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I ordered a MINI Cooper on the 8th and I expect it should be here sometime towards the end of August. I like the process at MINI because once you get your production number you can follow it through production, painting, docking, loading, shipping, etc.
I really wanted a little more from a car than the Prius can offer at this moment, although I did really like it. Hopefully in a couple of years, when I'm ready to get rid of the MINI, I'll have many more Hybrid choices.
I'm handling the Prius the same way. The main features I want out of a Prius are the ones that come standard on a bare bones model! The only other things I'm really holding out for are the full airbag package and a car that isn't Tideland Pearl (hate that colour). Beyond that, I'll take whatever will get one into my hands at MSRP in less than two years :-D
While I'm sure there are some at Toyota that are sadistic enough to be reveling in the buzz this insane shortage is producing, I have to assume that there are others who are noting how much business Toyota *isn't* getting because of the wait-lists, and how their reputation is being mangled by dealers overcharging...
Thanks.
Thanks,
Rich
Ed Headington
Interested in being interviewed? Email Pam at pkrebs@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday July 20 at noon EST.
The idea is that it's the extremes -- fully charged and fully discharged -- that put the greatest stress on the battery pack's chemistry. Keeping the charge capacity in the middle range makes the battery usable over a longer period of time and reduces the likelihood that you'll ever need to replace it.
Anyway, even if a topped-off meter meant a 100% charged battery, given that the HV battery is in almost constant use doing *something* during the normal operation of the car, I can't imagine how you would ever experience that topped-off state for more than a few seconds!
Upshot: I think this is normal.
Disclaimer: I don't own one yet. I've just been doing an obsessive amount of reading on the subject...
http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?section=news&cat=I- NDUSTRY&feed=dji&news_id=dji-00058520040719&date=2004- 0719
It appears Toyota may almost double production eventually. Hmmm, maybe they do make money on these things. Or they are trying to compensate for having the worst fuel MPG average for the larger models among the large automakers...
That article confirms they are right on schedule.
JOHN
Fortunately, the battery lawsuit is settled. That was a contributing factor to the delay too.
JOHN
And the rest of us have a bad impression of the rest of the automakers (except Honda) for not offering any hybrid at all.
Things will settle down once supply catches up.
Remember, this has happened once already (with the classic model). All ended up working out great. It was immediately available on the lot for a price below MSRP and profit was still be made on the sale.
JOHN
Note this is repost from #3642, Sorry didn't know masked profanity wasn't allowed
NOTE: This is a NEW time slot for this week!
Hybrid Vehicles Chat Room
Immediately following at 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET, we keep the chat party going with the Mazda Mania chat.
Mazda Mania Chat Room
The Town Hall chats are a great place to take these message board topics LIVE. Hope to see you there this week!
PF Flyer
Host
Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
So by using a brand new Prius for their measurements, MPG is guaranteed to be impaired by engine break-in and tire break-in. Then of course, there are always the MPG reducing factors that have nothing to do with driving: oil overfill, oil type, tire pressure, and outside temperature.
Owners are aware of those factors and have completed break-in. So naturally, they report higher MPG.
JOHN
thanks
Shifty the Host from somewhere else....
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/townhall/welcome.jsp
Okay, a few showed up...c'mon, a couple more!
Still got 15 minutes to join us!
Ed Headington
I never saw 1/4 or "empty". I only saw "full" 3 times over 60,000 miles of driving. I saw 1/2 from time to time after long stealth drives, but it only remained there briefly. It was for the most part on 3/4 constantly.
On the '04, they doubled the sensitivity along with adding color. That makes it much easier to notice. And due to the larger electric-motor and the higher RPM on the smaller electric-motor, there will be fluctuation more often.
JOHN
thanks again,
Ed Headington
Thanks,
Rich
So after almost eight months to the day, my long wait was almost over!
And now, as Paul Harvey says, for the rest of the story...
On July 8, I emailed the salesman and told him I was going to pass on the car and to give it to the next person in line. I would not be buying a Prius in the near future.
It was a painful email to send. I really love the Prius and was looking forward to owning one. However, when I put my name on the list last November, I was about #30 overall, the dealership was getting 10-11 Priuses each month, and over half of those were package 3s. The November allocation had not yet arrived. Do the math and I should have had no problem getting my car by Memorial Day, when the lease on my Grand Caravan was to expire.
Then the situation changed. First, Prius production slowed down (according to my salesman, in order to prepare for production of the Highlander Hybrid and RX400h). They no longer got 10-11 Priuses per month. Then, the Chicago Region started loading up on package 9s, to the point where they were shipping no package 3s at all to dealerships early in the year. When they started to arrive again, in May, it was only 25% of all units.
Finally, my cash flow is not as good as I thought it would be this year. So cost became a major factor, if not the major factor. At the local auto show in March, I analyzed alternatives to the Prius. I found one, the Matrix, that would meet my needs but was only very slightly less expensive to own over 7 years (my planned ownership span) than the Prius--and I like the Prius much more than the Matrix. So that was that.
There was one other car that I had considered briefly, the Elantra GT hatchback, but I had taken it off my list because: A) it had standard leather interior, and I don't like leather, and I didn't think the rear seat would have enough legroom for my teenage sons. Otherwise, I really liked the car. (I own a '01 Elantra.) But then at the auto show, my oldest son and his equal-sized friend test-sat in the Elantra GT and we found out its rear seat did have enough leg room, albeit less than that of the Prius. I also realized that the main drivers of the car would be my DW and my oldest son, and I asked them if they would mind having a leather interior. "Not at all," they said. They also said they would not mind having the power moonroof and MP3 player that came with the Elantra, but not on the Prius. Still, I really wanted that Prius.
Then for the clincher: I calculated that the Elantra would cost about $10,000 less to own over 7 years than the Prius, before factoring in the fuel savings with the Prius. At a generous $3.00 per gallon average, I estimated those savings to be $600 per year, or $4200 over seven years. More important to me was the fact that the up front cost of the Prius would be almost $9000 more than that of the Elantra GT--money I could use for other things like tuition and mortgage payments.
So my family and I are pleased with the Elantra, but it's not a Prius. I'll keep my eye on the Prius and other hybrids because I'll need a car to replace my '01 Elantra in the fall of '06, when I turn it over to my oldest son for college. Who knows what hybrid options I may have then (including a rumored Elantra hybrid)?
i'm renting a 2004 prius next week and would like to be able to plug my phone into the d/c adapter (aka, cigarette lighter..)
does the prius have one? i can't see it clearly in any pictures.
if it doesn't, looks like i'm up the creek with my electrical stuff...
thanks
Welcome aboard! The Prius does have two such devices. One is located by the front passenger's left knee on the lower part of the dashboard and the other is located in the center console at the bottom, in front. The nice thing about the console power port is that you can re-charge your cell phone and leave it inside completely out of view!
A word of advice to all - When not using the power ports be sure to close them up so nothing metallic gets in and shorts out a fuse.
Thanks,
Rich
i'm really excited about getting to drive this car. The waiting lists are so incredibly long that this seemed to be the best opportunity to really "try one on" for a week or so & see what its like to live with.
Fortunately there are a select few rental companies around the country that will rent them out to normal joes like me... i just hope this one hasn't had the snot beaten out of it by other people.
I hope you will still be active in the hybrid discussions as you have had much to offer here....and of course I expect to see you in the Elantra discussions to tell us all about ownership.
Congrats again.
I once observed in this forum that there were only two cars out there right now that combine real space inside with real fuel economy [35 mpg and up in real-world everyday use] - the Passat TDI and the Prius. 24-28 months from now, the number of alternatives should have tripled or quadupled. And by then, supply and demand on the Prius itself should have finally achieved a nice balance, if that is still your first choice.
It's to prevent water leaking into the engine compartment from the area at the top oif the hood near the cowl.
They are to install a waterproof seal to the underside of the hood.
When will they ever end?
The local Ford dealer laughably has 2005 Ford Focus models listed with $1995 ADP over MSRP.
Why anyone would buy a Ford Focus is beyond the realm of reason, so I guess they deserve to be ripped off.
However, it is sad that some people have delusions that a Package #9 Prius at and above MSRP is going to "save" money for them due to the hybrid fuel economy.
Resale value will only remain good while there is a shortage.
So, who knows what they will be worth in 5 years and when second-hand buyers are worried about the cost of replacing the battery.
Anyway, the actual point of DRL is to provide light at a reduced electrical draw. So you still get a safety benefit but it isn't as taxing on the system.
HID provides a reduced electrical draw by design. So the goal is already achieved at full power. The purpose of DRL is fulfilled without as is, no modification necessary.
JOHN
Outside the USA even the Prius offers DRL, look just to the North in Canada where DRLs are manadatory.
It would be a simple, almost no weight or no cost option to add to the USA Prius. It seems, all the rest of the Toyota/Lexus line has DRLs.
Please define what is actually required.
It may not match what the expectation here. "DRL" is far to generic of a term.
JOHN