Proud new owner

I second the congratulations.

Hopefully you will love the car as much as I do mine.

Mother Earth thanks you.

 

New Prius Owner

Just wanted to download my thoughts on my purchase of a 2008 magnetic grey Prius package 6.

THE SALE - I spent about a month after hours calling Prius dealers in the ATLANTA area, and nearly all of them wanted to charge full msrp for the prius. Apparently package 6 and the magnetic grey are both in high demand (according to the dealers) and the best offer I got was $27,250 on package 5 with the dealer adding leather later (but it would not be on the armrest). Even then, the dealer had to locate it for me, and he was nonresponsive on updating me. The two options I had were buying it from the Toyota dealership in Asheville, NC (they publicize their no-haggle prices) or buying it from a Toyota Carmax in Laurel, MD which sold new Toyotas. The Carmax had the car in stock and so I bought it there. I will say, however, that the folks at Barksdale (sp) Toyota in Asheville were very pleasant and professional - unlike nearly all of the ATL dealers - and I would've bought it there if they'd had it in stock.

I bought a base (non-touring) Prius in magnetic grey with package 6 for $26,846 (I will have to pay tax, title, and license, etc. in ATL). This was their no-haggle price. I bought it as it was being delivered to Carmax and the dealer rep - Terry Haskins - handled everything with me over the phone. He was tremendously professional and the car was ready and prepped when I got to MD. I and a buddy made the 11 drive back to ATL. I was in and out of the dealership in 20 minutes.

INITIAL IMPRESSION - First, the car looked incredible. Prepped, 2 miles on the ODO and that new car smell. I usually buy pre-owned cars and it was great to be in a new car.

THE LONG DRIVE - I will characterize my impressions in the various topics a new owner might need info. I know that there are many perceptions/opinions in the market and this forum on everything from the stereo, tires, ride, handling, noise, gas mileage. I know, because I read them all, and I want to be helpful to potential new owners (and to save them the time it took me). Also, as a base of experience, my most recent car was a 2001 Saab 9-3 convertible. My wife drives a 2003 Lexus ES300.

Ride/handling - this car drives much like a Honda Accord. Adequate, but not sports car pickup, but you will have no trouble on the interstate or merging. Remember, my first 700 miles were all on I-95 and I-85. The ride is smoother than I thought, better than my Saab, but not quite as cush as the Lexus.

Seats - better than I thought, based on notes here and elsewhere. My Saab seats are some of the best you can buy, but I did most of the 11 hour trip in the driver seat and it was good. Not great, better than adequate. I have leather, so maybe that helped.

Gas mileage - I averaged 44.8 miles on the 680 mile trip. Temps were in the low 50's/high 40's and I kept the AC on 74 on the lowest setting.

Tires - I almost bought new tires at the Toyota dealerships as I've read on this blog so much bad news on the tires. The tires are good. Again, they are not performance tires and if you are moving from a sports car to this, you will not find the same grip/traction. I moved from 205's on my Saab to 185's here. But, let me dispel some myths. First, you can pass and drive near 18 wheelers and not be affected at all. Second, the wind did not blow my car around the lane as folks have suggested. Granted, I did not travel in rain, but I will not be replacing the tires until I feel unsafe in the car. Again, it's like being in an Accord LX, think of it that way.

Stereo - good to quite good. No, it is not a custom booming system. But with the exception of my most bass heavy hip hop cd's, the car's stereo was fine. I am a 37 year old professional and so most of my musical tastes are in acid jazz, jazz, old school hip hop, and talk radio. The stereo is more than adequate for that.

Navigation - a great system. Totally intuitive and easy to operate. Didn't even use the owner's manual and programmed my way right to my house. The system has a split screen function that shows you the general map of where you are and then charts the exits and which ones have gas stations, lodging, etc. through the use of icons. Amazing feature and helpful on the long road trip.

Smart key - easy to get used to and a great way to get in and out of the car.

Cargo room - I am a brand new dad (daughter born 2 weeks ago, hence the need to ditch the convertible). I made my first Sam's Club run this weekend and I had a huge cart stacked from top to bottom, even the under car section with diapers, toilet paper, you name it. It all fit inside the Prius with NO problem. I had room for another cart, but I couldn't push two carts in the store. Plus, the car did not suffer any acceleration problems. Just put the rear seats down and its like a van all the space you have. I am confident that this can be our family hauler for groceries, weekend trips, etc. with me, my wife, and daughter and all of our stuff. And yes, I'm a golfer too.

Misc. - The car is very quiet. The bluetooth phone system worked easily with my blackberry pearl. There is a lot of room for rear passengers even with the front seats all the way back. There is a lot of smart design on the storage space. A lot of medium size compartments. I am getting used to the pulse and glide method. The gas is going a LONG way now. I love the largeness of the front window. I am getting the windows tinted just a bit and also adding xm radio this weekend.

Conclusion - so far, I am comfortable saying that this will likely be not only the best car I have ever purchased, but one of the best consumer products I have owned (the iPod is close). It is exactly what I need: reliable, spacious, eco-friendly, and technologically impressive.

10/10.