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I'm Kampy, just starting my quest for a 3rd Gen Prius...

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Kampy, May 14, 2012.

  1. Kampy

    Kampy Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2012
    25
    7
    4
    Location:
    Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks)
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Hello PriusChat peeps... :)

    Been lurking for a while, but now that I've decided that I definitely want to buy a Prius, I thought I'd start posting...

    About me:

    I live in Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks), I work as a designer at Disney in Burbank, and I'm also a photographer who's really into concerts, festivals, and the west coast festival culture (Burning Man, etc). I went to school at Mizzou and am a big sports fan, and a gadget geek/Apple loyalist (Mac user since the 80s)

    My 2000 Nissan Xterra 4x4 has served me well on many adventures over the past 12 years, but now has 180K miles and is ready to be replaced. I tend to keep my cars a long time (like, a decade) so I want my next car to have the best MPG possible, because who knows what gas will cost in 5 years.

    I know that I want a 2010-2012 Prius, either new or used, and am just starting the process of doing my research before buying. I tend to do a lot of homework before making a big purchase like this, so I will be asking a lot of questions on these forums.

    I hope to use PriusChat to gather more info on these topics:

    • pros/cons of buying used vs. new
    • good Toyota dealers in the SoCal area
    • pros/cons of buying a salvage title used Prius
    • the changes/updates in the the 2012 model refresh
    • strategies for getting the best deal possible at a dealership

    I hope PriusChat will be as helpful as sccxterra.com was before I purchased my Xterra 12 yrs ago. This seems to be the biggest and best Prius forum out there... but are there any others I should be aware of?

    Thanks in advance for all the helpful info. I can't wait to join the ranks of proud Prius owners.

    Kampy
     
    #1 Kampy, May 14, 2012
  2. Keiichi

    Keiichi Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2012
    808
    79
    2
    Location:
    Goleta
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Only pros I know of buying new over used would be the state of the battery warranty and drive train as well as tech on the car being more recent. Although the used versions of the Prius aren't too bad. The cons I know with used would be more of the lack of the newer tech you can take advantage of, including Plug-in Prius, or a Prius c if you wanted a different form factor.

    Dianne is a person who frequents this forum, she works out of Carson, so it may be a wee bit of a drive to get to her, but she offers discounts on new Prius cars to PriusChat users.
     
    #2 Keiichi, May 14, 2012
  3. Kampy

    Kampy Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2012
    25
    7
    4
    Location:
    Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks)
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Thanks!

    Thanks Keiichi;

    Yeah, I've seen a couple posts from Dianne, but didn't know about her discounts for PriusChat users. Good to know, thanks.

    Kampy
     
    #3 Kampy, May 14, 2012
  4. Keiichi

    Keiichi Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2012
    808
    79
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    Location:
    Goleta
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I would ask her about it, I don't know much about them myself either. Of course, the usual cons about new cars is going to be 'higher initial costs', higher insurance due to it being a newer car versus older.

    I would say what would be your major focus as far as functionality? Obviously MPG is one, but besides that, the question is does it need to be a normal 'car' size, or would a compact be a little better. There is also the Plugin consideration as well. Would your work place allow for plugging in as well, which might help in some MPGs as well, but it ups the cost if you look at a Prius Plugin or maybe looking at a used Prius with an after-market Enginer kit installed.
     
    #4 Keiichi, May 14, 2012
  5. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2009
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    Location:
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Welcome aboard and all the best on the search. This is the best Prius related site, hands down. ;) Prius owners are smug.
     
    #5 spiderman, May 14, 2012
  6. Kampy

    Kampy Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2012
    25
    7
    4
    Location:
    Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks)
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Thanks Spiderman!

    Keiichi, I've already considered other models, and although I'd love a plug-in Prius, I just don't think its limited EV range is worth the extra cost. I'm pretty well settled on the Prius (not the V or C) and now it's just a matter of figuring out what trim level I want, whether I want new or used, and where I'm going to buy it.

    Kampy
     
    #6 Kampy, May 15, 2012
  7. Keiichi

    Keiichi Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2012
    808
    79
    2
    Location:
    Goleta
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Well, mind you, the Prius Plugin's EV range, while it is only 5 to 10 miles, that is if you are purely going EV. However, you will still be using gas, not just pure EV, the benefit of the Plugin is that the Lithium Ion battery over the NiMH battery, which means more power and eeking out more MPG overall because whether or not you go Plugin or not, both cases, the engine will recharge the battery, the plugin part mitigates some of the recharging on the initial start and having the governor set to 62 mph versus 42, will allow it to use more of the electric part to cut down the amount of gas used. But either way, good luck on your choice, as mentioned before, the new or used, all have the same pros and cons.

    Warranty wise, a lot will tell you not to get the extended warranty, re-negotiate it or buy it from here.
     
    #7 Keiichi, May 16, 2012
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