Phoenix-metro Prius Service?

[lionel]

What can you well-informed and discerning Prius owners share regarding the competence, price, and to a lesser extent, convenience of local Prius specialists? I'm starting to get involved in the service of a 2005 Prius. I know a good amount of "lore" about maintaining a Prius, but I'm just now doing my own "shopping around" for a local shop.

I'm foremost interested in the mechanic who would be doing the work. The name on the sign out front helps locate their street address, but when you strip away all of the "service advisors" and marketing and reference material and certifications and rent and utilities and capital, what *everyone* pays for is the skill of the person working on their car. Some amount of non-salary things can make a mechanic more effective, but those who do the best job while passing along to customers the least "excess cost" deserve special recognition.

Another thing which it would be very helpful to share is experiences with those things you don't necessarily go to a mechanic for, like tires. Back in April, I struggled to find a tire that was available (and competitively priced) in the Valley that also performed well against the stock Goodyear Integrity tires. Short answer is I went with Michelin Primacy MXV4, ~$485 OTD, A/R @ Discount Tire on Scottsdale just N. of Shea. I'm not thrilled with the tire, but it was the best combination of attributes I could find at the time (lowest projected cost per mile with equal or better noise and handling characteristics vs. the stock tire). I can share more on that if anyone is interested. Even better would be if people can help with what they know: Who "gets" the Prius and offers the best value lube-oil-filter and other regular services, lowest hourly cost, lowest overall cost after markups and fees, etc.

[Jayhawker]

I have used Hasskel Automotive in the past. Andy is a very trust-worthy mecanic. He will only use OEM parts and you can also bring in your own things in if you want something else used.

[lionel]

Though I live and work in Scottsdale, west-siders might find this additional information helpful:

Haskell Auto
6028 N. 67th Ave.
Glendale, AZ 85301

Their web site (haskellauto.com) lists certifications for:
Toyota/Lexus Certified Factory Training
Hybrid Synergy Certified Factory Training
Other brands: Mercedes, Honda, Nissan