Toyota Prius

kneisl1 · July 2006

Which vehicles are those? How much are they?

kdhspyder · July 2006

Prius and HCH ( and probably the Fit hybrid )... Price is of no concern since your main consideration from your post is getting off the addiction to oil.

Which is it? Is vehicle price more important or is using less fuel more important?

People choose the Prius because it is bigger, more comfortable, quicker, safer and more feature-laden than an Echo/Yaris.... plus it gets 30% better fuel economy.
Yaris/Echo = abt 2.85 gpc ( 35 mpg )
Prius II = currently I am at 1.96 gpc ( 51+ mpg )

The price difference is simply because the Prius has more to it than it's two smaller siblings.... and it gets better fuel economy. That's a nice combination.

gagrice · July 2006

If it goes up to $10 a gallon, I cant understand how driving a 25 mpg car is a viable option

I think we may have lost perspective. Even at $10 per gallon it is less of my disposable income than it was in 1961 when I went into the job market. Gas was 35 cents a gallon and I made $1.25 per hour. Now gas is $3 per gallon and my package when I retired in April was over $50 per hour. So gas could go to $15 per gallon and not be as big of a burden as it was in 1961. Plus my cars back then were lucky to get 10 MPG. At least my PU is about 15 MPG. I also commuted 21 miles to work in 1961. I would not give up the safety and comfort for so little gain as the Echo/Yaris sized vehicle offers. Give me a little electric car to run my errands and leave plugged into the wall and I will consider buying one.

I agree with kdhspyder that comfort is more important to most people than fuel economy. With the TCH or even the Prius you can have both.

kneisl1 · July 2006

No my posts about the ECHO and the Prius have always been about the false economy of the Prius. My posts are about having your cake and eating it too. With the Prius you can have your cake but its going to cost you a lot more.

kdhspyder · July 2006

The Prius does cost more than the Echo/Yaris because it's more car. That's pretty obvious. A Lexus ES350 is more car yet.

You say false economy??? The Prius gets better FE than either the old Echo or new Yaris. How is that false?

Your arguments seem to flip from saving fuel ( the Prius and HCH are certainly better ) to buying at a lower price ( the Echo and Yaris fit that bill ). Both are obvious.

So which do you prefer? Save resources? Spend less to own transportation? From your posts you seem to prefer to spend less to own transportation, yet spend more in fuel in order to purchase other means of transportation - the motorcycle - for fun. That's a good choice.

kneisl1 · July 2006

Gotta save fuel. Gotta be cheap too.

yellowman · July 2006

Hi all,

My mom just ordered a 2006 Prius. Amazingly, we got a Package 7 for a near-MSRP price of $28,221. According to CarsDirect.com, that's just $186 over MSRP, whereas most dealerships we visited wanted anywhere from $2,000 to $4,500 over MSRP.

Anyway, now that the thing is ordered, I was wondering if there's a way to track it as it's built and shipped to the dealer. I did this with my Jeep Wrangler and it was great fun watching the progress. Please let me (and other new Prius buyers) know!

Mike

kneisl1 · July 2006

I just bought an electric scooter which is cheaper still.I understand the $3000 rebate ends after , what, 60,000 cars are sold. (per manufacturer, is that right?) I didnt get any rebate on the scooter though.

backy · July 2006

Wrong.

You see, taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which a car manufacturer records its sale of the 60,000th qualifying vehicle. Once a manufacturer sells 60,000 qualifying vehicles, the tax credit begins to phase out; first to 50 percent, then to 25 percent, and finally -- no credit is allowed after the fifth quarter following the quarter in which the 60,000th vehicle is sold. ... Toyota and Lexus hybrid purchasers at the least will be able to claim the full credit until the end of the third calendar quarter, September 30, 2006.

http://www.businessknowhow.com/money/06hybrid-tax-credit.htm

kneisl1 · July 2006

Good for them. They will need it!

gagrice · July 2006

The MSRP including side bags is $22,955

TMV in San Diego for a package 1 Prius is $24,879. As was pointed out. It cost a lot of money to save a few bucks at the pump. Oh, and a Package 8 is $31,119. No bargains on hybrids in CA. At least till the HOV passes are all gone. Also many of us do not qualify for the "Tax Credit" because of the "alternate minimum tax" which you will not be able to calculate until we get the tax code for 2006. I paid 9 grand AMT for 2005. It will hit many in the hybrid demographic this year.

backy · July 2006

Fortunately (for buying a Prius or a house or...) not all of us live in San Diego!

gagrice · July 2006

not all of us live in San Diego!

Seems like it when you go out on the highway. I wish I was in Hawaii about now. We have had about a month of high 90s weather. It feels like Florida with no rain.

kdhspyder · July 2006

In DC Prius' are going for about $500 - $800 off sticker. It all depends on you. For some buyers $32000 may be thousands less than they planned on paying. The market speaks and eventually everyone is happy.

gagrice · July 2006

The market speaks and eventually everyone is happy.

You are a slick salesman alright. I have a question. You should be able to do well selling closer to home. I believe I would slit my wrists if I had your commute. Especially when the weather back there gets nasty.

kdhspyder · July 2006

Actually when switching careers back in '99 I 'interviewed' 8 different places. This was the most progressive and professional back then but far from the largest. Now it is the largest, and still professional and progressive.

The previous company I was with just became the largest steel company in the world ( acquired ).

PF_Flyer · July 2006

As you may have noticed, new discussions are appearing all around the boards. What we're trying to do is move away from mega-discussions (like this one) and break things down into smaller, more focused discussions to make it easier for users to find the information they're after without having to wade through almost 7000 posts like we have here.

So if you are about to bring up a problem with your Prius, or want to discuss your mileage performance, please check the discussion list to find the appropriate discussion. If there isn't one there, please feel free to start one up!

I'll be going back through this discussion and pulling some of the threads that have developed on specific issues as starters for new discussions, so you may find some posts you've already made in place like:
Toyota Prius: MPG-Real World Numbers
Toyota Prius: Accessories & Modifications
Prius Brake Issues
Toyota Prius Test Drive:What Do You Think?

to name a few.

Thanks in advance for your help with this. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to click on my username and drop me an email!

PF_Flyer · July 2006

Some more new additions to our discussion list.

Prius Safety & Crash Test Ratings

Toyota Prius Dash & Instrumentation Questions

Toyota Prius: Audio System Questions

Toyota Prius: Basic Care & Maintenance

Getting the Most Out of the Toyota Prius: Driving Tips

I know old habits are hard to break, but I'll be here to gently nudge you in the direction of the right discussions as we go along

kneisl1 · July 2006

May I suggest adding PRIUS OWNERS DISCUSS THEIR PSYCHIATRISTS

pathstar1 · July 2006

First I'd like to congradulate you guys and gals on the new look of the Forum. It's very nice. Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, I looked and looked and couldn't find where to post comments on the Forum.

Your splitting of the messages to separate topics is great, but will you be able to re-order them so they appear in time/date order? They're kind of a mess right now.

PF_Flyer · July 2006

Glad you like it pathstar. Actually, the place you should post comments and questions about the forum is the Forums Software! Your Questions Answered... discussion.

The order that the discussions apear in (for the most part) is that the discussion with the most recent post is moved to the top of the list, so the discussions that are active are not buried down the list. If you have a suggestion for a way to order the discussions, that link that I just gave is the place to do so.

dramades · July 2006

Did you buy in SD? I'm here too...are you saying I won't be able to find a 2006 for less than $24,879 with Pkg 1? Does that include tax, dest, license, etc or ? Also, I read on one of these threads about the extended maintenance warranty. Can someone let me know the details and if I purchase it cheaper from another dealer can I still use it at my local dealer? Thanks! :-)

pathstar1 · July 2006

The extended warrenty is offered by Toyota and will be honoured by any Toyota dealer. You can get it cheaper - search online. You should be able to get it for under $1000, perhaps $900 or so (the 5 year one - platinum I think they call it). You don't have to panic to get it either - you have 3 years until the manf. standard warrenty runs out and you can purchase the extended warrenty any time within that three years.

buckeyelarry · July 2006

When considering purchase of Prius - the $3,150 tax credit a big part of the equation. We were in Alt-Min last year and anticipate this year also. I contacted our public accountant. As this is a "credit" rather than a "deduction", Alt-Min does not impact the credit, you get the full benefit of the Alt-Min. FYI

gagrice · July 2006

Our tax man said he was sure that we could not claim the tax credit. Now the EPA site says that they are waiting to hear from the IRS. I would say don't count on it. If you get it great. This is a first of its kind credit as far as I can remember.

IRS has yet to provide guidance on using credits to reduce alternative minimum tax liability

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid_new.shtml

manley · July 2006

This goes to show you where we would be if we weren't so strict on our diesel cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_5VfwihIpo

It is also the best evaluation i have ever seen of a prius. Besided the side by side comparison between the Prius and the VW TDI done by edmonds.

ruking1 · July 2006

Cost of the Prius (mentioned at app ) 17,500 BPS converts to app $32,210 USA.

larsb · July 2006

How is that the "best evaluation" of a Prius? They are calling it a JOKE basically.

"see the trees smile at me as I go by."

"see the children run out in front of the car because they cannot hear the car"

"slow and cheaply made"

This "review" is a BASHING, full bore.

Worthless as anything I have seen.

ruking1 · July 2006

We might not appreciate, understand or care about British car humor, (as it is not gear toward American audiences) but the Japanese cars do not sell well in Europe. As a point of comparison the European car market is app the same as the USA's which is 253.5 M in the passenger fleet.

jonnycat26 · July 2006

"slow and cheaply made"

It is cheaply made... as a 2+ year owner of an '04 Prius, I will attest to that.

larsb · July 2006

Oh Really? Cheaply made?

That's funny - I have seen posts from hundreds of Prius owners in various web forums over the past two years, and I cannot recall anyone saying that before.

What parts in specific do you consider cheaply made? You have had things break because they are cheaply made?

PF_Flyer · July 2006

I understand that passions can run high. Please do not let differing opinions on a vehicle turn into a personal dispute.

jonnycat26 · July 2006

That's funny - I have seen posts from hundreds of Prius owners in various web forums over the past two years, and I cannot recall anyone saying that before.

Oh really? I suggest checking out PC and looking at the 'dash warping' topic. Or the many posts where people talk about disassembling their dashboards to fix rattles. Or the complaints about the seats (which seems to be universal).

And FYI, yes, my rear seat latches have broken. Because they were cheaply made. My dash hasn't warped, yet, but give it time.

PF_Flyer · July 2006

People ARE going to have differing opinions on vehicles. Just because you disagree with someone, that's not an excuse to call a user, or group of users names.

I've removed the last couple of posts to cut this off early.

General rule of thumb, if you think you have to use the word YOU, or you just have to make a personal comment about other users, it's a good idea to not make that post.

seroq · July 2006

This is a bit of a change of subject but I have a question for other Prius '06 owners.
The car has turned on itself three times. Twice when the key was nearby, once when the key was not. Took car to dealer today who said he'd never heard of this happening.
?????????

glen4 · July 2006

I have 2004 #7. Several times I have hurriedly turned off my Prius to find it running when I returned. I found I did not really turn it off. In haste I pushed the power button too quickly and really didn't turn it off. Think about it!!

seeko · July 2006

good point to bring up! this i think would be easy to do. i have never done it but others can be aware it happens very east.

pete

kdhspyder · July 2006

After four 4c Camry's from 1989 to 2005 ( 500,000 mi on the four ) plus an MR2 and a Highlander... the Prius is the best vehicle I've ever owned.

Your opinion is noted but not taken seriously.

gagrice · July 2006

It is cheaply made... as a 2+ year owner of an '04 Prius, I will attest to that.

I for one appreciate your honesty. I think it is a trend in the automotive industry. I'm not impressed with most of the new cars I see. That includes my current PU truck.

shalwechat · July 2006

Its ones biased outlook on life. I can spend all day complaining about my lil fleet of vehicles my family has. I can complain about my egr valve and rattleing behind the driver pedels in the Sprinter. I can complain about my 95 diesel Jetta and complain aboy my Prius classic and listen to my wife complain about her Buick. The trend in cars seems to have more fluff. The quality in my opinion is about the same in the recent past. I would say in the 80's and 70's japan has a definate upper hand in quality

midnightcowboy · August 2006

Canc,
MG1 = Motor - Generator Number 1
MG2 = Motor - Generator Number 2

The Prius has MG1 and MG2 in its CVT planetary transmission.

You will find it interesting that most of the experts on this forum do not own Priuses!

That is except John1701A and sometimes his answers are his personal forum to make addtional arguments/points.

LOL,

MidCow

midnightcowboy · August 2006

Kneisl1,

Welcome!! Your opinions and input are just as welcome as anyone elses. One of the key reasons, people get a Prius is to save money and you are correct the Echo is a good economical car and it fits right in the discussion.

Backy and Gagprice do not own Priuses and are just perennial car-lookers and very rarely actually buy cars.

Thanks for your input and fresh views,

YMMV,

MidCow

kdhspyder · August 2006

Ahem..

midnightcowboy · August 2006

Kneisl1,

Oh yes forgot about Kdhspyder. Sorry Kdhspyder! He does own a Prius and is very knowledgeable about the Prius and the the Toyota vehicles.

Cruis'n,

MidCow

backy · August 2006

The number of cars I have purchased has nothing to do with my right to make posts in Town Hall, and is also none of your business.

As for the Prius, I ordered one in November 2003 and would own it today had it not arrived two months after the lease expired on my van. How many Prius have you purchased or ordered?

P.S. I've purchased or leased 8 vehicles in the past 11 years. Is that enough for you? If not, I really don't care. LOLHIYF.

P.P.S. Let us know when you have some fresh views on the Prius to share, instead of attacks on people who post here.

PF_Flyer · August 2006

Let's drop the personal barbs please.

railroadjames · August 2006

45K and going strong. Just bought my first set of replacement tires (Dunlop)(total cost $200 mount'g) What can I say except that the Prius has delivered on all counts. I have to smile whenever I see a 38 gallon "Hummer" go by with its 9mpg painfull reality. The real proof of a successful automobile is delivering where it counts: "Reliability".."Durability"..Usefullness"
and (oh yes) "MPG's". Last point to be taken here. I remember,some time ago,several naysayers boldly saying that the Prius was way overpriced and would never hold its resale value. How totally untrue. Am I a happy camper...oh yeah!!
Railroadjames (so glad to have made the move 2-1/2 yrs ago)

glen4 · August 2006

I too have a 2004. Now have 37k miles and smile every time I pass by a gas station. Just replaced tires with Michelin. Both ride and steering is a little firmer than the OEM tires (at 40 psi) but worth it. I think I picked up 2 mpg. I will buy the next design upgrade. Hopefully it will have a larger battery. That is the only room for improvement in my estimation.

skip1 · August 2006

I use to enjoy reading the forums on the Prius and HH over the years, but all the non related topics etc. has really taken my interest away. I use to get alot of useful and interesting information from them. I sure hope that these forums come back to the topics they were intended for. Just for your information I owned one of the first generation Prius cars in the Midwest, when few knew what a hybrid was. I just passed that car to my son which has 75k on it, I now have a 06 HH Limited, That I bought last June when they came out and just pick up a loaded 06 Prius in Feb.
I know this does not relate to any topic on the forum, but I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE SAID. LETS TALK HYBRIDS

kdhspyder · August 2006

Purchased the last '05 we had on the lot on Nov 30th.

Now with 24000 miles in 8 months it is as the two prior posters mentioned everything I expected.

The Goodyears are OK but I'm waiting to 40K to switch to Michelins. Running front and back at about 42 psi with no problem.

50 mpg on average now in warm weather ( 48+ mpg overall ). 85% of my driving is on the highway at about 60 mph.

I have several clients with '04's who are now reaching 100K miles who are chomping on the bit to see what the next Prius will bring ('09 due in late '08 ? ). Satisfaction seems nearly universal. One couple has bought 4 Prius' since Dec '03.

Toyota Prius

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