Hi everyone this is my first time in this forum. I am stuck with a HUGE decision. I am torn. I am downsizing a car payment from a luxury car to something different. I was all set to order a (Dare I say it) Chevy equinox as I thought I was into the new design, storage and price. Then while at the dealership I noticed a new Blue Prius V. Now, I always liked the prius but, I do like looks of cars and it was not until I saw the Blue V with the 17" wheels that I thought, COOL... So, I changed plans at the dealership and drove the prius. I liked it but only drove it for a few miles on a cold day. I really think I want to plunge on the prius but for some reason I am having trouble saying it to the dealership. So far they are giving me a fair trade in value but and $500 off sticker on the Prius V.. it is just under $31K. I was hoping for a better offer. My concerns are the page in this forums of known problems. It is far larger than what I find about other new cars I have researched. Can you all give me any insight at all about why I should not worry about those problems and get the prius because I will love it.. I need some coaching.. hahahahha... for the record, I once owned the original hybrid honda insight from 99" to 01" .. I loved it. but, traded it in form something different. So I am not new to hybrids... Thanks in advance!
So how many forums have you been to where an obsessive member bothered to maintain a dedicated thread listing all the known so-called problems of a particular make/model to make your comparison? Moreover, only a very few of those problems are actual problems and the rest are wrongly characterized as "problems." Others are expected such as temporary perceived loss of braking when going over potholes and user errors such as slip indicator comes on when at full stop.
Overall, the Prius is a very reliable car. Some of us might be a little...well, OK...obsessed, and we tend to discuss small problems at length. Don't mistake that for anything seriously wrong with the car.
In fact, the Prius is probably the best car that Toyota sells right now! (because all the others have been pulled due to the recall )
I traded an 04 F150 in for mine, I had too many trucks anyway. But to the point. I am new here and have been reading alot, way more than I thought there was but as a previous poster said many of the problems maybe percieved. I may get flamed for this but I believe sometimes where there just isn't anything wrong with something some people nit-pick just to have something to talk about. Not saying that is always the case but this is a very well built car that has some quirks and I think some of the quirks can be described as problems. That said I am very happy with my Prius. Yes the Nav is not like my garmin, the computer doesn't always understand what I said, it feels like it accellerated while braking over a rough surface, the front window fogs up more than my other vehicle, I could go on and on. It is a GREAT Car and alot of fun to drive. Especially fun to drive into the gas station and put $24.00 of fuel ($3.09 per gallon) after driving almost 400 miles. That by most standards is CRAZY talk!
I agree with Paz. Turns out most folks just need to acclimate to their car, haven't read the manuals or are use to mainstream cars. My 2005 scared me for a month or so when it would shut off at stop lights, then the VSC freaks out a lot of folks. Consider that there are no belts to replace, brakes are not an issue until sometimes over 100k, here in Ca. we are still exempt to smog testing! I did nothing but routine care and changed out the 12v at 47k/4yr. Now with my 2010 I read the manual better so I was not surprised by features. I love and would not have replaced the 05 with anything other than the 2010 Prius!
Agreed! It would be hard to find a more jaundiced, pernickety lot of owners than this group. The only vehicle that can make a Prius owner happy is a better Prius. And when that comes, you can bet they'll want a better one. Check out threads like "buyer's remorse" and count the remorses.
I ended a lease with a 2006 Murano and began a new lease with a 2010 Prius. I think the Murano had a great ride, a smooth chassis, lots of room, and I had no problems with it...I have had not one bit of buyers remorse. I like the Prius for an entirely different set of reasons (many of which had not occured to me at the time of the deal). Why not give it a try? Here is what I noticed: - Kids love me (including my kid) for saving the Earth..(no really I get that all the time) - I love saving $100.00 a month on gas (this dispells any remorse that comes up). - I am comfortable and I am 6'2...my wife and kid are comfortable and no one complains - If I close my eyes I can pretend I am in my '83 RX7 dynamically speaking. - The nerd in me is appeased - The Murano forum is very boring compared to this one (nothing but complaints about the trannys in the '03 ones). TAKE THE PLUNGE! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TOO!
Be realistic. There is no such thing as a perfect car. You'll find deficiency in a car costing you twice or three times the amount of the Prius. You have to compare the Prius with other cars at the same price level. Pick the one that you'd enjoy the most. Pick the one from a reliable manufacturer that backs their products in the long run. Pick Prius.
For what it's worth, I went from a 2004 Phaeton V8 to a Prius V and haven't looked back once. Sure, the steering wheel isn't heated. Sure the suspension isn't adaptable. Sure it costs me pennies on the dollar to operate over the Phaeton.
