Thanks for the invite, but to use an old saying; “lately I’m busier than a one arm paper hanger in a hurricane”. I’m not sure I would be able to keep it up to date, but I’ll think about it.
I'm back and I finally got to drive one for the day and I have to say I'm extremely impressed. I guess I had this vision of what a hybrid will drive like....slow, cumbersome and not much fun. Well, was I ever wrong!! It is nice riding car, quiet inside and with the power mode, has more than enough pick up. I really like the solar sunroof and nav option so that is where I'll be heading. I just need to decide whether I really need the leatherish interior of the 4 or save the money and go with a 3. Decisions, decisions!!!!
I really like the HUD on my Four. The Four also has Safety Connect. I'm not sure that's available in the Three? I hope to never need it, but I guess I'm glad it's there in case I do.
I recently purchased a 2012 Gen 3 Five. This is my 48th car (I know--car nut big time, but I am also 60). I hesitated because car magazines called the Prius "numb." And I like to drive-- I didn't want a numb car. My experience is that while the car is not the sportiest car I have ever owned, it is certainly always drivable and even fun. The electric power steering is unique but only numb if you take corners in a slide. The technology package in the Five is as good as modern cars have available. The HUD is amazing, the nav system good, the sound system adequate. I love the radar cruise control (I dislike the goofy lane control assist). The seats are good, and even driving hard, I get 48 mpg. Splurge on the Four if you can afford it. You will not regret it.
I heard the same stuff about hybrids; then I took a test drive at my local Toyota dealer, and what an education I got! I was impressed just like you were. That’s why I tell people not to believe everything they hear, just go drive one.
I read the same reviews, and totally disagree with them. No it’s not a sports car, but I still find it fun to drive. The electronics, certainly add to the fun factor. The steering can feel a little disconnected at times, but “numb” is an exaggeration. It certainly rides way better than my last car.
Well, I've decided I'm gonna go with the 4. Heck, I plan on keeping this guy 4-5 yrs and figure I spend over 3 hrs a day in it, I might as well get the things I want. Now it's time to start working the dealers and see what I can get one for.
I must say w/ your type of commute, u will be the perfect candidate to own & drive a prius and so glad u liked it after your trial test . I am a 1st time hybrid owner myself & after almost a year worth of driving it, wondering how I went so long without 1 . U can't go wrong w/ any of the models but a pretty loaded 4 is a great choice as I would probably have gone that route myself if I knew this would have been more than a mere cutting of the cost & mileage effort(as I came from a BMW). Best of luck in your prius shopping .
Glad to see you're another satisfied owner!! Funny, I never really considered one before and I've had a number of Toyotas. I wasn't thrilled with the design of the earlier version, but as it has "grown up" I like the way the design and evolved. I still have a thing for the Kia Optima Hybrid as far as overall looks of the car. Love the lines and design. HOWEVER, it's only rated at 40 mpg highway and in real life driving doesn't get anywhere near the mileage the Prius does. In fact, I've looked at the online forums and owners are only seeing mid-30s highway. Heck, I get that with my current Matrix!!!
Yes, more than satisfied. I have the same sentiment as I have owned more Hondas & some Toyotas(Corolla, minivan, Celica & 4-Runner) w/ decent to good satisfaction & like u, never thought about the prius until my last big repair bill(on a 545i Beemer) & said to myself enough is enough & impulsively bought a prius as a total cost cutting effort. Never dreamed, I would enjoy driving it as much as I do now, saving tons of money on gas is just icing on the cake. And I agree the look IMHO is much better than the past prius.
OK, it's a done deal!!! I'm now a proud owner of a 2012 Prius Three with solar sun roof option, in RED. Only got one pic tonight but I'll get more tomorrow. LOVE THIS CAR. Can't wait to take it on a road trip this weekend
Congrats! Red is a nice color that stands out & it's a good thing the prius isn't fast(unless u want to be) or u may be an easy target for the cops. Glad u it & potential for $aving gas, thus money gives incentive to alot of us prius owners to go on road trips or excursions.
We own a 2002 Prius and we wanted a new 2012, BUT... the Toyota dealer is 45 miles away, with an arrogant service department that doesn't give a flying sh** how much time we waste on service visits, and they can't even get an oil change right! Always overfilling the oil and they never have parts on hand for my old Prius and they don't care how many trips I have to make to complete a repair. What sort of service do you suppose I can expect if I bought a new Prius? I don't think so. A crying shame Prius is the ONLY 50 MPG vehicle available in the US...
Thanks. I never really looked at the red before. When I first started looking I wanted one in grey so that was what I test drove, and rented a white one. The dealer had the red next to the grey so I got a good look at them to compare and the red really stood out. Took it for a quick trip up to Santa Barbara today. It really rides nice and is nice a quiet. Average on the highway was 52.3 mpg, not bad for its first trip.