Wonder if I made poor choice buying 2010 Prius

There is no better car made (for the money). period. I am now on my 3rd Prius, having owned each generation (2001, 2004, and now the 2010). Need I say more?

If GM ever produces the Volt, it might be some (very little) competition, but its list price is going to be $50,000, with an expected $7,500 tax credit, still putting it at $42,500, not worth it in my opinion.

 

You made a very wise choice in buying your 2010 Prius. The way that I look at it, by the time Memorial Day rolls around along with the typical increase in gas prices due to "summer driving", and the Toyota recall issues are past history, you will be glad that you are the proud owner of your Prius.

 

I feel your pain. The people you should always trust most to guide you in your life affecting decisions are: politicians, IRS, news commentators, salesmen, and actors. As I've stated before, they know everything and will never knowingly lie or be misleading.

Keith

 

LOL, I like your humor!

 

Let me first say that I am not happy about Toyota's handling of this mess.

OTOH, I think the problem is overblown. I still think it's one of the nicest car I have owned, and I still love it. BTW, my previous 4 cars are fully souped up Porsche 911s with modified exhaust. It's a nice change going to the Prius to enjoy a "nice and quiet" car that is fully practical, and I also think of it as repaying my debt as far as carbon footprint goes...

In short, if I have to buy a new car now, I would still buy a Prius... I just wish I waited so I can get the fire sale pricing now... I am also glad that I leased the car so that I'm not affected by the drop in resale. With the plug-ins coming out in the next few years, I think the resale market will be pretty crappy anyway for current hybrids. It's a bit like cameras. In the old days I can buy a nice Leica and it will hold value for a long time. And now the digitals change every 9 months and your camera is obsolete in no time... IMHO, leasing is the only way to go with these cars...

I drove the Honda (what do they call that thing?) It's small and not as practical. And shape wise, it is an ugly clone of the Prius. The Fusion is too big and heavy for me. The only other car I might want is the Nissan Leaf but I bet you that car will have a lot of teething pain as well...

 

There's a reason why Prius is Toyota's #1 selling car in Japan. You'll like yours plenty when (and it will w/in 5 years) gas goes back to $4 or $5 per gallon. Mine works fine (2 months & 1850 miles).
Bart in SoCAL

 

+1, likely more.

 

I evaded the draft in 1971 by enlisting in the Marine Corps with a ground electronics guarantee for an extra two years of service, a total of four years. I was also depressed after an unhappy relationship that in bootcamp after three weeks and two days at 5:45 AM, my depression about the girl was gone.

My joy at no longer being depressed was within seconds replaced by the prospect of 3 years, 11 months, 5 days, 19 hours and 15 minutes of Marine enlistment remaining. After computer operator training, I was sent to Kansas City and assigned an electric typewriter with a pin-fed roller typing OCR codes on continious paper ... my "ground electronics guarantee." So I followed the chain of command and asked if this was really the spirit of my enlistemnt? Three weeks later, I had orders for Okinawa Japan.

When I arrived at my duty station in Okinawa, they asked, "Why are you here?" I showed them my orders and they said, "We don't need any more computer operators. You'll work the input-output desk." Fortunately, that burned out the last of my lifer tendencies and life got better.

So buying a Prius and just missing the sale ... if that is the worst that ever happens to you in life ... you are blessed!

Bob Wilson

 

Bob,

Uh, you suck at draft dodging.

Guess we can overlook that in light of your redeeming qualities.

But we'll need empirical evidence...

glen

 

I tried to find out about this, even googled it. Is there a rebate coming?

 

Try this link. Have not read it myself since I already bought.
Toyota Starts Rolling Out Deals to Attract Buyers - CleanMPG Forums

 

What $1,500 rebate and extend warranty are we talking about here???

 

I had a recall on my older Buick Park Avenue because the cars airbags would catch fire...never saw anything in the news about it!

 

I for one have second thoughts...

With all the flack Toyota has been getting on incidences and its recall nonsense, You think people would be lining up to buy your car, used , at a fair price , 5 years down the road ? HELL NO !... Toyota was known to hold great resell value and that is part of the reason why we overpaid for our Prius .

I don't see any writeups on insurance policys. I don't know the law regarding insurance to well. But can a person still pay the same insurance rate for known cars that flip on its owner ? Would make sense that insurance company's raise their rates on owners who own cars with known issues !

51 city/ 47 highway ...HOGWASH! What city is that person driving in ? Any city that has a mild amount of cars and a mild amount of traffic lights that change every minute to two minutes..will not get 51 city...Whoever gets 51 city, has entirely to much time on their hands and has total disregard to traffic behind them.Its comparable to a bicyclist or skateboarder sharing the traffic lane with automobiles(Go out and push your car, you can get 1000 mpg).

Granted the car is getting 47 highway and can exceed 55 with bumper to bumper traffic(Since their is no real need to accelerate beyond 10 mpg) . MY car is getting an average of 35 mpg, a far cry from the raves I've been reading or the sticker it came with.

Paying over 35k with taxes and such, I'd say Toyota owes me a $10k refund.

Is Toyota prepared to re-compensate its car owners for their indiscretions or do we have to wait 4 or 5 years for a class action lawsuit to get fair re-compensation?

In hindsight...Poor choice indeed !

 

Perhaps it's not the car that's hindering your mileage, but the driver of the car. Also, I'd suspect that the odds of a car being involved in an accident (and hence insurance premiums) is also much more strongly associated with the driving behaviors of the primary driver than the car itself.

 

Regardless of the media frenzy, I think if you're ready to make a switch to a car, then you should do it (even if you already purchased one or if it isn't the Prius). I picked up my '10 Prius III on 2.20.2010 and have loved it since. Regardless of the upcoming (rumored) incentives of extended warranty and discounts, I picked one up when I had the chance and the cars were on the lot. Got a killer price on mine @ $22,850 (waaay under invoice for III)

No regrets here! If I don't get the full 51/48 mpg—who cares. I know I bought a great car and it is sure to beat my 2003 Civic in MPG and $$$.

 

So what car do you propose that will do better than Prius while gunning from the line only to slam on the brakes? The laws of Newtonian physics have their limits... No internal combustion car will beat Prius in the driving you describe, although i could beat your Prius mileage with a few ICE cars without delaying other drivers.

This site can help rehab your mileage, but the first step is admitting you have a problem. Toyota owes you nothing.

Please sell the car at your earliest opportunity and buy a less FE model that will give you even worse mpg than you are getting now.

 

Same here with my mercedes ML. The fuel line is rubbing against the brake line. Could cause rupture of one or both leading to brake failure or you blow up. Nothing about it in the news.

 

Ksstathead:

To answer your advice or assessment:


So what car do you propose that will do better than Prius while gunning from the line only to slam on the brakes? The laws of Newtonian physics have their limits... No internal combustion car will beat Prius in the driving you describe, although i could beat your Prius mileage with a few ICE cars without delaying other drivers.>>>>>>>>>>>>>First off, Where does it say that I slam on the brakes ? I use the simple instructions in the owners manual concerning acceleration and reaching desired speed in ECO mode >>> In MY city there is lights north,south,east and west ...EVERY 500 feet...If you live in the sticks with 1 light in your whole city or village, please refrain in giving advice..I already said that on the highway the car does get 47 and beyond when the car needs to go 45-60 or 10 or below. With all the gliding and paying attention to the instruments, the car does not hold its mpg in this city!



This site can help rehab your mileage, but the first step is admitting you have a problem. Toyota owes you nothing.>>>>>>>>>>>In any economy, especially today's economy, a big part of the evaluating value of a car is determined on its reliability, resell value and cost to own and maintain it ...As noted these aspects are lacking in hindsight...NO ONE will pay more for a devalued car today then the worth 3 months ago with the nonsense of today...If people are dying by Toyotas on the loose, will insurance rates for these cars stay stable? ...If I knew the car would get 30-35 city I would of gotten a Chevy Malibu....Last I heard Toyotas got billions $$$ in problems or perhaps you don't have cable in the sticks to hear whats going on!

Please sell the car at your earliest opportunity and buy a less FE model that will give you even worse mpg than you are getting now.>>>>>>I'd gladly take a full refund from Toyota or from yourself if you believe anything you write, and would probably be able to buy the same Prius at $5k less....Hence I am owed a partial refund!

The saying goes when you leave the dealership, your car is never worth the price you just paid for it..Say that , X 2 !

 

blame the EPA test procedure

Blame the EPA test procedure. The EPA test is just a test and the EPA numbers are the only ones that can be legally advertised (I've seen VW try to skirt the rules but I question the ethics and legality of that).

Did you know they don't measure actual fuel usage? Did you know they don't drive on a real road? Did you know the average speed of the highway portions are only ~48 mph? Did you know the two portions of the test that are begun w/a cold engine are each 31.2 minutes long? Did you know they use a special blend of fuel for the test?

Please read the links at http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...uth-about-epa-city-highway-mpg-estimates.html for more details about the test.

You can see what Consumer Reports got when they tested the 2010 Prius at Most fuel-efficient cars vs. the next most efficient set of cars. Let me know if you want me to lookup the mileage for any cars that didn't make the cut.

Since you mention Malibu, FWIW, in Consumer Reports testing, in an 09 2.4L 6 speed auto, they got
16 city/38 highway, 25 mpg overall vs.
32 city/55 highway, 44 mpg overall for the Prius.

Would you've been happier w/half the city mileage and only 57% of the Prius' overall mileage?

Even the EPA admits that even w/the harsher tests that got added, your mileage will still vary. See http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/why_differ.shtml and http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/factors.shtml.