You should enlarge your search to nearby states. Even if you have to travel, it may be worth it. No one and I mean NO ONE should pay a penny over the sticker price. Supplies are out there and there are unscrupulous dealers trying to milk this for what it's worth.
My current 1992 Honda Accord, 157K miles on it, just wasn't cutting it anymore. It probably would have been okay, except for the fact that it is a coupe, and it is basically impossible to get a car-seat back there (we have a 2 1/2 year old).
We both like the idea of hybrid technology, and I really loved the styling of the Prius. So we decided to try one out on a test drive. We didn't think that it would be that hard.
Called the first dealer in the Boston area. Asked, "Do you have a Prius available for a test drive?" Answered, "Sure do! Come on down!". So we pile into my wife's car (2000 CR-V), have a 20 minute drive, get to the dealership, say, "We called about test driving a Prius," and are whisked away to a cubicle.
After about 25 minutes of stupid questions, forms, etc. (they had some form with stupid questions about "what made you interested in the Prius?), we finally got the the photocopy driver's license stage. Meanwhile, my son is getting really bored with climbing over the cars in the showroom, and my wife is starting to loose patience.... but the salesperson goes out to get the key.
5 minutes later, "Oops. It's been sold. Do you want to sit in it?" Oh, well. I'm a bit more trusting than my wife is-- she is convinced that they knew that that car was sold or almost sold the second we walked through the door.
So we try another dealer. Same basic thing, although certainly better, less "stupid forms". Salesperson gets the key, walks out, comes back, says, "Ooops. We must have loaned our test drive car out to another dealer. We'll call you back next week." :mad: Come on, that's why we CALLED FIRST!
So, finally, on Father's day, we end up trying a third dealer. They have one ON THE LOT! This time, my wife stays in the car. I go in, find a salesperson, and say, "Okay, look. We've tried twice to test drive a Prius, and failed every time. I don't want to fill out forms. I don't want to talk about what drew me to the Prius. I just want to test drive it!
Salesperson nods. "Well, okay, then, let's go get the key!" Five minutes later, we're in a Prius driving off. It's a 2004, but since there aren't any MAJOR changes, that's fine with me.
I really like it, and so does my wife. So we decide we want to buy one-- a 2005, Seaside Pearl (or whatever the blue is called), with package #3 or #4.
Salesperson says that Prii are going for MSRP. Fine. 6-8 week wait. Fine. $1000 deposit. Fine. Even better, the only things that he tries to add to the package are the wheel locks, the floor/cargo mats, the cargo net, and the rear bumper applique, all things that I don't mind, and don't add that much cost.
So, hopefully by Aug we will be in our new Prius. We'll see if it continues to be a good experience.
But definitely-- my advice to anyone looking to test drive a Prius: Don't take any BS. Car dealers want to get you in, want to get your name in the database... especially at bigger "factory assembly line" dealers. Call first, but try to get the person on the phone to MAKE SURE that they have on available. When you get the dealer, really try to push them on "I really don't know if I like the Prius-- I HAVE to test drive it first."
Hi all, I just wanted to post on this forum regarding the federal tax credit that Edmunds keeps referring to.... I bought my Prius thinking that I would get $2000 from the govt, but alas! There is a $2000 *deduction*, which is far from the same thing.
Just wanted to put my bit in there.... I ADORE my Prius, and never want another car, so happy ownership!
Welcome to the forum. Yes that is a common misconception. for someone in a lower tax bracket it could be as little as a $200 savings. The original bill was for a tax credit on Electric Vehicles and alternative fuel, E85, LPG & CNG. The hybrid portion was added on later and not so generous.
When I was looking for my prius in the boston area, I first went to the websites of the big dealers and checked their inventory. Many of the dealers had cars on the lot. I work near Boch toyota so I dealt with them first. They had 5 prius's on the lot. I took a package 3 in black home at msrp that day. They had 3's,4's, and 6's on the lot that day. I had sent out emails to 3 or 4 local dealers through edmunds and they all got back to me within 48 hours. Some dealers had a 6mo waiting list some had 1 or 2 6's on the lot. YMMV. Boch called me the next morning.
Out of curiosity, what dealers did you deal with? Each seems to tell a different story. I didn't much care what color I got so I was able to get one right away. Good luck
I was car shopping over the weekend and visited my local dealer in Walnut Creek, CA. They had 4 Prii on the lot: 1 Package 3, 1 Package 4 and 2 Package 6 I believe. Went back yesterday (Tuesday) and they still had the Package 4 (Tideland Pearl) and a Package 6 (Red). Decided to go with the Package 6 and very quickly negotiated $150 off MSRP (not much but made me feel better). The car already had floormats, GBS and the rear bumper applique on it so I didn't exactly save much however. At least here in the San Francisco Bay Area I think supply is beginning to catch up with demand. Very happy with the car so far.
Just one more thing - today she happened to mention that she got between 43 and 48 mpg on that trip between the Bay area and Salt Lake City. While the Prius might shine best in town, it does a very good job on the highways and in the mountains.
The other factor that most don't consider is safety. Think of it this way. Every time we get into a car for a test drive, we're getting into a vehicle with someone that we don't know. If on the very rare possiblity something happens on the test drive, there is at least something to show who and when you went out with. But frankly, mostly its for insurance purposes.
For example, just a few months ago, one of the sales consultants here was let go. They had someone that wanted to test drive a Tacoma (first of the new body style that came into the dealership) and the truck happended to be up on a ramp with railings. The sales consultant gave the keys to the customer to test drive the truck, but didn't make a copy of the driver's license. When the customer tried to take the truck off of the ramp, they turned the wheel too soon and got the truck caught up on the cast-iron railing. There was a crease from the front wheel-well back through the door and ending where the railing caught up on the seam between the bed and cab. (Over $10,000 in damage to the truck) The customer took off so we didn't have any information for the accident report or ability to file the accident under the customer's insurance.
Now I personally think it was irresponsible for the sales consultant not to at least take the truck off the ramp for the customer and that's probably why they were let go, but there was some responsibility on the part of the customer rather than just taking off.
BTW, the truck was auctioned off as we didn't think it was responsible to sell a truck with such extensive damage, repaired or not to a customer purchasing a new truck.
I was curious if anyone had done any suspension changes (springs or struts) to tighten up the handling of the car. I was looking at the trdusa website, but didn't see anything of that nature.
Someone on one of the other forums added a thicker brace under the car with very good results. I can't post the link due to Edmunds policy. You can also change the OEM tires which are pretty awful.
The absolute BEST test-drive experience I ever had was when I was looking for a mini-SUV in 1999.
Decided to test drive a Jeep Cherokee. Drove up, got out, asked about the Cherokee... the sales guy reached into his pocket, handed us the keys, and said, "It's the red one." Didn't even come with us!
The first two dealers were Ira in Danvers and Woburn Toyota. The one I finally got the test drive from was Atlantic Toyota in Lynn.
Woburn Toyota said that they could get a Black package #3 or #4 (I forget which) relatively quickly, because someone ordered it and then decided that they wanted a package #6. So if I had wanted black, I could probably be driving a Prius today. (I want blue, PERHAPS would take some other colors, but black is the one color that I absolutely do NOT want.)
It seems that in the suburban rural dealerships it is quite common to let the customer take the car on his own. I did that recently with a Merc SLK 350 down in Delaware.
I think that is perhaps more a case of what is common among luxury brands. My father took a test drive of a Mercedes as well, and they gave him the keys and said, "Keep it for a couple of hours-- get to know it!".
I ordered a Silver Pkg 5 (without Toyoguard) from a dealer in eastern North Carolina back in May, hoping it would arrive around the time in August when my lease was up on my Honda CRV.
Dealer called this week with a Silver Pkg 5 with leather seats that was available and said they would see what they could do when I didn't want to pay extra for leather and that they would also consider taking over my CRV lease. Bought it for 24,553 before tax, reg, doc fees. No charge for the leather, but they got me for the Toyoguard. But when you consider that leather usually adds $1298, I came out ahead. I wouldn't have splurged for leather seats, but I love them. During the negotiation, I complained that the center console top wasn't covered in leather also so they put into the contract that they would do that. I also didn't have to make the final payment on my CRV lease. I am very happy with my Prius!
TRD has a "Sportivo" suspension package (springs and struts) for a bit under $1,000 dollars US (105,000 Yen = $970. at last weeks exchange rate). No idea about shipping costs, if any .
Was looking at Prius's and they seem to sell them at MSRP but add a dealer delivery charge. Is it hard to get the dealer to drop the Dealer Delivery Charge on a Prius?
Thanks for the information. I'm curious where you're finding that. I've looked on "trdusa", but didn't see any prius mods. Are you using a different web-site?
Just use e-mail.. I blast e-mailed all the dealers in my area. Of course they said there was a "waiting" list and wanted at least MSRP or better. But Prius elsewhere (couple hundred miles away) are going for up to $1000 off MSRP! So I e-mailed back that fact and that some dealers have 20+ on their lots and guess what... all of the sudden I got a local e-mail offering a package #6 for $1000 off! Shop around and you will find deals its not that hard. You just got to get through the first layer of garbage that these Toyota dealers try to sell you. Believe me Toyota dealers are the worst so treat them likewise.
I'm still not set on a Prius because of the long term costs of ownership after 90K especially the $2800 Cat coverter and the $300 12amp battery! Seems Toyota has us over the barrel with their monopoly on Prius parts.
They are well built cars, just not that reliable. I had someone come in my office the other day that had a 2002 Audi A4 (VW cousin). His wife nearly got into an accident because the engine stopped on the highway due to the coil problems they had in that year. You should have good luck with your Prius if you make sure to get software updates as they come out.
You all realize don't you that for every Package #6 Prius they sell at MSRP that the dealer makes $3178 over their invoice and they get $419 dealer holdback!
That is nearly $3600 of PROFIT for selling at MSRP!
So let's just say that there is quite a bit of wiggle room there.
Keep in mind you are not going to re-coup the extra 5-6k extra you pay to drive a Hybrid for about 8-10 years in gas savings (assuming $600per year savings) plus that tax deduction is at best $600 for most folks.
Not to mention the potential long term costs Cat converter $2800 and 12a battery $300. They have you over a barrel once the warranty runs out.
So quit being MSRP fish in a bowl... start negotiating off MSRP on these cars, the newness has worn off and the time is right for the consumers to right this overpriced market on these cars.
$1000 off MSRP should be a minimum, tht still leaves the Dealer of every Pack #6 Prius with nearly $2600 profit!
What a racket Toyota's got on this car. I still like the Prius but only at a fair price.
I am in the marked for a new Prius. Currently driving a Chevy Lumina with 67,000 miles which has been a great car but I decided that I would like to purchase a hybrid car because of the low emissions and they are environmentally friendly.
I ruled out the other hybrids for various reasons (I thought the interior of the Honda Civic hybrid looked cheap and I want a hatch back, the Insight is too small, the other hybrids are out of my price range).
I test drove a 2005 Prius several months ago and have been saving up for a down payment. I was going to purchase this month but now am scared because of everything in the news with the stalling/shut downs at high speeds.
I was at a Toyota dealer last week and looked at the Prius again and voiced my concerns to the salesman. He showed me a recent Consumer Report magazine that rated the Prius as excellent, but the last time CR had reviewed the car was in May of 2004, before the recent news. I persisted in asking for some explanations and he then told me that the problems were only in the 2002 and 2003 model years, which I knew was a lie because I read the reports myself and they are for 2004 and some 2005 models. If I do buy a Prius I definitely won't go with that dealership.
This will be my first new car purchase and I don't want to get a bad car. I like the Prius a lot but am now thinking that I should look at something else. I test drove the Toyota Matrix which was nice and I am looking at Scions, too.
The prices are starting to ease now. Can you imagine that there are people that have paid 3-5k OVER MSRP? I still think that at 26k a loaded Prius is a bargain considering the content you get. The only other car that has as much content would be the Honda TSX which gets decent gas mileage and good performance. It is not an apples to apples comparison, but I can't think of one other car with that type of content that competes with the Prius.
A nice alternative to the Prius would be the Scion Tc. Granted you can't get the content you get on the Prius, but if you can do without some of the goodies you can save alot of money. The Tc is a hatch and it even has an available sunroof and a powerful fuel efficient 4 cyl engine (found in the Camry).
I started this post with the idea the TC is a lot smaller than the Prius inside and out....turns out my first impression was INCORRECT this time (hey it happens to all of us sometimes !!)
The Scion TC is actually larger than the Prius in certain measurable dimensions. I did not realize that:
2006 Scion TC Dimensions
Exterior Length: 174 in. Width: 69.1 in. Height: 55.7 in. Wheel Base: 106.3 in. Ground Clearance: 5.2 in. Curb Weight: 2970 lbs. Interior Front Head Room: 37.6 in. Front Hip Room: 53.2 in. Front Shoulder Room: 54.3 in. Rear Head Room: 36.6 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 50 in. Rear Hip Room: 47.3 in. Front Leg Room: 41.6 in. Rear Leg Room: 33.6 in. Luggage Capacity: 12.8 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 60 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5
2005 Prius Dimensions
Exterior Length: 175 in. Width: 67.9 in. Height: 58.1 in. Wheel Base: 106.3 in. Ground Clearance: 4.9 in. Curb Weight: 2890 lbs. Interior Front Head Room: 39.1 in. Front Hip Room: 51 in. Front Shoulder Room: 55.3 in. Rear Head Room: 37.1 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 53 in. Rear Hip Room: 51.6 in. Front Leg Room: 41.9 in. Rear Leg Room: 38.6 in. Luggage Capacity: 16.1 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 16 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5
I just spent a week in CA, from San Diego up to the Bay Area, and through Yosemite. There were Priuses everywhere! My oldest son and I joked that every other car we saw is a Prius--and the other is either a '05 Mustang, Corvette, or Dodge Magnum. I would be interested to see what percentage of Priuses sold in the U.S. are sold in CA. It must be a high number. Maybe it's because I saw gas as high as $3.60 a gallon (in Big Sur) for 87 unleaded during the trip, with prices around $2.50 very common.
BTW, if anyone is worried about performance in the mountains... I saw several Priuses taking on the mountain passes on I-5 in SoCal and around Yosemite in NoCal, and they didn't seem to have any problems keep up to legal speed and then some.
Seems there has been alot of opinions about the 2nd gen. Prius and I'd like to set the record straight. Just a few months short of two yrs ownership and 22K miles I would like to point out some of the items & points about the Prius that make it a very special car. 1) When other vehicles burn gas in stuck traffic the Prius usually runs in electric mode. 2) The A/C in the Prius is phenominal!! I don't know how Toyota did it but I never, I repeat, never saw A/C on any other car work so well and not plunge the gas milage down 20 or so percent when "ON". Another disappearance is the cold air to warm when sitting in traffic. It just doesn't happen. 3) Servicing my own Prius still! Yeah, thats right. The basics can still be done by the owner. Oil,Filters, Brakes, Wipers, etc. The Prius is still just a car w/ an electric motor. 4)The digital dash (after learning to embrace its ways) is simply a delight. It teaches you to be frugle in your driving habits. The benifits....better mpg's. Final note: I'm looking forward to the future hybrids ...be they Toyota or otherwise. I see a bright future ahead for the cars of tomarrow. Gas prices today in my area are $2.30 and appear to be going up now that a barrel of oil has close at over $60.00.
"Seems there has been alot of opinions about the 2nd gen. Prius and I'd like to set the record straight. Just a few months short of two yrs ownership and 22K miles I would like to point out some of the items & points about the Prius that make it a very special car."
Thanks for the opinions. It will be interesting to see how the car is performing at 200K and 8 years.
The AC works well because it is electric and runs off of the main battery. It is possible on they hybrid because of the higher voltage available. I suppose it isn't too surprising that it is efficient, since all home AC units are electric.
The service concerns are not with routine maintenance; they are with the special components of the hybrid systems, including the unique drive system.
Since railroadjames implied that he drives about 12K miles per year, he will only have driven 96K miles in the 8 years that you presumed in post #4387, not 200K miles. So those extra 104K miles that you also presumed are a non-issue.
Probably only the most diehard amongst us will be driving their car past Toyota's eight year 100K mile "Hybrid-Related Component" warranty, and their 150K mile High Voltage NiMH traction battery warranty coverage. Here's what Toyota says:
"Basic: 36 months/36,000 miles (all components other than normal wear and maintenance items).
Hybrid-Related Component Coverage: Hybrid-related components, including the HV battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter with converter, are covered for 8 years/100,000 miles. The HV battery may have longer coverage under emissions warranty. Refer to applicable Owner’s Warranty Information booklet for details.
Powertrain: 60 months/60,000 miles (engine, transmission/transaxle, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, seatbelts and airbags).
Rust-Through: 60 months/unlimited miles (corrosion perforation of sheet metal)."
"Since railroadjames implied that he drives about 12K miles per year, he will only have driven 96K miles in the 8 years that you presumed in post #4387, not 200K miles."
I meant either / or, either condition (200K or 8 years) would be well out of warranty...
Hi gang, I had the unfortunate luck of having someone back into my left side pass door while leaving a parking lot last month. It was in the shop for 2 weeks (during which ins co rental was an '06 Absolute Red Solara) and just got my Prius back yesterday. Body work was excellent and looks original. However, the VSC dashboard light stays on. I've tried to reset it using the "maint req'd" method and the method of turn off the back beeper with no success. Body shop said batt died and they had to recharge it. I suspect that some glitch occured in re-booting the computer that signalled the VSC light to come on. I stopped by my dealer and was told that a diagnostic check would be needed to clear the alarm and it wasn't a warranty problem. Anybody have any suggestions? I'm going to appeal to my claims adjuster that the problem surfaced during the body shop's repair time frame and that my ins should pay for the diagnostic check at the Toyota dealership. I would greatfully appreciate any input I can get. Thanks, Rich
I would agree with you. As the problem occured as a result of the collision and subsequent repair, it should be covered as part of repairing the vehicle to "pre-loss" condition.
That's my understanding as well, plus eliminates evaporative emissions (the reason for the system) which is both good for environmental reasons, but also good incrementally for MPG as you don't lose a portion of the gasoline to evaporation.
"That's my understanding as well, plus eliminates evaporative emissions (the reason for the system) which is both good for environmental reasons, but also good incrementally for MPG as you don't lose a portion of the gasoline to evaporation."
With a sealed gas tank (my CR-V has such a system, though some older cars have vented tanks), how would the gas evaporate?
As the tank empties, there is more volume of air, or in this case, more area for the gasoline fumes to build up. You may even notice in your CR-V when you open the gas cap, it vents quite a bit of "air". This is the Gasoline fumes that have built up inside of the tank that are venting. Also, as you fill the tank, the fumes vent through the gas nozzle into the air as well. Again, it's incremental both for the environment and for the overall gas milage, but multiply that by the total number of vehicles on the road, and it can make a significant difference.
Well, actually, I don't hear a swich of anything when I open the cap, but then I'm not usually listening. It's probably there; it would make logical sense.
Not sure about your second point; here is CA, all gas stations have specially designed pump nozzles to recover the fumes as the tank is filled.
1) Emissions: How many Prius owners have accidentally overfilled the bladder and had fuel come squirting back out (there are 5 of us in my building with Priuses (Prii?) and its happened twice. I think in both cases they had '04 models with an inaccurate fuel guage and couldn't believe it would only take 8 gallons after getting a blinking block). One squirt = a whole bunch of tanks of fumes.
2) Safety: Bladder safer than a hard tank? I don't see how. The issue is how easy it is for the tank to rupture in an accident. A blunt poke would probably favor a bladder (if partially full), but not a sharp edge "cut". Probably a wash overall.
3) Capacity: A hard tank's capacity doesn't seasonally change by 10%.
4) Probably the #1 reason I can't stand the bladder is the uncertainty in how much fuel is actually in the tank when I think its full. The distance I go on the first fuel guage block varies by a lot. From as little as 40 miles to as much as 130. I don't need a perfectly linear guage to be content - but I would like a little consistency...
Comments
We both like the idea of hybrid technology, and I really loved the styling of the Prius. So we decided to try one out on a test drive. We didn't think that it would be that hard.
Called the first dealer in the Boston area. Asked, "Do you have a Prius available for a test drive?" Answered, "Sure do! Come on down!". So we pile into my wife's car (2000 CR-V), have a 20 minute drive, get to the dealership, say, "We called about test driving a Prius," and are whisked away to a cubicle.
After about 25 minutes of stupid questions, forms, etc. (they had some form with stupid questions about "what made you interested in the Prius?), we finally got the the photocopy driver's license stage. Meanwhile, my son is getting really bored with climbing over the cars in the showroom, and my wife is starting to loose patience.... but the salesperson goes out to get the key.
5 minutes later, "Oops. It's been sold. Do you want to sit in it?" Oh, well. I'm a bit more trusting than my wife is-- she is convinced that they knew that that car was sold or almost sold the second we walked through the door.
So we try another dealer. Same basic thing, although certainly better, less "stupid forms". Salesperson gets the key, walks out, comes back, says, "Ooops. We must have loaned our test drive car out to another dealer. We'll call you back next week." :mad: Come on, that's why we CALLED FIRST!
So, finally, on Father's day, we end up trying a third dealer. They have one ON THE LOT! This time, my wife stays in the car. I go in, find a salesperson, and say, "Okay, look. We've tried twice to test drive a Prius, and failed every time. I don't want to fill out forms. I don't want to talk about what drew me to the Prius. I just want to test drive it!
Salesperson nods. "Well, okay, then, let's go get the key!" Five minutes later, we're in a Prius driving off. It's a 2004, but since there aren't any MAJOR changes, that's fine with me.
I really like it, and so does my wife. So we decide we want to buy one-- a 2005, Seaside Pearl (or whatever the blue is called), with package #3 or #4.
Salesperson says that Prii are going for MSRP. Fine. 6-8 week wait. Fine. $1000 deposit. Fine. Even better, the only things that he tries to add to the package are the wheel locks, the floor/cargo mats, the cargo net, and the rear bumper applique, all things that I don't mind, and don't add that much cost.
So, hopefully by Aug we will be in our new Prius. We'll see if it continues to be a good experience.
But definitely-- my advice to anyone looking to test drive a Prius: Don't take any BS. Car dealers want to get you in, want to get your name in the database... especially at bigger "factory assembly line" dealers. Call first, but try to get the person on the phone to MAKE SURE that they have on available. When you get the dealer, really try to push them on "I really don't know if I like the Prius-- I HAVE to test drive it first."
And don't pay over MSRP.
Just wanted to put my bit in there....
I ADORE my Prius, and never want another car, so happy ownership!
I had sent out emails to 3 or 4 local dealers through edmunds and they all got back to me within 48 hours. Some dealers had a 6mo waiting list some had 1 or 2 6's on the lot. YMMV. Boch called me the next morning.
Out of curiosity, what dealers did you deal with? Each seems to tell a different story. I didn't much care what color I got so I was able to get one right away. Good luck
At least here in the San Francisco Bay Area I think supply is beginning to catch up with demand. Very happy with the car so far.
What is the justification for photocopying your driver's license?
I haven't shopped for a new car in almost 20 years.
For example, just a few months ago, one of the sales consultants here was let go. They had someone that wanted to test drive a Tacoma (first of the new body style that came into the dealership) and the truck happended to be up on a ramp with railings. The sales consultant gave the keys to the customer to test drive the truck, but didn't make a copy of the driver's license. When the customer tried to take the truck off of the ramp, they turned the wheel too soon and got the truck caught up on the cast-iron railing. There was a crease from the front wheel-well back through the door and ending where the railing caught up on the seam between the bed and cab. (Over $10,000 in damage to the truck) The customer took off so we didn't have any information for the accident report or ability to file the accident under the customer's insurance.
Now I personally think it was irresponsible for the sales consultant not to at least take the truck off the ramp for the customer and that's probably why they were let go, but there was some responsibility on the part of the customer rather than just taking off.
BTW, the truck was auctioned off as we didn't think it was responsible to sell a truck with such extensive damage, repaired or not to a customer purchasing a new truck.
Ken
Anyone made changes on their own?
Decided to test drive a Jeep Cherokee. Drove up, got out, asked about the Cherokee... the sales guy reached into his pocket, handed us the keys, and said, "It's the red one." Didn't even come with us!
Woburn Toyota said that they could get a Black package #3 or #4 (I forget which) relatively quickly, because someone ordered it and then decided that they wanted a package #6. So if I had wanted black, I could probably be driving a Prius today. (I want blue, PERHAPS would take some other colors, but black is the one color that I absolutely do NOT want.)
Now that's service (plus some good insurance...)
Dealer called this week with a Silver Pkg 5 with leather seats that was available and said they would see what they could do when I didn't want to pay extra for leather and that they would also consider taking over my CRV lease. Bought it for 24,553 before tax, reg, doc fees. No charge for the leather, but they got me for the Toyoguard. But when you consider that leather usually adds $1298, I came out ahead. I wouldn't have splurged for leather seats, but I love them. During the negotiation, I complained that the center console top wasn't covered in leather also so they put into the contract that they would do that. I also didn't have to make the final payment on my CRV lease. I am very happy with my Prius!
(And can you name it here ...?)
I'm still not set on a Prius because of the long term costs of ownership after 90K especially the $2800 Cat coverter and the $300 12amp battery! Seems Toyota has us over the barrel with their monopoly on Prius parts.
That is nearly $3600 of PROFIT for selling at MSRP!
So let's just say that there is quite a bit of wiggle room there.
Keep in mind you are not going to re-coup the extra 5-6k extra you pay to drive a Hybrid for about 8-10 years in gas savings (assuming $600per year savings) plus that tax deduction is at best $600 for most folks.
Not to mention the potential long term costs Cat converter $2800 and 12a battery $300. They have you over a barrel once the warranty runs out.
So quit being MSRP fish in a bowl... start negotiating off MSRP on these cars, the newness has worn off and the time is right for the consumers to right this overpriced market on these cars.
$1000 off MSRP should be a minimum, tht still leaves the Dealer of every Pack #6 Prius with nearly $2600 profit!
What a racket Toyota's got on this car.
I still like the Prius but only at a fair price.
I ruled out the other hybrids for various reasons (I thought the interior of the Honda Civic hybrid looked cheap and I want a hatch back, the Insight is too small, the other hybrids are out of my price range).
I test drove a 2005 Prius several months ago and have been saving up for a down payment. I was going to purchase this month but now am scared because of everything in the news with the stalling/shut downs at high speeds.
I was at a Toyota dealer last week and looked at the Prius again and voiced my concerns to the salesman. He showed me a recent Consumer Report magazine that rated the Prius as excellent, but the last time CR had reviewed the car was in May of 2004, before the recent news. I persisted in asking for some explanations and he then told me that the problems were only in the 2002 and 2003 model years, which I knew was a lie because I read the reports myself and they are for 2004 and some 2005 models. If I do buy a Prius I definitely won't go with that dealership.
This will be my first new car purchase and I don't want to get a bad car. I like the Prius a lot but am now thinking that I should look at something else. I test drove the Toyota Matrix which was nice and I am looking at Scions, too.
Any suggestions/advice?
The Scion TC is actually larger than the Prius in certain measurable dimensions. I did not realize that:
2006 Scion TC Dimensions
Exterior
Length: 174 in. Width: 69.1 in.
Height: 55.7 in. Wheel Base: 106.3 in.
Ground Clearance: 5.2 in. Curb Weight: 2970 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 37.6 in. Front Hip Room: 53.2 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 54.3 in. Rear Head Room: 36.6 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 50 in. Rear Hip Room: 47.3 in.
Front Leg Room: 41.6 in. Rear Leg Room: 33.6 in.
Luggage Capacity: 12.8 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 60 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 5
2005 Prius Dimensions
Exterior
Length: 175 in. Width: 67.9 in.
Height: 58.1 in. Wheel Base: 106.3 in.
Ground Clearance: 4.9 in. Curb Weight: 2890 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 39.1 in. Front Hip Room: 51 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 55.3 in. Rear Head Room: 37.1 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 53 in. Rear Hip Room: 51.6 in.
Front Leg Room: 41.9 in. Rear Leg Room: 38.6 in.
Luggage Capacity: 16.1 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 16 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 5
BTW, if anyone is worried about performance in the mountains... I saw several Priuses taking on the mountain passes on I-5 in SoCal and around Yosemite in NoCal, and they didn't seem to have any problems keep up to legal speed and then some.
Stuart
1) When other vehicles burn gas in stuck traffic the Prius usually runs in electric mode.
2) The A/C in the Prius is phenominal!! I don't know how Toyota did it but I never, I repeat, never saw A/C on any other car work so well and not plunge the gas milage down 20 or so percent when "ON". Another disappearance is the cold air to warm when sitting in traffic. It just doesn't happen.
3) Servicing my own Prius still! Yeah, thats right. The basics can still be done by the owner. Oil,Filters, Brakes, Wipers, etc. The Prius is still just a car w/ an electric motor.
4)The digital dash (after learning to embrace its ways) is simply a delight. It teaches you to be frugle in your driving habits. The benifits....better mpg's.
Final note: I'm looking forward to the future hybrids ...be they Toyota or otherwise. I see a bright future ahead for the cars of tomarrow. Gas prices today in my area are $2.30 and appear to be going up now that a barrel of oil has close at over $60.00.
Thanks for the opinions. It will be interesting to see how the car is performing at 200K and 8 years.
The AC works well because it is electric and runs off of the main battery. It is possible on they hybrid because of the higher voltage available. I suppose it isn't too surprising that it is efficient, since all home AC units are electric.
The service concerns are not with routine maintenance; they are with the special components of the hybrid systems, including the unique drive system.
Since railroadjames implied that he drives about 12K miles per year, he will only have driven 96K miles in the 8 years that you presumed in post #4387, not 200K miles. So those extra 104K miles that you also presumed are a non-issue.
Probably only the most diehard amongst us will be driving their car past Toyota's eight year 100K mile "Hybrid-Related Component" warranty, and their 150K mile High Voltage NiMH traction battery warranty coverage. Here's what Toyota says:
"Basic: 36 months/36,000 miles (all components other than normal wear and maintenance items).
Hybrid-Related Component Coverage: Hybrid-related components, including the HV battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter with converter, are covered for 8 years/100,000 miles. The HV battery may have longer coverage under emissions warranty. Refer to applicable Owner’s Warranty Information booklet for details.
Powertrain: 60 months/60,000 miles (engine, transmission/transaxle, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, seatbelts and airbags).
Rust-Through: 60 months/unlimited miles (corrosion perforation of sheet metal)."
I meant either / or, either condition (200K or 8 years) would be well out of warranty...
I had the unfortunate luck of having someone back into my left side pass door while leaving a parking lot last month. It was in the shop for 2 weeks (during which ins co rental was an '06 Absolute Red Solara) and just got my Prius back yesterday. Body work was excellent and looks original. However, the VSC dashboard light stays on. I've tried to reset it using the "maint req'd" method and the method of turn off the back beeper with no success. Body shop said batt died and they had to recharge it. I suspect that some glitch occured in re-booting the computer that signalled the VSC light to come on. I stopped by my dealer and was told that a diagnostic check would be needed to clear the alarm and it wasn't a warranty problem. Anybody have any suggestions? I'm going to appeal to my claims adjuster that the problem surfaced during the body shop's repair time frame and that my ins should pay for the diagnostic check at the Toyota dealership. I would greatfully appreciate any input I can get.
Thanks,
Rich
Toyota Ken
Toyota Ken
With a sealed gas tank (my CR-V has such a system, though some older cars have vented tanks), how would the gas evaporate?
Toyota Ken
Not sure about your second point; here is CA, all gas stations have specially designed pump nozzles to recover the fumes as the tank is filled.
2) Safety: Bladder safer than a hard tank? I don't see how. The issue is how easy it is for the tank to rupture in an accident. A blunt poke would probably favor a bladder (if partially full), but not a sharp edge "cut". Probably a wash overall.
3) Capacity: A hard tank's capacity doesn't seasonally change by 10%.
4) Probably the #1 reason I can't stand the bladder is the uncertainty in how much fuel is actually in the tank when I think its full. The distance I go on the first fuel guage block varies by a lot. From as little as 40 miles to as much as 130. I don't need a perfectly linear guage to be content - but I would like a little consistency...