Getting a new Prius

you break one in by driving it like a normal car. paying attention to your real time mileage monitor in order to learn what works and what doesnt when attempting to achieve high mileage. in a few days, you will learn so much about the Prius, you will no longer have to look at the display as much because you have acquired a feel for how the vehicle works.

one thing the manual states is to not apply brakes vigorously at first. im not sure why, of course, if an emergency arises, please do so. one thing i ALWAYS do with any car immediately is to go somewhere where there is no traffic and test the brakes; as in how well they work, how soon will brake fade be a problem (Prius does very well in this) what my stopping distance is, and can i stop while turning (much harder to test safely... be very careful on that one)

 

From some older posts, it seems that people who have to pick up they're Prius and drive a long distance on the highway have better luck than some people who drive in the beginning around town. It seams some sensor gets gunked up and makes the check engine light come on and people that drive on the highway right away don't have that problem.

 

I'm currently #2 on a wait list for a package 2 Prius in Roanoke, VA. I'll be graduating and commissioning into the Air Force once I graduate in less than a month. My main concern is that any repairs it would need would be very expensive given the new technology. What expenses would not be covered by the warranty? Additionally, if there was a time where it needed to be serviced for multiple days, will Toyota give me a free rental car until it is fixed? Thank you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vthokies\";p=\"82801)</div>

Very few. All the hybrid components are cover under the standard warranty for 8 years (longer in some states). That includes the hybrid battery, etc.

I bought the Prius extended warranty (through PriusChat), because I'm cautious and somewhat paranoid. However, it's good to remember that for Toyota, hybrid technology isn't that new. They've had Prii on the road in Japan since 1997, and in the US since 2000.

And, they're Toyota. Heckuva track record for reliability.

Depends on the dealer's service department. I don't believe there's anything in the warranty (or in the extended warranty) that mandates one.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bookrats\";p=\"82808)</div>

Depends on the dealer's service department. I don't believe there's anything in the warranty (or in the extended warranty) that mandates one.
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In the extended warranty you get five days car rental. At least that's how mine is. Don't know about the standard warranty.

 

As the owner's manual says, no hard braking in the first 200 miles (so wait a week to do that "brake fade test" [which sounds like an excuse to try to make the tires squeal]), and no "excessive speed" in the first 600 miles. They don't define excessive, but surely at least 60 MPH would be OK. Other than that, go nuts with it. There's none of that old-technology stuff about varying your speed for the first thousand miles.