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First Toyota, First Prius- New member

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by Zoomish, Sep 27, 2023.

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  1. Zoomish

    Zoomish New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2023
    3
    5
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    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    Hello everyone!

    First off no pics lol... Haven't had the chance to get some.

    This is my first Toyota and first Prius ever.. Before this I have only owned BMWs so it quite a change for me. To be quite honest I'm not even sure why I made the change.Not even sure if it was the right choice to begin with haha but living one day at at a time..

    2023 Prius LE, with some of dealer addons like paint protection, tint and a bunch of other useless stuff.

    To be quite blunt, this has been the worst buying experience I have ever had. Toyota dealers are so slimy Wth. Never have I had an issue with the BMW dealers I've used. First off, they lied about the availability of the car and strung me along for weeks. Initially they said they had to swap with another dealer and then turns out I was getting a new build that was not even in the US.

    The whole process took way longer than expected. I traded in, and by the 4th week I had had it, I had to keep reaching out about once a week to get an update. I asked for my trade in back since they still had it. They tried to win me back over but I was done. They said they would have my trade in back in a few days. BS, they strung me along for another 2 weeks with excuses until ultimately they told me they sold the car at auction.

    Being now car less I took their deal and walked off, at least they discounted 5k on the original price for the hassle, but still, very sour aftertaste...

    For the review of the car, I've had it for over a week now. Not bad!

    Pros:
    1. Very good looking car. I get compliments from car and non car people alike. Never thought it would happen on a Prius!
    2. Suspension is super compliant but still sporty enough. I think they did a phenomenal job.
    3. Cloth seats are good and supportive.
    4. Base features are good, but have some weird trade offs. TSS 3.0 is responsive and works well.
    5. That gas mileage tho
    6. I enjoy the interior layout. Feels very cockpit like, like BMW. I can see they got some influence going from their joint ventures. Ergonomics could use some help still.
    7. Actual usable power.

    Cons:
    1. Tire noise. What in the actual hell is up with that? Surely they test drove one of their mules on rough asphalt? I wouldn't say horrible but damn close. I think I see why tho, front fender wells are almost bare metal, no insulating material or felted liners. Not sure why this is a thing, maybe cost saving?
    **Around town and nice asphalt it's actually comparable to my G20 3 series.
    2.Worst stereo system I have heard in my life. I feel like I'm in a 1990 base Corolla. Decent bass but that's where it stops. No definition, no reach, no clarity, supper under powered. I've tried the fake EQ settings but it is dismal.
    3. LE specific, no auto light but I get auto high beam... make it make sense. No nice DRL, even tho hardware is there. No light bar feature in the back... No heated Steering wheel? Seats? Not even as an option? I am so baffled, they placed stock TSS 3.0, but couldn't put other base features on a 2023 car. The Nisan versa has better options.
    4. Piano black interior.
    5. Insane dealer mark ups.

    Overall, I like the car. It does great car things, but has also managed to upgrade itself to the modern standard. It's compliant, but not floaty. It's got potential. I think I'm going to lower it about an inch, then put some wheel/tire set. should be a very nice road machine.
     
    #1 Zoomish, Sep 27, 2023
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2023
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  2. Gwyd

    Gwyd Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2023
    111
    76
    9
    Location:
    NE Florida
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    Limited
    That's a terrible dealership - I've never heard of one taking a trade before the sale.
    While I think it's a nice ride - I can see where someone coming from a BMW would have a different perspective. It's a different class of car - I think a Crown or Camry would have been more of an equivalent vehicle in terms of comfort/class but not sportiness. I think this new Prius beats every other Toyo at "sporty" except for the various GRs.
     
    #2 Gwyd, Sep 27, 2023
    Zoomish likes this.
  3. DoubleDAZ

    DoubleDAZ Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2014
    1,209
    322
    0
    Location:
    Peoria AZ (Phoenix)
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Tire noise has always been a problem, but that’s because there’s virtually no insulation anywhere to minimize weight and maximize mileage. I’m sure there’s a cost savings too, but I don’t think that’s the primary consideration. We drive a lot on freeways between Phoenix and Atlanta and always amazed at how noisy different sections are. I don’t know how much of a mileage hit they’d take adding normal insulation, but I’d probably be willing to take the hit.

    I don’t expect much out of a car audio system, even a supposedly upgraded one, and I drive a lot with the windows open, so I suppose I don’t notice the difference. I’m sure I would if I even drove a car with a better system. While I like the JBL in my 2014, I could tell right off it was lacking, but it was better than any others, except maybe the system in my 1988 Grand Prix SE, and it should be so much better than that some 35 years later.

    As far as the lack of standard options, the LE is a base model for those who don’t care about options, just mileage. I’ve been dumbfounded though by the lack of options, though I guess if you want them you upgrade to an XLE or XS or whatever the designations are. That’s probably a cost/reward decision, but I think they’d sell more if they did a better job of doling out standard features and options.

    The dealer markups border on criminal, but supply is tight, so they can get away with it. It doesn’t help that so many want one bad enough to pay. It is a first year design and most critics say never buy a first year. It’ll be interesting to see what changes, if any, they make next year.
     
    #3 DoubleDAZ, Sep 27, 2023
    Zoomish likes this.
  4. GeoJ

    GeoJ Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2023
    163
    164
    0
    Location:
    United States
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    Nice to hear such positives from a BMW driver!! I agree.

    As for the noise, I also agree. Just turn up the lousy stereo and let the bass take over. Enjoy!
     
    #4 GeoJ, Sep 27, 2023
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,166
    50,060
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    congrats and welcome, all the best!
     
    #5 bisco, Sep 27, 2023
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