any one with buyer's remorse?

So...it essentially boils down to you asking why people here love their Prius?

 

I purchased a 2010 Prius IV using a C4C trade in this past Friday and I love it.

Drove it to the mexican border for a wedding as soon as i drove off the lot.

No buyers remorse here.

The only thing i regret is getting raped on an extended warranty which i am canceling tomorrow.

As far as negotiating, i dont believe there is much negotiating with the new Prius. WYSIWYP.

I was looking at buying a 2010 Camaro and the dealer was charging 5k over MSRP due to the high demand.

Suck it up. You've got a kick butt car.

I feel like a pilot when i drive with all of the gadgets and monitors.

Happy Motoring!

 

My only buyer's remorse was between the time I ordered, through a several week wait (was holding out for a misty gray interior, then gave up and accepted dark gray), through the first week of ownership. The remorse was: did I buy too early, with little negotiation, when the prices will fall significantly after a few months? Will Congress alter the proposed C4C to make my old car qualify, after I get rid of it? Should I really have gotten rid of an old car that was still very reliable and cheap to operate, especially while not employed?

That is all gone. The dark gray is the right color for us. The old Accord didn't qualify for C4C under any proposed version, so I missed nothing. The formerly ample Prius supply completely dried up during C4C and the mad gold rush caused by my state's premature termination of its hybrid sales tax holiday. I was 'too early' for the best possible price by only a couple weeks and a couple hundred dollars, which is closer to perfect timing than I can ever pull off by deliberately trying.

This car is much nicer and far safer than the '86 Accord it replaces, and is up to the task of being a 3-season road trip replacement for the '97 Subaru. Case closed.

You got C4C, so you did better than me.

 

I love my Prius for all its toys and gadgets, and the technology. This sets it apart from all other non-luxury vehicles for me (I know lux vehicles have some pretty cool toys too, but they're too expensive and waste gas). I bought the top model though. Maybe if you're coming from a luxury vehicle you should return it for something higher than the base model? Or get the HS250h or other Lexus hybrid. I have to admit I haven't noticed any excessive road noise, but then I haven't been in a luxury vehicle enough times to be able to compare.

I have the Bridgestones.

 

Yes, I do have some remorse after buying my Prius IV with solar roof. I could have got a 2009 or 2010 Acura TXS for the price I paid for my Prius IV. I had my mind set on gas mileage when I pull the trigger on Gen3 Prius. I'm feeling better now because I'm really saving a lot gas on the mileage. I'm also going to tint my windows and add a set of HID headlight from mobilehid.com. Try to make your Prius look better, I think it will make you feel better too! :rockon:

 

None here. After spending €€€€ on a terrible quality Polo 1.4L TDI (Diesel) from VW (I will *never* buy VW again) for all sorts of repairs (luckily I was never left stranded on the road, but you have no idea of all the things that I had to change well before their supposed/expected standard duration), I needed a car with excellent fuel consumption especially in town where I use my car the most. And in EU we are used to great diesel engines with lots of HPs and torque and very low fuel consumption.
I haven't found from any other manufacturer, in the same price range, with the standard options and with the price/performance/fuel consumption package that Toyota offers on the Prius, a car that would fullfil my goals. BMW has some quite compelling offering in terms of diesel engines, with start-stop functions and other energy efficiency measures, but you need to pay at least 30k€ to get somewhere close to what the Prius offers as standard.
My only regret, but I could not do otherwise as I don't trust my VW anymore, is buying an almost completely new car only a few months after initial release - I hope I will be not bugged by "early youth" problems - and I have read, unfortunately, already quite a few popping up from other early Prius 3 owners here on the forum. But after all I have a 3 years warranty and I can extend it in the future to 5 with about 200€. So it might be an annoyance, but it will Toyota's money and problem, if it ever occurs.

 

Change your tires if the road noise is too loud for you.

Road noise comes 99.9% from the tyres, considering the same road when comparing of course.

 

Not here, I had been looking for a replacement vehicle for my 87 Volvo wagon for two or three years. There just wasn't anything being offered that was worth buying.

Then the 2010 Prius came out and I found my car. A buddy of mine over on CleanMPG let me drive a Factory Prius he was doing a story on and I was sold on the car.

With the C4C it was a no brainer to get the Prius.
Are there things I like and dislike about the car, Yes?

With any car there is no perfect fits all vehicle.

But taking the positives vs the negatives the positives win by a long shot.

Compared to any car in it's price range you would be hard pressed to beat it dollar for dollar as they say.

 

I picked up my Gen III Prius IV a month ago and have no regrets. As with most cars, not everything is perfect, but all in all it is a great car, comfortable, easy to drive and great on gas.
As a prior reply noted, this is not a luxury car and one cannot expect to have the same performance or degree of noise/road isolation as a high end luxury car.
I hope you get used to your new Prius and will enjoy all if its positives.

 

Some, I felt at the time that the more mature '09 model would have fewer defects, but I see the enhancements on the '10 and go "Gee". I will never know about defects I missed, so I will allways wonder if buying an '09 this late was the wise choice. I am at 13,000 trouble free miles since April, so I did something right.

 

the only remorse I'll have is writing the check for it every month. I haven't had a car payment for over 10 years.

 

No remorse yet but there could be. I currently have a Honda Element which I love dearly but after test driving the 2010 Prius I was blown away. But I still love my E for its room, no carpeting, huge amount of space, AWD and great stock stereo(hey it came with a sub woofer). The Prius worries me about winter driving conditions here in the NE and the stock radio on the II is muddy not nearly as good as the Elemment's stereo. Considering the E is almost paid off do I really want another car payment? Oh but the gas mileage... Gahh I'm driving myself insane.

 

It's a personal thing. I think you'll find most people are happy with their purchase. Most people who are into more mainstream alternatives would not buy a Prius. If you like or are used to sports cars, big SUVs/trucks, or $50,000 luxurty cars, then this is probably not for you.

As far as 4-5 person midsize cars go, it is an option. But to be fair, the Prius is isn't a budget car. We need to consider if we received value in terms of the luxuries we would expect from paying as much as we did, and make sure that it meets our expectations in what we like in overall ownership.

This car brings little int he way of luxury regarding similiarly priced alternatives with respect to:

Horsepower / Acceleration
Internal Finishes
Road Noise (though I question this. Air pressure is a big factor. Also other cars make much more engine noise that covers up the road noise, esp. at slower speeds.)
Power Seats

It does have luxuries that are common of similarly priced cars (assuming you paid for it):
Leather
Sun Roof
NAV
Sound system
Keyless entry
Reliability (notwithstading those other "luxury" cars that seem to be in the shop every other month)
auto-dimming mirror with hoem connect
water repelant and UV glass
etc.

It has luxuries that are unique:
MPG
Reduced stops for maintenance and gas
very low engine noise at low speeds
Being "green" (if your into that sort of thing)
Advanced technology that (although may be on some other luxury cars) are not on a car with this price tag
Advanced technology not available anywhere else (solar roof - which has been great in FL)
Reduced wind noise

The Prius meets my definition of luxury - one of the reasons I like it. Beyond that, I like the "look" of it, inside and out (although I think inside is better). But then again, I'm the sort of person that hates the look of wooden parts in a modern car. So as far as styling, it is my taste.

All in all, if you bought the car on a whim you are gambling, especially if you are accustomed to other types of cars. I've always been a commuter, and this is a great commuter car that goes well beyond my expectations in drive quality, storage, look, technology, etc.

Seeing as you already bought the car, you have no choice but to give it a chance. I suggest focusing on what makes it unique, and not what you gave up. Have you demo'd the car for freinds and family? What have they said?

 

In the US it actually is legal to pay cash for a car. Next time, save up the entire price and take a test drive before buying.

 

I agree! Huge improvement in road noise on my 2004 after first tire change.

Buyer's remorse? Bought a 2010 III in July with dealer-installed leather and for a while regretted not getting the dark gray I asked for and not going for a IV. However, am now used to misty gray and cannot think of a more relaxing car to own. Change those tires and I think remorse will disappear.

 

Haven't driven it a lot, but so far it's what we wanted. A competent midsize sedan with great fuel economy.

Noise is in the ear of the beholder, so to speak. I've seen reviews saying it's quiet, others saying it's noisy. You wonder if they are driving the same car. Of course, no one takes out a sound meter...

Last night I found a post on another forum complaining about the road noise and interior quality. I had to chuckle because they were coming from a Honda Odyssey. I've owned a 2nd and 3rd generation Odyssey and neither was a standout in terms of road noise or interior quaility. In fact, there is no comparison, the Prius is clearly smoother and quieter on the road than the Odyssey. Compared to my wife's 2000 Subaru Outback, I'd say it's a draw. I think the Prius is a little quieter but not enough to say for sure. Now if I had been driving a luxury car or one known for being quiet, my reference would be a lot different, of course.

 

Not answering why I love my Prius, because that would be too much to type! But I wanted to offer a thought...

I noticed extreme road noise on my Prius as well, but found that it was only that way on the concrete roads with the vertical lines grooved into them. On any other surfaced road, it is completely fine, and even better than most cars on roads with potholes!

Do you think you might have been driving on lined concrete?

 

I regret that I didn't start driving a Prius sooner. Last time I bought a car the Prius didn't offer some of the features I needed in a car nor did they offer the features I 'wanted'. I was looking at 09s when I discovered PriusChat and learned about the upcoming changes. The GenIII has all the space and all the goodies I want.

That said, a new technology may mean changes in the way you've always done things. I have changed the way I have always driven. My friends laughed at me and said it won't last - the Prius doesn't have enough hp for Leadfoot Maggie. But - hey I'm more mature now - I don't HAVE to be the first one off the stop anymore

Bottom line: I am very pleased! (And I reminded myself of that when the first loan payment went out!)

 

I considered the TSX but was very disappointed in the 2nd gen design. The first gen was rightly criticized for having very little leg room in the back. The 2nd gen is larger overall but has no increase in rear leg room, so it is even less space efficient.

For the 2010 Prius, Toyota resisted the usual trend to make each generation into a significantly larger car. They made it more space efficient, not significantly bigger on the outside. More interior room than a TSX while easier to fit in a parking space.

As far as road noise, there is an old thread about this. On theory is that with the engine being so quiet, that you notice the contrast of road noise more if you get on a highway that is somewhat rough.