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Toyota Prius

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Comments

  • ragueroraguero Member Posts: 60
    Sorry about that. I subscribe so it took me straight to it. I went back and noticed that you can sign up for a free 7 day trial to the internet access. Again, sorry for the inconvenience.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    No big. I read the Times on line, but refuse to cater to the huge amounts of newsprint required for subscriptions. Plus, they slant their stories (which is the real problem).

    I recommend Reuters, since the British don't have so many axes to grind on US issues, and their coverage is pretty balanced - they have thier own reporters, so they aren't tied to AP or UPI.
  • gscheil1gscheil1 Member Posts: 72
    Re: 2659 - United States cars do NOT have drl's.
  • imcdermoimcdermo Member Posts: 1
    I tell ya. I went through CarsDirect.com in August 2003 and found a dealer who promised me a package 3 Seaside Pearl by October. Now it appears as if I will never get my new car, especially if I don't want it all loaded up with extras. If Toyota advertises the Prius for $20K, but only actually stocks those for $26K, is that not bait-and-switch? A kind of fraud?
    --P.O.ed in Pasadena
  • geogirlgeogirl Member Posts: 24
    Imcdermo,
    Sorry to hear of your lengthy wait. I can understand your frustration. I DID, however, buy a Prius with only the rear wiper and side/curtain air bags (pkg #3) and mats for $21,524. You can get the car with lesser packages, but I think most people are wanting the #9 with everything so that is probably the one they are making the most of. Hope yours comes soon.
  • little_pogilittle_pogi Member Posts: 149
    Give a date, time and place. It would be nice to share experiences, frustrations, tricks, etc. on the new Prius.
  • ragueroraguero Member Posts: 60
    How about this? Sunday, April 4 in San Pedro at Angel's Gate Park at 1 PM. Angel's Gate Park is almost as far south on Gaffey St. as you can go before driving off the cliff and into the Pacific. There is plenty of parking at the Korean Bell parking lot. Across the street is Pt. Fermin Park with the Pt. Fermin Lighthouse. Paeso del Mar runs between the park and the lighthouse. It's a beautiful coastal drive. Gaffey St. is easy to find, the 110 freeway ends as Gaffey St. Hope you can come.
  • galootgaloot Member Posts: 13
    It may be true that pkg#9 is most popular, but I've seen pkg#9s on Southeast Toyota's list with an additional $2000-3000 in add-ons such as toyoguard, tinted windows, pin stripes, bumper protection, etc. This gets the MSRP up to near the 30k mark. The same add-ons are being put on the lower cost packages getting them up to the 23k-24k price range. This is just a sneaky way of getting more than MSRP without just marking the price up on the basic car. The add-ons are marked up substantially. It's not right that those of us who ordered the basic Prius can't get ours, partly, because of this practice. The dealers committed to us and they should deliver or just admit they can't or won't get the car for us--not play dumb when they probably know what is going on. Afterall, they too make more money because of this practice. Everyone wins except the customer.
  • geogirlgeogirl Member Posts: 24
    Shame on those dealers for taking advantage of customers who have little choice to just go to a different dealership! I don't think that I could do business with them. I would consider flying to another region to get my car rather than pay for lots of extras that add little to the car and I didn't want for outrageous prices. You could try emailing or calling other dealerships with your situation - maybe you will get lucky because the lesser packages ARE not as popular. Good luck.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Sounds like the old Toyota dealer practices I remember from the '80s. Fortunately the dealers in my area aren't playing those games and are sticking to MSRP or even a little under with no mandatory add-on packages. If they did play the games, I'd take my business elsewhere, even if it meant buying something else. The Prius is a great car, but IMO it's not worth $30k.
  • kornklankornklan Member Posts: 29
    I've been on the list at my dealer since early January and after talking to my salesman (who has been very informative) I will probably wind up with a 2005. Since I'm not in a mad rush, I've decided to remain on the list. My dealer says I would probably be high in the pecking order for a 2005. I'm going to wait.
  • galootgaloot Member Posts: 13
    What a surprise! My salesman called and offered me a white pkg 8 with floor mats, msrp $24,582. I want a millenium silver pkg 3 with floor mats, msrp $21,563. I said no thanks because I don't want white, and I want the side airbags which pkg 8 doesn't have. He said I was the 6th on the list that has turned it down. When I asked him why Southeast Toyota didn't send him one that fit what his customers ordered, he said they send whatever is available. Finally the truth comes out!! It will be pure luck to actually get what you order. I do find it interesting that when they finally get one, it is hard to get rid of. I wonder how many of you out there have taken a second or third choice car just to get one.
  • m4priusm4prius Member Posts: 31
    I spoke with my Toyota Dealer in Ohio...who stated that Toyota builds a car per each order for each dealer...The delivery should not be random...if that were so we would here many more dissatisfied customers. For our region I heard the delivery rate was about 1.5 cars per dealer per month. Two days ago I saw Two Prius's marked for an AUTO SHOW here in Dayton OHIO.
  • akasrpakasrp Member Posts: 170
    Just Rode in my Mother-in-Law’s new 04 Prius. $28K vehicle. All the bells and whistles. While it is an improvement over the first generation - which she also had - and I like the fact that Toyota is pushing the hybrid envelope - can’t help but think a lot of folks are blinded by the stars in their eyes. The ride and handling are second-class. Turning radius was poor. Doors felt tinny and insubstantial. Acceleration is seriously lacking - I doubt 0-60 in 10 seconds as claimed. Hate to see that non-existent front end after a crash - and speaking of crash, I dread the thought of the latest NHTSA crash results on this thing. My mother-in-law is a bright, computer savvy person but was continually stymied by all the on-board gadgetry to the point of actually being unsafe a few times on the road.
    Too much goofy distracting techno crap in an insubstantial vehicle at a substantial price.
    Of course it’s a media darling and anyone knocking it is pegged anti-green or anti-progressive, but I have little doubt that once sufficient numbers of them come into harm’s way we will see the Unsafe At Any Speed - Prius admonitions.

    It's not worth your life to be a hip, early adopter - wait for the Hybrid Highlander - Be Safe!

    My 2¢
    srp
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Ride and handling second class, compared to what? Turning radius poor, compared to what? What do you drive?

    Isn't it a bit early to complain about poor crash test results when they haven't been published yet?

    What does your MIL think of her car?

    BTW... how well do you get along with your MIL? ;-)
  • akasrpakasrp Member Posts: 170
    Ride and handling second class, compared to what? Turning radius poor, compared to what? What do you drive?

    I drive a Subaru Forester - but rarely. I bicycle commute (14+ years - rain or shine) to work. The handling, ride, etc of the Prius is not the Forester's equal (all but sports car handling + 5 Star Crash rating). 04 Prius still feels unsafe and insubstantial.

    Isn't it a bit early to complain about poor crash test results when they haven't been published yet?
    not complaining - simply stating ( partly based on the poor crash results of the 03 ) that I am dubious...

    MIL loves the thing! - obviously - she bought a new one with less than 15K on the first! She'd love it if the frame was made of papier måché... ;-)

    BTW... how well do you get along with your MIL? ;-)

    Well enough to think about her safety out on the SoCal highways alongside Screaming Hummers and kids on X racing F-150s like they were MGs...

    Hey - just my 2¢ - if you feel differently so be it.

    No hard feelings.

    !Vaya con Dios!
    srp
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I can see how you would think a family sedan like the Prius would feel insubstantial compared to your SUV. I'm a little surprised you feel the turning radius of the Prius is poor compared to the Forester--that Forester must turn on a dime, since the Prius has a short turning radius for its class.

    Being dubious is fine; it's the inflammatory statements like "just can't be safe" that are premature IMO.
  • john1701ajohn1701a Member Posts: 1,897
    Keep in mind that most of us here completely disregard vague references.

    The only basis of comparison you clue us in to is that you don't like sedans, the entire class disappoints... not just Prius.

    Adjectives like "insubstantial" and "unsafe" are just personal opinions.

    Quanitative values are required to be helpful.

    JOHN
  • little_pogilittle_pogi Member Posts: 149
    there are 3 things that just too over priced.
    1. The cost of a small 2 bdrm 1 bath home has passed the 250K mark in some neighborhoods.
    2. The price of regular gas has been $2.10 on the average for a month now.
    3. Local Toyota dealers are taking advantage of the tight Prius supply that they are now asking 3-5k on top of MSRP. I met 3 people who just put off ordering a Prius because of dealer markups.
  • akasrpakasrp Member Posts: 170
    Fine by me if you disagree or find my opinions 'vague' - but why fabricate/extrapolate. Where did this
    The only basis of comparison you clue us in to is that you don't like sedans, the entire class disappoints... not just Prius.
    come from? I never said anything remotely anti-sedan.

    Quanitative values are required to be helpful.

    Are you kidding? Cars are all about one's subjective (qualified not quantified) feelings...how does one quantify what one likes - the enjoy-o-meter?

    ...are just personal opinions

    agree, as noted "my 2¢"

    peace out
    srp
  • m4priusm4prius Member Posts: 31
    akasry stated: "I drive a Subaru Forester - but rarely. I bicycle commute (14+ years - rain or shine) to work. The handling, ride, etc of the Prius is not the Forester's equal (all but sports car handling + 5 Star Crash rating). 04 Prius still feels unsafe and insubstantial."

    The Prius is unsafe but a bicycle commute is??? Do you wear a helmet?!
  • prius4meusprius4meus Member Posts: 22
    "based on the poor crash results of the 03"

    Interesting. I just checked the NHTSA website for their 2003 crash data. They use a five star system with 1 being "poor". I didn't see any one star categories for the Prius. In fact, they were all 3 or 4 stars. I think the inaccurate use of the word "poor" is what John is referring to when he uses the term vague.

    I checked another site too: www.fueleconomy.gov. I compared the 2004 Prius with the 2004 premium AWD Subaru Forester and here's what I found:

    MPG combined: Prius 55, Forester 21
    Annual Greenhouse gas emissions: Prius 3.5 Tons, Forester 9.2 Tons
    EPA air pollution score: Prius 10, Forester 6 (10 is best)
    And the most surprising thing (to me): Passenger volume: Prius 96 cubic feet, Forester 95 cubic feet.

    Is that the refrain of Roberta Flack I hear? Killing us slowly with his right foot...

    As for the "ride", I agree that this is subjective and I think it is great. The turning radius is fantastic if you have an appreciation for exactly where the front and rear ends of your car are. Perhaps you haven't mastered this yet. Sounds like your MIL may not let you, seeing as how she loves the car.

    MY 2 cents (with 5000 miles on my 2004 Prius)
  • talleyidtalleyid Member Posts: 34
    Sorry I can't provide the specific reference but NPR recently did a story about the statistically higher injury rate in SUVs/Trucks. This seems consistent with the fact that safety standards are higher for passenger cars than for SUVs and trucks. I believe it's a common belief that bigger vehicles are inherently safer which I don't agree with. This story seems to support that.
  • akasrpakasrp Member Posts: 170
    Again - I simply noted my first impressions - been driving for 30+ years -have driven a lot of 25k+ vehicles in that time - expected to be a bit more ‘wow’ed by a $28K vehicle made by the brains behind Lexus.
    Obviously Prius gets great mileage - tangentially throwing that in my face I guess is deserved payback for my ‘inflammation’ albeit IMO obvious and has nothing to do with my disappointment in the vehicle.
    FWIW, I was not initially comparing Prius to Forester - I was asked what car I drive. I am aware the Prius is greener than any non-hybrid.
    Yes, I was referring to the NHTSA 3 stars as poor - my mistake - not Quantitative/ Ranked ‘Poor’ but Subjective as in 3 is less than 5 or 4, lowercase ‘P’, poor.
    I formally apologize to all - I should not have been so over-the-top, but my first impression when getting out of the Prius was that if felt insubstantial and (for reasons noted including driver inattention thanks to techo-overload - do not recommend to VCR-Impaired elders!) unsafe - I was surprised I felt that way about it.
    I hope time and NHTSA prove me wrong.

    Enjoy your Prii!

    Time to fire up the bike and go make some money...
    Helmeted-Zero Emission-srp
  • john1701ajohn1701a Member Posts: 1,897
    > It's not worth your life to be a hip, early
    > adopter - wait for the Hybrid Highlander

    So then... What was meant by that?

    JOHN
  • azstanazstan Member Posts: 74
    This is a good example of someone writing a lot and saying little (in this case...nothing!).
  • azstanazstan Member Posts: 74
    Just took my 2004 Prius in for 5000 check. Quite pleased with the car...however, waiting to see what effect the southern AZ summer will have (100+ temperatures). Wife especially likes it when interior lights come on automatically as she approaches the car (Smart Entry).

    Average around 48 mpg for 40 mile roundtrip to work which includes both interstate and city driving.

    Only thing that makes me wonder about the design is the antenna. Removing it when going through the car wash is somewhat inconvenient...especially when other cars have antenna built into the glass.
  • akasrpakasrp Member Posts: 170
    ...(in this case...nothing!)

    At least nothing you want to hear.

    Any/ all dissenting views unwelcome, huh? Pity.

    srp out
  • djasonwdjasonw Member Posts: 624
    Ironic... I used to own a Subaru WRX and sold it because it was so tinny (doors). I enjoy my Prius MUCH more than I ever enjoyed the WRX. I also test drove a Forester which is a nice car, but the doors are as thin as Calista Flockhart!! Talk about tinny!!!! If you don't get the turbo charged Forester the thing can't get out of its way. IIRC the turning radius of the Prius is under 35 feet. Soo..what do we have here? A jealous son-in-law?? LOL!!!
  • bbyrd1bbyrd1 Member Posts: 8
    There seems to be an inconsistent story by Toyota dealers regarding the process of filling orders. I ordered my Prius from the Burlington, NC dealer on Nov. 11, specifying pkg. #9, mats, and super white color with gray interior, thinking that I could avoid all the high-markup distributor-installed add-ons. I was quoted full retail price plus a $200 dealer service fee. I gave them my $500 deposit as required. I was told that it would be a 3 to 6 month wait for delivery. Last week when I called to inquire about my order, I was told by the sales manager that the dealer has yet to receive any Prius', except two for rental, that the dealer has no control over what Prius' are sent them, that I was no. 5 on the list, and that when they received any Prius they would go down the list in order and sell it to the first one willing to take it. The sales manager had no idea of how much longer it would be, suggesting it may be several more months and that the delay had to do with the difficulty Toyota had in getting batteries. I wonder what the true story is.

    Also troublesome is that, according to the Toyota Prius brochure and website, package #9 is suppose to come with a self-dimming rear view mirror and the homelink security system. Yet when I go to the dealer's inventory web site (which seems to be no longer available as of last week), which is actually the inventory of the Southeast distributor, there have been several Prius' listed with package #9 plus a $200 or $300 option for the self-dimming mirror and Homelink system. Is this not double charging? Has anyone been charged extra for this feature with package #9? Thanks.
  • john1701ajohn1701a Member Posts: 1,897
    Right now, the Multi-Display value is at 49 MPG.

    Spring is getting mighty close now. All the snow we got last night is melted already. The same thing is suppose to happen tonight.

    When the snow finally leaves for good and the temperature stays in the 40's (or higher!), MPG will finally climb into the 50's and stay there.

    I can't wait! (Only having winter efficiency to report is really a pain.)

    JOHN
  • forrestforrest Member Posts: 1
    Last summer, after much discussion, my wife agreed with me that we would not buy a used car for our three teenagers to drive. Instead, she would get a new car and they would get her '93 Previa. Though she did not like the first generation Prius, everything we read about the 2004 Prius led us to believe that it might be just what she was looking for.
         On the first day that the new Prius was officially available last October, we made the rounds of three Toyota dealerships in the Gaithersburg, Maryland area. Not only did we learn that none of the dealers had a Prius on the lot, but in each case, they had been taking deposits since July. Even though the deposit was refundable, we were not interested in making a deposit on a car sight unseen.
         The following week, two of the dealers called to tell us that they had a new Prius on the lot for customers to inspect and drive. We returned to the dealership whose salesman we had been the most comfortable with and took the Prius for a spin. We then decided we wanted a super white Prius with gray interior package #9 and floor mats. They wrote up the sales order which came out $64 below list because they only charged us $120 for the floor mats. They did NOT try to force any addons upon us.
         The dealer warned us to expect a four month wait due to the huge backlog. It turned out to be only 3 months and 28 days before we could take delivery of a new 2004 super white Prius with gray interior package #9 and floor mats. We have had it for a month now and are very happy with it. (I would be a bit happier if I got to drive it more often but then, it isn't my car. )
         When we took delivery in mid February, we were told that the same car ordered that day would most likely have a six to eight month wait for delivery. We are glad that we had the patience to wait.
         P.S. My wife really likes the styling of the new Prius. I think that she thinks of it as her personal spaceship.
  • carguy1234carguy1234 Member Posts: 233
    "When we took delivery in mid February, we were told that the same car ordered that day would most likely have a six to eight month wait for delivery."

    Today, when I ordered my Highlander Hybrid, they told me the wait at this particular Toyota dealership for the Prius was 2 years! Actually the wait is "definitely over a year, and who knows, could be two years by now. The list is really long."
  • juliajjuliaj Member Posts: 8
    My Prius has smart start. This morning I turned my car off as usual when I got to work by pressing the two buttons and watched the display fade. I got out of the car and pressed the button on the door to lock it and heard the one beep. I fumbled with my keys to get ready to enter the building and heard 2 beeps as if the car was unlocking. Ignored the beeps as we have a generally safe parking lot and I can see the car from my window. A half hour later, people came into my office asking me if I knew my car was running. And sure enough, it had turned itself back on and was sitting there, unlocked, waiting for someone to drive it off. How could this have happened?
  • m4priusm4prius Member Posts: 31
    Can you activate START via the FOB alone????
  • juliajjuliaj Member Posts: 8
    I'm not aware that the fob starts the car while outside the car.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    djasonw: nonsense, even if you thought the Subaru doors felt tinny, that Forester gets 5 stars front and 5 stars back in side-impact tests by NHTSA.

    IIHS gave it even better side impact scores, Best Pick, in fact the highest score the agency has awarded so far.

    5 stars/5 starts NHTSA frontal crash test, and IIHS Best Pick in frontal offset crash test.

    Straight As. Best possible score in 4 different tests.

    I like the Prius, and see no need to attack Subaru's incredibly safe Forester to defend the Prius. Prius can stand on its own merit.

    -juice
  • djasonwdjasonw Member Posts: 624
    Juice...not knocking the Forester other than the tinny doors. A safety rating of 5 is the best, regardless of the doors feeling/sounding tinny. Matter of fact, If I needed a 4WD utility vehicle I'd actually get the new turbo charged Forester. I can definitely live with the tinny doors in relation to everything else that's great in that car.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Cool. For 2005 they'll offer that big moonroof with a 5 speed turbo, finally. I just might get one myself.

    Back to Prius, I visited a Lexus dealer and inquired about the RX400H, mostly out of curiosity. Indeed, in MD you get up to $2000 state tax credit, basically it offsets the 5% MD sales tax.

    With Prius, that's a $1250 credit on a $25k car. But with the RX, it's the full $2000 credit. The hybrid option is supposed to cost $3000 more, but you only pay 1/3rd of that. Not bad.

    Something to think about if you live in MD. What other states have similar incentives for hybrids? VA offers HOV lane access.

    -juice
  • m4priusm4prius Member Posts: 31
    Previous Message....My Prius has smart start. This morning I turned my car off as usual when I got to work by pressing the two buttons and watched the display fade. I got out of the car and pressed the button on the door to lock it and heard the one beep. I fumbled with my keys to get ready to enter the building and heard 2 beeps as if the car was unlocking. Ignored the beeps as we have a generally safe parking lot and I can see the car from my window. A half hour later, people came into my office asking me if I knew my car was running. And sure enough, it had turned itself back on and was sitting there, unlocked, waiting for someone to drive it off. How could this have happened?"

    Would a door ajar condition make the car think someone was entering the vehicle and this a START condition activate???? You stated you heard ONE beep not TWO...should you here TWO beeps during lock condition...would ONE beep indicate door ajar??
  • mfullmermfullmer Member Posts: 773
    Today I was doing my weekly "Build Your Own Prius" routine on the Toyota website - waiting patiently until I can order an '05 to replace my '03 Chevy Tahoe in January, '05. (Ok, I know, it sounds a bit crazy to go from a Tahoe to a Prius but I'm just that way. I also listen to country, rock and top 40 in the same trip and never base my political views of a person/candidate on whether they are Republican or Democrat. Does that make me well rounded?)

    ANYWAY - Toyota now has "Leather Faced Seats" as an accessory item. ($1,295) That is great! On the other hand, it says they can't be had with the Option 9 package but I'm sure that is just a glitch. On that point, why is it Toyota is so far behind the game when it comes to their website interface? I've never used it to "build" a car (Toyota or Lexus) when I haven't run into instances where it doesn't offer certain options or packages that are available. UGGH

    Anyway, has anyone seen the factory leather?
  • djasonwdjasonw Member Posts: 624
    If leather was FREE, I would still opt for the micro fiber material that comes standard with the Prius. It feels smooth and luxurious to the touch and it's quite resilient. If you get leather, you're sticky in the summer and cold in the winter. Definitely not for me. Kinda crazy to spend $1295 when you can get it for half that through leatherseats.com.
  • rpgolferrpgolfer Member Posts: 157
    I recently traveled 164 mi (some downhill) 99% fwy and was only able to refill 2.2 gals. That calculates to 74.5 mpg! Does that sound possible? I hate to keep "topping off" to get "full", but how do I know, short of getting gas in my shoes, when my tank is actually full and it's not the bladder fooling me?
      Do I need to wait for another coupla tankfuls to get accurate readings? The driving was at 60 mph w/air cond on. One more question, does the "B" gear position assist in going uphill or just downhill?
    Thanks,
    Rich
  • gscheil1gscheil1 Member Posts: 72
    In order to completely fill the tank, put gas in as slow as possible. I did that and now have 92 miles on the tank and still showing all bars on the guage.
  • djasonwdjasonw Member Posts: 624
    I found that works very well too. After the click I did an experiment and waited 3 minutes or so. I was able to add another two gallons with no spilling. I don't do that often as it's a waste of time. I still manage to get close to 400 miles on a tank.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    ... keychain. Toyota sent me a nice solid metal keychain with the HSD logo on one side and "Toyota Prius" in black and red on the other. I guess this is to help make up for the long wait--"You've got your keychain now, and soon the rest of the car!" I am looking forward to seeing what interest there is in the Prius at the Greater Twin Cities auto show tomorrow, where the Prius is the Car of the Show. I didn't hear any news bulletins about John being mobbed there, so I assume he's OK. ;-)
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    so, how's the keychain for mileage? :-)

    Have fun at the auto show!

    To both you and John, we are expecting full reports AND photos.
  • bobbrown1bobbrown1 Member Posts: 22
    I picked up my new car on 16MAR and still learning to operate all features. I have a pack 9 and noticed the owners manual shows Daytime Running Lights and Automatic Headlights as features. I thought the pack 9 contained all options, so I called Toyota Customer Service and asked why I didn't get those. Answer: only Canadian cars offer those. I wonder why that is?
    My insurer offers a discount for DRL, and I would have liked to get that.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Aren't DRLs required by government regulations in Canada? That may explain the difference.
  • jeep2jettajeep2jetta Member Posts: 53
    John,
     
    I remember you mentioned in the past that you have flyers/handouts made up to give to people. I have been invited to two events coming up in April and June that will cover environmetal and clean air issues in North Texas. I was asked to talk about my 04 Prius. Would you mind sending me a copy of your handout so I can get them duplicated to give to people at these two events? Please let me know as soon as you can if you don't mind doing this. You can e-mail me directly at tonyhan @ juno . com
     
    Thank You,
    Tony.
    '04 Salsa Red
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