~100000 units.
The availability of 'test drives' at initial launch was that each TRAC dealer was given one TRAC Prius to use as both a rental and as a demo vehicle. When that TRAC vehicle was 'used-up' and sold then as a used vehicle by about March '04 there were no other vehicles available for test drives all of them were on order with leadtimes 12-40 weeks out.
The final Classics were available for drives because they suffer seriously in comparison.
WOW! Divorce oover not getting a Prius. Now that is a strong Prius support. Whew! my wife won't divorce me if I don't get Prius.
Bye the way I did test drive, again, a Prius in mid-December. And more recently, in Janaury the delaers have been clamoring for sales and have offered test drives.
Cheers,
MidCow
P.S.- wait until May 2006 -the availability date of the 2007 Camry Hybrid :P
Hey, If you can survive with an aged Civic you should be okay. You will have close to the same accelration, but better mileage.
Accelration is a problem, but don't ask Prius owners unless you want an optimist rose-colored answer. The Prius is the slowest Toyota made, SUVs included, except for the auto-Echo which is going away ( and not it hasn't been renamed the Yaris; a differnet car).
The 2007 Camry Hybrid will be avialalbe in May and offers reasonable acceleration; slightly less than 9 seconds 0-60 mph.
I guess anytime you drive you must floor your car from one stop sign to the next. I believe the Mini Cooper non S is in the high 9 second range. The VW TDI Jetta is 12 and change to 60. Who the heck cares? Are you drag racing every day? You have to be a real bonehead to care about acceleration in a vehicle that rewards you with close to 50 mpg. I'd be quite giddy with 10 seconds to highway speed. If you get a Civic SI then I will get a Corvette and pass you like you're standing still. What is the point?
Every dealer in my area has at least two Prius in stock, and most have one or two 04-05 Prius in used inventory. They are not so hot in the Midwest. Now is a good time to buy and obtain the tax credit. When I was in SD I spoke to a dealer that was selling Prius for over MSRP to dealers in CA. Red hot demand in CA! Once Summer is here and gas prices rise again, will there be waiting lists?
The Prius is just the slowest car and it is unsafe in a lot of situations. What ois so hard to understand. )-60 flooring in a Prius is about 10.5-11.0 seconds with a full charge. If you drive easy it is even slower. A metric to measure perfomance is 0-60 time; doesn't mean everyone drives at that speed all the time.
Civic Si has very good perfromance; get a Corvette if you want. It isn't a matter of who passes who, it is a matter that the Prius is slow and dangerous on expressways in large cities such as the fourth largest in the US.
My post was in reply to gagrice's contention that the Prius was not selling well in late 2003, so it was easy to get a test drive (or 3) when I did. I think an eight-month waiting list is a sign that the Prius was selling quite well in late 2003. Since then, Toyota has more than tripled the production of the Prius for North America, and the Civic Hybrid has improved quite a bit--plus the Camry Hybrid is almost here. So with much higher production and more choices, including used Prii, supply has loosened up.
As I mentioned before but we disagree on the source of the numbers, it is exactly the same as the last 2,500,000+ 2.2L Camry's produced from 1992 - 2001. While never speedsters they were never unsafe. Your opinion is valid.. your facts are wrong.
I lived 500,000+ miles in them and they were never unsafe, nor is the Prius. If it's not fast enough for you personally that's OK .. but skip the blatantly false statements.
I think an eight-month waiting list is a sign that the Prius was selling quite well in late 2003.
I believe it was more a case of not delivering cars to sell. I had lost interest in the Prius by the time the 2004 model was announced. So I was not looking for them on the lots. Once that bunch of Hollywood losers got involved it ruined the car for me.
Yes the speed and slowness is my opinion. You are right about the Camry the older ones 2000 and less were pretty slow. Even Toyota improve the performance to around 0-60 in 9 seconds on the recent 2.2L 4 cylinder Camry's The article and time I was quoting was accurate for the current model not the older. So actually both of our facts are correct. You were right the Prius was a slow as the seven year old 4cyl auto Camry. And I am right also that the Prius is significantly slower than the current 4 cylinder automatic Camry's (2004, 2005, 2006)
Now, maybe you would be comfortable driving the high speed freeway commute in Houston. But myself and many ,(if not most) others are not comfortable. It is not comfortable for me personally and what is blatantly false about the Prius with a 0-60 time of 10.5-11.0 seconds on a fully charged battery being the slowset Toyota including toyota SUVs and Trucks. Also, if you will look across the board , almost every car manufactured in the last couple of years, excluding perfromance and exotic, have acceleration in the range 0-60 in 8-9 seconds. Even most SUVs and trucks are in this performance range. Maybe 30 years ago 0-60 in 10.5-11 seconds mph was a good time; I had an 1974 Alfetta GT that had performance around 11.5 seconds. But there are more cars , no longer a 55 federal speed limit, and people drive much faster. Using performance technology metrics that are 30 years old is just not safe. Yes, that is my opinion, but no it is not a blatantly false statement.
Yes the speed and slowness is my opinion. You are right about the Camry the older ones 2000 and less were pretty slow. Even Toyota improve the performance to around 0-60 in 9 seconds on the recent 2.2L 4 cylinder Camry's The article and time I was quoting was accurate for the current model not the older. So actually both of our facts are correct. You were right the Prius was a slow as the seven year old 4cyl auto Camry. And I am right also that the Prius is significantly slower than the current 4 cylinder automatic Camry's (2004, 2005, 2006)
Now, maybe you would be comfortable driving the high speed freeway commute in Houston. But myself and many ,(if not most) others are not comfortable. It is not comfortable for me personally and what is blatantly false about the Prius with a 0-60 time of 10.5-11.0 seconds on a fully charged battery being the slowset Toyota including toyota SUVs and Trucks. Also, if you will look across the board , almost every car manufactured in the last couple of years, excluding perfromance and exotic, have acceleration in the range 0-60 in 8-9 seconds. Even most SUVs and trucks are in this performance range. Maybe 30 years ago 0-60 in 10.5-11 seconds mph was a good time; I had an 1974 Alfetta GT that had performance around 11.5 seconds. But there are more cars , no longer a 55 federal speed limit, and people drive much faster. Using performance technology metrics that are 30 years old is just not safe. Yes, that is my opinion, but no it is not a blatantly false statement.
Midcow from a previous post: The Prius is just the slowest car and it is unsafe in a lot of situations
Correctly stated ... It is MC's opinion that '...it is unsafe in a lot of situations' There is no fact on this issue to support your statement, but YPRMN.
Again after putting 500000+ miles over the last 15 yrs on vehicles with similar performance, IMO a driver only needs a well-built 4c to drive safely at 60-90 mph on any Interstate in the US. The earlier model 2.2L Camrys lacked for nothing, for that I can vouch based on doing exactly that type of driving. The Prius is in the same class.
Neither are 'unsafe' except in your opinion, which is OK.
BTW I've driven on almost every Interstate in the country in every major city. My prior job kept me on the road 3 days a week all over the country and in Europe. Name it and I've driven it except fully across country in one shot. Houston is one of the largest steel ( my previous sales job ) markets in the world and the number of times I've been there to Dallas to Tyler to Odessa to San Antone to Houston are lets say numerous.
Not according to C & D. 2006 TDI with DSG is 12.25. Pretty sucky!! I love that yellow cab. Wonder how much maintenance the guy would have if it were a mopar. LOL!!!
Did you drive through Houston 59, I10, I45, 610, in rush hour traffic and how recent was you steel sales job? Even in the last several years the traffic ocnjection and speed and aggressiveness has significantly worsened.
Early Sunday mornings or from 2am -4am the traffic is pretty good.
Toyota of Garden Grove (CA) offered me a Silver 2006 Prius, Package 8, Alloy Wheels for $31,241. Adding tax the final price comes to $33,211.00 - They say they are offering it at MSRP with no premium. I want to get a second opinion here from Prius owners on the price, before I say a yes/no to the dealer. Any pointers would be highly appreciated.
Any other dealers in Southern California who have a package 8 in stock?
the most was a week at a time in the late 90's from the oil rig facilities in SW LA through E Texas to just about everywhere in Hou. during the day from Baytown and the port to the Galleria and north to the airport.
I was home by Sunday, normally. 90-100 was normal from Tyler to Dallas to Odessa. Driving wasnt an unusual experience. No more so than I95 from NY to Richmaond at 80 mph nearly bumper to bumper. But 90 mpg from Charlotte to Atlanta is a trip - NASCAR country.
Sounds like it was an interesting job and i can see how you put on the miles. And you job now as a car salesman sound goods. Thought about a car job when I retire.
I checked the Edmunds MSRP price for 06 Prius with just package 8, silver, Garden Grove zip code, and it was $29,195. However, the TMV "What others are paying" price is $31,417, over $2200 above MSRP!. Don't know if the alloy wheels or other additional options bumped it up there. Doesn't sound like the dealer showed you an itemized sticker of exactly what's on that car.
I'm not suggesting how anyone should spend their money, but is $30K+ worth it for a Prius? This is getting into luxury car territory. If one is willing to live with fewer options and not care about the color, there can be discounts on leftover 05's, if you can find one. I got a leftover 05 with package 4 for about $23500 OTD back around Jan 2 here in northern VA. And then there's always the used market / Carmax.
Edmunds TMV is about $2000 above the fully loaded sticker. There is nothing above the $29125 except a few minor accessories. It's a reasonable estimate of what they are going for in the high demand areas. In most regions it's just $29125..
Can you imagine that some people pay over $50000 for other vehicles too.. sheesh.. why they dont smarten up and get a Focus and save $30 grand is beyond me.
Comments
My 150 mi commute is 90% HWy at 58-62 mph and the rest is typical suburbam driving ~30 mph. It's the 'City' driving( 50-70 mpg) for relatively short distance that boosts the 47 HWY average up to about 49 mpg combined.
On every fillup thus far the trip meter is between 490 and 500 mi and it takes just over 10 gal.
On a 50 mi RT Sunday drive earlier this month we averaged 65 mpg with several segments in the 70's and one in the 90's. It was all done cruising easily in the 25-40 mph range. I could see whre on my old commute into and out of NYC 20 yrs ago this would have been a blessing. But gas was just over $1.00/gal.
I have owned mine for a week 06 White Prius #7 and
have been quite thrilled with the mileage. When I am
on the highway and travel 65 or so, I average between 51-53 mpg. If I am driving in suburbia I then average in mid to upper 40s. My last car was lucky to get half that. So far I'm loving it!
Add in the fact that you have to drive like a mpg fanatic to obtain anything close to epa mpg while vehicles such as Corolla and TDI VW's obtain epa mpg with normal driving, No thanks to Prius.
Dealer customer service depends on the shop, not the make. There are good and bad for virtually every make.
You should have looked at a Chrysler PT Cruiser or Acura MDX a few years ago if you wanted to see markups over MSRP. None of the Toyota dealers (5) I checked when we bought our Prius were asking more than MSRP.
My Prius gives near EPA highway mpg at 75 mph, just like my two non-hybrid cars. Hard to compare local driving mpg. The Prius shines in near gridlock conditions compared to the other two, but takes a bigger percentage hit (40 vs. 30)when local traffic flows normally.
There are some of us that want Bluetooth, stability control, xenon headlights, automatic temperature control, nav, etc. in our small car. One can get a Prius without most of these too.
You may be correct that there is no after market stereo that fits the space where the factory stereo is located. I suspect that is a non-issue for most people interested in the car.
You didn't say, but diesel fuel costs significantly more than regular gasoline in many places, making a TDI a questionable economic choice (a TDI costs extra too, just like a hybrid).
Excellent write-up. Thanks!
MidCow
The diesel revolution is coming, finally, in the USA, but the cars that will benefit will be mostly priced $30k and up. VW gets snaps for hanging in there when everyone else folded [except MB and its $50k E-class], but the economics at the moment aren't very compelling. They will be, but only when comparing cars that would otherwise be getting mid-20 mpg consumption on premium gasoline.
The Prius remains unique - honest 40 mpg combined with $25-$27k price [less the tax credit for the next few months], and reasonable room inside with a real hatch to get at 16+ cubic feet of cargo area. It's this combination that no one has beaten so far, especially now that VW has at least temporarily dropped the Jetta wagon [a 5-door Golf diesel would compete, but not really in total interior volume].
The steering has a higher effort feel which we liked better than our 05. Ride and quiet was about the same. The information screen look for the various features has been changed. Neither plus or minus to us. The shift indicator is larger and now on the left, the gas and odometer are now on the right.
Apparently Toyota has changed the EV programming. The 06 always started in EV mode, with the gasoline engine coming on at about 15 mph. My 05 requires almost no pressure on the gas pedal to start off in EV mode while the 06 allows for a lot more pedal travel before starting the gasoline engine. This should improve local mpg.
The backup camera view is outstanding. Still can't program the nav system while the car is in motion or use the phone screen to 'dial' a number while the car is in motion. Still no height adjustment for the driver's seat. Tape player is gone.
I certainly don't want or need a "pocket rocket," but I'm worried I'll get to see Toyota's airbags up close and personal if acceleration really lags. When I test-drove, our salesperson went nuts every time I tried to punch the gas and wouldn't let me take it on the highway, leaving me with no sense of how the car really performs. I now wonder if he was hiding something?
Has acceleration been a real problem for anyone here? Should I maybe opt for a hybrid that sacrifices a little fuel economy for a little more speed? Thanks.
Cheers,
MidCow
Toyota dealers have recently rated poorly by JD Power for their sales and service satisfaction scores.
carsbikesDon't post about something you know nothing about.
Take your advice and apply it to yourself.
carsbikes has TDI envy.
It will not beat a V6 in a race nor will it beat most modern midsized 4c either, but it wont lag either. It drives 'quick', not blazing fast. The one area where I am not a good Prius fuel miser is at stop lights, old habits die hard I guess.
As carsbikes stated, go to another dealer and test one out. It's different because you are waiting for low-gear-torque and all you will find is a smooth consistent acceleration.
Went to a good car show this weekend in Houston!
Cheers,
MidCow
In the fall of 2003 they were still having difficulty selling the Prius. Not the same as the last year and a half. I took two test drives in the Classic and the dealer called me several times over the next couple months. I would have bought if my now ex-wife had liked the car.
Since the Gen2's came out in Oct 2003 they have essentially been soldout. By Dec '03 they had orders in hand at dealers for 6 months of production into 2004 at the initial forecasted figure of 35000 units. By March '04 the waiting lists were running 4-18 mo's depending on the dealer and whether he was 'promoting' the vehicle sos they bumped the production up to 70000 units on an annual basis; i.e. ~6000 / mo. In 2005 the production and sales were again bumped up to ~100000 units.
The availability of 'test drives' at initial launch was that each TRAC dealer was given one TRAC Prius to use as both a rental and as a demo vehicle. When that TRAC vehicle was 'used-up' and sold then as a used vehicle by about March '04 there were no other vehicles available for test drives all of them were on order with leadtimes 12-40 weeks out.
The final Classics were available for drives because they suffer seriously in comparison.
I'll take a Yellow one, just like yours. :lemon:
Bye the way I did test drive, again, a Prius in mid-December. And more recently, in Janaury the delaers have been clamoring for sales and have offered test drives.
Cheers,
MidCow
P.S.- wait until May 2006 -the availability date of the 2007 Camry Hybrid :P
Accelration is a problem, but don't ask Prius owners unless you want an optimist rose-colored answer. The Prius is the slowest Toyota made, SUVs included, except for the auto-Echo which is going away ( and not it hasn't been renamed the Yaris; a differnet car).
The 2007 Camry Hybrid will be avialalbe in May and offers reasonable acceleration; slightly less than 9 seconds 0-60 mph.
Good Luck and be safe,
MidCow
Yellow Prius are reserved for CRD's?
You will have to explain what you are trying to imply, kylecisi.
I agree that there is little importance of 0-60 mph when comparing 8 to 9 to 10 or 11 seconds.
The VW TDI Jetta is 12 and change to 60 The least you can do is post accurate information. 0-60 mph 10.88 s Jetta TDI
When I was in SD I spoke to a dealer that was selling Prius for over MSRP to dealers in CA. Red hot demand in CA!
Once Summer is here and gas prices rise again, will there be waiting lists?
Civic Si has very good perfromance; get a Corvette if you want. It isn't a matter of who passes who, it is a matter that the Prius is slow and dangerous on expressways in large cities such as the fourth largest in the US.
YMMV,
MiodCow
I lived 500,000+ miles in them and they were never unsafe, nor is the Prius. If it's not fast enough for you personally that's OK .. but skip the blatantly false statements.
I believe it was more a case of not delivering cars to sell. I had lost interest in the Prius by the time the 2004 model was announced. So I was not looking for them on the lots. Once that bunch of Hollywood losers got involved it ruined the car for me.
Yes the speed and slowness is my opinion. You are right about the Camry the older ones 2000 and less were pretty slow. Even Toyota improve the performance to around 0-60 in 9 seconds on the recent 2.2L 4 cylinder Camry's The article and time I was quoting was accurate for the current model not the older. So actually both of our facts are correct. You were right the Prius was a slow as the seven year old 4cyl auto Camry. And I am right also that the Prius is significantly slower than the current 4 cylinder automatic Camry's (2004, 2005, 2006)
Now, maybe you would be comfortable driving the high speed freeway commute in Houston. But myself and many ,(if not most) others are not comfortable. It is not comfortable for me personally and what is blatantly false about the Prius with a 0-60 time of 10.5-11.0 seconds on a fully charged battery being the slowset Toyota including toyota SUVs and Trucks. Also, if you will look across the board , almost every car manufactured in the last couple of years, excluding perfromance and exotic, have acceleration in the range 0-60 in 8-9 seconds. Even most SUVs and trucks are in this performance range. Maybe 30 years ago 0-60 in 10.5-11 seconds mph was a good time; I had an 1974 Alfetta GT that had performance around 11.5 seconds. But there are more cars , no longer a 55 federal speed limit, and people drive much faster. Using performance technology metrics that are 30 years old is just not safe. Yes, that is my opinion, but no it is not a blatantly false statement.
LOL good oxymoron Prius speedster!
YPRMV (Your Performance Requirements May Vary),
MidCow
Yes the speed and slowness is my opinion. You are right about the Camry the older ones 2000 and less were pretty slow. Even Toyota improve the performance to around 0-60 in 9 seconds on the recent 2.2L 4 cylinder Camry's The article and time I was quoting was accurate for the current model not the older. So actually both of our facts are correct. You were right the Prius was a slow as the seven year old 4cyl auto Camry. And I am right also that the Prius is significantly slower than the current 4 cylinder automatic Camry's (2004, 2005, 2006)
Now, maybe you would be comfortable driving the high speed freeway commute in Houston. But myself and many ,(if not most) others are not comfortable. It is not comfortable for me personally and what is blatantly false about the Prius with a 0-60 time of 10.5-11.0 seconds on a fully charged battery being the slowset Toyota including toyota SUVs and Trucks. Also, if you will look across the board , almost every car manufactured in the last couple of years, excluding perfromance and exotic, have acceleration in the range 0-60 in 8-9 seconds. Even most SUVs and trucks are in this performance range. Maybe 30 years ago 0-60 in 10.5-11 seconds mph was a good time; I had an 1974 Alfetta GT that had performance around 11.5 seconds. But there are more cars , no longer a 55 federal speed limit, and people drive much faster. Using performance technology metrics that are 30 years old is just not safe. Yes, that is my opinion, but no it is not a blatantly false statement.
LOL good oxymoron Prius speedster!
YPRMV (Your Performance Requirements May Vary),
MidCow
The Prius is just the slowest car and it is unsafe in a lot of situations
Correctly stated ... It is MC's opinion that '...it is unsafe in a lot of situations' There is no fact on this issue to support your statement, but YPRMN.
Again after putting 500000+ miles over the last 15 yrs on vehicles with similar performance, IMO a driver only needs a well-built 4c to drive safely at 60-90 mph on any Interstate in the US. The earlier model 2.2L Camrys lacked for nothing, for that I can vouch based on doing exactly that type of driving. The Prius is in the same class.
Neither are 'unsafe' except in your opinion, which is OK.
BTW I've driven on almost every Interstate in the country in every major city. My prior job kept me on the road 3 days a week all over the country and in Europe. Name it and I've driven it except fully across country in one shot. Houston is one of the largest steel ( my previous sales job ) markets in the world and the number of times I've been there to Dallas to Tyler to Odessa to San Antone to Houston are lets say numerous.
Prius envy is contagious!!
Early Sunday mornings or from 2am -4am the traffic is pretty good.
Cheers,
MidCow
Any other dealers in Southern California who have a package 8 in stock?
Guess : You Actuallly May Imply Not Very Safe ???
Cheers,
MidCow
I was home by Sunday, normally. 90-100 was normal from Tyler to Dallas to Odessa. Driving wasnt an unusual experience. No more so than I95 from NY to Richmaond at 80 mph nearly bumper to bumper. But 90 mpg from Charlotte to Atlanta is a trip - NASCAR country.
Sounds like it was an interesting job and i can see how you put on the miles. And you job now as a car salesman sound goods. Thought about a car job when I retire.
Peace,
MidCow
I checked the Edmunds MSRP price for 06 Prius with just package 8, silver, Garden Grove zip code, and it was $29,195. However, the TMV "What others are paying" price is $31,417, over $2200 above MSRP!. Don't know if the alloy wheels or other additional options bumped it up there. Doesn't sound like the dealer showed you an itemized sticker of exactly what's on that car.
I'm not suggesting how anyone should spend their money, but is $30K+ worth it for a Prius? This is getting into luxury car territory. If one is willing to live with fewer options and not care about the color, there can be discounts on leftover 05's, if you can find one. I got a leftover 05 with package 4 for about $23500 OTD back around Jan 2 here in northern VA. And then there's always the used market / Carmax.
Just my $0.02
Be sure to join the Eagle One team in a live chat event tonight to find out how nanotechnology is changing the future in car appearance products.
The chat gets underway at 9PM ET/6PM PT.
There's also going to be a special offer available only to those attending the chat, so don't miss this one.
Eagle One Team Chat
Hope to see you there!
Considered a Ford Focus for 1/2 the price? Sure it gets less mpg but perhaps you could use or save the other $16500?
Can you imagine that some people pay over $50000 for other vehicles too.. sheesh.. why they dont smarten up and get a Focus and save $30 grand is beyond me.