Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Ride and Drive Tour

it's unfortunate they don't let us take it for a decent test drive.

 

Awesome! I will definitely be there!

 

Its more of a "dog and pony show", getting the public a quick spin around the parking lot (and paying them $10 to do it as well with the Best Buy gift card), they want as many as possible to try it, so they keep the test drives short, so as many as possible are in "all electric".

I can see their point, however, for those of us on "the list", there should be a different event, where we can get an extended test drive, or even rent the car for a full day, to see how it works for us.

frankly, I am undecided between the PHEV Prius and the Leaf, and I am leaning towards the Leaf now. Toyota, convince me!

 

Watching with interest. There are still too many unknowns to know how interested I am, so forget putting down a deposit. I mean, we really don't know much at all. If this means I might have to wait IF I find out that I'm interested. So be it.

a "quick around the parking lot" in a pre-production version isn't going to tell me anything either. Just fuels the enthusiasm. Great for Toyota I guess. Waste of my time.

 

when i went to try the gen III last year, it was sprinkling out and so slow, they were begging people to try a test drive even though you were supposed to be pre registered. and they still wouldn't let me take it out on the road. and the people running it were clueless about hybrids in general and the prius in particular. it felt like they were somebodies friends or relatives.

 

I just got back from a Toyota event at Carousel Mall, Syracuse NY. We were there for a mini golf birthday party, and were encouraged to participate by young greeters by the main doors with the promise of $10 Visa gift card. So after dropping my daughter off we decided to have some fun for Mom and Dad. After registering and walking over to the test drive tent, we got to choose what vehicles we wanted to drive; Highlander Hybrid, 2011 Prius, or one of the two preproduction EVPHEV Prius. We went for the EVPHEV Prius and took it around the Mall loop with the rep in the passenger seat. He was good at re-telling the EVPHEV talking points (Only 3 hours to recharge on house 110v, WOW). He wished they had provided him a user manual, but he showed us how when you put it in Power Mode it started the motor and charged the batteries. I liked how he shared the features that he had found by playing around with the vehicle. The ride was very much like the my wife’s 2nd Gen Prius, and we found ourselves wishing for a longer test drive. Then we were given the opportunity to make a 30 second video review of our test drive, which we did. Then a quick questionnaire before the $10 payoff (total $20 for me and my wife). All in all, a very enjoyable experience and I think we had more fun than my daughter and her mini-golf.

 

"I can see their point, however, for those of us on "the list", there should be a different event, where we can get an extended test drive, or even rent the car for a full day, to see how it works for us."

I was at a Lexus dealer last week for the first time, and each time I voiced interest in a car the dealer handed me the keys and said "drive as long as you need to, I'll be here to answer questions when you return."

Very liberating, and very much appreciated. I joked with him afterwards that he has a great job: he hands over keys, and people return when they are ready to buy.

 

i couldn't agree more, i've heard that about lexus before. my neighbor drove an ls460? for weeks before purchasing.