2009 Prius Newbie Questions

Congratulations on your new purchase. I do not have the extended warranty plan. I have 60K miles on my 2004; the MFD was replaced under warranty and I replaced the rear shocks at my cost due to visible oil seepage.

My "words of wisdom" are:

• do not allow the car to run out of gas (suggest refueling no later than when the gauge shows two bars)
• recognize that the fuel tank has a flexible bladder, so you can never be sure exactly what the fuel tank capacity is
• don't be surprised if you have trouble refueling the car (i.e., the pump clicks off too soon); use MFD mpg readings and trip odometer to determine how much gas you need
• inflate tires to 42/40 psi
• do not allow the engine oil level to exceed the top dimple on the dipstick

Enjoy!

 

Oooh, how exciting!

Suggestions:
1. Do NOT buy anything from the Dealer; it is all over priced. You can find better deals on here, on ebay, on the web in general.
2. Do not buy ANYTHING from the Dealer.
3. Oh, and I do want to mention not to buy stuff from the DEALER!

Here is a thread which shows what my Finance Person presented me with.
http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/53057-options-presented-pick-up.html

I did not take any of it. It is not worth it at all!

For mods, I have:
Ventureshield (being installed tomorrow, 8 days after pick up)
Mud Guards (they arrived today, hope to install them myself later on today)
LCD protector from NuShield
Shark Fin Antenna

Best wishes!

 

Regarding the extended warranty: you have until the factory warranty runs out to buy one if you like, so there is NO RUSH in purchasing, though the dealer may pressure you.

Your mileage will not be as good for the first hundreds of miles, so be patient.

Just drive it like any other car, and it does quite well!

Enjoy!!

 

Strongly recommend the following:

- Mud Flaps
- Ceramic Window Tinting
- All Weather Prius Floor Mats

 

hood deflector!





AND HeatShield Sunshade

PriusChat Shop : Toyota Prius HeatShield Sunshade - Front - $30.00


Wonder what new features will the 2009 have over the 2008....

 

We got the extended warrenty on tires and turned out we needed new tires just before that ran out so THAT was a good deal. Also, we just had to replace the inverter cooling pump at just over 42 K and that was also still covered...GOOD! I understand that is about $500. Keep up with your maintenance schedules and make sure they use the right oil...last far longer than 3000 mi and many oil jockeys will try to tell you different. Go to dealer who KNOWS the Prius!
Congrats! Good luck and try not to laugh too hard while you are driving past the pumps and schmucks filling up their SUVs!!!! Be prepared for a lot of questions from others...like "is it really that good?"

 

I was going to put an order for a 2009 Prius within the next few weeks. I was really excited, but I started looking through some threads, and I'm having doubts because things I'm hearing on this board are starting to scare me. Would you recommend the Prius or are you sorry that you bought one?

 

Definitely go for it!

I just bought my second Prius after my first, well loved & abused car that it was, was totalled by another driver.

My 2004 had a 108000 miles on it and though I had her serviced as recommended I never had ANY problems with her. And I am rough on my cars - I drive fast & quick (when safe), so much so that I was shocked when I saw another Prius driver tooling around as I was on I-95 last month! So even with all that abuse, and not knowing that new cars had a break in period (was my first new car & was sold to me by a new salesman) ... even with all that she was a gem. Was very sad to see her totalled.

Very happy with my new 2008 Prius too. A few more bells and whistles than my 2004 but otherwise it's the same great car - just have to rack up the memories on this one.

So again, have no fear. If you test drive this car and liked it, you will only love it more the more you drive it (as will your wallet week-to-week, as will your conscience for the low emissions as you're planning you next long distance trip ... :> )

Best of luck & trust your instincts - the Prius is a phenomenal & fun car to drive and in my experience it certainly is a hardy road warrior!

PS - forums like this are usually where people go when they have a question or issue. I'm sure just about everyone has tons of things to rave about but few write in to simply gush about their cars (unless you look at the posts by car color :>)

 

Anecdotes are not evidence. The closest thing we have to data are Consumer Reports surveys, which show that the Prius is among, if not the most, reliable and satisfying of cars. As with any large purchase keep your eyes open and your brain engaged, but buy without fear.

"prepaid maintenance" and "extended warranty" are different things, but they are both a waste of money. Prepaid maintenance is paying too much in advance for stuff you could as well buy later and only when you need it. An extended warranty is paying too much in advance for stuff you will probably never need.

 

MPG's will actually not be as good for the first few thousand miles, all the way up to 10K for some folks.

Welcome to PC !