Thoughts on purchasing a 2015 Prius v

welcome to priuschat! wouldn't the lift back better suit those requirements? btw, those reviews? were probably the same on your '06, and they're all improved, somewhat. all the best.

 

I have to disagree with all 3 of the supposed "negative reviews"...

Plenty fast, handles fine and road noise.. Nah.

I have a 2014 v and a 2015 Persona. FYI.

 

They are all better on a new v than your 2006. The fuel economy may be 5 mpg less.

 

I'm in the exact same position. Have a 2006 liftback and want to switch to the 2015 v with the $5000+ discounts off MSRP now. Looks like the improvement in crash test ratings between the 2014 to 2015 makes the new car worth it compared to the used ones. A little scared to drive a "station wagon" after already being made fun of for driving the liftback.

 

man up buddy!

 

Before we went to the Toyota dealer to look at the Prius v, my wife asked "is it a station wagon?" She said, " I hate station wagons and I won't drive one." I told her it's a hatchback. We bought the Prius v. As far as she is concerned, it's a hatchback. All is good.

 

Maybe scared is the wrong word along with station wagon. It's a hatchback.

 

Wait.....the deciding factor can't be based on a name? If it's a moves like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

I should tell my wife her 2010 Prius V is a Lexus.

 

Possibly off topic. On the sale of the new 2015 v, Toyota is offering 0% APR (detailed pasted below). Can this be combined with a TrueCar or USAA Car Buying Service certificate with a guaranteed price (i.e. currently $4-6k under MSRP)? Or does taking the Toyota financing require you to pay the sticker price?


0.0/0.0/0.0/0.0 annual percentage rate financing on new 2015 Prius v, excludes Prius Sedan & c, with respective terms of 36/48/60/72 months. All offers require approved credit through Southeast Toyota Finance. Payments for the first 90 days are deferred. Monthly payment for every $1,000 financed is 0.0% - 36 months = $27.78; 0.0% - 48 months = $20.83; 0.0% - 60 months = $16.67; 0.0% - 72 months = $13.89. No down payment. Excludes tax, tag, registration, title and dealer fees. Dealer fees vary by dealer. Cannot be combined with other offers. Must complete retail sale and take delivery between 07/01/15 - 08/03/15.
Read more at
Southeast Toyota :: Offers

 

We own a 2012 v. The acceleration is on the slow side, but we have found it to be
adequate. We have the 17 inch wheels and the car handles much better than I expected. The noise level in the cabin at speed is not
bothersome to us. Love the car!

 

Hankth - I am curious. What Driving Mode (ECO, Normal or Power) is your 2012 v Five in when you find "...the acceleration is on the slow side"? By fuel-sipping choice, I normally drive in the ECO Mode, which by fuel-saving design delivers acceleration "on the slow side" along with a more fuel/electrical efficient HVAC operation. However, if and when I desire to have roaringly fast, "Afterburner-esque" acceleration, I punch in the Power Mode, which Gitz 'R Dun as regards delivering respectable Get Up & Go Off The Line at stop lights.

 

This week I had occasion to drive a normal car (Avalon) for the first time in months for an extended period of time and I found the V6 to be touchy in heavy city traffic. Too much acceleration for each pedal input. Likewise the brakes. Guess I've gotten used to my v in Eco mode pedal sensitivity. I kept wishing we had taken the v.

I find I'm usually the first one out at the light due to the low lag time between pedal input and electric motor acceleration. After that, since I'm not in a hurry, they can blow by me. Coming left across traffic of multiple lanes in a situation where I really have to scoot I use the Pwr mode even though I'd get the same result just by flooring it.

This from someone whose previous car was a Porsche.

 

Every dealer is different. It depends on how much they have to chip in for the promotion and how bad they want to sell the car. It doesn't cost anything to ask.

 

Switching vehicles, it takes a lap or two to match foot-on-pedal mapping with desired acceleration mapping ... on both gas and brakes.

 

Bought a V after our 2012 lift back was totaled. My thoughts are mpg can be good as you want it to be or bad just like the lift back which also relates to acceleration. You can accelerate just as fast or slow but will take a hit on the mpg. I think I read somewhere that V is only 300 pounds heavier than the lift back. But i dont think you'll find another car with ample space and mpg as the v. As for crash test, hope I never get to find out.

Overall, love the car with all the room especially if you have kids.

SM-G900V ?

 

The v is for cargo/rear seat room and mileage. If either of those is in your top three wants, good. If not, then I'd look further.

In terms of your perceived negatives. Yes, it's a slow car. Not mind-numingly slow, but lacking in power for sure. I turned off my ECO button some time ago because it was wearing on my bad knee, and driving pleasure went even further lower. Sometimes I even use the cruise control, which will definitely lower your mileage if used on slight inclines or any uphills.

I find the car adequately quiet, but certainly not on par with modern vehicles today, especially at this price point. The handling I find fair enough, and it rarely concerns me. There are dozens and dozens of cars that are more fun to drive sure enough.

I fell in love with the cargo room, and it's still my favorite feature. With four people in the car, it's very roomy. Right now, my trip computer says 47 mpg and it's 90% highway mileage this week. If I wanted to milk it, I'd certainly be over 50. Interestingly enough, after 20,000 miles service, I've had the best mileage ever around the state this year versus last. Not quite sure why either.

In terms of cargo room and interior space, I don't think there's anything out there I'd prefer now, especially given the low-cost aspect of gas milage and reliability. For highway and all-around driving I'd prefer the Jetta TDI wagon. But, it's a VW.

My order of why I bought.

1. It's a Toyota
2. Cargo Room
3. Great dealer and service
4. Mileage

 

My thought on that subject is that we just bought a 2015 Prius v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon) Four but have yet to take possession of it.
I thoroughly researched the available cars out there and what I've read says that the Prius V is great. The 2016 Prius is getting a new engine that scuttlebutt says will improve the MPG by 8% to 15%. I don't know if the v is getting that upgraded engine in 2016 but I know the sedan will have it. We never buy a car that has a new engine/drivetrain the first year it comes out and prefer not to get it even the second year. That was our motivation for jumping on the 2015 models at this time. Toyota's web page for Colorado, California, and New York no longer show the v fours as being available and a lot of colors are no longer available. We liked the height (for getting in and out) of the 2015 and didn't want to take a chance on a 2016 v model that might have the old engine but be somewhat lower. We were able to get $4,000 off the MSRP (which included a Toyota incentive - rebate - for $1500.)

 

I had very low expectations for the Prius v's ride quality and handling given that all I cared about was the fuel economy and space. This car does everything my previous minivan did and then some.

This car accelerates to 60 MPH in about 10 seconds. Slowest car I've ever driven in that measure, but it honestly is just fine.

And with the low expectations of the handling, I was pleasantly surprised to find out this car is quite competent around corners. I drive all kinds of cars from compact sedans to full-size SUVs. With my Prius v I'm certainly confident to drive this one somewhat aggressively if I need to.

The ride quality is more on the firm side but the seats help make things comfortable. I don't know if the '15 models use the Bridgestone Turanza tires, but if so, consider getting different ones because they are noisy, especially on highways.

 

Thanks Zell! Is this $1500 rebate advertised anywhere online or region-specific?