Maybe another member - 2015 Prius v model 3

Thinking hard about this... I have the dealer down to $24,700. Does this reasonable? I may pick it up tomorrow.

 

Thanks for the snow advice old neighbor. I have a crew cab long bed Silverado diesel duramax for the snow! I'm looking for the opposite extreme for the better weather.

 

Right on. I am looking at the v because I'm a tall dude and need the space. I am VERY impressed with the room in there when I test drove.

 

Thanks for the feedback thus far and the tip on the battery tender.
My choice is down to deciding between the the Prius and the Ford CMAX.
Honestly, when I took a spin in the Prius yesterday, I felt a sense of "tin caniness" where I could "feel" the road, which I didn't like. Of course, I'm used to a Buick Roadmaster, which is like driving a sofa down the road. So today, I decided to give the CMAX a go and I liked it--a lot. It was more responsive and just felt better on the road. It also felt roomier in the cabin, except for the leg area. It's obvously not as effecient but it has a larger motor, larger wheels and it's overall a more comfortable and quieter ride. The issue with the CMAX that I found was that I didn't have much side leg room. I'm 6'3" and I felt confined mainly because of the center column that connects the arm rest with the dash. It really confined my knees. I just couldn't keep from interfering with this center pillar which I feel would eventually lead to fatigue on long trips. The prius does not have this issue and that's what ultimately led me to opting for the Prius. On a patriotic note, I don't apprecaite the fact that 100% of the parts and 100% of the labor is sourced in Japan so that's something I need to deal with. Anyhow, I left the Ford dealship after driving the CMAX and went back to a different Toyota shop and took another 2015 Prius v for a spin. For whatever reason I didn't feel the road so much even though it was an identical Prius model as the other dealship had that I test drove. Maybe it's the tires. Overall, I feel like a made a wise and economical choice and I proved to myself that I am not in a mid-life crises choosing this car. I'll be picking it up today.

 

I picked up the Prius yesterday and I had buyer's remorse all last night and this morning. You see, I've never purchased a new car before. But I started convincing myself that this beast will be uber-reliable and hyper efficient. I must say that I had to drive about 120 miles today and loved it! And, I'm really happy that I bought the "3" version of the Prius v. I think it's my personal sweetspot of options.
It's going to take some time to learn how to drive again, but I was getting about 45MPG out, and about 32MPG back. Coming back, I was driving along Lake Erie and was hitting a heavy wind coming off of the lake. Either way, this is great since I know this baby will get better mileage after she breaks in. I haven't messed with tire pressure yet, but I do understand I want about 42PSI in the front and about 40 PSI in the rear. It's also cold right now, so I can only expect great things in the future.
Funny you mention the Weathertech mats. I ordered those as soon as I decided to purchase the car. My father has them in his CRV and I really appreciate the utilitairianism of them. Yeah, that's a new word I just made up!
I'm unsure what a "DRL" is yet, but I'll figure that out. (EDIT: Daytime running lights)
Oh, and when I bought the car, I was certain to purchase cloth. I don't like leather--especially in the summer while wearing shorts. Also, I feel that it's not necessary to have a seat warmer if I didn't have leather. Cloth is just my personal preference so that's was in my prerequisites.