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Or did Iraq actually have WMD..??
BTW... we do wander a bit in the chat and hybrids folks are certainly welcome to join in!
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News & Views, Wagons, & Hybrid Vehicles
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EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS
The Prius receives updated front headlamps and rear taillamps, and a new front spoiler. A chrome finish is applied to the front grille’s center bar, and freshened rear combination lamp is added to enhance its appearance.
In addition, four new exterior colors update the color palette:
• Classic Silver Metallic
• Barcelona Red Metallic
• Silver Pine Mica
• Magnetic Gray (available May 2006)
INTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS
On the inside, the instrument panel receives a new black organic textured grain in place of the burgundy or brown colors available last year. The rear seat bottom cushion has been lowered slightly for better head clearance and enhanced riding comfort. Also new for 2006 are the luxurious options of Leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, available in both Gray and Bisque, and a Rear Backup Camera to help the driver see objects behind the vehicle when in reverse.
The standard audio system is AM/FM CD with 6 speakers. An optional mid-grade audio also includes MP3/WMA playback capability and an auxiliary audio input miniplug. The optional JBL audio features several updates for 2006:
• JBL AM/FM 6-disc CD changer with 9 speakers in 7 locations (cassette deck is no longer available)
• MP3/WMA playback capability and an auxiliary audio input miniplug in the center console
• Hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth wireless connectivity
The optional voice-activated DVD GPS (Global Positioning System) Navigation system is the most sophisticated yet. It offers increased map quality, over 32,000 colors, an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) display, a route tracer function, voice recognition street address search functions that allow you to enter a destination while driving, and can now be set to operate in English, French, or Spanish languages.
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
In addition to standard ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist
(BA), and Traction Control (TRAC), several safety features are now standard equipment:
• A Tire Pressure Monitoring System directly measures the pressure of each tire with a sensor and signals the driver in the event of a drop in tire pressure
• Standard Driver and Front Passenger Advanced Airbags (SRS) now feature a passenger occupant classification sensor that determines not only whether the seat is occupied, but also whether an occupant meets the weight requirement for airbag deployment. The passenger front airbags are deployed only when the sensor detects an adult passenger in the front seat.
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
The complimentary roadside assistance program has been discontinued for the 2006 Prius.
2006 MODEL YEAR PRIUS PRICING
The 2006 model year Prius continues to be an excellent value, with a base MSRP of
$21,725. The increase of $450, or 2% of MSRP, reflects the addition of new standard
equipment and the product enhancements featured above.
Option package content and pricing has been adjusted for the model year 2006 Prius. Please see the appendix for details.
‘O6 PRIUS OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT PRICING
Package Option MSRP Equipment
Code
1 GY $650
• Driver & front passenger seat-mounted side and front & rear side
(unchanged) curtain airbags
2 HE $825
• Backup Monitor
• smart Key system
• MP3/WMA playback capability, and auxiliary audio input miniplug
3 HF $1,475
• Driver & front passenger seat-mounted side and front & rear side curtain airbags
• Backup Monitor
• smart Key system
• MP3/WMA playback capability, and auxiliary audio input miniplug
4 HG $1,825
• Driver & front passenger seat-mounted side and front & rear side curtain airbags
• Backup Monitor
• smart Key system
• MP3/WMA playback capability, and auxiliary audio input miniplug
• Vehicle stability control (V5C)
5 HI $3,205
• Driver & front passenger seat-mounted side and front & rear side curtain airbags
• Backup Monitor
• smart Key system
• Vehicle stability control (V5C)
• Anti-theft system plus Homelink ® universal transceiver
• JBL Premium AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer, nine speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio input miniplug plus hands-free BluetooThTM phone capability
6 HK $3,830
• Driver & front passenger seat-mounted side and front & rear side curtain airbags
• Backup Monitor
• smart Key system
• Vehicle stability Control (V5C)
• Anti-theft system plus Homelink ® universal transceiver
• JBL Premium AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer, nine speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio input miniplug plus hands-free BluetootWM phone capability
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and integrated fog lamps
7 NL $5,730
• Driver & front passenger seat-mounted side and front & rear side curtain airbags
• Backup Monitor
• smart Key system
• Vehicle stability Control (V5C)
• Anti-theft system plus Homelink ® universal transceiver
• JBL Premium AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer, nine speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio input miniplug plus hands-free BluetooThTM phone capability
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and integrated fog lamps
• Voice-activated DVD navigation system
8 Nw $6,890
• Driver & front passenger seat-mounted side and front & rear side curtain airbags
• Backup Monitor
• smart Key system
• Vehicle stability Control (V5C)
• Anti-theft system plus Homelink ® universal transceiver
• JBL Premium AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer, nine speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio input miniplug plus hands-free BluetoothTM phone capability
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and integrated fog lamps
• Voice-activated DVD navigation system
• Leather trimmed seats and steering wheel
I have been doing my research looking at all of the options and prices of purchasing a used Prius. Right now I am leaning towards finding a low mile '01 or '02. I know that '01 was the first year the Prius was made. I am not able to afford a NEW Prius, so if I purchase one, used is my only option.
Any recommendations of what I should look out for as far as known issues with these years, etc... Any tips are helpful in my search!
Many Thanks!
Antonio (^_^)
With all the luxury options available on this car, why would they do this? Hopefully it's NOT because so many owners have had to use it that it was costing them too much!
This also helps to reduce the money we sent to the ayatollahs and saudi's. Starve'em.
I hope Honda sells 100's of thousands.
Now they have to work on the HAH. It's stagnating..
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Thanks for the post on the 2006 Prius specs. I have my name down at a large Toyota dealer for a 2006 Prius option package #6. Didn't have to put down a deposit or anything.
Well I sold my old Lexus to Car Max but I didn't buy a replacement now down to only trhee cars.
Didn't buy becuase of several factors:
(1) Insight or Prius - my wife feels power would be marginal in Houston traffic. I did get cought in one line in the slow Lexus ( only 0-60 in 8.3 seconds)that was turning and almost was stopped and the lane next to it was still going 50-60 mph. I was barely able to break into the fast line. Alas I would have been stuck in either a Prius or 5-speed Insight.
(2) Wants to wait until April next year ( raise / bonus time)
(3) She suggested that a Civic Si would be more my style of a commuter car ( Actually I was also looking at an MX5 and convertable Mini S ; the MX5 Touring is under $21K)
(4) Do the math. If I got either a Prius or Insight I would be paying $400-$500 per month for payment. I would save, in my case around $125 per month. Do the math that is a net increase of $275 to $375 per month.
You should be down to about 6 weeks till you get your Prius.
Cruis'n in 6th,
MidCow
P.S.- Is VW stupid or what they raised the price of their enw Jettas $5-6 K , now a fully loaded one is $26K and for the TDIs they want to charge a premium of $1,500 to $2,000
It's a hedge, the odds are on a "Rallye Red" Civic Si. Oh darn! it only comes in a 6-speed manual.
IF frogs had wings they would fly, If a Prius had a 6-speed I would buy (Please listen Toyota representatives)
Cruis'n
MidCow
P.S. Prius +gas mileage, techno, utility -colors,performance, lack of 6-speed
P.S.S.- 6 speed Accord will remain. The accepted proposal was for an ADDITIONAL "commuter" car
I thought you said you would only cringe with a SRT-4 choice :P Yes Rallye Red Si it will be come April 2006.
How long until your Prius comes in ?
I have decided after many years and many cars the best reliability is either through Toyota/Lexus or Honda/Acura. I had one BMW and I like the handling and the engine performance, but it had a lot of TSBs and I nkow what they mena when they say "Break My Wallet". Anything not covered under scheduled maintenace, which was pretty long intervals, calculated by the maintenance minder, was very $$$
From a technological, features, utility and high gas mileage standpoint the Prius is the clear winner! I analyze lots of cars and lots of fetures and I find it humerious that about the only thing nay-sayers come up with is that a handful of Priuses encounter a software problem so therefore empirically all Priuses must have ctatstropic software problems. It is kind of like the auto Accord tranny problems. Makes no sense!
Good Car! Good Luck! Enjoy!
Cheers,
MidCow
P.S. _ I'll bet the wait is worse that it was waiting for Christmas when you were a kid
So, what is it, or where can I find it :confuse:
And Toyota's corporate fuel economy has slide considerably in the last 20 years becasue they build just as many GAS Guzzling trucks as the big 3!!! Toyota has got the American public duped and Americans just such it up!!! Amazing!!
You say "Hybrids are not "all THEY say they are.""
Who are these mysterious THEY people? Certainly not the mainstream media, who talks incessantly about the "hybrid premium" and how "you'll never recoup your extra money in gas savings."
You've apparently not got the facts right, amigo.
Last I checked, the Prius is the second cleanest internal combustion engine car in the USA, right behind the Civic GX CNG car. And the Civic Hybrid ties with the Prius for the Best EPA Air Pollution score ever issued, a 9.5 on a 10 scale. And both cars score a 10 on the GreenHouse Gas scale.
And you don't even know about the flawed EPA tests, do you? Even the EPA has acknowledged that the 40 year old test, only SLIGHTLY modified in 1986, is severely flawed.
Did you know the cars never leave the test lab?
Did you know the Hwy test never goes above 55 MPH?
Did you know that ALMOST ALL CARS ON THE ROAD IN THE USA come in below the EPA estimates?
Did you know that a Prius was recently driven almost 1400 miles on one tank for a 109 miles per gallon figure, on REAL roads, by REAL drivers?
Did you know that there are many drivers of the Honda Civic Hybrid who achieve more than 55 miles per gallon?
I think if you are gonna come in here talking all wild about the misgivings of Hybrids, you should know the fax, my friend. I welcome any further questions or requests for clarification. :shades:
ON MARCH 26,2005, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM TEMPLE. SUDDENLY, MY CAR LOSE POWER. ALL PANEL LIGHTS LIGHTED UP. I PUSHED THE GAS PADDLE, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND. I TURNED OFF THE POWER THEN TURNED BACK ON, BUT I CAN ONLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. ALL PANEL LIGHTS STAY ON. I USE MY INSURANCE TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TOW MY CAR TO WONDERIE TOYOTA. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THEY REPROGRAMED THE COMPUTER. THE CAR WORKS AFTER REPROGRAM AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. ON APRIL 6,2005 IN THE MORNING, I TURN ON THE POWER. ALL THE PANEL LIGHTS STAY ON AND I CAN'T SHIFT. I CAN ONLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, I GOT OFF THE CAR AND OPEN THE CAR HOOD. I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. I REMOVED MY HAND WHICH HOLDING THE HOOD SO THE HOOD DROP HARD ON TO THE CAR. I WENT BACK IN THE CAR. THE CAR START COULD RUN AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW IF THE HOOD DROP HARD ON THE CAR HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT OR NOT. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO WONDERIE TOYOTA, THE SERVICE REPRESENTIVE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE MY CAR IN. I TOLD HIM THAT I WON'T TAKE MY CAR BACK WITHOUT CHECKING. I READ THE COMMENTS ON THE RECEIPT AFTER I PICK UP MY CAR. THE MECHANIC DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. HE DID NOT DO ANYHTING. Obviously
We do have to accept that some complaints are valid, but I simply cracked up reading this one. Someone should tell this guy that it is a no, no to DRIVE to Temple!!
I DID NOT HAVE A FAILURE, BUT I HAD AN EXPERIENCE THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TO YOU AND TOYOTA. MY EXPERIENCE WAS ACCIDENTLY HITTING MY RIGHT KNEE LIGHTLY UPWARD AGAINST THE LEVER THAT IS USED TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, PARK, REFERSE AND BATTERY. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS SHIFTING MY WEIGHT SLIGHTLY TO GET MORE COMFORTABLE AFTER I HAD BEEN DRIVING SEVERAL HOURS. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, LOOKING AT THE DASHBOARD, I NOTICED THE CAR WAS IN THE "B" MODE WHICH I GUESS IS CALLED BATTERY. I SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE WITH NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER MY THINKING IS THAT IF SOMEONE DID WHAT I DID (IN THE WAY OF ACCIDENTLY TAPPING THE SHIFT LEVER WITH THEIR KNEE) AND DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE CAR HAD SHIFTED TO BATTERY, AFTER DRIVING FOR SOME TIME (X HOURS OR MINUTES) THE BATTERIES THAT DRIVE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR/ENGINE WOULD RUN DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR WOULD STOP RUNNING AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED BECAUSE THE BATTERIES WERE SO RUN DOWN. ALSO THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START AGAIN BECAUSE THE BATTERIES RUNNING THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WERE NOT ASSISTING IN THE DRIVE OF THE CAR AS DESIGNED. I NOTICED A NOTE ON A WEB SITE THIS EVENING THAT INDICATED THE CAR WOULD NOT RUN WHEN THE BATTERIES WERE BELOW A 20% CHARGE. IF THIS IS CORRECT, IT WOULD FIT IN WITH MY THEORY. THE SHIFT LEVER NEEDS TO BE HARDER TO MOVE SO THAT ACCIDENTAL CHANGES SUCH AS I EXPERIENCED WOULD BE PREVENTED. IF THIS IS TOO EXPENSIVE, MAYBE A CHEAPER WAY TO FIX TGHE PROBLEM WOULD BE FOR AN ALARM LIGHT OR AUDIBLE SIGNAL TO GO ON WHEN THE BATTERY PROPULSION HAD BEEN GOING ON TOO LONG UNASSISTED BY THE GASOLINE MOTOR. MAYBE I'M ALL WET, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULDN'T HURT TO LET YOU KNOW MY THOUGHTS.
So..this guy owns this car and thinks B is for battery!!!
Hey... hello...READ THE MANUAL!!!!
Seems some Toyota salesmen think "B" is for battery also. Who wants to spend hours reading a manual when they buy a new car? I never do. Check it for maintenence schedules etc. It sounds like you expect the people that buy a hybrid to all be engineers and understand what some engineer at Toyota had in mind. Not all car buyers spend as much time on the computer researching as you and I.
kevinfla, "2006 Hybrid Toyota Highlander" #2117, 9 Nov 2005 11:07 pm
I have a question about the "B" on the drive shift. The salesmen said it would allow me to drive on Battery only.
I rent a lot of cars. Sometimes to drive a few miles. I am not going to read the manual on all those different cars. It is the job of the engineers to design a car that is intuitive. If it is a car that can run on batteries a "B" button would logically denote battery operation. I know on the HH and RX400h there was a lot of debate on that very subject. About the only thing I have needed to check the manual for in any new car was setting the time and what kind of oil to use. Most problems encountered with newer cars is not in the manual. It would be nice if they included a DVD with the shop manual. It would not cost them more than a buck. Then you would have some useful information. For example, how many people have enquired about the voice commands, Bluetooth application & NAV operation? Is it detailed in the manual included with the car? I do agree those kind of problems should not be posted on the ODI website.
I am referring to the shop manual. A printed document such as a PDF file available on CD or DVD. It should be available. Usually you pay several hundred dollars for them. I don't work on my cars like I used to so I really don't need one. It would be handy for the more intricate questions that arise with most new cars. Such as the 300 voice commands that are used with the NAV system.
I would never say never. I thought the Camry I rented was decent, better than the Sebring. If the Cambrid gets high 30s to low 40s on the highway, it would be a possible. That is after the smoke clears. I learned my lesson on buying frenzies forty years ago.
I HAVE A 2004 PRIUS. (YOUR SUSTEM DOES NOT SHOW A PRIUS, SO I CHECKED THE TOYOTA MATRIX BOX, SINCE THE SYSTEM MADE ME CHECK SOME MODEL BOX.)THE TOYOTA NAVIGATION SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE--IT DIRECTS TURNS ONTO NON-EXITENT ROADS. PEOPLE WILL DIE WHEN THEY FOLLOW THE SYSTEM'S DIRECTIONS AND DRIVE OFF ROAD AND CRASH. LETTERS TO TOYOTA HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. BY TELEPHONE TOYOTA ADVISES THAT THIS IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM
I try to picture in my mind the idiot who would turn onto a nonexistant road at a speed high enough to cause death.
This might be an issue if you are entering the car in that driver-less desert race. I also found several complaints on the ODI to be quite funny. It does bring into question the demographic that Toyota claims are buying the Prius. I guess you don't have to pass a literacy test to get a new Prius. It would be helpful for all the gadgetry.
Two things: First, was told that the warranty period for the '06 was 8 yrs/100k miles. I had the impression it was 10 yrs/100k miles. :confuse:
Second: the extended warranty looks rather pricey, compared to what I have seen here on the boards. Has anybody been able to do better than $1800 for the extended warranty (my suspicion: most likely)? :confuse:
Other than that, they actually had an '06 on site. Only one, mind you. :mad:
(2) First, Battery warranty depends on where you live.
CA an NY 10yr, 150K , All other states 8 yr, 100K
(3) Second, again don't get it.
Some of the comments about Prius operations porblems crack me up!. I think the normal person can handle Prius operation intutitively without a problem.
Reminds me of the PC support joke:
Caller: "My PC screen is black nad it doesn't work.
Help Desk: After checking cables, connections plug in the wall power switch. Asks the user to read the serial number:
Caller: "I can't see the serial number, becuase the light isn't very good with the power off"
Help Desk: Do you still have the box the PC came in?
Caller: "Yes"
HelpDesk "Well then package it back up and send it back , because you are too stupid to operate a PC"
Cheers,
MidCow
P.S. = why does Edmunds call the Prius both a compact and a mid-size?
Some of those comments on Prius software problems sound awfully like plants from competitors or people that just dont like Toyota. I have had my own share of PC support stuff going on, as that is what I do (controls engineer)
Cust (on phone): My computer doesnt work!
Me: What is the problem? What won't work?
C: It just won't work! Get down here and fix it!
--- 2 hour drive to customer site ---
C (in person): See! It won't work! I can't print a report!
(computer working fine, collecting data, but not printing a report every 15 minutes as required)
Me: Is there enough paper in the printer?
C: Uhhhhhh.....
It really happened!
FoundAPrius
i think it would be terrifically fun to drive as a challenge to get good mileage, but not as in 'fun to drive'.
overall, it is a practical design, regardless of how it gets from a to b.