Prospective Prius v buyer with a few questions

I only drive about 10K miles a year and have a short commute. Will this have any negative effects on the battery? I do plan on maybe increasing my miles with fun weekend trips due to the great MPG.
So long as you do not leave it idle for a month, there is no minimum commute.
Is the Prius v so slow that it makes it difficult to merge onto the highway? Guess I'll find out this weekend when I go test drive them.
No. It has all the power an adult could need, just not all the power a boy could want. I have no trouble being too slow, I only need to restrain myself from being too fast.
Any other advice/suggestion?
I like my Prius v, I liked my 2009 Prius before that. But no car is perfect for everyone, here is a post of folks who should not own a Prius. (aimed at Gen 2 owners, but they are similar)

considering a Prius | PriusChat

 

The 3 seemed pointless to me. Entune seems dodgy at best, and I just can't get behind having nav built-in to a car - the technology and maps change too quickly. I'm perfectly happy using my phone as well. It just doesn't seem like it's worth the extra $800. I got a 2.

 

I got a Prius V v3 and I really like it. I got if for about $25K so your price seems about right. It is very roomy for car seats and lots and lots of cargo space. The Prius V has a "power" button that allows a better acceleration for hard merges. I live in Northern NJ (super highways) and never had a problem.

I like the Navi, especially with the voice activation of it. It is very receptive. But the reality is, a Garmin works just as good...Never used Entune...

Also, I did get it up to 50 MPG within a 20 mile hihgway ride.

 

When you take the test drive be sure to try power mode. The actual power output of the engine will not change but it will "feel" like a normal car in this mode, snappy and responsive to the lightest touch of the pedal.
Personally I have never had to floor it to merge onto a highway or felt a need for more power, just depends what you are used to. All of my previous cars were older subcompacts so the v feels like a rocket to me.

 

I've had my "v2" for 16 months, now. It is simply one of the best cars that I've ever owned and driven. I started with a 64 Mustang convertible that I bought used in 1972. I have no power issues with the "v."

The Prius family is definitely what you'd want, if you want to keep it into the 2020's and beyond. By then, most car will have to be hybrids and electrics, unless there is new technology.

 

Sorry about the Corolla. I think the v is perfect for a growing family. I know of no difference between 2012 and 2013 but no dealers around me had any 2012's left to sell when I was looking. I got the carpet mats thrown in, but if I could have I would have requested the all weather mats and tinting. And make sure they turn off the annoying reverse beep before you leave the lot with your purchase. Some have reported having to pay for that service.

 

FriarNurgle, I'm also looking for a Prius v Two and I've sent you a Private Message (it says conversation in this forum - I assume it's same as PM).

 

I know a lot of people say the only differences between the Two and the Three are nav and Entune, but isn't it also true that the Two does not have HD or Satellite Radio? I'm just curious - I have the Three and spend about 5-6 hours a day in the car so I find many features of the Three invaluable. The voice recognition allows me to make a call or navigate without taking my eyes off the road and I use the Entune for weather radar and gas prices. Also, because I spend so much time in the car I used to download podcasts to my phone to have something to listen to all day. Now I find many of my podcasts available on satellite radio. Of course, for someone with a short commute, none of these things may be very important. I would like someone with a Two to let me know about the radio. Thanks.

 

You are correct, the 2 does not have HD or Satellite radio.

For me, I've got a fairly long commute (an hour each way on a good day), but my phone does every one of those things very well - (navigation, weather, fuel prices, podcasts (with variable speed playback), streaming music, voice control), so the only benefit the trim package provides is the integration/larger screen. That's nice, but for me it's not an $800 problem. The phone mounted on a car dock attached to the corner window is actually easier to see than the main display. And of course 10 years from now I'll hopefully still be driving the Prius...it will have the same old radio, while the phone will have been updated every few years. I can't justify paying extra for just that system.

 

We have the 2012 V 3. The Nav is not worth it but I like bluetooth and the backup camera is a must for me. You have to decide if it is worth it, I would probably still get the 3. My GPS in my Samsung phone is much better, but sometimes it can't find a signal when the car can. Satelite radio is too expensive, I will let mine expire and use Pandora.
The biggest thing that I like is the voice commands to make calls. You don't have that in the 2.
Overall this is a great car. Like any car, there are some things that you might have to get used to and there are some things that could be better, but I like the V a lot.
If your commute is less than a mile, you may have lower mileage due to the car never getting to warmed up operating stage, but other than that you should be fine.
The price you were quoted is less than we paid for our V3.
Acceleration is fine, unless you have visions of NASCAR on your mind.

 

I'm quite happy with my V2. My Garmin GPS has voice command. I get free frequent map updates. I ... I mean ... My wife can program it while in motion. I can still stream via Blutooth my music, podcast, iheart radio, Pandora, etc... For me the V3 was not worth the addional $$$$. I spent less than the cost of the Nav and got leather heated seats. But, that's just me. We all have different priorities. Go with what you think you need more.

 

Where I live, you're able to get about $3,000 off msrp, before tax, dmv, dealer fees. You can confirm this at truecar.com and type in your zip code. You may have to drive a ways to a dealer that will give the quoted price, but I used it as leverage to buy at my local dealer rather than drive 140 miles away. Since you don't have a trade-in, it should be a fairly simple process.