After owning a v for over 2 months, I have to ask the question is there any other small SUV on the market that can get over 50mpg and provide a comfortable and responsive (in Power Mode) ride. It seems to me that Toyota has a car on the market that none of the other manufacturers can match.
this is why we bought the Prius v - we didn't seek out a hybrid, we arrived at it by the cost, size, utility, and total cost of ownership over the expected life of the car (at least 9 years). not many vehicles of the Prius v size get better than an average of 30mpg. the Madza CX-5 looks like it might be close as does the Ford Escape, but i don't think it's as roomy as the Prius v. the VW TDI Sportwagen and the Subaru Outback are pretty roomy and get decent gas mileage compared to the SUV segment, but the total cost of ownership will be higher than the Prius v.
baron, you named all of the cars that we considered. We were getting rid of a 17mpg Chevy Blazer, but I insisted that we still have as much cargo and passenger room. My other requirement was at least 25mpg in the city and 30 on the highway. I highly considered the TDI, but diesel is expensive, and people scared me to death with horror stories about VW service/reliability. The v is an awesome car, I just wish it came with an optional roof rack.
Where did you get your v? I'm in Ft Lauderdale and am looking for a v 2 or 3 but they seem to be at a primuim on the east coast and the dealers all want to get top dollar and add that protection package which I don't see a need for.
To be honest. When I was looking for a new car, I was looking at the Prius standard. I saw the Prius v which made me look a little more curiously, especially more so on the fact that the design of the car was different from the original Prius as far as the rear window design. I also liked the fact the car had more room than the Prius and liked the seating being more SUV/Truck like versus the standard sedan style. When I went to look for it in person, I found it much more appealing that I didn't even try looking at the Prius standard. When I looked at the Volt after I got the Prius v, I was not impressed with the interior and didn't like the seating arrangement. I stuck with my guns on the Prius v, even though the Volt did have the appeal of not using nearly as much gas.
Same here. Walked in to the dealer, wanting to a buy a regular Prius and walked out with Prius V. Both cars aren't what I would consider "good looking" cars, but the space really is helpful when you have a kid and more planned. I am also a fan of the V because he doesn't have that horizontal bar when looking through the rear view.
My experience was similar. I also tried the Camry Hybrid which was very impressive. If I had wanted more car like hybrid, I would have chosen it over the regular Prius. In the end, the combination that the v offered was best for me. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but I consider the v a very good looking vehicle. I'm also now averaging over 55mpg with it. I don't know whether it's the weather, route, or other variable primarily contributing to this. My driving technique is to use the Power Mode and be relatively light on the pedal and glide where possible, but I'm sure other people are doing the same.
Don't forget, guys, Ford's C-MAX Hybrid is hitting the market in the Fall; if Ford delivers on their promises, it could outperform the v.
We traded in our Highlander for a v. My wife needs the room, and although the v does not have as much cargo space with the rear seats in the upright position, it still has enough for our needs. The monthly fuel savings made this decision a no brainer!
Toyota of Melbourne. I was able to negotiate about $1500 off of the car. I had to wait about 3 weeks to get one the color that I wanted. Also, if you tell them that you don't want the ToyoGuard, they will not add it at the port. They do charge a $799 dealer fee, but it at least includes windowing tinting. If you use their internet dept, you can negotiate almost completely over email (which was a lot less pressure than in person). I also looked at the equinox, but it only offers 22mpg city, and 90% of my driving is in the city. I found an after-market Thule roof rack for my surf boards and will be ordering it soon.
To me the v is a car that looks somewhat awkward from a distance due to its higher profile towards the rear but gets better looking as you get closer where you can appreciate the lines of the car. Which I think is much better than some of the girls I've dated who looked good from a far but got worse as I got closer.
When I heard that Prius V came out with wagon like room in the back, I looked it up on the internet and decided to get the ATP pack (PCS is my main key). I got a deal over the internet with the V 5+ATP for $3,4xx.xx but when I went to the dealer, they told me that the deal had to be the red one as pictured. But I want the Classic silver, so they asked for another $850 in order to find from another dealer. They told me it'd be a week or so but 2 days later I received a call that they got the car. I am in PA but the car was from up state NY somewhere and the mileage says 374 when I picked up the car. I talked them to add 4 accessories: bumper applique, cargo net, floor mats and mud flaps. Now adding more accessories like crazy... PS. never took a test drive.
