interested party

[jackeemad13]

My husband is finally budging on buying a new car and after hearing alot of good things in the media about the Prius I am looking for actual owner opinions. I understand the whole good on gas and stuff but what about everything else? I live in Michigan, weather is unpredictable. Is it going to be safe in all weather conditions? All the gadgets...r they pretty easy to understand and use cuz my husband is just getting use to using pc lol. And anything else that anyone thinks may be helpful knowledge would be greatly appreciated. We are also looking at Ford Fusion but the Prius is really growing on us. Thanks

[robincx]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jacks @ Mar 25 2007, 08:15 PM) [snapback]412071[/snapback]</div>

My husband is finally budging on buying a new car and after hearing alot of good things in the media about the Prius I am looking for actual owner opinions. I understand the whole good on gas and stuff but what about everything else? I live in Michigan, weather is unpredictable. Is it going to be safe in all weather conditions? All the gadgets...r they pretty easy to understand and use cuz my husband is just getting use to using pc lol. And anything else that anyone thinks may be helpful knowledge would be greatly appreciated. We are also looking at Ford Fusion but the Prius is really growing on us. Thanks
[/b]

I'm in Buffalo NY, and up here we know a bit about snow and my Prius is great in the snow and adverse sleet/wind condidtions. The gadgets are easy and intuitive - if you can drive a golf cart you can drive a Prius. Look into some snow tires for the snow season, although I've never had any problem with the stock tires, I plan on getting a set of something sturdier for next year but that is also an excuse to get a set of stylin' whells for the warmer months. Putting on an after market stiffening plate is a common modification that helps in windy situations. As you can probably see by the online community here Prius owners are a dedicated breed, I don't know about the Fusion crowd - looks like another Ford to me. The mileage and sheer coolness of these cars is plenty reason to get one. My vote, ditch the thought of a Fusion and get to your Toyota dealer today.

[qbee42]

We live North of Traverse City on the tip of the Leelanau peninsula, so I know about Michigan winters. We've had our Prius for a year, and 12,000 miles later we still love it. It's a great car all the way around, even without considering the fantastic gas mileage and low emissions. It's the best winter driving car I've ever had. I've owned a Jeep C-J5, a Subaru, and a four wheel drive Ford van. The four wheel drives will go through deeper snow, but the Prius is much more controlled and stable. Make sure you get a model with VSC; it really helps in the winter. My only complaint has been the stock Goodyear Integrity tires. You might as well drive with banana peels. Make sure you replace them before winter. We swapped them for Michelin MXV4+ Energy tires in the same size.

If you have any specific questions, be sure to ask.

Tom

[Stev0]

As a New Englander, I can tell you: In the winter you won't get near the advertised gas mileage. On the other hand, it's still better in terms of MPG than any other car out there.

And even ignoring the MPG (which I have been the past three months or else I get depressed), it's still an amazingly fun car to drive.

[hill]

Check out a car rental place & try it on for size. Here at PC we will most all, likely say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread
(because it is)

[brick]

You should definitely budget for a good set of snow tires to go with it. If you do, it will go just fine in the snow. (The car itself is great, but the stock tires can make winter driving...interesting. I've tried it both ways and made it OK with the stock tires but wouldn't want to make a habit out of it.) The gadgets are pretty easy to understand. You basically push the button next to the screen that corresponds to what you want to change (climate settings, radio settings, etc.) and it brings up another screen that has all of the controls laid out for you. They're pretty intuitive. The only difference is that you're touching a screen instead of a real button. Works for me.

For me, it's a great car. It has enough power when I need it, it's quiet compared to my last car ('02 Accord) and it can carry a surprising amount of stuff for its size. Just make sure that you can both get comfortable in the driver's seat. The most common complaint is that it doesn't have the adjustability for really tall drivers, particularly those with long legs. I'm 6'1 and don't have a problem, but I do find myself wishing for a little more thigh support and a telescoping steering column.

[richard schumacher]

Ditto the snow tire advice. Note that the Prius drive system makes it *impossible* to spin the wheels, so a Prius cannot dig itself out of snow or mud. But it is also impossible to stall the engine, so you can go 1 MPH if you need to to avoid slipping while going up an icy slope.

Prius MPGs are better under all conditions than essentially any other car. During a five mile drive at -40 a Prius may get only 30 MPG , but any other car will get less.

When the last pip on the gas gauge starts to blink it means "buy gas right now".

[brick]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Mar 26 2007, 08:09 PM) [snapback]412605[/snapback]</div>

Note that the Prius drive system makes it *impossible* to spin the wheels, so a Prius cannot dig itself out of snow or mud.
[/b]

I still haven't experienced that in my '07. The last storm provided a pretty good snow cover and it definitely started to slip, but the wheels were more than willing to keep turning albeit very slowly and in steps rather than continuously.

[boulder_bum]

I got mine a couple of weeks ago and I think it's the best designed car I've driven (even forgetting about the great mileage).

Here's how I would rate the gadgetry on ease of use:

SmartKey System (let's you open locked doors and drive without your keychain ever leaving your pocket): couldn't be easier to use! Very handy when your hands are full and you don't want to fiddle with unlocking the door. Fun to push a button to start the car and drive.

Backup Camera: very easy to use and handy.

HomeLink (thingie on the rear view mirror that opens your garage door): pretty easy to program. Super easy to use.

BlueTooth Hands Fee Phone: As easy to pair as any other BlueTooth device, very easy to answer calls, very cool that it turns off the stereo when you're talking, though it's a little bit of a clumsy interface for placing them via your voice. You have to wait till a voice prompt ends, say the number, wait again for the voice prompt to end, then press the proper button. I'm used to the ease-of-use of Microsoft Voice Command and the Toyota system seems relatively cumbersome.

GPS System: Not as intuitive an interface as, say, a Tom Tom and lacks the capability of spoken street names, but the big advantage is that it turns down the radio when it's announcing an upcoming turn. I still don't understand how to get it to work by spoken commands.

Stereo: controls right on the steering wheel. Very easy to get the hang of. There's an aux jack and second DC outlet in the center console for an iPod or other MP3 player, but the disadvantage of it is that you have to use the iPod controls instead of those on the steering wheel to scroll through songs/playlists.

There are also lots of other cool innovative things about the Prius like it's the most aerodynamic car on the market, it now comes with side-curtain airbags, it has the capabilty to play WMA/MP3 CDs, it has instrumentation right at the bottom of the windshield so you don't have to take your eyes off the road to read the speedometer, etc.

It's also literally the #2 most reliable car on the road behind the Honda Civic Hybrid which is a big plus!

[richard schumacher]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brick @ Mar 26 2007, 09:14 PM) [snapback]412653[/snapback]</div>

I still haven't experienced that in my '07. The last storm provided a pretty good snow cover and it definitely started to slip, but the wheels were more than willing to keep turning albeit very slowly and in steps rather than continuously.
[/b]

Thanks, that is a much better description of what happens. I was thinking of people who try to free a stuck car with rocket action by spinning the wheels at full throttle; that can't be done in a Prius.