Need suggestions on which Generation III Prius to buy.

welcome to priuschat. they all get around 50 mpg average. nothing wrong with the '07. both generations have their strong and weak points, it's really a matter of preference. all the best!

 

there is enough difference between gen2 and gen3 that you need to test drive both. I would be concerned of battery health after 7 years and only 36000 miles.

 

Go with the genII. At 13k and only 36k miles that's half the price of my gen3 I just bought. At that price the differences would be marginal at best. Used is the way to go (as I found out the hard way after buying mine new) as the value drops pretty quickly on used hybrids.

BTW. In Georgia, with the state and federal tax credits, a new Nissan Leaf is less than 18k. Just heard that on NPR today.

 

I would suggest a 12 or 13 used, should be able to find a good one.

 

The gen 3 is a more impressive looking vehicle. Safer too, more airbags.

 

All I can say is this...for Gen 3 be sure to test drive a Prius 4 for the power seats. You can save money on the Prius 3 or Prius 2, but if the manual-adjust seat isn't comfortable for you, you'll regret owning it or not opting for a Prius 4.

If I keep mine, I'm going to have to find a way to convert the driver seat to a power seat to see if it helps.

 

Usually once you set your seats, you never have to adjust them anymore anyhow. The seat in the La Ferrari isn't even adjustable! Now if you have multiple drivers for the one car, I could see having power seats.

 

if you don't test drive the car before buying, shame on you!

 

Definitely test drive both. I find the gen 3 to be better in pretty much every area. My biggest gripe on the gen 2 is the terrible seating position. I can never get comfortable when driving a gen 2.

 

Is this why a seat extension kit is sold?

 

I feel the complete opposite, I find the Gen2 has a far more superior feel to it. The Gen3 feel very claustrophobic, can't get comfortable.

 

If you don't share the car with anyone, there's no need for a power seat. Set it once the day you take it home and forget it. In fact it would be better not to get a power seat to save weight and reduce the amount of electronics that could fail.

 

Interesting. I literally bought my new gen3 on a whim so I never got to choose between the too. As far as power seats go, I always thought that was a waste. It's one of those things you set and never worry about again. Not a big deal to me.

 

I'd imagine. I can put the seat all the way back and I still feel like I'm sitting on top of the steering wheel.

Yeah I mean, different things work for different people. I have less headroom in the gen 2, feel way closer to the windshield and steering wheel.
There's also way more engine noise.

 

wrong post, never mind

 

Not so.

The power seat is an 8-way adjustment. The manual is a 6-way adjustment. Seat height and level are combined into one adjustment. I am utterly unhappy with the seating in my Gen3 Prius 2. My only hope is that the power seat separating level from height adjustment will alleviate what's causing the problem.

You CAN NOT tell from a test drive if the seat is going to be comfortable. Unless you want to spend two hours sitting in the parking lot. A test drive just isn't long enough. I wanted to rent a Prius first for a couple of days, but no place had them for rental. If neither seat (power or manual) was going to be comfortable for more than 20 minutes in the seat, I would NOT have bought my Prius.

FWIW, my dad had a Camry...manual seats. When he had problems, he put in the power seat hardware, and it made all the difference.

 

Try the Hertz Rent2Buy program. You select the specific then have three days to drive it and have it inspected. If you like it you buy for the upfront price. If not, return it and pay the rental fee. Most cars are under 40K miles.



iPhone ?

 

Plus if you decide to keep the car they dont charge you for 3-day rental