Considering Prius

I just wrote a long thread and lost it.

Anyway, I have a 2001 Civic that's having problems, and I'm thinking of getting a Prius. I'm hoping my current car doesn't force my hand too much, actually...I don't trust its condition.

My needs are minimal (I never load anything more than groceries, and no one else is ever in it), and my driving barely justifies a hybrid, as my commute is about 10 miles a day on streets with no traffic and an occasional freeway drive. But I love good mpg all the same.

So a few things...I gather it'll be normal to pay MSRP or close to it? And that supplies are low? I'm thinking of a V with the Nav package. I don't know how hard it'll be to find.

I also wonder how different a Prius will be from a Civic (I've not test-driven yet)? Does it require a lot of thought and effort? I basically just want to get in and go. I can't see myself constantly messing with modes and doodads.

I got the impression from a thread here that a wood trim is possible. I thought it was all plastic? Does the V have wood?

 

Yeah, but...no...

Really, even if I pretty much never use my cargo space, I don't mind having it. So if I need a new TV or something else kind of big, I know I can do it.

I also know a plug-in won't work for me (not that they're even coming out until next year) because I don't have an outlet. Well, I short of bringing it inside, but I don't think it'll fit up the stairs.

 

Thank y'all for the replies.

I'd written a list of needs and wants in the original version of the post, which is now gone. I guess part of why I was going for what I was going for was because I wanted a couple of those features, even if I wasn't sure I'd get use out of everything else.

Yes, A/C is crucial, life or death. No snow or gravel to drive on (Houston's not known for its winter blizzards)--the only road surface problem it'll have is water (just hopefully not too much, given our propensity for floods ).

I wasn't aware of exhaust manifold issues on Civics. Mine's started making a noise (although I am not surprised). It's also deucedly banged up--I have knocked my mirror off for the second time now on the pole by my parking space (sigh). In fact, forget lane-drift sensors. I need "you're about to hit the mirror" sensors.

 

I think it's less serious than the manifold, actually (not that I'm a mechanic).

But even if it were patched up, I'd still be in "new car" mode. She may not have many miles on her, but she's 10 years old now. I'm making two-three times what I was when I got her and would like a new shiny. Plus, it seems like the rest of my family's doing the same right now, so we can make a "thing" of it.

Funny thing, I thought the other day, "I never see any Prii around in this city." Of course, we have lots of trucks and SUVs, but I still figured there had to be some. And once I learned what they actually looked like from looking at pictures online, I started seeing them. I guess I was the only person who couldn't identify one by sight. And I clearly never drive behind them, ever, where I'd see the name. They're still nowhere near as common as I guess they are in California and maybe the northeast.

Those few that have passed me this week since I learned, though? Quiet! A sedan would pass, an SUV...and then a Prius would go by, and there was a real difference. Not that I'd ever hear the engine, anyway, over my insane music.

 

Just went out and test-drove a Prius, finally. No surprise, supplies are limited, but he let me drive one that's on hold for someone--a sandy beach-color III with leather.

I was surprised that the oddities I thought there'd be weren't there while others were, which is usually how that goes. The brakes were super tight. Of course, maybe my Civic's are loose, LOL, but the brakes would definitely be something I'd have to get used to. But it got comical as I drove it and kept jerking to a near stop when I'd intended to just slow down.

I'm used to a straight-line set of gears--move it to drive, the end. So I was having difficulty with the gears and how to get it where it should be. And park is a button, so that requires a change in mindset. And a button to start it.

One thing not very clear in pictures is the space under the gears console. Weird but perhaps a good idea, as it frees up room that'd usually be a bunch of plastic but I guess is where the normal drivetrain would be? So I guess if they don't need that area, they can use it as extra storage. And better to put the space under than put everything down low.

Anyway, the seat was comfortable--I like the leather. Visibility was fine. It accelerated quite well--obviously, it's not a Porsche or something, but I think it was fine for anything I'd do.

And when I got in, I got a phone call from a dealership I'd e-mailed the other day.

Edit: Oh, the reverse beeps. Can that be turned off? LOL. (Oh, I see there's a thread on it.)

 

Noted. I didn't think it did.

Anyway, one side benefit to a low stock of Prii might be a bit less sales pressure--what would they sell me if I said I was buying? Things are a little different when they have two dozen unsold pieces of crap to offload.

He looked so sad when I said I wanted to see a Prius, too...he must hate his life sometimes. He initially said he had none and then found they had a few around, including this one on hold (some story I didn't need about the guy putting down a deposit and then hurting his leg or something).

So I guess if I'm doing this, the next thing is to see if anyone has mine and decide if I can live with the "wrong" color and such. Blah.