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Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by greenchef, Jul 25, 2007.

  1. greenchef

    greenchef New Member

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    Hello everyone!

    I am about to take the plunge, I am shopping for my first hybrid, and yes you guessed it, a Prius!

    Since many of you have purchased a Prius yourselves, do you have any advice as far as options and other purchasing details that you may have overlooked. Let me know, I appreciate any and all of your comments!

    Have a nice day,
    greenchef!
     
  2. PriusTouring07

    PriusTouring07 New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(greenchef @ Jul 25 2007, 02:45 PM) [snapback]484887[/snapback]</div>

    I didn't want to "overlook" anything, so I got it all. ;-)

    If you've got the extra cash, go for it. 2007 Touring Package #6, I likey!

    The only advice I can give you is go to Toyota Prius website, and get the MSRP from there for the exact car with the exact options you want. That way when you go to the dealer, they don't try to take advantage of you.
    Also search the Net for the best deals. I was told I had to wait up to 3 months to get the car I want, but I did a search and found it on Craig's List in San Francisco, so I'm picking it up from there next week.
     
  3. greenchef

    greenchef New Member

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    I am planning on buying new. But I have searched Craig's List and autotrader.com is a great site as well. But if your still in the market and want new I can suggest costco.com for a no haggle deal, thats if your a member. Also, if your looking to buy new and hate dealers, as I do, become a member of AAA. They do everything, really they do. They find the car you want, the color, the options, they handle your trade if you have one and really the only time you go to the dealer is to pick up the keys and your car.

    Thanks for taking the time to comment on my question!

    HAVE A NICE DAY!

    greenchef


    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusTouring07 @ Jul 25 2007, 01:40 PM) [snapback]484943[/snapback]</div>
     
  4. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    greenchef, welcome to the site. All of the options are nifty if you are going to use them and you are happy with their performance. Do you need the car to open the garage door? Do you need an auto dimming mirror? Are you going to be happy with Toyota's version of a GPS? You may be better off buying a lower option package and adding aftermarket parts. I've found the paint chips & scratches easily and the primer is white. Consider getting 3M or Venture Shield film for the bumper & hood.
     
  5. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(greenchef @ Jul 25 2007, 03:45 PM) [snapback]484887[/snapback]</div>
    I'll speak for the opposite end of the options. Since my pri'i are 99% between school, work, and home, no need for a Nav System till I get senile (next year). No racing=No touring version. Avoid "dealer packages" completely. Very little value for the money in these. Still, the most basic Prius has a LOT of stuff so don't think that the low end is primitive, it is not.
     
  6. Malarkey

    Malarkey New Member

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    I love gadgets. Went with non-touring #6, would have preferred touring but not by much - the tires were the only thing I'd rather have had and may just add them later.

    You may find, as I did, that some packages are not available in some areas.

    As far as gadgets, I've used a number of high end aftermarket GPS devices and they do have options the Toyota nav doesn't... but they also are external devices and I didn't want that. I'll add one later if it ever bugs me, but so far the clean integration has been great.

    I like the leather interior, love the bluetooth connectivity, smart key. The auto dim mirror is convenient.

    Options I have that I don't care hugely about: Didn't care about the stereo since I mostly listen to MP3's of audio books and am really into high end home audio and have never heard a car system that really impressed me.
    HID headlights... they DO work better than the halogens I've typically had but the min of $100/bulb is annoying, plus the Prius HID's are projector type HID's, so they're a bit weak compared to most higher end HIDs.
    Backup camera- Force of habbit I guess, but I'm not using it so far.

    I was able to get the price down closer to invoice than MSRP.

    Some normal car buying suggestions: If you're financing any of it, try something like Capital One's auto finance. It removes the dealer's ability to screw you over by manipulating the monthly payments. Also worth looking at Carmax if you have a trade in and don't want to sell it privately. They offered us a hell of a lot more than Toyota did. Doing those two things let me focus 100% on the price of the car. Dealer didn't really have any way to play with the numbers, so it was a far more relaxing experience.
     
  7. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
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    These are only OPINIONS, so take them for what they are worth.

    Toyata NAV adds about $1300 and integration into the car, but it is not half as user friendly as Garman Nuvi, for $800, which also has blue tooth, perhaps compatible with more phones.

    Toyota NAV has Voice Commands that hardly ever seem to work well. (May work better if you happen to have a Japanese accent, I don't know.), but it does not speak the street names, the maps are not as up-to-date, and updates are more expensive.

    Garman Nuvi speaks the street names, with a choice of male or female voices with various accents, US, UK, Australian. Forign languages are available, but without speeking all street names, only pre recorded prompts. Firmware updates can be downloaded, as well as updated maps for a price, but the map that it comes with is more up-to-date than Toyota's. Down side is that you will want to stow it when not in use to prevent theft. I like to mount mine up on the windshield, but that is illegal in CA and another state (MI??).

    You can buy aftermarket leather that is heavier and nicer than the factory leather with choices of textures. You could also add heaters and lumbar support adjustment for extra, making it close to or a little more than the standard factory leather. In my case, I am still on the fence about if I like cloth or leather better, so I figure I can use the cloth for a few years, and if it begins to look worn, I can put in new leather for less than it would have cost me when the car was new.

    I like the HID lights, but do have concerns about replacement cost, and longevity (havn't researched that part)

    I am happy with the stereo, but I am no audiophile, and my liscese plate doesn't shake when I listen to it.

    I didn't notice a huge differnce between Touring, Non Touring during short 5 mile test drives, but I probably would get touring for the wider tires in hindsight, if I had known how unimpressed I would be with the NAV.

    In my area, Touring only came in Package 3 or 6, so I got non-Touring for the NAV without Leather package 5. Looking back, I probably would have been fine with a Package 3, but in that case, I would not have personnaly experienced the Toyota NAV and would be wondering if that could be better than I now know it isn't.