Model Year 2015 Release Date

I see $36,402 before an "e-price" in NJ, which is already below invoice according to Edmunds. I also see that many of them have been sitting on the lots for over 3 months.

Looks like dealers might be anxious to move any of them, so maybe see if they'll throw anything else on top to sweeten the deal.

 

I did the same self-questioning when I decided for my '14 Advanced with Tech package. The price you've been offered is a bargain. And there's some question when the '15 MY will actually show up for the PiP. I've read conflicting things, but it seems the '15 is first coming as the regular, non plug-in variety, with other models to follow. It may be early-ish next year before the '15 PiPs are here.

Anyone with better information please feel free to correct me! ;-)

 

The 2015 will be a Gen III, not a Gen IV.

Gen 4 Prius Delayed Until Late 2015 | Plug-in Late 2016 | Page 7 | PriusChat

So, unless you're a car switching and early trade in person, you'll be better off with a 2014.

It means better price, lower taxes and lower insurance costs.

 

I went through the same thought before I bought my 14 pip base. I think 2015 will be the same car, next totally new prius will be 2016. I don't like to buy first year model anyway in case of any problems..

 

Dealer Initial order June 1, 2014

 

I don't believe adaptive cruise control will stop the car. Good thing you paid attention and braked, the dealership would have been on the hook. What ACC will do is adjust your speed to match that of the vehicle ahead of you. I don't happen to like it myself, having used it in a variety of cars over the last several years. There are cars that have the automatic braking, such as Mercedes, and I believe maybe Subaru, if I'm remembering the tv commercials correctly.
If I'm wrong about the PiP Advanced, someone will correct me here. ACC is designed to work only above a certain speed, probably at least 20-30 mph. Toyota May call it something other than ACC, maybe with "dynamic" or "radar" in the name.

 

Advanced with tech package are 1 in a 1000. $35k is a good price if it is before the $4,500 rebate plus 0% down TFS loan. The rebate should be in your pocket not the dealers. E price always comes with fine print.

What part of the country are you in? Lots of experience here with good and bad dealers.

DRCC is radar cruise control with 3 distance settings.
Pre collision will apply some brake for you in an emergency but is not a substitute for normal braking. Somebody already made that mistake into the side of a truck and is or was trying to sue for false advertising.

 

I would think you should be able to order one from a good dealer.

 

The Pre-Collision System is active any time the car is READY, not just when you are using the cruise control. It is not designed to prevent a collision; it is designed to mitigate a collision that is inevitable. It does things like sound an alarm, slam on the friction brakes, lock up the seatbelts, and pop the airbags an instant before the actual collision.

The DRCC drops out at 24 mph, just like the conventional Toyota cruise control. If you are approaching a vehicle too quickly, the DRCC will also sound an alarm, but this is distinct from the PCS functionality. Unlike the cruise control on conventional cars, which controls only the throttle, the DRCC (as well as the standard cruise control on the Prius, I think) will use rather aggressive regenerative braking to hold your speed on a downhill, well beyond the normal "idle" regeneration when your foot is off the throttle.

 

right. it uses the motor as friction to slow you down when the battery is full and regen isn't possible. it doesn't increase regen per say, but it prevents unnecessary brake use you otherwise might have if you stayed in d and used the brake pedal, depending on the steepness and length of the hill.

 

I purchased a 2014 PIP Advanced with the technology package. It was extremely hard to find.

Sometimes I use the radar cruise control and at times I use the speed governed cruise control. The car will brake aggressively with the radar cruise control engaged but the breaking will drop out at about 25 MPH or so (maybe they figure that if you hit someone at 25 MPH, the only thing you will damage is the car...). The LED headlights are incredibly bright.

Even with the cruise control NOT engaged, the pre-collision system will warn you. It sounds and alarm and blinks on the dashboard...first time it happened, scared the you know what out of me...on the other hand, it is nice to know that it is there.

When I first got the car, I used the Radar cruise control almost exclusively. It does need to be monitored carefully so it doesn't do unforeseen things...it is pretty conservative. It does a good job of maintaining the distance and tries to compensate for the varying traffic. Once I figured out how to use the speed governed cruise control, I now use it about 50% of the time.

Anyway, my car had a strange history...was delivered in Southern California in 'Superwhite'. In Northern California, they only had Blizzard Pearl advanced cars and no tech packages. The car that I ended up with was shipped to Marin where the buyer backed out. A dealer in San Francisco picked it up and I got it from them (San Francisco Toyota was great to deal with, BTW...very knowledgeable about the Hybrids and really took their time). I still got the car at well below MSRP so I was happy. Tried to find a Blizzard Pearl version but ended up with the Superwhite.

None of my local dealers could find the 'Advanced with technology package'. I ended up checking dealers websites one by one until I found one. I suspect that it has to do with the margin that the dealers make on the cars. In any event, overall, while it was a PITA to find, I am very happy with having the tech package and for me, it was worth it.

Good luck,

Phil

P.S. I have about 3,000 miles on the car to date...purchased mid-April. The SF Dealer told me that in prior years, the dealers had ordered a lot of Advanced with Tech packages and had difficulty selling them...and that for 2014, relatively few were ordered. Can't verify but that was the story.

 

After a year on this forum, even I know that in that case you go to Dianne at Carson Toyota; and I live in south-east England... I do know how big California is, but judging from what people say here, even if I was in North California I'd be taking the drive down to her.

 

It's about 2,700 miles from North Carolina to Los Angeles, just one way.

40 years, ago, when I was young and foolish, I made that distance in 56 hours or straight driving with a friend.

It took and entire day to get through just Texas.

 

I just checked the Northern California Toyota dealer website (this is an aggregation of the NCAL Toyota Dealers and it allows you to search their entire inventory. Only shows four Advanced with technology packages amongst the nearly 100 Hybrids listed....ugh