Boy, did I just get beat up.

I admitted I was skeptical on the Prius, but it won me over when my wife dragged me in for a test-drive. This car is the next generation automobile.

 

This is the best question to skeptics: why would the Prius be in the US top ten if it was a POS as they say?

 

Tell your friends this is the reality of driving a Prius on the freeway.
I do it everyday, every tank. I filled up at 620 miles with less than 10 gallons of gas.

 

9g-man: What is your normal driving speed in the example you show? I assume that must be flat or downhill terrain and I see it's 70 degrees outside. I also assume you have the 15" tires; what PSI do you use? Are you using cruise control or delicate foot control?

I have a 2007 Touring and I just drove from San Diego to LA and back today. For 120 miles, the best I could average was 48.7 MPG using 41/39 PSI with outside air temp of 68 degrees. I used cruise control set at 69 MPH. Terrain is hilly for about 50 miles.

My display basically had straight 50 MPGs all the way across. Maybe 1 at 52 and 1 at 48.

Maybe the problem is the engine's still breaking in; I have 19,000 miles.

 

I am one of those guilty of actually owning 3 of the brands you mentioned. I am not in sales nor hang at the corner for the next drug deal, not good at talking sports, not good at day trade, and definitely not one of those trust fund babies either. It took a while to earn the 3 degrees.

There is such a thing called art and engr design as well as passion for a sport called auto racing. If one has the means then they are considered sales types with ego problem?! And the Hollywood types are suppose to be smarter?! Oh please... ound:

Its your money, so please spend it as you wish and not because Hollywood types said so or the geeks think you should, or the dumb jocks are afraid so...its a free country last I checked.

But I will say this, I truly believe the Prius brand is such a phenom that Toyota deserves the accolades for this once in a generation marketing success. :rockon:

 

The facts and data show something else:
Consumer Reports, "Best & Worst New Cars 2009", pp. 3

Marketing ends when the owner gets the keys. ... You don't have Prius keys, yet, suggesting you're still subject to 'marketing' ... like CNW Marketing?

Bob Wilson

 

Yep, Porsches, BMW's, Lexus, and several others also topped the charts in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

As for trying to get keys, believe me, I've tried 2 times and the last time was only 3 weeks ago. I was prepared to trade-in one of our older p-car that I used as dd for a IV w/nav. Ending up walking out because those smarter than thou sales geniuses said "take a good picture of that car and treasure it, you will not see it again because it will be gone this afternoon, better hurry!"

Its like the beanie baby craze from a while back. They only make a few million of these precious gems, so you better hurry and wait in line. Sorry, if I inadvertently offended some people.

 

Source?

I fully understand:

• 1991 Toyota Camry - bought via buying service
• 2001 Echo - had to by-pass the sales critter, about to walk out when the sales manager found the car we wanted in Florida
• 2003 Prius - bought used via Ebay
• 2010 Prius - bought by non-traditional approach (NOTE: the local sales critter was let go two weeks after we picked up the car.)

Personally, I don't have a clue about how some Toyota sales-critters and dealerships survive ... especially the one in Huntsville.

As a suggestion, check with the rental car companies and see if you can rent a Prius for 2-3 days. The handling and other characteristics might not be to your liking. If you decide to get serious, check with some of the other posters. I believe there is an active California dealer and one in North Carolina who frequently post.

One other thing is many of us have 'lessons learned' about buying a 2010 Prius. For example, locate the port of entry and 'long distance' work with them to order exactly what you want including the port options. Certainly that is what I'd do if I ever had to buy one from SE region.

If you can give a state, I suspect you'll get some recommendations for better dealerships. Not all of them are clueless but there are more than enough bad stories to go around.

Bob Wilson

 

Does the stripped bare boned model get better mileage than the fully loaded Prius ?

 

Mine is the fully loaded model. Non Touring. '07

 

Hi Grey...,

You have just learned how pervasive and isidious FUD marketing is in the USA. Common Sense be damned, its all about the illusions provided by the reptillian core of the human mind. Here is a link to a Forbes article about technique popularized by Clotaire Rapaille: http://www.forbes.com/home/free_forbes/2006/0703/044.html

 

Let me guess, your friend watch Fox "News"?

-Brad

 

Great advice for all situations...

 

That sales person is full of &#it! My 2006 Prius gets far better mileage on the highway than on city streets (stop signs and heavy traffic reduce my mileage to slightly more than 40 mpg). For example, my wife and I just drove from Phoenix, AZ to San Luis Obispo, CA and back and averaged over 50 mpg during the whole trip - and the trunk was full of luggage. I've been keeping mileage records since I bought my Prius more than three years ago. Compared to my 28 mpg previous car (a six cylinder Camry) I've saved over $1,400 in gasoline costs!