I have been working with the toyota dealer and decided to rent one for a day. If I buy it I won't pay the day rate for the rental. If not i am not $40. It will be a good test to see if I like the car or not. Well worth the money. I will report back.
my dealer let me take one for test drive, said bring it back whenever.....kept it for most the day. Why would you have to pay a dealer? they are supposed to let you test drive them
where are you in NY? All our dealers will hand over keys for as long as you ask for to make a sale.....i always take the car im considering for a day to test...use their gas, put on 100 miles easily.....many times i just say ill think about it. Just seems odd to pay for something they are trying to sell.
$30/day isn't too bad a rental rate. I've heard of dealers loaning out cars for a day to potential buyers but I've never done it nor personally known anyone who has tried. Heck, where I got my 06 Prius from new (w/o a test drive from them, they didn't even have any Priuses in stock, there were 1+ month long wait lists back then), the dealer was ~20+ miles away from home, one way. I'm not sure dealers would like you putting on 40-60 miles on their new cars. If it were a demo or service loaner, they probably wouldn't mind.
I took a Prius C for about 3 hrs first, then went back and took a Liftback for direct comparo.....then went down the road to VW dealer ad took 2 different TDIs for a few hours....I always test drive all the cars im looking at the same day or two for direct comparos..... Ended up with a Plug in. dealers in my area will do whatever it takes dan
I think $30 is a cheap price to pay to see if I like the car instead of purchasing it and not being happy. I can really get to know the car and see if it is for me.
My dealer gave me my prius to drive for 24 hours before I bought it. I asked them when they wanted me to bring it back and they said, "Ehhh, sometime tomorrow evening". lol
Yeah. I agree. Hope they charge it up fully for you before you pick it up so that you get to experience EV only driving for some of the drive home. Hope they also loan the EVSE (charging cord set) so that you can charge at home. As Dianne put it at Ideas for a reliable alternative to Leviton - need help and ideas. | PriusChat
sounds like my dealers here ! I would never buy from a dealer that asked me to pay to test drive their cars....that is the dealers job, to let you test drive it as much as you want til you buy one. I guess buying a car is not the same in other parts of the country. Not sure where OP lives in NY but must be near NYC
Exactly. OP, you really astonish me. So many of your posts have been negative, complaining about this car, yet you are still entertaining the idea of buying one...
If you are looking within a class like, say, you own a mustang and are checking out a camaro, then, yes, a test drive will probably be sufficient to tell you all you need to know. But if you are switching classes like coming from a monster suv to a mini-wagon, then renting for the weekend isn't a bad idea; take it on your daily routines, grocery shopping, out of town trips, etc will tell you if that type of vehicle will work for you. Judging by the OP's avatar, I think he should be looking at a V.
You are misjudging my posts. I love the car and the concept of driving the car and having to pay very little in gas. It is fantastic. It is a big financial decision and somewhat of an e,optional one. Currently I drive a 2005 Avalon limited. A truly fantastic car that is just about paid off. So in a way I am actually trying to talk my way out of the new car because of the fact that with the Avalon paid off I will not have a car payment. Vs. starting over with another car payment. So I love the Prius.... Just trying to make the right decision. Read my post on the newby board it will explain why It appears that I am negative
If you drive into the city on the LIE, you know you can also get those stickers which allow you to ride in the HOV lane with 1 person, right OP?
That's cool if some folks have gotten this for free. Never heard of such a thing personally, never even been offered a test drive w/o the salesman present. $30-40 to get some quality time alone to make a big financial decision sounds like money well spent IMHO.
FWIW it hasn't struck me that way. Almost every concern he has expressed has been based on other people's negative comments in various threads. Dissatisfaction with entune for example. People's overall happiness with their cars can easily get lost in the complaining that goes on in a forum like this. That can easily make potential buyers a bit uneasy about the big chunk of change they are about to plop down. Rob
So far I really like it. Much bigger on the inside than I thought. I have a regular not a pip. Not sure I understand why the fuel gauge says full and the Distance to empty is 296. I would have thought it would be higher. The only thing I am not sure about is the split window int he back. Seem to obscure view a bit. Other than that it's actually fun to drive.
DTE will likely depend on the average mpgs of its recent driving history. Given how most rental/loaner cars are driven I'd guess its pretty low. Also, at least on the Gen 2 the gauge tends to stay at full for the 1st 100-150 miles and then start dropping a pip every 40 miles or so. Assuming the Gen 3 may be similar, which might imply its not as full as it could be. 400-500 miles on a tank should be typical. The rear window takes a little getting used to, but I like the extra visibility out the lower window compared to most sedans. The backup camera option also helps Many people comment on the Prius's "tardis" like qualities. Bigger on the inside than on the outside. When we got rid of our SUV we had planned to buy a Camry Hybrid to add to our Prius, and ended up with another Prius. Camry just seemed too cramped with too little cargo space after we were used to the Prius. The Prius hatch is a marvel. I'm always amazed when we load it up with a family of four and gear for a weekend camping or roadtrip and it all fits just fine. Enjoy! Rob
Too bad they didn't loan you a PiP. Biggest differences w/the PiP are that the HV/EV button and when in EV mode (and charged), you can go much harder on the gas pedal before the engine kicks in. The max EV only speed is also much higher at ~62 mph and you also have much longer EV range and much larger battery to regen into (helpful when going down long grades/hills). And, of course, you can plug it in. But, you lose the spare tire.
