Thinking of buying a Prius

[ScottY]

Hi everybody,
My name is Scott. I've been reading about the Prius for the past few weeks and found this website. Everybody seems to be very knowledgeable and nice. I am graduating from college and got a job. I am thinking about buying the Prius to drive to work. But I got some concerns and want to ask everybody here.
1. The main concern is the battery life. Does anybody know how long the battery will last and how much to replace it?
2. I also heard a lot about dealers are ripping people off. Are there any things I need be careful about when dealing with them?
3. Is the maintenance more expansive than other cars?
4. What other things I need to be aware of if I really decide to own a Prius?

Thanks in advance for all your help guys!

Scott

[Tideland Prius]

1) Nope. It's covered for 8yrs/100,000 mi. Current cost is abt US$1300 (converted from ¥)

2) If one decides to ask for a non-refundable deposit or charges over MSRP, walk away and find another dealer. There are lots of honest ones selling at MSRP.

3) Nope. Good ol' regular maintenance. Brake pads last longer. Engine coolant doesn't need to be changed til 100,000 miles.

4) Not much other than take a test drive to make sure you really like it.

[Godiva]

It's a great car if you can afford it in your budget. The package #6 is a lot easier to find than the package #1 in money is an object. You may wait a lot longer if you can only afford a #1. If you're not fussy about color or interior you'll find one faster.

1. The main concern is the battery life. Does anybody know how long the battery will last and how much to replace it?

I've read estimates up to 19 years. I figure it will go longer than the 8 years it's warrantied for and I usually buy a car about every 10 years so I'm not that worried. I also expect that when it needs replacing the replacement will be both more powerful and cheaper than the current going rate so I'm not that concerned.

2. I also heard a lot about dealers are ripping people off. Are there any things I need be careful about when dealing with them?

Don't pay over MSRP. Don't give a non-refundable deposit. When you take possession of the car don't get talked into LoJack or other add ons. Make sure you tell the dealer they are not to add anything without your approval. I would suggest you purchase an extended warranty from Troy through Priuschat. Don't let the dealers tell you you can only buy it through them. I've read anything from $2200 to over $3,000. You can get one here for less than $1,000. If you have a car check Yahoo bluebook for private party worth as opposed to what the dealer will offer. Check and see if your local CostCo has a service for buying cars and if you can get a discount for being a member. It's worth the $45 if you can save $750. Do a search on the internet for "how to buy a car" and you'll find some sites that will give you pointer on not being ripped off. If possible have your financing in place before you go to the dealer. And shop around for gap insurance. Your bank/credit union may have a better deal that the dealer.

3. Is the maintenance more expansive than other cars?

No more than other cars. And you'll do it less often. If you're worried, consider an extended warranty.

4. What other things I need to be aware of if I really decide to own a Prius?

Test drive it to make sure it's for you. You'll find your Prius will train you to be a better driver. You may find yourself becoming more concerned with the environment. You might find yourself washing and waxing your car...a lot. You might find yourself buying your car all sorts of little presents like decals, antenna balls, car mats, seat covers, cargo nets, etc. You might even find yourself becoming a little puffed up because you're driving one of the most technologically advanced and cleanest cars currently available to the public. Personally, I think a little pride is acceptable if justified.

[bruceha_2000]

Scott, You need to know WHY you want a Prius :-) Definately drive it and make sure you find it comfortable. Most do, but you don't want to sink a ton of money into any car then find you can't get comfortable.

First: I wouldn't trade mine for any car currently available. I love most eveything about it, features and technology.

Make sure your MPG expectations are reasonable for where you will be driving. A short commute (a couple of miles) won't get you near the EPA numbers. The engine is going to get to and stay at operating temp whether you like it or not. I did find in the winter that if I shut off the climate control at red lights, the car didn't cool down inside enough for me to notice but the computer decided that since I wasn't pulling heat of the block, it was OK to shut down.

My 'normal driving' is mostly 45 MPH and below, trips 8-10 miles with at least a 1 hour stop. Some shorter 1 mile trips to the store, restaraunt, etc. Cold takes a BIG bite. With current temps in the 40s at night, 60s during the day, I will be logging ~52 MPG for this tank, now at 2 bars. The same driving in January when the highs were single digits above zero F, I got under 33 MPG for the tank.

I don't know that it is universal, but the desire to get the best MPG for the conditions can be comical. In January I'd have five minute MPG blocks, 1 under 20 then 3 around 40 MPG, and be all "Whoo hoo" since it was better than the current tank avg. Now, if those last 3 blocks are under 50, I'm bummed. :-) Heck, the best my Odyssey EVER got was 25. So, I'm not complaining about the January AVG, just want to set expectations.

[ScottY]

Wow, thanks for all your responses. They all are pretty helpful. I'll def. go test drive it when I get a chance.
As for why I want a Prius. The commute is about 25 to 30 miles for me. If I get a Prius, I can save alot of gas, and save the environment too.
I'll let you guys know if I really decide to get it. Again, thanks for all your friendly responses.

Scott

[kjb516]

2. I also heard a lot about dealers are ripping people off. Are there any things I need be careful about when dealing with them?

While I reasonably trusted my Toyota dealership, when time came to put down the deposit for my Prius, I used a credit card instead of handing over a check. My figuring was that should experience any issues getting the deposit back, I could just call the credit card company and deny payment. AMEX is REALLY good about removing charges before investigating.

[BobA]

Hi Scott... your questions have been addressed... I would sugest going to toyota.com and 'building' your Prius... I believe that you will get answers from internet managers in a matter of hours... once you fing them you can find out more about the dealer pricing and wait times if there are any.. for other dealers names I'd look at cars.com and eBay (again for dealer names...not to buy).. I found the internet manager where I bought my car in the Denver area was up front with his quote and time of delivery...Good luck in your search

Bob Andersen

[ScottY]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BobA\";p=\"90706)</div>

Hi Scott...  your questions have been addressed... I would sugest going to toyota.com and 'building' your Prius... I believe that you will get answers from internet managers in a matter of hours... once you fing them you can find out more about the dealer pricing and wait times if there are any.. for other dealers names I'd look at cars.com and eBay (again for dealer names...not to buy).. I found the internet manager where I bought my car in the Denver area was up front with his quote and time of delivery...Good luck in your search

Bob Andersen[/b]

Yes I did Actually, I requested quote from couple of dealers around my area.
I will arrange a day to test drive the car sometime next week. I'll def let you guys know about it. Thanks!

Scott

[bruceha_2000]

In case you haven't found this advice on the board yet: some areas have little wait, some have a long wait. Figure out your "I'm willing to travel this far to get one" time/distance and hit all the dealers. Specify in your email that you will not pay over MSRP and you are willing to put up a REFUNDABLE deposit. The low-life gouging dealers won't bother to respond. Also check the Priuschat section on dealers so you can skip any that have a bad rep here.

[Mystery Squid]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ScottY\";p=\"90682)</div>

As for why I want a Prius. The commute is about 25 to 30 miles for me. If I get a Prius, I can save alot of gas[/b]

LOL, join the club!

My commute is 30 miles each way. Considering my average monthly gas bill for by big F150 was $300, I'm going to make a killing...

Good luck!

Oh, and side note, if you really want one without a monsterous wait, and are will to drive a few hours, some of the bigger dealerships up here around Boston have decent inventory. For instance, as of today, IRA in Danvers, MA has 4 listed in their new inventory...