advice needed buy now or wait for 2006's

[DRT]

We're going to need a new car soon - might be able to make it until Nov - should we buy an 05 Prius now or wait for the 06? Will there be much different in design or price? I really want leather and a sun roof, but I hate after factory installations. The dealer by us has an 05 silver they've added a sun roof and leather to, but added $3500 to cost for those options and it doesn't have the NAV system. Is the NAV system worth the extra price? We're also looking at the '06 Escape Hybrid. How did you Prius owners make the choice? Our commute is less than 15 miles round trip. Any advice is appreciate. PS I'm driving a 95 Saturn SC2 with 160,000 miles.

[galaxee]

From what I understand, there may or may not be some structural (stability and soundproofing) changes to the 06... I was never able to find a source stating that it would actually be done here in the US. However, prices are going up by about $300 soon. I don't know about availability of the 06 toward the end of the year, and the way it's going the tax deduction will be dropping substantially for hybrids purchased in 2006...

But if you are sure you could get an 06 by the end of the year, why not go for it? I would.

There are mixed reviews of the NAV system out there. We went without and get along just fine. Some complain of GPS trouble and some will not drive without NAV... so it's personal choice I think.

I'd say go with the Prius if you're looking for a nice commuter car to get around town, with capacity to carry a LOT of stuff if need be. The Escape sounds nice.. but it is bigger and any SUV just wasn't my style. But I bet it would hold more stuff. (for the record though, with seats folded down I fit both our trail bikes in our Pri)

And lastly. $3500 for leather and sunroof? Sounds kinda pricey to me. But I'm no sunroof expert...

[ReneGS]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DRT\";p=\"106426)</div>

We're going to need a new car soon - might be able to make it until Nov - should we buy an 05 Prius now or wait for the 06?  Will there be much different in design or price?  I really want leather and a sun roof, but I hate after factory installations.  The dealer by us has an 05 silver they've added a sun roof and leather to, but added $3500 to cost for those options and it doesn't have the NAV system.  Is the NAV system worth the extra price?  We're also looking at the '06 Escape Hybrid.  How did you Prius owners make the choice?  Our commute is less than 15 miles round trip.  Any advice is appreciate. PS I'm driving a 95 Saturn SC2 with 160,000 miles.[/b]

Well if leather and a sunroof is what you want (and its available on the 06s) then you probably should wait. Otherwise when Nov does roll around you'll end up regretting it.

I pretty much got what I wanted in my car so Im happy with it.

Honestly, if my commute was only 15 miles round trip I dont think I would have started to think about a Prius. My commute is much longer so owning a Prius was almost a necessity.

I went with the Prius over the other Hybrids (escape, insight, civic and highlander) for the simple fact that it gave the best MPGs.

The insight never even crossed my mind. Too small of a car.
The civic isnt a ful hybrid, its pretty plain, and doesnt get as good of MPG as the Prius.

I didnt want an escape because I didnt need nor want a small mini SUV. Ive looked at the regular Escapes and they arent that big. I'd actually be surprised if they had much more cargo room than the Prius.

The hilander was out of question because I didn tknow about them until I went to the dealership. Yeah its nice and gets great gas mileage for a mini-suv but it wasnt what I was after. I wanted the Best gas mileage possible while still in a good car. The Prius is surprisingly roomy and the body styling has grown a lot on me.

Anyways good luck with your decision!

rene

[Godiva]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DRT\";p=\"106426)</div>

I'm driving a 95 Saturn SC2 with 160,000 miles.[/b]

Hey, I used to drive a '96 Saturn SC2. Mine had less than 50,000 miles on it. My nephew has it now. Nice to know he'll probably be able to put another 100,000 miles on it.

Do you really want leather seats? My Saturn had leather seats and now I'm not so sure I want them back. Cold in the winter and blistering, burning hot in the summer. Plus the maintenance. And do you absolutely have to have a sunroof? The roof of a Prius is specially designed to be aerodynamic and I don't see how they can install a sunroof without impacting the mpg. Unless you don't care.

Do you want the Nav? Some people really find it convenient. Plus the bluetooth if you have a cell phone.

Just because this car is available now doesn't make it that great a deal if it has extra stuff (at a $3500 price markup) that you don't necessarily want and doesn't have stuff you do want.

They aren't *that* scarce.

As for the 2006 issue...if you like the Tideland Pearl (gray/green) color then buy a 2005 as they're doing away with that color. I think they are also discontinueing the Salsa Red if you like that. As for the rest....I don't think that changes are all that noticeable. My car is plenty stiff and solid and it's a lot quieter than my Saturn so the little tweaking they're doing for the 2006 isn't that big a deal to me.

Also consider this. If you wait for a 2006 and you don't get it before Dec. 31 you miss out on the $2000 tax thing. It drops to $500 in 2006.

Take a test drive and read up on all of the packages so you get the color and package you want, instead of paying a premium for what's available.

Above all....patience.

[inventor00]

The 2006 is coming out about Thanksgiving. There will be a leather seat option (not aftermarket). There will be no Salsa (now like the red of the Lexus GS300), or Tideland (changing to the Silver Pine of the Avalon). The Silver color is changing also (new one like like Flint Mica).

Only other change is supposed to be some appearance changes in the front -like bumper.

This is from a very very connected Prius oriented dealer.

[fmva]

I would test drive both the Prius and the Escape hybrid. I HATED the Escape - it had absolutely no pick-up. At the first tiny hill, I realized that I could never own that car. (I commute across a mountain 2 days a week). On the other hand, the Prius has lots of pick up and is fun to drive. I also had a local Ford dealer tell me that they were not even going to sell the Escape Hybid becuase it was an "underpowered useless car" in the hilly,rural area where I live. I might challenge the useless as I get the best mileage out of my Prius on rural roads- but the underpowered is definitely true.
The other advantage for me for the Prius is that the ICE does not have to be on to run the A/C - in the Esacpe the ICE runs non-stop if you want A/C - given that I have been known to use the A/C in the winter, this wasn't what I wanted.
I also have two co-workers with conventional Escapes and they live up to their "Fix or Repair Daily" reputation.

[kirbinster]

Keep in mind that if your commute is only 7.5 miles each way you are not going to be getting 50+ mpg - aside from that you won't go wrong with either an 05 or 06. Maybe wait for the 06 and then buy a leftover (if there are any) 05 at a slight discount - you never know.

[DRT]

Thanks for all your great info - keep it coming! It is interesting that one of the new colors is the "Flint Mica". I kind of like that better. The car the dealer had with the sun roof and leather seats must have been repainted (or possibly a 2005?) cause it was closer to the Flint Mica than the 2006 Silver. I want a sunroof and leather seats, but not for $3500. Does anyone know if leather seats or a sun roof will be options on the 2006?

The 95 Saturn is long story - we bought it used when my son was 16 - it looked like a little red sports car (till you saw the Saturn logo). He was kind of a geek, so he didn't realize that it wasn't a sports car for a couple of weeks - till his friends at school broke the news to him. Our daughter is a year younger and has always been more interested in cars. When he started college, he went to Vanderbilt and couldn't have a car on campus. The next year she went to down to Charleston (to the beach) to school. My husband got her a Jeep Wrangler when our son went to Australia for his junior year. After a year my daughter talked my husband into trading the Wrangler in for an Acura Integra. Our son still had no car because he was living on campus. Meanwhile I was driving a 2002 Pathfinder (the first new car I had in 20 years, with a great stereo, leather heated seats, sun roof etc.). Our son graduated in May '04 and our daughter has, lets say, at least 3 more years to go (even though she started just a year behind him). Apparently there isn't much studying going on at the beach. When he headed off to Law School last August all I heard were complaints about how he was the good child, yet all he was getting was the '95 Saturn. I became exasperated and finally told him to take my wonderful Pathfinder. Much to his dismay, gas prices have skyrocketed and he's stuck with the Pathfinder that uses premium gas. I can only laugh.

[Old n Bold]

Have a Driftwood Pearl #6 2005. Love it. Find the nav useful and fun to play with. You can probably find one quickly if you look around. There was a long waiting list locally so I went 50 mi. away and they were able to find me one in a couple of hours. Had it delivered the next day.

Other advice here on the 2006 model and the 2005 rebate is good. Like the headroom (I am 6 ft.) and wouldn't trade it (and decreased mpg) for a sunroof. Had one before and really don't need one now.

Just be sure to drive one before buying to make sure you really like the car. Drive it as much as possible.

[NewType]

Well, I don't know for sure if the 06 rius will be made in China or not...





My 05 Prius is Made in Japan. If this means something to you, may be you should considering buying one now. (No political motivation intended here.)