Toyota Prius

rpgolfer

Hi gang,
   Owning a Prius vs test driving one is like being married versus going on a date. I've had my Prius in high winds (not good in crosswinds), heavy rain (no electrical problems) but I've never had to cross a stream with it. In severe inclement conditions, a car weighing only 2890 pounds wouldn't be my first choice, I'd use my pickup instead. Granted you can find a lot of cars that will handle better than the Prius, but didn't (wouldn't) you buy a Prius for other reasons beyond handling?
Thanks,
Rich

gagrice

Owning a Prius vs test driving one is like being married versus going on a date.

Very good analogy, and I totally agree with your assessment of the Prius. I think it is in the top five cars as a commuter vehicle. Especially for those that travel solo to work and go more than 15 miles each way. In CA it is probably one of only 3 choices for outstanding mileage and emissions.

I know you have taken it on trips and were pleased. And for those that the environmental issue is more important than performance and handling I say go for it.

midnightcowboy

While the Prius pkg prices seem close to MSRP, maybe a little higher, the forced packge otions you mention are very very profitable to the dealer. For example the $3,000 package probably costs them less than $1,000 if even that much. This is a dealer scam similar to undercoating, fabric protection, paint sealants, rust proofing, extended warranties (buy one only to find out your particular failure isn't covered, which have a mark-up in the range of 1000 percent ( 10 times cost, example you would be charge $100 for $10 value) and are Not Needed

The might as well put a $2,000 line item of ADM(Additional Dealer Markup).

H'mm buy a Costco membership for the sole purpose of getting a $750 discount on a Prius.

Good Luck in your Prius purchase.

YMMV,
MidCow

mthexuma

After the 70's oil crisis America started building cleaner cars with better fuel economy along with Europe (they suffered as well). Shortly after gas became cheap again and American car companies began building their polluters again. At the same time Europe did not want this happening so European countries started putting taxes on the gasoline to double the price. This kept manufacturers building cleaner cars. Henceforth today the American average is roughly 20mpg while the European average car is 40mpg. That means that they even though they pay double for gas, since their cars get better mileage they are paying about the same. I wish the federal government in this country would impose a $1-2 tax on fuel so that our car companies make clean cars as well. It would be even better if they took that $1-2 tax and used it for renewable energy resources! - There is my 2 cents!

midnightcowboy

You might want to repost this in a more appropriate place, since it doesn't have much to do with the Prius.

Kirstie_H

Let's stick to conversation specific to the Prius. If you visit the Hybrid Vehicles board or our News & Views board, you'll find topics that are appropriate for fuel cost discussion.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

nimbus77

I'm a costco member and when I contacted the local authorized Totyota dealer (Smithtown Toyota) about purchasing a Prius they wouldn't even return my calls. I left many messages and none was returned. If you can get a dealershipo to talk to you about a discount with your costco membership then good luck.

bjrich

Hi all; my wife and have been thinking about a prius for some time, and the other day my wife went to our dealer and placed her order...all by herself.
she ordered one with the package two,& picked out her color choices...she was greated by the general manager, taken to a salesman. they both worked with her,and treated her like the lady she is. We were told it was a one year wait. knowing these two men and the dealership from having purchased quite a few caRS From them...they are most conservative...i feel sure we will have the car much sooner..but we are willing to wait!
This car, the Pruis, is just the beginning of what will be a new age in cars. and Toyota is leading the way with this very high quality product at a decent price
We have no doubt about Toyota, the Lou Fuzs dealership, or the Prius.
We are anxious to have it,,,as our final car in our life and hope we last as long as we expect the Prius last

rpgolfer

Hi gang,
  I'm trying to remember, is there a "vent" position on the Prius like it is on other cars? Sometimes I'll press the display for upper and lower air flows and press a fan speed. I'm not sure if that's the A/C coming on in that capacity or is it a true "vent" position?
Thanks,
Rich

mlnla

Do you mind sharing what was paid? Markup over the MSRP? Thanks

hmersmann

I need to give a shout out to Toyota Town in Stockton, CA . I got my 2005 Package C in Tideland (my first color choice) in 28 days (and I know a guy from church who got his in 12 days). Happily payed MSRP in the easiest, most rewarding car buying experience of my life. It was a joy to deal with a seller who is so clearly enchanted with the Prius and bubbles over with enthusiasm and forthrightness.... Apparently they sell 90% of their Prius shipments to folks from outside the immediate area. If you're tired of waiting, consider going to Stockton.

bjrich

No problem in sharing prices; List with no extras, for the car and package 3. I wanted her to get the package 5, but she is the boss. We may add leather with heated seats. I wanted the navagation thing but we have mentioned an aftermarket one., but then that usually doen;t go if you do not order it...She loves the heated seats in her Solarad with leather.
The GM at the Lou Fusz Toyoataa Store is a good guy. WE bought a 93 Camry from him and paid him too much, just because we liked him. (he was just a saleman back then)
WE then bought a 02 Solara and he was then the Salemanager...(my son in law bought a couple of cars from them,) and now he is the General Manager....
We still pay him too much because we like him and the way he does things,,,,as does the whole company.
Her first color choice is
tideland pearl, and her second is salsa red pearl...I want the red pearl...
By the way, I drive a 01 Miata/leather pkg, crystal Blue mica....it is a joy to own.....
any other info wanted?

lak

I decided to buy a 2005 Prius after a test drive on 10/8/04. That weekend I contacted every Toyota dealer within a hundred mile radius of Sacramento, Ca. Some told me it would be 2-3 months, others wanted a deposit of $500 to $1000. I requested the car in silver with package B. By Saturday 10/16, I picked up my car from Thompson's Toyota in Placerville. The only extras on the sticker were the carpeted floor mats, which I wanted anyway. No hassle, no markup, no pressure. I love the car and have been averaging 49.9 MPG.

Since that time I have received calls from four other dealers with cars available for purchase. All are shocked when I tell them my car is in my garage.

mrvadeboncoeur

There are several US dealers that are offering the Toyota Extra Care Platinum Plan (extended warranty) for the Prius at discounted prices (off of MSRP). Most common is $985 for the top-of-the-line 7 year/100,000 mile/$0 deductible plan.

Note that you can buy the extended warranty any time up until the end of your basic 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, so you have time to decide and shop around. You do not have to buy it at the dealer that you purhcased your car at, nor where you have it serviced.

If you already paid far too much for your extended warranty, it may be worth it to you to look into cancelling and reordering it at the lower price...

For more information, I'd suggest reading:
http://www.vfaq.net/docs/ExtendedWarranty.html

mrvadeboncoeur

No, leather is not available from the factory. Some Toyota Regions (usually Gulf States or Southeast Toyota) like adding on lots of extras at the port (like 17" wheel upgrades and ToyotaGuard), and some individual dealers like adding on stuff before notifying waiting customers that their car is in (like leather, pinstriping, or LoJack). Leather is not an official option from the Toyota factory.

Toyota factory options:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/options.html
and standardly available port-installed accessories (nationally):
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/accessories.html

Neither of which show leather...

pjyoung

Just got a call from my dealer. They got one in that had the same package I ordered (package 4 which used to be package 7), but it was Salsa Red instead of Tideland Pearl. Doesn't matter as red was my second choice color. Price is $23,500. Heading over there tomorrow to pick it up. I'll post the experience here then.

larsb

Must be nice to be a "town" and get to buy Priuses this close to MSRP:

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/4170155p-3942773c.ht- ml

falconone

Hmmm... finally... it appears supply is easing. I love it when dealers can't gouge people anymore. I suppose it's Honda's turn now with the HAH. Time will tell.

hjwa

Hello. I'm new to the board and I own a 2004 Prius. I love the car, but I am slightly disappointed with my mpg. I average around 40 mpg. I bought the car in May and have approximately 9300 miles on it. I live in L.A. and used the ac over the summer. Most of my miles are city driving. Any tips on increasing my mpg? Thanks - HJWA

Sylvia

Welcome! I'm sure there are plenty of owners here who will be happy to give you some of their ownership experience on the mileage of the vehicle.

bjrich

Congratulations and will look forward to hearing your experience.

ronf

Just talked with the Toyota of Plano (Texas) dealership about getting a 2005 Prius.

They are asking and getting $5,000 over MSRP for the cars. They call you two weeks before the vehicles are scheduled to arrive ... you have to immediately give them (via a credit card) a $2500 non-refundable deposit. You purchase the car sight unseen ... they tell you what options and color it has. If you give them the deposit, they then give you the VIN number and details so that you can go to the dealership to pick it up.

Interesting about the great surcharge...

ldcommuter

I stopped by Bob Smith Toyota in La Crescenta, CA and was able to test drive the Prius. I have a daily 80 mile RT commute, and am 6 feet tall.

I noticed that I couldn't move the seat back far enough so that my thighs could rest on the seat...They were hovering just above the seat...And I thought that this just won't do for 80 miles a day, 5 days a week.

I thought that maybe someone here would know of safe and reasonable cost solutions...Maybe having the track below replaced or shifted towards the rear by a few inches?

larsb

Maybe your legs are disproportionally long? I know of drivers over 6 feet who do not have those issues. The Prius front legroom is 41.9 inches, equal to or more than these other midsize cars:

BMW 5-series: 41.5
Chevy Malibu: 41.9
Camry: 41.6

and many others......so it's about average for the "midsize" category....

backy

Seat cushion?

rpgolfer

hjwa-
   Congratulations and welcome to the site. As far as your mileage goes, I asked the same question because mine averages somewhere between 39-48 mpg. I drive in a fair amount of hills so maybe that accounts for a drop. What I do to help my mileage are little things like coasting up to a stop sign/light, moderate acceleration, driving posted speed on the freeway (here is Ca it's usually 65/70 mph), and I don't make jackrabbit starts. I encourage you to read back a few thousand messages for info on mileage. You've only had your car since May and you've already got 9300 miles? Wow, I've had mine since Feb and I just passed 8200 mi. See what others can offer you for advice and by all means talk to other Prius drivers you encounter for input and mention this website so others can share their knowledge.
Thanks,
Rich

ldcommuter

but the drawback to the prius is that you can't raise the seat up and down, which would help. you can only slide the seat front and back.

ldcommuter

I thought about that, but figured it would just be sliding around all over the place.

electrictroy

I've driven both the Civic Hybrid & the New Prius. BOTH were very nice cars, however I preferred the Civic's ability to shift to "Low", redline the engine, and accelerate rapidly.

Also, I was only able to get 50 mpg in the New Prius. The Civic Hybrid scored 60 mpg in my testdrive, thanks to its lean-burn engine.

devsienna

2005 Seaside Pearl, package #6. 5 miles on the odometer. I paid MSRP for it which was $26,666 with the carpet floor mats and package #6. Out the door price with tax and title was $29148. No extra special packages added on by the dealer. Just what I wanted and nothing else. The dealer is Melody Toyota in San Bruno, CA (Bay Area). Buying experience was fine. My salesmen (they were a team, one of them is clearly in training) were fine, though I don't think they are completely familiar with the Prius at this point since I seemed to know more about a couple of things than they did.

I feel very fortunate that I got my Prius in only 5 weeks. I had been originally told 4 to 6 months when I gave them my $500 deposit last month.

Enjoying my new car very much...

falconone

I've read that the manual shifting civic deep discharges the battery and there have been failures of the battery pack. Not sure how true this is. I also have seen numerous reports that show the Prius gets better mileage than the civic.

railroadjames

Welcome to OUR world friend. May the Hybrid Force Be With You!! We Prius owners all share an appreciation for clean air, 500 mile tanks of gas and a sense of pride as we pull up next to the "GAS HOGS".
As to getting top mileage in your Prius I suggest you turn up the secondary screen that shows better graffs to inform you better whats happening with your gas useage and remember... No one actually gets those EPA stats overall. Accept a norm of 45- 52 MPG. Thats if you don't mind those numbers?
Culliganman (Enjoy)

pjyoung

Picked it up today from Little Apple Toyota in Manhattan, Kansas. Salsa Red with package 4 - $23,500. Super easy dealing with this dealership. Manhattan is about 130 miles from my home. It's freaky the first few times you come to a stop...eerily quiet except for the fan blower and radio. It's VERY hard to detect when the gas engine kicks in. I drove it on the "backroads" back to Kansas City, speeds varied from 25 thru small towns to 65 on the stretches between towns. Finally had to get on the interstate about 50 miles from home. Very smooth and very quiet - even at highway speeds. So far today I have put 180 miles on it, computer says it's getting a little over 45 mpg...not bad for a brand new one. Most of my normal driving is non-highway suburban traffic, so I'm hoping to see even better mileage.

FWIW, I'm 6'4" and have no problem with the seats or legroom - the car has virtually the same front and rear legroom as the 300M I traded in...it's got a bit MORE headroom than the 300M.

BJRICH - oddly enough, my first choice was tideland pearl, but they got a red one in that had the same option package...and MY second choice was red. It's gorgeous.

Sylvia

See you in the Prius Owners Club discussions

wwest

to a stop....

Adding just a slight brake pressure would "tell" the system that you intend to come to a full stop, not just coasting, and it would likely increase the brake regeneration charge rate much higher than your just coasting technique.

little_pogi

I share with you the same experience and disappointment on the Prius gas mileage. Like you, I do most of my driving in the LA area. Thanks to the terrain, the numerous traffic lights, and the summer gas formulation of California, my initial average was in the low 40's. Recently, after 20k miles, I've notice my display average climb up to the high 40's to low 50's. I maintain an excel log of the amount of gas I fill in (always a full tank fill-in) and the actual odometer miles I've run. I will add this up at the end of this month to get my full year actual mileage and compare it to the display mileage.

Hang in there, your mileage will definitely improve as you add more miles to your engine. Check your tire pressure. I maintain a 38/36 psi (front/back) on my tires.

bjrich

I bet that was a fine drive home in the new Prius...I have had that feeling a few times in driving one home...
Yes, our color choices were the same, but we have pkg 2 instead of three...
I was in the dealers showroom the other day and the manager very softly mentioned that it would be soon than a year...We would not be ready for the car before spring, and as we were told it would a year, the little sooner did not sound two bad.
We will be selling the 02 Solara in early spring. Will borrow a car from the son until the Prius does come in.....
I have not seen the Tide Land Pearl but my wife has and really liked it...I lean toward the Red Salsa Pearl. but then we will be pleased with either one...
We see the Prius as our last car as we will be fully retired on the first of the year. We gave the Civic Hybrid some thought but it just didn't seem to fit..Also the new Accord Hybrid but again,,,it didn't fit and the Prius is most unique in body style, convience and we believe in high quality also...
We have been told that the Prius has had the lowest warranty work needed of all the Toyota cars made int last five years....and we alreay believe in the Toyota quality,,and also in the dealership we have done business with, and even the salepeople and mechanics.....for a long time.
We have cousins who live in Prairie Village...you should take the Prius bye and show it to them,...they are nice people
I really believe that both of us will be very happy with these cars for the long run..you are a bit ahead of me best wishes and keep posting. BJRich.

electrictroy

"I've read that the manual shifting civic deep discharges the battery and there have been failures of the battery pack."

The Insight had that problem, but the Civic fixed that flaw & eliminated it. Every Civic owner I've talked to says their battery never goes empty.

- As for MPGs, the Prius is computer controlled, so it tends to hover around 40-50 mpg regardless of who is driving.

- The Civic is more driver-dependent, so that it can range from 35 for lead-foot drivers to 60 for careful drivers - 35 to 60. The more skilled the driver, the higher the MPGs.

- Like I said, I got 50 in the New Prius & 60 in the Civic. I took full advantage of the Civic's lean-burn engine. (I didn't buy either...I got the Insight = 85 mpg so far.)

pjyoung

Bought it about 130 miles from my home...drove it back about halfway on "rural" two lane roads with speeds varying from 25 to 65. The last 50 or 60 miles were on interstate. So far the computer shows 43.1mpg (car has 200 miles on it right now). Sure beats the 20 overall I got with my old car. The vast majority of my driving is urban driving - with some hills (contrary to popular belief, parts of Kansas DO have hills). Everyone at work who has seen it is amazed at the interior room. The ride is also very quiet - even at speed. My old car was a Chrysler 300M and the cabin was very noisy on the highway.

bbyrd1

We've had our new Prius since Sept. 2 and have approx. 1800 miles on it. We've been getting around 45 mpg on it, mostly around town. The best tank was in the high 40s. Most of our trips, however, are only 10 to 15 minutes long, often less. I believe longer trips would generate higher mpg results. I've noticed on the consumption screen our mileage during the first 5 minutes is usually poor, usually in the mid-20s. But then during the second 5-minute interval the mileage increases dramatically, usually over 50 mpg, and even more durng the third and subsequent intervals. I believe that it would be very feasible to achieve mpg results in the mid to high 50s on our car if all of our trips around town were 30 minutes or more. When driving on the interstate at 65 mph, the computer consistently shows around 50 mpg for each 5-minute interval, just as the EPA suggested. My wife and I are very happy with the Prius overall and with the mileage. The mileage is more than double what I get on my Avalon during similar driving conditions.

ldcommuter

I also observed during my test drive last month that I couldn't move the driver's seat back far enough so that my legs could actually rest on the seat. Do any of you owner's have a similar problem, and what have you done to compensate for this problem? Or has anyone heard is Toyota is planning to improve the seating adjutments for the 2006 ?

little_pogi

How tall are you?

rpgolfer

Hi gang,
   I have been wondering about the seat position myself because I also have the seat "all the way back" and wish I had 2" more of travel. I've been meaning to look under the seat and see if there isn't a way the the seat rails could be re-drilled to give the driver that extra length. I'm wondering if Toyota is listening to driver comments to allow more room for both driver and passenger. I'm 5'-11" and it does seem short to me.
Thanks,
Rich

tfiliberti

anyone know if it really takes this long for the $300 rebate. I am on my 7th week picked up my Prius 9/22 and mailed my rebate then still waiting for check from Toyota . I was pissed the dealer would not honor it and take it off my purchase price said I WAS RESPONSIBLE to mail it in to Toyota myself :-(...

pjyoung

I'm 6'4" and I seem to have plenty of room.

little_pogi

Rebate for what? I am not aware of any rebate that Toyota is offering nor any cash back on the Prius. Like any other merchandize, a rebate is a refund given by the manufacture to a consumer after the product has been purchased. In most cases, it is the responsibility of the consumer to prove to the manufacturer that he/she purchased the product and intends to use the product. You were way out of line to demand to the dealer to take off the rebate on the purchase price.

railroadjames

I've noticed that I too would have liked a little more slide back of the driver's seat but aside from that I was wondering if anyone noticed two other quirks that I thought should be addressed.
The steering wheel tilt does not go high enough and the position of the wheel is set too far back for my satisfaction. I feel like I'm reaching too far when I have the seat set for my legs. I also have noticed that the arm rest seems too low. Anyone else agree. By the way I'm at 12K so I'd have to say I've had more than ample time to adjust to it all.
Culliganman (maybe its me)

gagrice

anyone know if it really takes this long for the $300 rebate.

I think you may have gotten scammed by the dealer. I cannot find where Toyota offered any rebates on the Prius. That tactic is usually saved for cars they cannot unload...

http://www.automotive.com/2005/12/toyota/prius/rebates/index.html

tempusvn

There is no scam here.

Because of the long wait for the Prius, a situation arose where the price of the car increased before people who had placed orders got their car.

There have been two price increases on the Prius. One in mid year 04 and one with the 05 model year introduction.

Toyota announced that anyone who ordered a car before the price increases would be reimbursed, by Toyota for the increase so they would get the car at the price that was in effect when they ordered it.

Dealers were responsible for entering all their orders into a database, and then when you get your car, Toyota Corporate would cut you a check for the difference between what you paid the dealer (current MSRP) and MSRP at the time of your order.

It's not the dealer's responsiblity to handle the rebate. It's strictly via Toyota Corporate. If you have questions call the Toyota Customer Service Number.

backy

It isn't a scam. People who got on a wait list for a Prius before March 10, 2004 were to receive a "goodwill payment" of $300 direct from Toyota Motor Sales if they took delivery of a Prius that had the $300 price increase which went into effect last spring. The letter I received from Toyota Motor Sales last April noted it would take 6-8 weeks after delivery to receive the check.