early adopter worry?

I'm buying 2010 without any fears or worries.

I look at Gen III as fixing most if not all the known issues and complaints with Gen II; particularly handling issues. If anything, it is a 7th year model. I know it's riding on a new platform, but the changes are evolutionary not revolutionary. This car and its basic design has been studied and researched to death. I would be very surprised if any major issues crop up. Seems to me even 2004 issues that came up weren't bad and were acknowledged and readily fixed by Toyota. Toyota does not really have the same reputation as other car manufacturers when it comes to 1st year models.

 

Toyota also seems to be very good at remedying known problems in cars, unlike other manufacturers.

 

I'm selling the old RAV4 to get a new Prius so I'll still have the 2004. That's cool by me.

 

I share the same concern. And recalls aren't the only indication of "first-year-model bugs." A manufacturer won't necessarily issue a recall or TSB, or even acknowledge them publicly, and instead might just quietly fix them -- the MFD issue on the 04/05 Prius is a case in point.

It's doubtful, however, that that would keep me from pulling the trigger on the 2010. If I buy one, I'll strongly consider an extended warranty, assuming it is still available at anything close to these prices.

Thanks for the research!

 

I will feel more comfortable with the 2011 or 2012 model. There's a lot of new technology in the gen III vs the gen II.
Also, lithium batteries may become available in the next couple years, so I'd kick myself for buying a 2010 and learning that the 2011 has lithium

 

Do what I did in late 2003 after the 2004 redesign was announced.

1. Find a good Prius enthusiast web site and join (check. Thanks a BILLION Danny!!)
2. Read all the posts, especially those that might deal with 'issues'
3. Decide after 7 months that there are no serious problems and plop down your deposit

Unlike an 'all new from the ground up model' like the Volt, a 2010 Prius is a 'improve things that work well mechanically because you figured out an even better way' new model. While I don't discount the possibility of small problems, the ones that pop up in the 'first rolled out' cars will likely be fixed in later 2010 cars. They certainly did that with the 2004 (the gas filler pipe comes to mind)

While I personally have serious issues with the cockpit ergonomic and functionality losses in the 2010, the "what makes the car go" stuff looks pretty darn good. If a 2010 is someone's first Prius they most likely won't have the same complaints since they won't know what they are missing.

If Toyota had been able to put the 2010 out as a 10 mile (minimum) PHEV and not screwed up the cockpit, they would have had an excellent chance of separating me from my money even though I figure my 2004 is good for at least 4 more years. I have NEVER gotten rid of a car that was less than 8 years old, 9 or 10 is more common. PHEV and the new cockpit, I'm not so sure. PHEV distance would have to be a lot longer than 10 miles before I could suck up the cockpit changes.

 

2001 purchased Sept. 2000

2004 purchased Oct. 2003

2010 purchasing May/June 2009

As an early adopter for the third time, I'm not sure what to tell you. It's a no-brainer for me. But with an engineering background, understanding why Toyota made certain decisions isn't that tough. Their approach makes sound market sense and their development process is pretty well established.
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I have an issue with this logic, maybe you can clear this up for me.
You wont get a 2010 because it's a new model with lots of untested new technology, that's fair enough, you don't know Toyota's reputation which was earned by making great, reliable cars from the first off the line to the last but that's fine. What I'm struggling with is it seems you would jump at a just released Lithium battery plug-in hybrid but not an evolution of the current car?
Or I wonder would you hold off on that until that technology was tried and tested and then another new model was released? I want to find this out because I'm worried about making the wrong move myself. I'm the guy who hung off replacing my 1990 Camry wagon for 6 years because Toyota didn't sell a car that size in Australia any more.

 

First I expect to have first model year 'teething problems.' If nothing else, there will be early assembly issues that will cause problems. This can be mitigated by an extended warranty or in my case, my engineering background. But looking at the likely areas, I'm finding most have been tested in the Lexus models and the engineering looks pretty solid. The only area I'm a little concerned about is cooled exhaust gas recirculation because it taps before the catalytic converters.

I'm acutely aware of the oil supply situation and the impact of gas prices on Prius prices. There is a real risk that a year or two from now, the price of fuel and other economic issues might drive the Prius prices way up. I would rather have the next Prius step in my possession than try to make a deal for a high demand, future Prius that is in short supply. (Hummm, if I could just buy two ...)

I currently have an NHW11 and though the NHW20 is nicer, the 2010 is a distinct step. It is tailored for the higher speeds of North American travel and cold weather. If I'm going to do any after market tweaks, I want to start from the best base, not try to extend any earlier model.

I eventually decided to go with the most basic version since that minimizes exposure to a lot of optional, new technology. I don't want a sun-roof or other system mucking up my ride. The other things are nice but I would rather someone else debug them.

Bob Wilson

 

Yeah, but then don't you have to wait a couple of years to make sure they're working properly?

 

Relocated.