My Prius buying experience

[thundermustard]

I am hours away from picking up my new Prius (2005 Red Salsa, Nav pack)
and would like to share my experience in buying it.
First of all, I have a 2001 VW Jetta TDI so I am not saving anything in fuel cost. What I am getting is less emissions, a much more reliable car, and a great feeling of community. We are saving the world from Hummers and Escalades.
Best part is I really didn't want to wait on a list. I started seeing Prius' on lots, but never exactly like I want them. So just last week I would call dealers and they always had one or two.
Yesterday morning I called Toyota of Nashua and they had just unloaded my perfect car (see above). The person on the list wasn't ready to buy for a month.
I went to their website, printed out a $350 off coupon (good on any car in stock but Scions) :P and signed the paperwork.
I am thrilled.
Now , on the topic of cost. I have read over and over how you may never recoup the cost of a hybrid. Well, I spent $22000 on my 2001 Jetta and the only thing it has that the Prius lacks is a sunroof and heated seats.
But I got a Nav system, smart key, traction control, bluetooth, voice activation, better climate controls , etc. Add 4+ years of inflation and I think it is a bargain.
Sure it is more than a Matrix but it is apples and oranges.
I am looking forward to reading your post.

[bobc]

Hey Thundermustard,

Welcome fellow NH Prius owner!

Great score on the coupon! Did that come as a surprise to them when you presented it since most dealerships are used to selling Prius's at MSRP?

I too, looked at Matrix. One technique when I car shop is to look at a used on and see what's falling apart. I was pretty dismayed at the poor construction of the Matrix. The used cars hadn't been abused. It was just poor quality....

As for the heated seats, you can add them aftermarket..

Have you scoped out the KnowledgeBase here on priuschat to know what to look for when picking the car up? Especially helpful is the section on what settings the tech's can do to custom the beeps and chirps....

Congrats!

-bob