HELP

[williab]

Been reading all the chat items over the last week - trying to decide whether I want to buy a Prius- coming off an Acura MDX with many buttons & whistles but lousy gas mileage - however, the dead car distresses, and other tech issues are scaring me - I am technically challanged and there seems to a million things that go wrong with a Prius - I live in Syracuse where we get alot of snow and that is one of my concerns - I thougt I wanted Bluetooth and Nav but after reading some posts, I am confused - one person I know said she had issues with wind and the car seems to move alot - HELP - I really like the car but do not have the $ or tech knowledge to deal with a car that gives me problems - thanks for your input

[Danny Hamilton]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pie r sqd @ Aug 15 2007, 10:40 PM) [snapback]496672[/snapback]</div>

Been reading all the chat items over the last week - trying to decide whether I want to buy a Prius- coming off an Acura MDX with many buttons & whistles but lousy gas mileage - however, the dead car distresses, and other tech issues are scaring me - I am technically challanged and there seems to a million things that go wrong with a Prius - I live in Syracuse where we get alot of snow and that is one of my concerns - I thougt I wanted Bluetooth and Nav but after reading some posts, I am confused - one person I know said she had issues with wind and the car seems to move alot - HELP - I really like the car but do not have the $ or tech knowledge to deal with a car that gives me problems - thanks for your input
[/b]

Look at the consumer reports reliability information. Take a test drive, rent one for a week. These things will help put your mind at ease.

Due to the nature of this discussion board, people with a problem come here with their questions. This means you see an unrealistically high percentage of the conversation dealing with technical issues and problems. 99+% of the Prius drivers out there "just drive it". They don't have problems and they don't try to understand all the technology and methods for altering the car or their driving habits. Those people don't ask questions about the car, and so they aren't included when you read the conversations here.

For the first 3 years or 36,000 miles the car will be under bumper to bumper manufacturer warrantee. If you are one of the rare Prius owners that unfortunately happens to have a problem, you have access to expert assitance here at PriusChat, and acces to free repairs from the Dealership.

Some people are very passionate about tire pressure, others about type of oil, others about frequency of regular maintenance, others about maximizing MPG, and others yet about technical modifications to the car. That's great if any of those things interest you. If not, the owners manual reccomends an oil change every 5000 miles or 6 months, and a tire rotation at the same time. The brakes are likely to last you more than 100,000 miles, the "big" battery and the "transmission" are likely to outlast the rest of the car, and if you want to keep it looking good, you might want to wash it occasionally.

Look at how quickly they disappear from dealerships, and how difficult it is to find a used Prius (along with how high the price is on used Prius) and it becomes clear that people who own these are generally quite happy with their purchase.