Has anyone taken delivery of the 2013 Prius v Model 5? What are your first impressions and how much do you love it?
The Five trim level isn't much different to drive from any of the other v's...it just costs more. Only you can determine if the differences are worth it to you. I can easily afford any Prius I want but I stopped at the Three and added SofTec "leather". I just couldn't see the added value all the differences in the Five plus they are hard to find...not many orders for them. Do I love driving my v? The rational part of me says it is only a car but I notice I volunteer more often to drive or make the trip so I must be enjoying the experience. In short, it is what I expected...maybe a little short on cargo space compared to my former CRV but trivial to drive and 2x the MPG. Glad I bought it.
I pulled the trigger today and decided to buy a 2012 Prius v Model 5. I saved about $1,600 by buying the 2012 model and they had the color I wanted (Metallic Gray). I'm really excited to start saving a ton of money compared to my 2007 Chevy Silverado 2500HD (avg. 12 mpg). Getting the windows tinted first thing tomorrow.
I'm very interested in hearing about them, as well. I've been lurking here for a while. My parents are interested in buying a Prius v and I'm doing research for them. The car salesman we talked to didn't think there would be discounts on the 2012s (he didn't know when the 2013s would come out, either), but said they keep so few 2012s in stock that they wouldn't need to clear them out (I think they only had two Prius v's on the lot). He said the differences in the 2013s wouldn't be noticeable, either, which I believe, but I think we're still interested in getting the latest model since we're in no hurry to buy. It won't be my car, but I'm kind of excited about it anyhow since I'll drive it from time to time and we'll use it for family trips. We tried out the various hybrids, and the v was the only one that had enough head room for me. Seems very nice. A few questions: Has anyone had experience with SoftTex and dogs? The material did seem a bit soft and thin. Also has anyone upgraded to the panorama roof and enjoyed it? They didn't have a model with it on the lot. I was wondering if it would affect head room much.
After 8 months of regularily hauling a couple of active dogs, the seats have survived fine. The blanket over the back seat almost always gets disheveled despite being well tucked in but the seats wipe up well. This is my first car after many suvs and vans and i have more headroom than I've been used to. I've enjoyed the moonroof more than any sunroof I've ever had. I like the extra light.
For those considering 3 vs 5, I sure miss having 3 door smart key. I had it on my Gen2. I do not miss the auto dimming mirror (it was poor) or the homelink.
Congratulations, I'm sure you'll be very happy with your purchase! We bought ours in Jan '12 and haven't had any regrets.
