anyone else very Blah, about Gen 3 ?

As much as I drool over the new Prius for it's extra room and fuel efficiency, I look at the costs to benefit ratio and it would not be smart to upgrade from my 2005 just yet. Same goes for any car. At this point I'm stuck with my current car because I'd lose a lot of money by switching until something radical enters the market.

So I'm not blah about the new Prius. I really do like it. I just can't fathom putting myself into debt to get one right now.

 

I agree...


I'm not willing to give up my Gen II just because a pretty new shiny more spacious and thrifty model is introduced before I have to pay my first renewal registration...

 

I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm "blah" on the 2010 Prius but when deciding which model to go for (2009 or 2010) I couldn't justify waiting for the 2010 for a couple months vs. buying my 2009 for a great price in March.

But, I was only interested in a base 2009 model (mine doesn't even have cruise) so all the extras on the 2010 (even the base model) wasn't worth the wait for me. The 2010 is a great car...no doubt it sets the bar very high for other car makers.

 

That's the anticipated response from most current owners, which is...
IDENTICAL TO WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME!

For those that weren't interested in Prius prior to the 2010, it's a different matter, which is also...
IDENTICAL TO WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME!

Sorry, but I wanted to make it overwhelming clear that we are repeating history.

Read the posts & blogs from late 2003. They share your "blah".
.

 

I think Gen 3 sounds wonderful. Not wonderful enough for me to give up my perfectly good 2006, though.

 

I generally follow the same pattern, with no interest in a new car for about a decade following any purchase. Well, my previous acquisition was 12 years ago, before the modern hybrid era was born, so I'm interested again. And that 1997 model is staying, the one getting replaced was acquired 23 years ago.

Your existing Prius is a 2007? Economically, it is much too new to be replaced. You are excused from needing to feel any new car excitement for a very long time. How about Gen-5?

 

I'm kind of "blah" about the 2010 Prius. I was hoping for radical improvements, and instead we got small improvements. I see no reason to trade up. But I can see how, as John1701a says, a 2001 Prius owner might have seen no reason to trade up to a 2004. (John himself being one of the few exceptions.) OTOH, I have a friend who drives a 2002 Prius, who drooled over my 2004, but could not justify the cost of a new car. I am not drooling over the 2010. Between my electric Porsche and my 2004 Prius I can do whatever I need a car to do. The 2010 would get better mileage for road trips, but since I expect to put less than 2,000 miles a year on the stinker, I cannot justify getting a new one while the 2004 runs just fine.

My Prius made itself obsolete: By shutting off its engine, it made me hanker for a car without an engine. I'm wishing for an all-electric Prius, and one fast-charge station between here and my hiking destinations in Canada. (The Porsche is too small for my gear, even if it had the range for road trips.)

 

i am the opposite of blah.

i have a an 02 gen 1 with 140k miles (i bought in 05 used with 65K miles). i bought the 02 then because the 04s were redonkulously overpriced used in 05 and the new ones were at or over sticker and i was new to hybrids. I bought hybrid ONLY for the hov, but have come to be a convert to the prius faith. The car has served me very well - 50 mpg summer, 46+ winter, no maintenance issues (aside from 12v battery at 105K and original front brake pads/turn rotors at 137K). it is still a fine car and in fact i my daughter gets her permit soon and this will be her primary car because it is safe, not racy, good airbags, a manageable size, and sound mechanically. plus she will be putting 10 miles a day on it compared to my 75.

if i had an 05, or even an 04 with reasonable miles, making the jump would be an emotional decision as the economics don't add up. but they don't have to for everybody. for me, i can rationaize it quite easily.

 

I'm pretty blah. Gen 1 to Gen 2 was a more substantial change. The body of car changed a lot for the better and as a great bonus, the fuel economy improved quite a bit. I think the Gen 3 is a great car, but I could care less about owning one. I broke my own rule of not buying new with the Prius to support the technology and get a great car. I wouldn't break that rule for an incremental upgrade. I'll wait for something that needs more support... PHEV or somesuch.

 

I won't give up my gen II but I have a RAV4 which gets 11L/100km because the 2 litre engine and automatic transmission drive train just isn't up to the job of pushing this brick shaped lump through the air and down the road. I think it would do better with a 2.4 litre engine!
I'm not ready to buy yet, my gen II is still on finance and I have a mortgage to service. Once the Gen II is paid off then the RAV4 goes and a 2 Prius family will live in my mortgage free home. That is unless Toyota bring an EV with a range over 100km to Australia at a reasonable price. I spend only $60 ever 3 weeks on petrol so a higher repayment of more than $100 per month over the payments on a Prius would mean the EV is out of reach even considering the environmental benefits of EV, and that's ignoring the cost of electricity to run an EV.

 

Like Matt H. and others, I decided to buy the 2009 over waiting for the 2010. But it was more than waiting. I know that for new generation products there may be some "teething pains", especially for something as complex as a hybrid automobile. The 2009, being the end of the model line, already had all the little "fixes" to issues that were uncovered over its model run.

So as I've been reading the reports on the 2010s that have been purchased by forum members, I can see some of those troubling little issues starting to appear. No big show stoppers, but little aggravations that I would rather not have. Others, who are more adventuresome and more tolerant than I, will have the pleasure of uncovering these, and I'm certain that eventually Toyota will get around to addressing most of them in the next year or two.

Also, I would rather wait to see what new improvements "G4" would bring. Maybe even a "station wagon" type hatchback to increase cargo space further? I used to have a couple of the older Toyota "mini wagons", and they were wonderful.

Finally, I'm not totally sold on the new design. I still like the G2 front end better. It just looks more graceful to me from the front view than the G3. I also really don't like the new interior layout. I'm not just "blah" about the "console bridge" design; I really don't like it.

It is, however, exciting to read about the performance and FE improvements on G3.

 

For Us, It was a matter that we needed a New Second Car to Replace a 2004 Saturn.
I am keeping my Gen II and My other half will have the Gen III.
I will get to drive it though!! LOL

 

I enjoy witnessing the rollout process all over again. It's beginning to resemble the computer industry. Each hardware/software upgrade is consists of a pleasing set of improvements. Nonetheless, they aren't for everyone. Some aren't ready yet and will wait until the next round. Some (like me) pounce at the opportunity. Others will be on the fence, torn about what to do.

This is new for the automotive industry. New vehicles purchases didn't involve compelling features we find in Prius. They will though. The bankruptcies are forcing the change which was resisted fiercely in the past. Drawing consumers simply by pushing size & power doesn't work anymore. Yeah!

Enjoy your Prius, whichever model you drive. You're doing your part to help that change along. Thanks!
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I assume you've never used Vista.

 

John is a big fan of Vista. He was a beta tester and a Vista booster from the start.

 

I'm with Tripp. I looked, sat, and drove a 2010 and, although the improvements are nice, there were some trade offs compared to my '09. So, I think I'm going to wait until PHEV comes out then take a serious look.

 

How can somebody be a fan of Vista? Isn't that like being a fan of Bubonic Plague?

Actually, I do know ONE person who likes Vista: Steve Jobs. Vista is the best salesman for the Mac that Apple ever had.

 

Concerning the difference between an '09 and '10 Prius.... I asked a friend of mine who works for Toyota R&D. He told me I should purchase the '09 because "it is perfect - all the bugs have been worked out". "Buying a '10 would be starting over - we are still working out the bugs". "Either buy an '09 or wait 2 or 3 years and buy a '13 or '14 model." I purchased an '09 and am very happy I listened to him.