The good, the bad, and the ugly

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Aschill @ Mar 13 2007, 07:25 PM) [snapback]405024[/snapback]</div>

Hi Aschill,

Well, my year 2000 new Saturn SL2 had the same PU (Poly Urethane) smell.

The Firestone tires on it were much slipprier than the Goodyear Integrity's, which is how I discovered the Michelin Hydroedges. I put on Hydroedges on both my Prius and the SL2. In fact, when my SL2 was two weeks old, I had to do a full panic stop from 25 mph. And the car slid just 5 feet too far on wet asphalt, and was smacked by a big american car pulling out between two lanes of traffic. The big pickup truck blocking her veiw probably waved her out. I could see the nose of her car, which is why I went to full brake. Wouldn't you know it, the truck did not stick around! The ABS worked well on the SL2, but all the force is between the tires and the road and if the tires are poor, forget it.

The first time I came to a stop sign on a wet road in the SL2 with the Hydroedge tires, I stopped two car lengths short. I was used to pressing much harder on the pedal with the Firestone tires.

People complain on here, because the average Prius driver is used to a high end car. Upgrade from the typical economy car, and the Prius is just fine. Upgrade the tires, and put on a BT Tech plate, and its more than just fine, but still not a 4 wheel drive SUV or low-slung curve hugging Sports Car.

 

Well, I just picked mine up yesterday, so I'll give you the quick impression.

I don't have the smell in mine, it's just fine. My biggest pet peeve is that there is no lockable storage in the car.

Other than that, I'm thrilled with it. I got the Package #3 just so I could get the Bluetooth integration. It's awesome, my wife reports that she can't hear any car noise at all. It seemlessly integrated with my Blackberry.

 

We got a Prius last week and I love it. Silver pine mica, package #1.

I'm not used to fancy cars [we have a 2005 Hyundai Sonata and got rid of a 1996 GMC Safari van for the Prius]. The prius is sleek, high-tech, and, most importantly, environmentally friendly. It drives incredibly well and is just beautiful.

When I told my friend about it [the Smart Key and all] she was like, "Damn, it's like a BMW!" It's an amazing car. Amazing.

[Yeah, I'm on a Prius high, so I'm biased.]

 

The car itself is lockable, so there's your storage

My advice to those looking for it is search around for people asking the same question. There's lots of good info around here regarding the car.

My other advice is to ignore the advice and just buy the car! It's a great car, and you won't regret it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Mar 13 2007, 06:23 PM) [snapback]405079[/snapback]</div>

We picked up our 2007 Barcelona Red Metalic Prius on last Monday, now have 650 miles on it had 1 mile when first test drove and decided, we took a 25 mile test drive was sold on it since.

Same here no smell, has a lot of storage compartments, I do not like how the front seat belt catch is too far down the side of the seat.
also miss 4x4, but mileage makes up for that.

It had the annoying rear INSIDE beeper but with the help of this sitye that is a piece of history now.

I could only say I wish these were around 20 yrs ago even 10 love it and good luck with your new one when you get it.
BTW we traded our 95 jeep grand cherokee 4x4 for it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Aschill @ Mar 13 2007, 05:25 PM) [snapback]405024[/snapback]</div>

Read through www.carbuyingtips.com and go to www.toyota.com to see what is available in your area. I wouldn't buy options that won't be used. IMO the homelink and nav system are overpriced. Some of us find the seats uncomfortable for longer drives. Rent one for a week to see how it fits your lifestyle and to see how you fit in it. If you rent from a Toyota dealer they may apply a portion of the rental against the sale.

The touring edition will give you a stiffer ride for about the same price and they are harder to find. Take your time, don't be rushed into a decision. Happy hunting.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(regenme @ Mar 13 2007, 07:49 PM) [snapback]405084[/snapback]</div>

I got a 2007 Gray Touring Package 1 this past weekend and I absolutely love it! We had to get our local dealership to bring in the exact Prius we wanted from 500 miles away, because it simply wasn't available anywhere nearby (it took some work on our part to find a dealership in our area that would do this). We ordered it without ever having test driven a Prius and we aren't disappointed at all. My previous car was a VW Golf (very zippy & tight to the road), the Prius is a softer ride than the Golf and that's why we went with the Touring. I'm very happy with how the Touring handles.

Today was our first rainy day since I got the car and I did notice the plastic/chemical smell after the rains, until today I hadn't noticed it. I find the seat very comfortable compared to my Golf and my parents (who drive a vehicle with what seem like cushy recliners for seats) even commented on how comfortable they are. I'm on the short side (5'4") and find that the seats and steering wheel are comfortable, even though they don't have a lot of adjustability to them. My only complaint is that the lifetime average miles was at 40mpg when I picked up the car with 520 miles on it, since they drove it in on the expressway, but I've already gotten that up to 43mpg in just 3 days.

We did our research and gained a lot of knowledge in this forum, decided there just wasn't another choice when it came to doing the most good for the environment, so we just went for it. If you aren't so sure, I really like the suggestion of renting one to try it out.

 

We got ours a little over a week ago here are my current thoughts.

Good:

• Fun to drive. It's a game to see how high you can get the mpg to go.
• I have package 6 and I'm a gadget nut, I love the navigation, blue tooth, etc...
• Has much more power than I expected.

Bad:

• The Guess Gauge has me worried. I expect to be fine, and fill up at 2 bars, but I don't like guessing.
• Interface buttons being locked out while driving. Some of the buttons seem to have been picked almost at random. Who says any particular function is more dangerous than some other function.

 

Thanks all for the good advice!

I've been checking online inventory within a 100-miles radius. There seems to be VERY, VERY FEW Touring Editions around. (Central, Tidewater, No VA).

One dealership had 30 Basic Prii on his lot, but only one Touring...without the package I wanted. He did give me a fair price and said he could get the Touring with the package I wanted. He must have some magic ju-ju in his cubicle.

Another dealership had no Touring Editions. The manager said Toyota has stopped production of the Touring. Can anyone confirm this?

 

Asking that question on this site, you'll get some biased answers, obviously.

I will suggest that you rent it for a week and see how you like it. I've heard some dealers will waive the rental charge if you end up buying a car from them.

Other than the good things others have pointed out, I will add that this car is very low maintenance. Most of the time, all you need is oil change and tire rotation every 5000 miles. Don't buy into getting those "xxxx mile service" from the dealer. Most of the things included are not need for the Prius.

One thing that annoyed me the most is the front left pillar. It's too thick. Sometimes I have to lean to the right when making left turns in order to see the road. But you get used to it over time.

 

Don't think about it. JUST DO IT!
You won't be sorry.

The problems people seem to mention are just small stuff. Don't worry about it. It is far and away the best car I've ever owned...and it gets good MPGs too.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(noel86 @ Mar 14 2007, 11:43 AM) [snapback]405418[/snapback]</div>

The reason given to me (just last week) to explain the fact that so few Tourings were available, was that Toyota had only started production on the Touring 4 months ago. I understood that the Touring has the same suspension as the Prius models being sold in Japan and Europe, so it's new here in the US, but not elsewhere. I can't imagine they would have stopped already, unless it is only temporarily.

 

The Good:
- SmartKey, Bluetooth and Nav functionality just rock...get those options if you can
- Tons of storage compartments
- HID headlights are worth every penny (compared to the lame-assed, dim headlights on my other cars)
- Fuel efficiency is fantastic
- Interior is roomy and comfortable
- Very impressed with Toyota's attention to detail on interior design/control materials/interfaces (a real step up from your typical Detroit auto)


The Bad:
- Forward visabilty for tall drivers. I'm 6'3" and long-waisted to boot...so I have plenty of room for my shorter legs, but unless I give the driver seat a decent recline, the bottom of the (overly thick and beefy) sun-visor is just about at my eye-level which SEVERLY limits my forward visability. Even with a good recline, the steering wheel is still within easy reach and the car is overall comfortable to drive...just an FYI.
- The radio. Ug. I thought the 9 speaker JBL system would be an improvement but it isn't. The sound simply isn't very robust. Aftermarket mods will address this though.
- No auto-lock on the doors after 15 MPH. A very nice feature that really should be standard these days.
- Rear visibility through the hatch is iffy at best. Enough to have a decent idea what's going on behind you but rely on your external mirrors for situational awareness.
- Annoying door and seat rattles. These suddenly developed after about 2000 miles. No big deal...I can get them to stop temporarily by applying a little presure here and there so am certain I could rectify the issue if it annoyed me enough.


The Ugly:
- If it exists, I simply haven't found it yet on this car.

Overall, very glad I purchased. Quality is just written all over the car for the most part. Gas mileage is fantastic...better than my motorcycle (which the Prius replaced). Wife loves the car as well and finds every excuse she can to "need" it so I have to drive our beaters to work. Just don't buy into the whole "Oh my GOD!! I'm gonna save the planet by buying this car!" blather. What I wanted and what I got was a gas-friendly, reliable, very well designed commuter sedan that can pull off some light-to-medium family duties in a pinch.

 

Here's a thought on 'lockable storage.' There's useable room under the floor of the cargo area. Most theives would not be aware of this area. Yes... it's a little trouble to lift up that floor and technically it's not 'lockable,' but not such a big deal to use. There are also notches designed to store the cargo area 'window shade' cover in that area, too... if you prefer to not leave it in the notches just behind the back seat backrests.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ Mar 15 2007, 02:42 PM) [snapback]406232[/snapback]</div>

Had mine for over a year and honestly couldn't imagine driving anything else. It's not an SUV. It's not a sports car. But, once you drive a comfortable car that gets over 45mpg. You'll never go back to a car that get's less mileage. Also, your overall ownership costs will be much less over 5 years of ownership. Check out the Yahoo site and click on auto's and do some research. You'll be helping your wallet - our environment - and spend less TAX's. Just my humble opinion. Retired military guy here -,,.

 

Just got our Magnetic Gray Package 6 just recently and it is great! Looks great, rides great, terrific options (gadgets). Outstanding gas economy (the primary reason I bought it). People may think you're some kind of enviro-maniac for buying it, but whether you are or not, who cares.

It has a very nice ride, quiet, excellent handling, and is a good value for the money you're spending. That is especially true now given the $1,500 tax credit till the end of March and many dealers are selling these cars at or just below invoice (at least they are in the DC metro area).

If you can, get one before they half the tax credit at the end of the month.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Washington1788 @ Mar 17 2007, 11:28 PM) [snapback]407694[/snapback]</div>

I think that should be cut the credit in half again. I thought it had already been cut to $1575, and was going down quarterly. So the next cut would be 4/1/2007.

Also, the touring edition has upgraded tires apparently too, which a lot of people don't like the regular original tires. My mom's original regular tires lasted just over 20K miles, so we weren't too pleased with that.

You will also learn to love the smart key system. You don't have to be reaching for keys at all. In my opinion you don't need the navigation system. The milage is great too, pushing 56 mpg. But my mom's is only doing around 40 mpg or so, because she just takes very short trips.

 

Yeah, the smart key system screws me up when I drive our other car. I always chuck the keys in the cupholder and then realize that I actually need them!

The stealth mode, as I learned tonight, is amazing when doing lame-completely-harmless [and legal!]-teenage things. It just feels exciting when you can drive past someone's house to check if someone's there and know they couldn't even hear you drive by. You'll probably not be engaging in such activities, but hey. Just a thought.

After March 31st, you'll only get $700-something in tax credit. Get your Prius soon!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rainydysandmondys @ Mar 17 2007, 11:40 PM) [snapback]407722[/snapback]</div>

My Prius habits don't help with my Olds. <_< Stealth mode is also fun in the parking lot at the office.