What do you think about trading-in a Prius for another car?

[stormeye]

I'm in the middle of a dilemma.... bought a 2005 Prius BC 2 months ago.
So far around 1400 miles on the odometer. Don't get me wrong. I really still like my Prius. However, the audio system thing was really disappointing compared to the Bose system my previous acura 3.2TL had. The difference in quality is huge.
Before I had bought this car., I was thinking about getting some collectable muscle car withing the $30k range, or some used car with a good riding and fare horsepower...like a low miles Lexus GS300.
My previous car was an acura 3.2tl. I had sold that car and bought this one because the car had a bad transmission at 56k miles. Can you believe that? 56k miles and the tranny was already bad. I really got disappointed with Honda/Acura after that bad experience.
I had never ever raced or pushed hard on the gas pedal. Besides the bad gas mileage requiring premium fuel and the bad tranny issues and some interior rattling noise/wind noise...the car was ok.

Have you ever thought of trading-in your car? If yes... why? and what would be your choice?

Maybe I'm way too depressed today
Sorry for this nonsense thread guys.

I would like to upgrade my Prius JBL audio system for a better one.
Any suggestions??

[Fredatgolf]

If after driving your Prius 1400 miles you are not in love with it you should definitely sell it as it is not for you. Now is the best time to sell because you probably won't lose that much and may even gain something since you are in the LA area.

[narf]

Stormeye,
Seems like it depends on why you bought your car. For me it was time to do the right thing. I love driving. I've been driving (and racing) sports cars for 30 years now. I couldn't justify burning large amounts of a dwindling natural resource on my way to work just so I could drive the car of my dreams. The other thing I finally learned was that there will always be a car out there that is just a bit faster and better handling than the one I just bought. For example, pity the driver of the 2004 Z06, now that the 2006 Z06 is out.

The side benefit I got to buying my Prius is that it actually relaxes me when I drive. There's something about the way the car feels when it accelerates, quick but not aggresive, that keeps my blood pressure a few notches lower in stop and go traffic.

BTW, I have the JBL system, and I think it's not bad, but clearly not a super high quality system. The odd thing is that I think the CD side of it sounds pretty good but the FM tuner is really weak. If Coastal every delivers thier Aux input mod I'll be using my IRiver player more than either. If the audio system is your biggest complaint, that's fixable. Find a good stereo installer and let them go nuts.

Hope your day gets better!

[rflagg]

How do *I* feel about trading in my prius? My personal opinion is that I wouldn't consider trading it regardless of the offer - unless of course I could immediately go out and get a prius on the profit of the trade - but even then, it's not my original baby.

For you though, it's however you feel. If your main concern is a stereo, the prius isn't for you. If you can find something more to your liking, I think you'll easily be able to get rid of the prius if you so choose. But that's something you have to decide for yourself that no one can decide for you. Best of luck, let us know what you decide to do!

-m.

[stormeye]

Thanks Fredatgolf and narf for your replies.
Actually I think I just wanted to have some interaction with Prii owners. Maybe I was too passive in this forum. I've been reading post. That's all.
I totally agree with what you narf just said. There is something about the Prius...
The fact that my car is an environment-friendly got me into getting this car.
I was a cigarette smoker for 10 years and just quit smoking 6 months ago. Trying to be in good shape healthy...and this enrironment healthy...makes me happy... no matter what other people might say about my car.

However, I would take an 87 Buick Grand National GNX. hehe. just kidding.

Have a nice day.

[jamarimutt]

The ICE turns off when the car is not moving and when it's going downhill. This just makes so much sense that I doubt I can trade my Prius for a regular car.

[galaxee]

i agree with jam... i couldn't go back to a conventional ICE car after 2 months with my Pri. I only have 1900 miles on mine...

I'm sure there have to be options out there. I mean, there are some absolutely brilliant audio guys and maybe they can make something work. And then you can make it fit in the dash by designing some kind of adapter to restore the appearance to the dash. If the audio is your only concern I'd hesitate to just trade it. If you really like the car you may be disappointed by the next one...

and congrats on quitting smoking, my husband did the same a while back and i saw what a struggle it was for him. it takes a lot of inner strength.

[jayman]

Well, I suppose you could go back to the Acura. That way, when the transmission conks and you're stranded on the side of the road, at least you'll have a *great* sound system to listen to while waiting for the tow truck.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not into sound systems in general. Whatever comes with the vehicle is fine with me. As long as I can catch the traffic report and the weather, I'm satisfied. I have a selection of CD's and even cassettes - I'm an old coot - so the JBL is fine with me.

For really long boring drives, I just listen to the voices in my head. Yes, I'm kidding. I'm not easily bored so I don't mind long drives.

What would make me get rid of my Prius?

Well, as I've posted in Dec and Jan, the city driving heater performance at temps colder than -25 C is horrible. Ironically, the ICE runs all the time at those cold temps, and the battery SOC is always green. I'm thinking HV electric supplemental heat, you listening Toyota??

That alone isn't enough to make me get rid of the car, but with almost everything else well thought out, it irritates me.

The buckboard stiff ride is another thing. Over smooth pavement it's ok, but frost-jacked expansion joints here are punishing. And based on the 5km of washboardy gravel sideroad I drive on to my hobby farm, this car is clearly not designed for rough roads.

The potholes and washboardy sections are downright nasty, and the car would probably have a short life if always driven on such roads. If I suddenly had to do a lot of driving on rough gravel roads, I know I would have to either get rid of the car or get a bladder transplant. I'd sooner drive my 1984 Ford F-150, with Rancho shocks set to "1."

At least it floats over the washboardy gravel in that configuration. Never mind the intermittent Ford AM radio, no A/C, hand crank windows, etc. I don't think the Prius ride has anything to do with ground clearance, my parents 2003 Buick LeSabre has comparable ground clearance and it also floats over washboardy gravel roads.

A coworker has a 2004 Lincoln Navigator, which has four wheel independent suspension and air ride. We've been out to the hobby farm a few times in his Lincoln, and I'm very envious of his ride quality over gravel roads. The coffee doesn't even ripple in the cup. Of course, for that money and at 16 MPG it had better have at least a nice ride.

Otherwise there isn't much that would kill my Prius relationship. I'm starting to wonder if the shocks don't contribute to the hard ride, and if so maybe I can find some soft shocks for the car. Then I could tackle the winter heater situation, and the car would be perfect for me.

If you're nitpicking the stereo, something you would have noticed during a test drive, I'm wondering if maybe there are other issues involved here?

[Tideland Prius]

My friend had to replace the transmission on his 96 Accord EX back in 2001. Don't know how many kms on his odo.

If it's the sound system that's bothering you, why trade the whole car when you can just upgrade the system? Check the Audio & Electronics section for do's and don'ts that others have posted.

[stormeye]

jayman...
>>> Well, I suppose you could go back to the Acura. That way, when the transmission conks and you're stranded on the side of the road, at least you'll have a *great* sound system to listen to while waiting for the tow truck.

that comment hurts... kinda sarcastic but I liked it. Thank you jayman.

Actually, it was the drivetrain issue which made me switch from the honda team to the toyota.
Personally, I believe Toyota cars have better transmission than Honda. I think Honda is more famous for making good horsepower motors.

Regarding the audio related comments, I was already aware of the *great* quality before I made my mind to buy the Prius. Not a big deal. I can live with that. Prius has more pros than cons.

One more thing... I hear some rattling noise while driving when I leave the window lowered a couple of inches. Is that normal?