Hello everyone, My name is gilmore753, and I am new to the whole hybrid car thing. I was looking into buying an '08 Prius, but have a few questions that I'm not really sure about--I have never driven or owned a hybrid before. PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME First Touring or Not? I know that basically the Touring has a different size tire than the other two styles, but is there anything else? I mean is the tire size really important? Also, I was wondering about how the car starts, do you just put your key in the ignition just like any other car? Another thing when I service the car, can I go anywhere or does it have to be a Prius dealer? How long do the standard batteries for the car last? Also, besides being hybrid, is there anything significantly different between the way this car drives versus other "regular" cars? Thanks so much, I'm hoping you can all be help to me!
Touring has larger tires, and slightly larger spoiler, and different spring rates in the back. It will offer a sportier ride... the only real downfall is these larger tires appear to reduce MPG very slightly (regardless of what a Touring owner will tell you), and the tires are more expensive to replace due to being a less common size. If it has a smart key you just have to have the key fob in your pocket... that's all. Press the brake pedal, and hit the power button and it will light up. If you don't have the smart key, you just slip the FOB into the square hole where a traditional key is. There's really only a couple things you have to worry about from a service standpoint. The first is changing the oil, which is changed just like any other car.... and change the cabin and engine air filter from time to time (I believe it's 25k miles... or perhaps 15k). Other than that it's pretty maintenance free and any major tuneups aren't do for many many miles. The standard batteries are designed to last approximately the life of the car. Your battery in an '08 will be warrantied for 8 years 100,000 miles... on states that follow California Emissions the warranty is extended up to 150,000 miles (and I believe 10 years). It's a pretty typical car. You drive it like a typical car and the only thing really different is the engine will decide to turn off/on by itself....
i think i have typed this out one to many times and will have to say please use the search feature. this website does a wonderful job having a useful search feature!
the cars are terrible, awful, unreliable things that will die in no time. the batteries will be dead in a year or less. you should definitely NOT get on the waiting list for one... but if you would like to get one, try it, and then give it to me, I think i would find the selflessness to take such a terrible car off your hands. </sarcasm> oh, and nothing beats a black Prius Touring
It all depends on your driving style. I have the standard suspension, with every option except leather seats. I like the softer ride, but a younger or more aggressive driver might prefer the touring model. They are essentially the same car, and you can't go wrong either way. The standard ones are easier to get, so that might factor into it. Tom
GILMORE - what kind of car did/do you drive? when i bought my prius, i wanted a touring really badly, but they didn't have any. now, i'm slowly converting my standard into a touring. it's been a wild ride. i can tell you that you will sacrifice MPG's because of the tire/rim/weight combo. what you gain in handling and responsiveness ..........IMHO............far outweights the slight loss in mpg's. GO WITH THE TOURING
I've driven, and been driven in, both models. When it came time to choose my own, I chose Touring and haven't regretted it once. Mind you, NZ has a lot of windy roads.
I'm not sure what the 2009 cars will be like so it very hard to discuss touring or not.I have a touring a really like the way it handles. At this point I would wait for the 2009's and not the 2008's. If you don't like the price or like the 2008's better, I would think a 2008 would still be available.
I am currently driving an older Toyota Camry. I am most likely going to get an '09, but a main question that is stopping me is, if I should get a Touring or not?
