I've spent the better part of the last 2 weeks roaming around this forum gathering information. Last thursday we decided to trade my wife's Focus in on a '13 Prius 3. After 750$ MSRP dealer add-ons, we got 22,400 + TTL. After driving around in it for a few days, I decided I really enjoyed the vehicle and purchased my own Persona as a third vehicle. We really wanted the Black Cherry, but there were absolutely none around, so we ended up with Black. After the same 750$ MSRP dealer add-ons (nitrogen tires, 3M protection, window tinting), we got 23,000 + TTL. Overall we're extremely happy with the deals we got and love the cars. We spent all weekend driving around and have a few observations: What we've found so far is that several of the issues reported here- such as uncomfortable road news and stiff seats don't really apply to us. We drove for 6 hours and wouldn't describe the ride as luxury, but not something we thought of as a negative either. The noise didn't appear to be anything that we really noticed even at 75mph. A couple gripes- the incessant backup beep (which we will fix during our next dealer visit) makes no logical sense. With our previous vehicles as Fords, we're used to the backup noise only as the vehicle gets close. For the life of me, I don't understand why the interior needs a constant backup beep. I also dislike how my connected iPhone 5 auto-switches to this audio source when I start the car. Very annoying but apparently something that I can't change. This forum has been an invaluable source of information. I'm very grateful to all who have contributed.
The beep makes a lot of sense to me. It is to be sure YOU know you are in reverse, not to warn other drivers.
I would've preferred a navigation voice announcing "bong! your vehicle is now in reverse." I have a 1.5 year old that likes to nap in the car (while parked in the cool garage with windows unrolled of course), and the beep often wakes him up.
Getting the dealer to change to a single beep would be fine, as would an external beep. Overall we're exceptionally pleased with our purchases. We ended up changing out the floor mats, installing rain visors, and a cover for the trunk area. We were quite surprised how much room there was in the back of such a small car. I really enjoy all the instrument panels and displays. Although my exact preference isn't available, I find that with such fine tuned information my driving habits have changed in search of better fuel economy.
