Where have all the Prius gone...

Kenny, unlike you most of us don't have a fleet of cars to justify keeping a mechanic on retainer ;-)

Phil

 

well said!

 

Having been a Prius owner since 2002 (200.000 miles) and I love the Prius. I finally got tired of waiting for Toyota to make a real plug-in,
11 miles on a charge, just doesn't do it for me.
I bought a VOLT! I know for many of you that a 4 letter word. But I get 50 miles on a charge and have a 1000. miles on the volt and still have 3/4 of a tank of gas from when I got the VOLT from the dealer. And since I have a solar system on my house my cost is $00.
I do all my own car repairs and I know that the PRIUS is very well made car. I just put brakes on my Prius and marvel at how well the break system was designed and built to last.
I hope Toyota will come out with a real plug-in PRIUS some day.

 

I'm hardly his best customer, and he's not on "retainer." I started with only one car with him and his dad, then two when I married. After his dad died, he and his cohort have always done right by me regardless of the amount of business, which is why I've stayed with him and his garage. I've referred friends, who only have one or two cars, and they've since given all their business to that shop. He's just an honest, local mechanic.

I prefer to patronize a local business anytime I have the option. A mechanic at a dealer has no vested interest other than his paycheck. It's a different dynamic when the mechanic is also the owner. You might be surprised to find a similar mechanic in your area if you ask/look around.

 

My dealer here is down to 1 Prius

 

I totally agree. If you can find a good mechanic, who knows your car and you can get to know him -- that is by far the best solution.

My worst experience, and I've had a few, was with a 240Z back the 70s. The Service Manager decided he could service my carburetors(!) and actually gave me the car back with parts he had left over. It was never the same and I soon sold it. Good for you that you have a mechanic you can trust on the job, Kenny

 

I wonder if he's planning an auction!

 

One of our dealers had 480 of them on the lot. He also wanted $28k OTD for a prius 2. The other local dealer had around 20.

 

28K for a Prius 2? That's totally insane. No wonder he had 480 of them.

 

my dealer said $25,300 OTD with 0% interest for 5 years on a 2014 Prius Regular Package 3. They only had a few left

 

i looked at the Volt and i really tried to like it. But everything seemed to fall a little short for the price. I was guessing I would get 40miles on a charge and most of my trips are 80-100 miles plus a day. So once the gas engine kicks in then the gas mileage would drop to a Prius level. maybe the second gen Volt will be a Home Run for GM. they certainly need one. On the bright side, the Volt is the only car from GM that has not been recalled. So i guess that makes it a Home Run for GM?

 

Thankfully, I haven't received a recall notice for my 2010 C6 Corvette.

 

If you're having trouble finding a deal on a new Prius, I just listed a 2013 Prius Two with 17K for sale here. Still plenty of warranty left.

2013 Prius Two, 17K miles, Central Florida | PriusChat

 

ditto listing a Prius 2014 with 28,000 miles and 2 years left on warranty next month.. PM me for details. SoCal