COLD FEET, an almost-'07 owner...Can you guys help a newbie?

1. If you enjoy technology it will be fun to drive. If you don't and are afraid of computers don't buy it. It will be boring or scary.
You WILL get much better mileage than any other car you have ever owned or driven. Even if it is "terrible mileage (for a Prius)".
You -could- be unlucky and have a high cost maintenance event. As high as $4000. It's very unlikely. It's a Toyota for heavens sake!

2. The extended warranty is 2 years from Toyota, for a total of 5 years (the cars come with a three year warranty when new). It's about $950 through this forum. The hybrid components are covered for 5 years or 100k miles in non-California style states, and 7 years (forget the mileage) in California style states without buying an extended warranty. At your mileage I don't think it's worth the cost, especially at $2700! With that money put in the bank you could cover almost any failure, other than total catastrophe. It sounds to me they are offering you a non-Toyota warranty. Non-Toyota warranties are not trustworthy in my opinion. There are too many "fly by night" warranty companies.

 

If the car is from a CARB state the hybrid components are warranted for 10 years/150000 miles. I don't believe you'll get a warranty on a car with 97000 miles that makes sense for you.

It is extremely unlikely that you'll need to replace the traction battery or the CVT. How many engines or trannies have you blown in other cars?

Just make sure you are comfortable in the car. You can't base the Gen2 or the Gen3's seat.

 

What does your normal commute consist of regarding distance, mph, traffic, city vs. highway, etc.?

The seats in the Genii suit me just fine. Some complain about headroom but I think they set their seats in a vertical position whereas I have mine reclined a lot more. I'm 6' 3" but only 180lbs. Others find the seat cushions and alignment hurts their backs and or legs. I've never had a problem but it's a very real concern for some.

 

If your commute is only a mile, you will get terrible mileage, probably ~25-35 due to the engine still being busy warming up by the time you reach your destination.

This is how the 2nd gen Prius did in CR's tests: http://web.archive.org/web/20071228...-advice/most-fuelefficient-cars-206/index.htm. You can read about their tests at http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...-economy-doesnt-make-sense-3.html#post1300141.

If you have some expectation based upon EPA estimates, please read http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...uth-about-epa-city-highway-mpg-estimates.html. The EPA tests don't involve driving on a real road nor measuring actual fuel consumption. The shortest segments staring w/a cold engine are 31.2 minutes long with 11 simulated miles each.

 

I say that's a GREAT deal! I just bought a 2007 with 66k miles on the clock and I LOVE it!

That is a very good price for a 2007 Prius. I think you'd love the car, but I say that never having spent a winter driving it. I'm hoping I won't change my tune come winter, but so far I'm really loving this car. And I'm a girl. I have NEVER loved a car in my life. It's just a car, after all.

 

The hybrid battery is around $2500 to replace with a new one. The inverter is in the range of $1000. There is no CVT. There is a "simulated" CVT, where two electric motors and a sun/planet gear system are used to control the effective slip ratio and therefore gear ratio in the drive. There are other parts that can be expensive, such as the master brake cylinder. But this is a Toyota, and a Prius to boot. It's one of the most reliable cars on the road!

If you love technology you'll love the Prius. It IS a computer controlled electronic car.

 

I just parted company with a 2007 package 4 Prius, and up until Saturday it was the best car I've ever owned. It's not exactly fun to drive, but it does provide a unique driving experience of an entirely different kind! Mine gave a lifetime average of 54.8mpg over 37k miles, and routinely turned in 60mpg on my daily commute, and a tad over 50mpg on highway trips. It's easy to get absorbed in the energy displays and they provide great feedback to help you drive more economically, and the technology as a whole is quite mind-blowing.

That said, if your experience of a Prius is solely through a 3rd generation model, there are some differences you need to be aware of: headroom will not be as good in the 2007 car, nor will you have a height-adjustable driver's seat or telescoping steering adjustment. The 2007 will also be slightly more susceptible to side winds, and it won't have the EV/ECO/PWR modes. A package 4 2007 will however have SKS (keyless entry) on both front doors and the hatch, and along with HID headlamps, will also have an electronic auto-dipping rear-view mirror, backup camera and (rather poor) spotlights.

If it's comfortable to sit in and you're happy to drive without a lot of assertiveness on the road, then a 2007 is an excellent car that should give years of reliable service and great fuel economy. A few tricks, which you can learn on Prius Chat, should help you exploit the car's capabilities and keep you happy. There's always a risk with a used car of something going wrong and landing you with a bill, but despite the complexity of a Prius, they seem to have proven themselves as extremely reliable, so thoughts of thousand-dollar repair surprises shouldn't put you off - just check the car out thoroughly.

 

OK, so ignore your short commute.

You have some expensive toy cars so I think that you have the bankroll to handle a possible, albeit unlikely, repair.

So the next question is, would it be comfortable enough for you and your wife? Cars can't fit everybody so you need to find that out. If it's very uncomfortable you could try "cycledrumming" and seeing if you can replace the seat or just curse your luck and look for something else.

Next comes costs. In terms of ownership costs, it's a car for people who do a lot of miles or at least a good number in dense urban driving.
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Try and work out how much driving your household will do and what kinds of journeys. Discuss it with your wife: it sounds like the amount of driving she'll do will be important. Remember too that it's a hatchback with a useful cargo capacity. Cargo requirements affect mileage comparisons in terms of what vehicle you'd compare with, miles you'd do in the Prius and whether you'd have to do miles with a roof rack.

If, after crunching the numbers, you'd be better off in a different vehicle, it's a matter of whether the Prius makes up for the difference in cost. Do you care about reducing overall gas consumption and tailpipe pollution? Do you value hedging your bets against a significant increase in gas prices? Will your wife or you enjoy driving the car?