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Drove 2010 Prius This Morning. Impressions.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by priusblogg, Jun 2, 2009.

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  1. OZ132

    OZ132 Member

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    Yes!
     
    #21 OZ132, Jun 3, 2009
  2. priusblogg

    priusblogg New Member

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    This is a great point. Getting a non leather model and getting a higher quality through aftermarket. Then the choices are endless. You could get Microfiber leather, suede, Top grain, dual colors, on and on for $900 through any good shop.

    In my opinion the Toyota leather has to be the worst in the entire auto industry. It is paper thin, hard, and doesn't even resemble leather.

    Changing it out to aftermarket would be a great way to go.
     
    #22 priusblogg, Jun 6, 2009
  3. priusblogg

    priusblogg New Member

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    I meant that the 328 lease is exactly the same as the Prius lease. That was my only point. If you've driven the lowest priced 3 series you'll know what is possible from a car priced at this range.

    Someone did the math on some other post and figured out that on Prius leases Toyota is making a 25% profit. His math was very detailed and explains how in the hell a mid $20's car can possibly have a lease payment of $359 or more. This payment is outrageous given how high Prius resale is, the price of the car, and bank rates. A prius lease should be $199-$229.

    I don't buy, but lease, for a myriad of reasons so a lot of my opinions are based on this and may not apply to most people.

    I can fully assure you that you can purchase a 328 (which is the old 330) for about $30k even. I've had many BMW's.

    I am not comparing BMW to a Prius, my point is what is possible in materials, fit and finish, suspension, stereo, etc in that price range.

    I will make a stunning counterpoint even worse than the BMW.

    Go sit in, and and drive a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. This car's interior is stratospherically higher in fit and finish, looks, and interior quality than the highest priced Prius, plus comes with a 100,000 warranty, and they give them out at $17,000 routinely. But more on point is the interior materials, layout and finishes.

    There simply is Zero excuses for a company as top of the line as Toyota to have done this. The car felt flimsy as hell. This probably alarmed me even more. It felt paper thin and weak spined. If you've driven a Sonata, VW or even a Nissan Altima, you'll feel a world of difference in the chassis, slamming a door, etc.

    Buick overtaking Lexus in JD powers ought to be a wake up call. Ford is tied with Toyota, they have outsold them in the past few months, really Toyota should rethink their game because a lot of people as one poster said, are looking at VW TDI's, Hyundai's, Ford, Mini and many other brands.

    I have no doubt 2010 Prius's will sell and Toyota will rise again. But that doesn't mean I am very happy about what they have done to a car I eagerly anticipated owning just a few months ago.

    Again, i still may get one and have not ruled it out. I have to wrap my head around paying mid to high $20's for a $15,000 car.
     
    #23 priusblogg, Jun 6, 2009
  4. priusblogg

    priusblogg New Member

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    You haven't driven a Fusion Hybrid if you think it compares. I mean that. But there is also the TDI VW that gets well over 40 mpg and is reportedly a great car to drive. Sporty, good looking, etc. If I'm not wrong, VW included maintenance as well? I might be wrong on this bought thought I heard it on the radio.
     
    #24 priusblogg, Jun 6, 2009
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Keep in mind that BMW does great leases. That's the only way they'll get people in (and frankly, that's the only way I'll own a BMW. No way in heck am I gonna purchase one). So really, people wait for BMW to give good deals on leases then jump on them.

    For the Prius, people tend to purchase them which may be the reason why the lease offer isn't that great.
     
    #25 Tideland Prius, Jun 6, 2009
  6. gofast

    gofast Member

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    This car is the Hottest thing on the plant right now. They make a 15,000.00 Toyota ,its a Corolla. You can have one in any color right now and its got the same GAS engine and kind of the same body style. But if you want to be in with the "GREEN THING GANG" and get high resale value which means someone actually wants your used car,Its going to cost you. I'll glaly pay it.I pay 20,000.00 for Harley on two wheels.
     
    #26 gofast, Jun 6, 2009
  7. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    I have a question.
    A couple of posts above have confused me.
    I haven't yet gotten to drive a Gen III Pri, but I was under the impression (picked up in Detroit, while under the influence, I'm sure) that, if you are driving in, say, ECO mode, and you punch the accelerator, it will automatically switch to PWR mode.
    When you are merging on the freeway, do you have to physically hit that button to get some ooomph?
     
    #27 Rae Vynn, Jun 6, 2009
  8. gofast

    gofast Member

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    Just drove one this morning and the ECO goes of afther about 35mph and when you punch it it also will go off to. It will not go very far with it on anyway. To keep it on while you are leaving a stop sign with people behind will require ear plugs because people will be honking.
     
    #28 gofast, Jun 6, 2009
  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    She meant ECO Mode not EV Mode. :)
     
    #29 F8L, Jun 6, 2009
  10. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I don't actually have my car yet, coming next week, but I know that when in both ECO mode, it is only effective for the first 50% pedal travel. After that it acts as normal, or at least that is all I the information I have been led to beleive. I don't think it switches to the actual PWR mode, unless PWR mode after the first 50% travel is the same as normal. Then PWR mode would only affect the first 50% pedal travel and ECO would also only affect the first 50% pedal travel and everything after 50% on both eco and pwr is just the same as normal produces after 50%...

    Ok, now that I've confused the subject even more, I will stop talking... Lol
     
    #30 Paradox, Jun 6, 2009
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  11. CenVal

    CenVal Member

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    I drove a Prius II & V in Eco mode on a seven mile highway test drive. While I did not punch the accelerator, the ECO mode light stayed on during both test drives. I got 48.5 mpgs in the II and 44 mpgs in the V.
     
    #31 CenVal, Jun 6, 2009
  12. msirach

    msirach Member

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    If it's in EV mode and you accelerate too hard, it will kick it out of EV into the previous mode. You get a window that pops up and tells you why it kicked you out. There are 4 modes: standard, EV, ECO, Power

    I left in in eco mode99.9% of the time through Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. I did use the standard mode and the power mode on a couple of LONG climbs. Watching the HSI, it looks like the ECO is off, but the green eco light is still lit. The HSI is just showing you that you are not driving efficiently and need to let up on the pedal.
     
    #32 msirach, Jun 6, 2009
  13. dc202

    dc202 Member

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    That is NOT true in ECO mode. I drove my new car all over the heavily congested suburbs yesterday where I live in ECO mode and no one was honking or tailgating me from a stop. Accelerated just fine. Now if you are referring to EV mode, that's different.
     
    #33 dc202, Jun 6, 2009
  14. dbacksfan

    dbacksfan Member

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    Yes, that's exactly what I did with back-to-back leases for the X3. BFS subsidized the lease money factor rate and residual so much that it the monthly payments were less than many vehicles whose capital costs were 10K less.

    I saw another thread where Dianne quoted a lease rate on a 26+K MSRP Prius. I believe the MF was 6.8%, more than double what I paid on my lease. I believe the payments were just about $400 or so. For $450 a month, I was driving a car that stickered for 16K more. I didn't include sales tax as that varies from state to state.

    I didn't buy a used BMW but I won't lease a Prius. With purchase financing rates so low, it just makes more sense to buy the Prius.
    Besides, driving a Prius appeals to my sensibilities on so many different levels.

     
    #34 dbacksfan, Jun 6, 2009
  15. gofast

    gofast Member

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    There are three buttons so Are saying there is another and when you start if you push none of the three it's in regular
     
    #35 gofast, Jun 6, 2009
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Correct. There's normal (no buttons pressed), ECO, EV and PWR modes. ECO mode remains active even after you switch the car off. EV Drive and PWR mode are cancelled the next time you start the car (i.e. you start in normal mode)

    ECO and PWR only affect the first 50% of accelerator pedal travel.

    If you punch it in any of the 4 modes, you will get the same response (with the EV Drive mode giving you the EV Drive cancel beeps).
     
    #36 Tideland Prius, Jun 6, 2009
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  17. gofast

    gofast Member

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    I meant the EV MODE
     
    #37 gofast, Jun 6, 2009
  18. blueumbrella

    blueumbrella Member of Prius Regeneration

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    ---I chose the Prius over the TDI mainly due to the questionable reputation of the VWs in this country... -----


    I believe reliability is a very real major issue with VWs. I just got rid of a VW Passat (which is a real driver's car) because I was literally replacing it piece by piece after 80,000 miles and this is the norm. I believe the Pruis was purposely designed to promote careful controlled driving, but like everyone else I think it is a deficit with the car. The excellent air-conditioner goes along way with me. I do believe the handling situation will change when Toyota begins to have serious competition for hybrid sales.
     
    #38 blueumbrella, Jun 6, 2009
  19. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Hey, isn't that 'kinda' what I was trying to say? Lol J/k Tideland... ;)
     
    #39 Paradox, Jun 6, 2009
  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yeah but your last line worried me =Þ. Be confident, man!
     
    #40 Tideland Prius, Jun 6, 2009
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