Well as some of you know from my many questions, I have bought a new (to me) 2004 Silver Prius - B package (VSC / JBL sound / Air bags) with 38,000 km. I have a few concerns.. but.. It seems that my dealer has a fairly good reputation. The car runs perfectly - looks brand new (hardly a paint chip!) and the interior is spotless. Good for a '04. It was actyally used as a rental car by a local rental place up there (Barrie) that deales with this dealer often. I was told by the sales person that the cars they get back from the rental are usually in better shape then ones they receive off of individuals, as they are usually driven less over all. They also do all the servicing (scheduled) on the rental cars. So.. I hope I got a good deal on it. Of course, as soon as I paid for mine, an identical model (but a 2005) came up in the listings for the same price. It's always the case... but I am happy So thanks for all the help here! I will be joining you soon - as I pick up either tuesday or wed.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fatale @ Jul 9 2006, 11:51 AM) [snapback]283342[/snapback]</div> Congratulations to you. How much did you pay for it? I have an '04 and I wonder what I could get for it. You will love the car and love driving it. Read the Owner's Manual and than ask any questions you want!
Marjam - I am in Toronto where the Prius fetches a higher premium. A new Prius goes for $31,000 CAD (BASE) and any package really makes that number jump (I believe it's almost $40,000 for a C package with navigation). I paid just over $26,000 for my B package with 38,000 km on it. A good deal, but still up there.
Congrats! Being an 04, make sure to check the headliner and that it isn't sagging. The 05+ models have two...stubs? around the middle of the roof to hold the headliner up. Check your spare tyre pressure (it should be 60PSI in storage) just in case the dealer or the rental company didn't check. I have an 05 and it's 1½+ years old and the spare tyre pressure already dropped to 50PSI. Check the driver's side door for the 516 (or was it 518?) recall (ECU update) or at least the service history. I think that's about it. Enjoy your new car!
fatale, In case you didn't know, the Toronto Prius Meetup Group in your area. They get together and have a good time throughout the year. I'm sure if you link up with them they'd be happy to share knowledge in person as well. If you're up for a big road trip, I know a few of the group's members are driving down from Toronto to attend Hybridfest in Madison, WI July 22. It's a long haul, but it'd give you lots of time to get your questions answered, that's for sure! Lastly, with Toronto being the home of Hymotion, I suppose you may have first shot at converting your Prius to a Plug-in someday! Congrats on your purchase.
Eric - At $9500 USD I may have to wait a little while - though I will check it out sometime I am sure Tideland - Thanks for the info. i will be sure to take a look at those problem areas, and I will check to see if the latest recalls were done on it - is the steering coloum an issue on this one as well? Thanks. Jon
The only way to know for sure if the steering column fix applies to your car is through the VIN, but it's likely. If you have a good dealer, they should do all the updates, particularly the steering, before delivering the vehicle. Toyota pays dealers to do safety updates, no matter who owns the car. One really good thing about buying a rental car is you can see all the service records.
