Buying a Prius this weekend

The over-priced claim may have been comparing the Prius to an Insight. But when I was shopping around, I found the Prius to be a much better quality car which justified the extra money.

I can't really comment on the mileage yet, I'm half way through my first tank, averaging 37 so far. But, Consumer reports got an overall of 44mpg (32/55 city/highway) so I would expect mileage in the ballpark.

I have only heard of Prius II-V, I haven't heard of touring package.
I'm aware of:
AY - adv tech (includes NY)
NW - nav
NY - nav
SY - solar roof (includes NY)
SW - solar roof (includes NW)

Also, if you're interested in getting an extended warranty, you can get a discount through priuschat.
http://priuschat.com/forums/sponsor...rius-extended-warranty-service-contracts.html

 

Some people are lucky to get 42, plenty of us are beating 50. The very same issues and variables and wide MPG scatter apply to non-hybrids too. That said, my Prius normally doesn't beat its EPA sticker by as much as my previous cars beat their (restated to 2008 standards) EPA stickers.

'Touring' is a GenII matter. It disappeared along with the the 2009 models.

 

As for EPA mileage rating being "correct" or not, please read http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...uth-about-epa-city-highway-mpg-estimates.html and compare to how you might drive it. I suspect that the EPA picked the 2010 Prius to test (verify) for themselves, due to its high rating. Also see Your Mileage Will Still Vary.

For more info, see http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/.../epa-mileage-figures/overview/0709_mpg_ov.htm and you can see CR's test results at Most fuel-efficient cars.

As others have stated, there is no more touring. See Toyota Vehicles : Toyota Announces Prices for 2010 Prius / Toyota for the matrix. Prices have gone up since this was released.

 

You are right and they are wrong.

MPG for any car depends on where you drive and how you drive. Everyone has their own mix of different driving conditions and a standardized test that would be right for one person will be wrong for another even if their driving style is identical.

The EPA test simulates suburban city driving and highway driving. If your driving is long trips at moderate speeds with few stops on flat ground, it not hard to beat the EPA. If your driving is short trips, traffic jams and mountainous terrain, expect to do worse. Other factors that reduce your mpg include ethanol in the gas and winter gas blends. All cars are affected in this way, not just the Prius.

There is no point in people blaming the EPA for this, at least their numbers give you a feel for the differences between cars on a standard test that simulates the kind of driving a lot of people do.

There is no point in people blaming Toyota for it either. In the US, manufacturers are only allowed to quote the EPA figures.

In other countries, tests are based on different mixes of driving conditions so fuel consumption numbers for a car on one country's test generally cannot be compared to those for a different car on a different country's test but on any given test scheme, the same cars generally do well and the same cars generally do poorly.

 

Lots of longer commute to work - I get right at 50 mpg avg. with some 75 mph portions on the freeway. Keeping the speed down and trying a bit more for MPG it is possible to get high 50s and even +60 on some terrain-friendly legs.

Lots of errands, short trips, running around town, I get ~46.

Most full tanks I have averaged 48 without any extra consciousness about driving economically. I try not to have to fast stop, or race between stop signs, but that is about it. I don't try to avoid the "power" section on the indicator as some do (I find that most times staying out of that section on the indicator just does not provide the necessary acceleration for traffic conditions around busy so cal). And I do use pretty fast freeway speeds when traffic allows (or demands, lol).

IMO, a base II or base III - this is a cheap vehicle; lots of fun and design bang for the buck. $27 fill ups are GREAT too. Your decision on the NAV is spot on - it is not the greatest system when considering the added cost (no offense to others with it, some like the built in elegance, I am not a big "extras" buyer in any vehicle). My phone and google nav is great and I have a cheap garmin that is also wonderful. This can be a value car at the base models or a very expensive car with all the extras - there is a huge range.

 

Overpriced?.....I would say at full MSRP yes perhaps it is but now they can be had for under invoice when you factor in incentives!!!

MPGs?.......My wife drives our Prius exclusively and the first three tanks yielded 45 MPG calculated. When I drive it I can get over 50 as I have a better feel for the pulse and glide than she does. I see the MPG stats all over the board and I think its a matter of driving habits, terrain and weather.

We chose the III specifically because we did not want leather. We've had leather in our cars for 20 years but in Florida, its just not a nice feeling to sit on burning hot leather seats when your wearing shorts. I have no regrets getting the cloth interior. We are very happy with our seats and the comfort they provide.

Ours has the Solar package. Here is a Need/want thing. No you dont need a sunroof, Solar panel and Navi unit....But do you want a Sunroof, solar panel and Navi built in?? WE DID!!! It adds a premium element to this car. The car is actually cooler in parking lots than otherwise, the Sunroof is wonderful for cruising around on those cool Florida mornings and evenings and the built in Navi integrates wonderfully in the car with the audio controls. If I bought ours all over again I would still want the Solar package! After negotiations were over it didnt cost a great deal more for this package either.

Craig

 

I answered within the quote... Hope this helps...

 

Unbelievably good price - I would jump at it. Mine was 1000 more for reference.

 

Last week! I am happy.... market forces, you know. I couldn't even get a match for the price I received from several dealers here. I took the cheap finance deal - they would have lowered the price closer to yours if I did not use the finance incentive. I don't begrudge anyone making a buck - I got a very fair price.