Looking to buy a 2008 Prius early next year.

Yeah, pretty much a no-brainer. Get the Prius.

You'll have no trouble selling it in 2-3 years, either. They're holding their value nicely.

I have an '05 and have had zero issues with it.

 

Toyota's are good reliability wise. Prius is rated best family sedan for reliability.

Just remember, if one person has something go wrong, they well probably eventually post about it here. If 99,999 people have no problems only about 5 will post here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LiquidDonut @ Nov 27 2007, 12:30 PM) [snapback]544838[/snapback]</div>

The shark fin is a no-brainer. Unscrew the whip antenna, clean the surrounding roof area with alcohol to remove the wax. The wire inside the shark fin screws to the antenna base, and you peel and stick the adhesive sticky side down. Just gently set it on the car and check for straightness, and push it down, and hold for a minute or so under pressure to set the adhesive. Re-wax the area you stripped wax from.

If you live in a fringe area, attach the antenna wire and temporarily attach the fin with masking tape and take a drive to check reception on marginal stations. I love mine, and think it performs better than stock, and certainly better than my Subarus which have stock whip antennas. The fin comes with complete instructions, but really, its no big deal. BTW, my 06 is turning 48,000 miles, no issues, and almost 52 mpgs average, 99% freeway. Still have lots of tread on the OEM tires too. Great car. Go for it!

 

Welcome to PriusChat, Liquid.

The TC does not cause stalling. What it does is reduce power and selectively brake a spinning wheel. Some folks find this annoying, and some have complained that it leaves them unable to move. My own experience with TC is that on ice, it gets me moving faster than just about any other car other than a 4WD or a car with studded tires. But with winter tires and/or studs nothing will perform better than a Prius.

As for issues with the car:

I drive a very early 2004 (I took delivery in January of that year). There were a couple of recalls to re-program the ECU and there was a TSB to replace the fuel filler pipe. But all that was fixed on later models. Other than that, the only problem I've had was the plastic cruise-control stalk cracked and broke, and was replaced under warranty.

I would not hesitate to say that Honda and Toyota are the most reliable cars you can buy, and that the Prius is the best-designed gasoline-burning car that's ever been put on the market.

I recommend the Prius wholeheartedly. The only thing I hate about it is that it still burns gas. I much prefer driving my Xebra when I can, and I wish Toyota or Honda would sell a car that does what the Volt is supposed to do but probably never will. I.e. 40 miles on electric before the gas engine starts. 60 miles would be ideal.

 

Liquid Donut...A Prius At COST!! Are you kidding??? Remember me I'm your long lost cousin.

 

I bought a 2008 about a month ago and love it...except for the seats, they don't have enough adjustment to make them comfortable, this is a common complaint. Am going to fix this (found all the required info here) but it will be a major PITA. Hopefully the seats will be OK as is for you as they are for many. Also, FWIW the Mazda 3 hatchback is worth a look, a very nice car that I nearly bought before deciding on the Prius, and ergonomically much better...the seat has a height adjustment and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes.

 

I LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE MY PRIUS!!!!!!! I have a few minor issues that I wish they had addressed (but no car is perfect for everyone...), but I have been absolutely thrilled with it overall from the day I drove it off the lot. It actually needs less maintenance than most cars...fewer moving parts, timing chain instead of a belt that has to be replaced every 60,000 miles, etc. I will NEVER buy another conventional car again!! Like Daniel, I really wish I could have 40 or 50 miles of electric before the gas kicks in, but maybe Toyota will have that by the time I run this one into the ground!