Friends, Last Friday, on the way to the Austin Airport, I was rear-ended by a Ford F350 truck whose driver -- apparently -- had fallen asleep at the wheel. There was no warning at all... just a hideous and frightening BANG, followed by broken glass everywhere. You can see the damage by clicking on the thumbnail, below... By the way, it only had around 40K miles on it! I am okay. Thank God (and Toyota's engineers) the rear crumple zone did its job and the passenger compartment was unscathed, except for the broken glass that rained down when the rear hatch lid snapped. But the insurance company has called it a total loss and now I need to figure out what to do next. I have been, by and large, very happy with my Gen 2 Prius, with the sole exception of the fit and finish of the interior. The steering wheel material has begun to break down and become pitted (presumably from hand perspiration?) over time, the fabric that covers the center arm rest has become "untucked" from the edges, and the seat fabric hasn't worn very well. Also, the top of the dashboard on the passenger side has bowed upward slightly and created a small gap above the glove box. There are also more squeaks and rattles than I would like. BUT, for mileage, mechanical reliability,eco-friendliness and roominess/comfort/cargo space, I've been very pleased. I've looked at the Honda Civic Hybrid, but the trunk space is tiny, rear seat room is cramped, and the mileage isn't as good as the Prius. Do I bite the financial bullet and go for a new Gen III? Just take my check from the insurance and look for a used Gen II? And how is the interior quality of the III as compared to the II? Your opinions welcome! Thanks in advance.
oh yes . . . . several here DO feel your pain - including your's truely: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/99094-no-more-prius-after-7-years.html Yuck ... I still get sickened looking at our EBH plug just dangling there. But anyway, you need to decide for your self what'll work best as a replacement. We're still waiting on insurance to figure out what's what. But for a replacement? Normally I'd stick with what I had. We had almost NO complaints with our Gen II, and were expecting another 110,000 nearly trouble free miles, if we hadn't been at the wrong place at the wrong time. VERY happy to hear you're ok! .
The best way to ascertain the quality of the G3's interior fit and finish would be to rent and drive one for a weekend. Quite frankly, I've heard from some on this forum that the G2's fit and finish are a little better, and there's the center console to consider. I personally think that the G3 is a better car, but I don't have any real stick time in a G2. I'd look for a G3, myself, but I haven't seen the check! Best of Luck! Glad you're OK!!
How well did you make out? Any injuries to you? Man it flattened the back of your Prius. Looks as if it did you well by its design? Hope your OK! Think I would get a new 2012 model myself. May be hard to find a G11 in the condition you would like, but good luck with whatever you decide. Hal
Ouch! Sorry to hear about your loss but glad to hear that the car protected you pretty well. Hmm, that's surprising about your interior issues. I have an 06, which marked some changes to the dash materials. I have almost 58K miles and haven't had most of the interior issues you point out other than fabrics w/than them getting dirty easily due to their light color. Part of it might be due to the heat in your area. I do have an interior rattle that was never fixed, despite at a few attempts. I feel the Gen 3 is overall a superior car but I have insufficient seat time in one, only a few test drives. I agree with ETC(SS)'s suggestion.
Glad you are OK. I'd probably be looking at a Prius v wagon if I had the same thing happen. They are just coming out now, so not sure availability.
Why? I don't need the extra room nor do I want to pay more for lower mileage and worse acceleration. Not sure about the OP though.
Glad everyone's ok. If you like the GenII then get a GenII. If you go rent a GenIII and like it, get it. As to your problems with the GenII interior... Do you park out in the hot texas sun with the windows up and no sun-shade? That will warp any interior. My steering wheel looks new 90K miles later as do the seats and center console. Perhaps you lean on them while driving? And as mentioned above not all GenII's are created equal. The 2004-2005 vs. 2006-2009 models have very different textures.
A point to consider: a 2009 Prius is the most reliable hybrid out there. It has all the bugs worked out. I am sure we will see some surprises with the 2010 and 2011 cars in the next year or two as far as quirky service bulletins and recalls. Car accidents suck. At least it is 100% the other driver's fault, which gives you some leverage when dealing with insurance.
OP - sorry to hear about the loss of the car, but thankfully you escaped major injury. It seems like you drive only a small amount - for comparison my 09 has over 65,000 miles - so while the mileage may be nice you really are not getting the financial benefit out of the car. The pricing on the Prius is still a bit high, especially on used ones. In other threads here on PC I'm just amazed at what some people are considering on spending for a used Prius. If I were in your position I'd likely look at some other non-hybrid car as a replacement. Top of my list would be the Honda Fit - yes I know it is smaller, but it is also far less expensive, gets very good mileage and is a fun little car to drive.
I was very fortunate not to be hurt, other than a bruise on my left forearm and a scrape on my right elbow. I now have more empathy for the soldiers who return from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD. It was like a bomb going off to be hit that unexpectedly. The last thing I remember thinking was, "it's a beautiful day" and then came the crash and the broken glass. A couple of people have told me that it was the unexpectedness of the crash that may have saved me from whiplash and other injuries. I remember my head hitting the head restraint. But (they say) because I didn't tense up because I didn't see it coming, I was relaxed when it hit and didn't pull the muscles. In any event, other than being emotionally shaken, I was/am okay. Going to the yard where they towed it yesterday to clean out my possessions brought some of it back, though.
Of course, all efficient used cars are expensive. But I agree with this principle. I think, knowing Priuses, the OP could go either for something else (cheapest option) or a compromise on a high-mileage Prius (minimize fuel consumption). Rather than thinking new Gen 3 regular at all I'd be thinking used car for a year and then a c. But for the OP that option would depend on space requirements.
Yes, same thing with a friend who recently had an accident. Got slammed from the rear by somebody not looking and their compact turned into a 2-seater. Didn't see it coming, didn't turn to look. PS OP, how's Austin for people who like to walk around?
...for CWERDNA, a PiP would be recommended, no question. I just like wagons: got a used Cressida wagon once when my 84 Camry was stolen. So I was just saying...
Around here the AAA price for a 2011 Prius is invoice. Originally I wasn't fond of the Gen3 but now I won't go back. If I lost my 2010 today I'd start shopping for a 2011 tomorrow.
I am glad to read you are okay. I am also glad that Prii are built well enough to withstand something like that.
After lots of thinking and shopping, I bought a 2011 Prius III, Sandy Beach Metallic, today! I'll be taking delivery tomorrow. The dealer had plenty of stock... very different than 2005 when I had to wait 2 months and buy from a dealer 60 miles away! I will say that I was sorely tempted by the Nissan Leaf... drive one if you get a chance... it's a hoot to drive... all that smooth, silent power, and no emissions. But right now it's $10,000 more than the Prius, and substantially smaller with much less cargo space. Yes, there's that $7500 federal tax credit, but it's still quite expensive. Our plan now is to replace my wife's Subaru wagon in a couple of years with whatever the plug-in options out there are at that time. In the meantime, I'm just gonna enjoy hypermiling in the new car.
