Wonder how many Gen II Toyota is expecting to sell before the Gen III comes out.

I wonder too . . . I wonder if we'll be able to see the stearing wheel lights without the aid of a night scope

So, why did I feel like Wonder Woman when I test drove that?

I love the way the are enticing people to come to the web site. Too bad, I have to keep my 2006 for life.

---Kent

I think I'm going nuts!
I am a heartbeat away from buying a new 2009, but the left brain says to wait for 2010 and the right says to buy a 2009 then upgrade to a 3rd gen a year or two down the road when Toyota gets the 'bugs' worked out.
Help!

blah, 65 days.. seems like forever...

Keep in mind the countdown is to when they unveil the Prius. It probably won't be available to the consumer for a few more months after that. Also, you may want to look into if there is a waiting list on the 2010. If you can't get a 2010 for possibly another 8-10 months, would that affect your decision?

sales start april 2010... honestly, if you are tech freak and prius fun, it is silly to buy 09 right now...

I hear you. I took the "risk" of getting a 2001 Prius. I'm still driving it. One of the few cars that has NEVER stranded me. I would be vastly more worried about availability than bugs.

My thinking is this. If you wait until the 2010 models are available, you will be able to find used 2008 or earlier models, as people trade-in to get the PHEV feature. And if you buy a new 2009 now, it shouldn't hold it's resale value as well once the 2010 models are out. But if you are driving a vehicle that's got poor mpg now, the sooner you switch to driving a Prius the sooner you will start using less petroleum...

Since Honda has ALREADY announced they will be launching the Insight on Earth Day (April 22nd?), I'm sure Toyota is taking that date into consideration. Perhaps Toyota will announced a release date of April first ...
and then say"April Fools! Haha! Gotcha!"..and then cruelly release it on April 2nd without telling anyone.

My Corolla has been VERY dependable. I'm at 99,500 miles right now, and I have had ZERO problems. 99,500 ... that reminds me, it's been 6100 miles since my last oil change. Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone. I'm writing myself a post-it reminder right now, to go tomorrow. So, if a Prius is built anywhere near as good as a Corolla (and I'm sure it is), then it should get you WELL OVER 100K miles with zero problems. So, with reliability not being a concern, then mpg, aesthetics of the interior/exterior, and any potential new gadgets/features is probably the main difference. How about the life-time of the battery? I haven't heard anyone complain about the life-time of the battery.

I'm seriously thinking about buying a pre-owned GenII after the 2010s come out.

Has anyone here ever put a mountain bike in the back of their Prius? Does it fit? (note: you are only able to answer this question if you have actually done this before)
.

Yup, I've put my mountain bike in the back of my Prius before, the Prius rear seats folded down, the bike's front wheel quick-released. Mine is a 19-inch-frame mountain bike which weighs around 40 pounds. I had a tarp so I won't get chain grease and tire dirt everywhere on the upholstry.

Getting the bike into and out of the back of the Prius IMHO was a PITA because my mountain bike was so heavy. After a couple weeks of doing that, I decided not to put up with it anymore and got a Curt hitch installed so I can carry it on a hanging rack instead.

You must have a 50 pound full DH bike. I have a Specialized Enduro freestyle mountain bike (it's very strong, but it's aluminum-alloy, so it's lighter. I've jumped it and done six-foot drops before. The full suspension hasn't failed to dampen anything yet). I just want to make sure the dimensions are okay. In order to put my bike in the back of my Corolla, I have to move the seats forward, otherwise it will bend the rear wheel. (fortunately, I did not learn this from experience - I'm prediciting it would get bent). I just want to make sure the Prius will no doubt have extra space around the bike. If the seats fold down, it sounds like it will be okay. Thanks.

I can also confirm that a MTB fits in the back (in may case a Trek Y-22, size med) - I only have to remove the front wheel and fold down the larger rear seat back. I have the WeatherTech hard rubber mat in back rather than the carpeted one, so I don't worry about mud/grease/etc.

I think you mean April 2009.

Do we know for sure that the Generation III will be Plug In and available to the public (or just lease/fleet)?

yes, but not before 2010 for sure... and nobody knows exactly when...

As much as I like the promise of the newer Prius, I still plan on purchasing a gently used Gen II w/ reasonably low miles. I suspect it is in my best interest to stick w/ this plan.