before purchasing what are the pros and cons??

Yes east coast as well as the south is rather annoying. I was stationed in Mayport, FL and coming from California I never got along with the humidity and hurricane season. I was able to put up with it but could never find myself ever living in the region. I also visited NY during fleet week and wow it was insanely humid and hot.

I just watched a video on Toyota's website about the solar roof and how the fan operates. I knew it could bring the cabin temperature equal to the temperature outside, but did not know it could cool the inside to room temperature as well. That's a pretty nice seller.

 

Unless it's running the AC, which you can activate with the key fob - but limited range - the solar cooling system can not cool the inside any lower than the outside temperature.

 

Ohhh I see. How does this work? Is there a specific key for the AC to turn on and at what distance can you operate it?

 

Yes. Only at a few yards.

Tom

 

Wow only a few yards Is this for AC mode or the system itself? That doesn't seem as useful now lol.

 

It's for the remote AC. The idea is you can kick on the AC as you walk over to your car. Since the AC is running from the HV battery, operating time is limited.

Tom

 

Oh I see. Well that makes more sense. I can see those few seconds of the AC running is enough to start the cooling process versus Sitting inside and starting the car and then the AC.

 

Only a few yards? No. Maybe closer to 20-30 yards. I can activate my AC when i'm at one end of my parking lot, and my car at the other. If I activate and walk straight to my car, I can get about 20-30 sec of cooling before entering the car. If I take my time, or am talking witH someone, I can get a lot more cooling time. It turns off as soon as. You open the door. Not a lot, but it's better than nothing. Would be more useful if you could activate from your cell phone.

 

20-30 seconds is a decent amount of time to get the AC running though. A lot better than having to get inside the car first and then start up the AC especially with the temperatures we've experienced this summer in the high 90s low 100s. Anything activated with a cell phone is pretty amazing lol. I like ZipCar's app and being able to lock and unlock the car from your phone.

 

Agreed. I can unlock/lock & activate the horn from my second story office window with the car parked across the street in the parking lot. I'd say the range is excellent with at least 35 yards difference.

 

I'm quite happy with the audio system in my V, and regularly get comments from passengers about how good it sounds.

 

If I was young and (1) liked loud music and/or (2) talked on my cell phone a lot while driving, the III would have been a good idea instead of the II that I bought. Not too sure about the solar roof.

The one thing I don't think many Prius owners think about is the value or lack of value they get with the Prius. I think it's very difficult to "repay" in extra gas milage what you pay extra for the price of the car.

However, I get to brag about my gas milage (good) and gas up only once every 3 weeks (good). But my car payments are significantly higher than if I were to buy a Corolla and are not offset that much by the lower gas consumption.

I was told that my insurance was higher, too.

But I sleep well at night, knowing that I'm doing my part in using less gas and becoming less dependent on foreign oil. Some people don't care about that.

Dumb Mike

 

I was actaully told that my insurance would be lower with the Prius than something like a Mazda 3. 10% yearly discount for driving a hybrid from Farmers. I ad that to the cost- and figure $60 a month savings in gas and it ends up being $90 or so a month savings- thus I am looking to lease a Prius.

 

Prius owns.

 

Turned in a 2008 Prius IV and upgraded to a 2010 Prius IV a couple weeks ago. Loving the new upgrades...

Pros
1) Improved gas mileage. I still can't get over driving at least 450 miles on a full tank of gas.
2) Love the technology...push button start with keys in pocket, bluetooth for both calls and music streaming, key sensors on driver, passenger and trunk(IV and V only), rear back up camera. (Haven't had the chance to fully evaluate Nav, but has to be better than my google maps on my phone), heated front seats. I didn't go solar, but should have. With about a $1300 difference in price between NY(Nav only) and SY(Solar package) it comes to about a $10/month difference on a lease.
3) Roomy. (Relative to other cars in its class) Good amount of storage in the back.
4) Love how rear headrests fold down so they don't have to be removed to lower rear seats.
5) Dramatically improved sound system. Im no audiophile, but could definitely hear the shortcomings on my 2008. Much better in 2010.
6) Although 2008 dashboard interface was a much "cleaner"/simple look. The addition of buttons for audio and climate controls allows you to do what you want faster.

Cons
1) If you love driving, you will miss the power and handling of a more powerful engine. (Fortunately I get my fix on a 6 cylinder Subaru outback)
2) So far voice recognition for the phone and nav is not very efficient. Too many steps and instructions to get what you need. But I may need more familiarity with it.
3) Some hate the fact that they are all over the place. I personally dont mind that. Just shows that you are part of a group of informed buyers.

Overall, a huge fan of the Prius. In 2008 and right now the Prius makes the most sense. (Who knows 3 years from now, but Im sure they will continue to innovate) But it has one of the most loyal followings, and it is definitely the most popular Hybrid for many reasons.

 

Pro: There's only one >>> Great gas mileage. Nothing else on the road even comes close. If anyone tells you they bought a Prius for, say, its styling, handling, ride, etc., they are not being honest. There are plenty of cars that beat the Prius in those, and many more, categories, and for less money. No, it's all about the gas mileage. End of story.

Cons: Many, including low ground clearance and poor rear visibility

 

Most people buy a car, a van, a truck based on a compendium of reasons, and not just one. I for one bought a G3 for the following reasons/attributes (in order of preference/importance to me) :

(1) MPGs - none better.

(2) Reliability - few that are better

(3) Roominess (both front and rear) - big car feel inside, in a small package.

(4) Versatility (hatch) - personal preference

(5) Styling - I think the outside styling is fine, and to be honest, there are few small/medium sized Japanese cars that I actually think the styling is attractive. The Sonata might be the only one. Nevertheless, I really like the "flying bridge" layout on the Prius - a lot. Some don't, but then again, I prefer a contemporary house, while most prefer a boring, predictable colonial. Stlying is very subjective.

(6) Gadgets/technology. Try getting a solar cooling system on any other car? How about having the AC decoupled from the motor, so no drain and no surge when it starts up. How about being able to turn on your AC remotely, and without starting the car? Very cool feature(s). Or how about the trnasmission - it's smooth and continuous. No surge/break points as with a conventional tranny, as it shifts from one gear to the next. Lots of hidden goodies...smart key entry, etc


It's the sum total of the aforementioned attributes that helps to counter the higher price for a supposedly "equivalent", non-hybrid car.

Many?? Name a few that don't involve personal preference? For example - While it's taken me a while to get use to the view out of the rear window, I now actually LIKE the split window look. I actually like having the headlights of the guy behind me blocked so it doesn't become a distraction/annoyance.

Ground clearance is adequate, and is actually higher than several of the European sports sedans I use to, or currently own. Ground clearance and body shape are aerodynamic features that are critical to MPGs...so it serves a greater purpose. If clearance is critical, get a SUV.

 

Mileage was my 5th criteria.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...502-2010-prius-school-project.html#post979468

(If you drive like I do, no one gains on you anyway, so rear visibility is not a concern)

 

It is a Toyota. 'nuff said. :thumb:

 

I will chime in with some of my experiences ... I have driven a lot of different cars ... SUVs, luxury vehicles, sports cars, etc.

I bought an '08 Prius (Touring Pkg #6) and it took some adjustment coming from a luxury SUV. Then I bought a '10 and the improvements made it feel like less of a sacrifice. My '10 (Pkg V) is going to be totaled due to a collision and I was kicking around the idea of getting something new, but keep coming back to just getting another '10 (pkg V).

Pros:

-- Fuel Economy ... duh I suppose, but it's just so hard to think about NOT getting the fuel economy I'm accustomed to if I were to choose another vehicle. It's nice to have the car shut off at stoplights, parking lots and drive thrus, not to mention while driving down the road at times. I feel so wasteful driving around in my "regular" rental car.
-- Smart Key technology is great. You never have to take the key out of your pocket. Again, with the rental car of late it makes me realize how nice the smart key system is overall.
-- It's roomier than most people think. When people get into my car, they're shocked it's not some economy compact.
-- The third generation with the 17" wheels (Pkg V) is much improved and stable on the highway. To me this is the biggest improvement over the second generation. Seats are more comfortable and it's a better highway car overall with the improved horsepower and stability.
-- Bluetooth audio and phone connection are very nice to have. I can't speak for the iPod integration b/c my '10 was one of the early ones.
-- I have a dog and keep coming back to wanting a hatchback. Very convenient. It's very easy to put the seats up and down in the back and it's a very nice flat loading floor.

Cons:

-- Seats are still not that comfortable. It is nice having seat warmers, but the lack of adjustment isn't a great thing ... not a huge thing though either. The placement of the seat heaters just makes little to no sense and makes them feel like an afterthought. I'm still glad they're there.
-- I like the middle console for the most part, but it does make the car feel a bit more claustrophobic. The seating position is a bit more down in the car rather than upright regarding the 3rd generation over the 2nd. I do like it better however.
-- The blind spots and rearward visibility are a bit reduced, but I still think they're fine.
-- Not a ton of cargo space with the seats up, but enough for me overall.
-- The audio system is very decent, but I still would like it to be better ... it's much better than generation 2.
-- More storage space in general would be nice, but again ... not a big deal. I find myself wishing there were door map pockets rather than the tiny bottle holder. The cupholder situation in the middle console leaves some to be desired as well.

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Overall I just don't see how you can go wrong. We get some nasty winters up here and while the ground clearance isn't the best, I feel the car gets around really well for a front wheel drive. This isn't a sporty ride even with the 17" tires and you don't get a lot of pleasure from driving it, but I do believe the tradeoffs are worth it when weighed against the negatives.

I thought about waiting for the Lexus CT200h coming out (supposedly) in March of 2011, but not sure I can wait that long ... plus it will get about 8mpg less and be shorter, but maybe roomier? Sometimes it's tempting just to have a bit more luxury and especially more comfy seats, but I keep coming back to optimal fuel economy and the overall package.