Buying Soon!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beerguy @ Mar 6 2007, 10:39 PM) [snapback]401381[/snapback]</div>

Welcome to the board!
I tend to not always give the car enough power because I'm trying to conserve gas. However, today I had to merge on the freeway and there was a semi that didn't want to let me in. I was able to get up to 68 by the time the on ramp ended and I got in front of the semi no problem. I didn't find it underpowered when I needed it to be.

How much are they offering the 05 for? How many miles does it have on it? What package is it?

I ask because you may be able to find a better deal on a 2007. When you buy brand new you're eligible for the $1575 tax credit that's expiring at the end of this month. This is not available on a used car. Also, Toyota's offering 2.9% financing on all 3-4-5 year loans. Most dealerships are overstocked on Prii, so now's the time to haggle!

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

You're right Dave, US promotions won't do you any good. But you might want to check dealers for prices and promotions on a new one anyway, to get a feel for if the used one is a good deal. It looks like a new 2007 would cost you CN$34,757 delivered.

The Prius has a dinky 12V battery, only used to close the relays and power up the computers. After that, the big high voltage battery takes over (and charges the 12V boot-strap battery). If the 12V is really dead, it could be damaged and it is surprisingly expensive to replace (bargaining chip -- call a Toyota dealer and get the price for a new one). Even small drains can run down the 12V battery over 3 months of no use.

The Prius comes with a 36 month/36,000 mile (60K Km) full warranty here. You can buy an extended warranty from Toyota before the initial one runs out, but not after.

As for power, it's not a race car, but it accellerates just fine. Try stomping on the pedal, those are strong electric motors.

The only other thing to point out is that regular maintenence consists of changing the oil and filter every 5K miles/8K Km, and changing the engine and cabin air filter every 15K miles/25K Km. Canadian specs may be different.

The body style hasn't changed since 2004 and will probably hang on a couple of more years. Go to the Toyota Canada Prius page for a list of options so you know what is available and what you are buying.

It's the smartest car on the road!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beerguy @ Mar 6 2007, 10:39 PM) [snapback]401381[/snapback]</div>

I have owned 4 and 3 cyl. cars. I had 2 Metros with 3 cyl. engines and they were grossley underpowered. At 110 HP I find the Prius to have more than ample power to merge with highway traffic, etc. I can set the cruise at 75 MPH and the car has no problem.

Usually I drive the Prius alone and at times with my wife in it. The only thing I have noticed is when I add a third person with a weight of 200 pounds or more car accelerates a little slower. However, I highly recommend the Prius. Also as gasoline is becoming more expensive you will be very pleased with the savings by driving a Prius. Welcome to the forum.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beerguy @ Mar 6 2007, 10:39 PM) [snapback]401381[/snapback]</div>

Hi Beerguy, welcome to PriusChat.

Be careful about judging the car as being "underpowered". It is as CVT "transmission", which when pushed, tends to whine more than a conventional car. Although it only has 110hp on paper, it also has 295lb-ft of torque available immediately from the electric motor, which is really your "power". The HP rating is more related to top speed. Overall, the car has a 0-100km/h time of about 10 seconds, which is perfectly acceptable, though not ground-shattering. Furthermore, battery temperature can severely weaken your acceleration, so if you are test-driving a cold Prius in a Calgary winter (!), that will give you a skewed perception for the few minutes of driving.

As far as tax rebates (as a fellow canuck), last I heard only Ontario ($2000), Quebec ($1000) and BC ($2000) offer tax rebates from the Provincial Sales Tax. Since Alberta doesn't have PST, I guess you guys are probably exempt.

There are lots of good resources and friendly users around here... be sure to read lots on the car, you will discover lots of great stuff!

Good luck with your car shopping! B)