This will be the first new car I've ever bought so I'm a little nervous. I'm still shopping for the dealer I want to deal with. One tells me all they've ordered have been without test drives and they want a $500 deposit. I don't think dh would bless that at all, and I could see his point. That's a lot of money to spend on something you've never touched. But what could happen if it arrived and I drove it -- what could possibly make me not like it? Is it common to order a Prius without test driving one?
Some people have ordered them without driving one. Make sure the deposit is fully refundable (it should be) if you do it.
I would definitely test drive it before buying it. If you can't find one at a dealer near you, make sure the deposit is refundable (should be, but some here said it is not). When it comes in you can drive it... and if you don't like it get the deposit back. I think you will like it, but it does drive differently than non hybrid cars. If you are comfortable with technology I think you will like it. It is a very comfortable and quiet ride once you get over the fact that it "stalls" every time you stop :wink: (a little un-nerving at first, especially when it sputters when warming up).
Put down the 500 if you want one. Make sure it's refundable. But really, it's going to the price of the car anyway. Make sure you tell them up front you want to drive one before you sign any paperwork. We didn't drive ours until we had already bought it- but we had already inspected one and my husband has driven many of them working for the service department at the dealer, knows what i like in a car, and I took his word for it. I loved it! This was also our first new car. It is a little nerve-racking, I agree. But if you know what you want and you drive the car first, you will be fine. Common worries are things like getting used to the engine shutting off. My old car's engine would die regularly at intersections so I was a little freaked out about it at first. But you get used to that. And the CVT does not shift like normal cars and that takes time to get used to. And the visibility takes time to get used to as well, make sure you adjust the mirrors. Otherwise, the car is an absolute wonder to drive! Just takes a little adjustment on the part of the driver who is accusomed to usual cars.
Toyota has a program called Toyota Rent a Car (TRAC) where you can rent a car for a day, weekend or week. I used this twice to rent a Prius before I decided to buy. Not sure if it's available in your area but I'm sure you can look it up on Toyota's website.
If you live near Austin, Tx you can test drive mine.. next best thing, ask dealer for some of the prius Buyers ph. # call around bet one would let you kick the tires, and take it for a spin.. I bought my 2004 with out a test drive... well the test drive was from Ca back to Tx good luck.
I bought my Salsa Red "Cherry" with no test drive. I struggled back and forth between "I want this car so much" and "Am I crazy buying a car without a test drive?". Reading the posts on Prius Chat gave me the confidence to go ahead with my purchase. It drives just like an ICE automatic transmission car. The seats are comfortable for long drives (at least for me and the wife) This is the coolest car ever
Scosgrove, that's exactly where my head has been, and yep, I'm just going for it. I keep looking for the person regretting buying a Prius, and I don't think they exist!
Since you're getting new one, I would worry about it too much, it's far more important to test drive something used. If you don't like it, you can obviously trade it, get your deposit back, whatever. I will say this though, prior to buying mine, I read the acceleration was sluggish from multiple sources, and as it turns out, I don't think it's sluggish at all. Good luck!
Even if you haven't taken a test drive when ordering, EVERY dealer should have you test drive the actual car you're buying before delivery, used or new. What if it has a strange smell to you? What if it makes a weird clunking noise? Who knows - but the dealer should want you to be happy with the vehicle at time of delivery, to save you both headaches down the road (what dealer ever wants a car returned? hehe) Plus with a Prius, they can find a new buyer easy enough if that one didn't meet your needs. Bottom line - used or new, the actual car being sold should be driven right before delivery since the return policy isn't very good!
