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Question about 2k3's

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by wetntacky, Jun 7, 2004.

  1. wetntacky

    wetntacky New Member

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    After making the decision I was going to buy a 2004, I was very disappointed about being told there is a 10 month waiting list for the 2k4's and that the dealer was not even taking any more orders for them. They said I could put a deposit down on a 2K5 and that they did not even know what the price would be yet.

    The salesman I contacted told me that his dealership would be receiving 30 2K3's from CA that afternoon. I thought maybe he was pulling my leg just to get me in the showroom to attempt to sell me another type of car.

    Well sure enough, he was not pulling my leg. When I showed up, they were unloading the last of the 2K3's off the transporter. All of these cars had less than 15K miles on them. The salesman said they were from returned leases. From the stickers that were on most of them indicated they were rentals. The one I ended up buying had the Hertz logo on the owners manual. I test drove one right away and decided I'd better buy one now. Having the pick of the litter was awesome! I chose the best car in the best shape with the lowest milage.

    After driving it for nearly a month, it is living up to the milage I am hearing about. I drive 100 miles a day to and from work and have achieved 50.1 MPG as my all time best per tank so far. The MPG is improving as I learn to drive it in the Stealth Zone. I think I'm pretty darn close to getting best I possibly can out of it.

    My main question is why is so many of the 2K3's available? Were there so many people that were so happy with them that decided to to get a 2K4 before they became hard to get? Was there any problems with this model that I have not heard of? I just discovered this forum a week ago so I am still pillaging through as time permits.

    Its very to nice to part of community of fellow Prius owners. I live in the South West burbs of Chicago and commute to Northwest Suburbs. In the first month, I have only spotted one 2k4 so far and I am very suprized I am not seing more of them out there. It feels really cool to be driving a car not many people have.

    BTW, I just ordered a license plate frame that says "I fill up every 500 miles" That ought to get a few peoples attention.
     
    #1 wetntacky, Jun 7, 2004
  2. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    No more than any other car and less than a lot of them. Tires are a weak spot in the design of the Classic but nothing really sticks out. Some steering power assit problem's but that was pretty well ironed out in the 2K1's, throttle position sensor on the gas pedal. If the car will go in the 300,000 Km range in a taxi operation as a regular passenger car it'll probably last a lifetime.
     
    #2 Frank Hudon, Jun 7, 2004
  3. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    You mention that most of these cars were from rental companies. Rental companies always turn over their cars pretty frequently.

    The thing is that most of us tree-hugger types who might have considered a Classic are a lot more impressed with the '04. I have a friend with a Classic who is envious as h*ll of my '04. But her environmentalist principles (maybe also, in part, her pocketbook) tell her she cannot buy another new car so soon.

    As for me, I never seriously considered the classic because I didn't want to give up the station-wagon body style of my old Civic. The lift-back of the '04 did the trick for me.

    It sounds like the Classic was the perfect car for you, and probably for a lot of other folks who don't want to endure the long wait. And with so many of them now available (if that was not just a fluke) folks may be able to negotiate on the price.
     
    #3 daniel, Jun 8, 2004
  4. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Being that I own both, I can say that the '04 is light years ahead of the Classic in refinement, but the Classic is still a nice car in it's own right. It's styling is more toward functional. In certain ways, the "trunk" of the classic is more usable than the shallow hatch of the '04.

    I also like the "responsiveness" of the accelerator pedal in the classic. The '04 waits for the engine to spool from a standing start before delivering a torquey punch, where the classic delivers instantaneous torque. The pedal sensation is more linear in the classic, where it's response is more "curved" like a conventional car in the '04. Braking is a bit less refined in the classic, being a bit grabby at first, and the computer doesn't modulate regeneration when slowing, which requires the driver to let off, then reapply the brakes when regen stops. Once you're used to it, it's second nature, but it does take some getting used to. The '04 doesn't exhibit this trait.

    I'll be driving the Classic again today for the first time in 2-3 months, so we'll see how long it takes me (usually a few blocks) to become reaccustomed to these quirks. Oy, and I'll need to use a key... :lol:
     
    #4 HTMLSpinnr, Jun 8, 2004
  5. wetntacky

    wetntacky New Member

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    Some of the options on the 2K4 are really nice. I admit the long wait really did discourage me allot as I really wanted a brand new car. I never in my life ever bought a used car.

    As for negotiating price, no deal. They were using the philosophy of supply and demand and using the 2K4 as the lever on me. I had contacted most of the dealerships in my area before going in to negotiate my deal. I knew going in nobody else even had a car to even look at. This dealer did have a 2K4 as a demo they were not selling. I was happy to take it out for very extended drive for the afternoon and loved it.

    When I got back to the dealer after the test drive, I then drove the 2K3 and decided that this is what I was going to buy. They would not even budge a penny on it. Both the Salesman and Sales Manager told me that if I did not buy it soon, they would not have any cars left once the word got out they were sitting on stock pile of them. Having 30 in one spot seemed very odd to me after making all my phone calls so I believed what they were telling me. Call me naive but I had a gut feeling about this.

    To make a long story short, I am very happy with the car. I commute many miles to work each week and do allot of long distance Interstate driving on the weekends so this is definitely the answer to my gas bills. A double bonus is that its environmentally friendly as well.

    I really would love to hear from any 2K3 owners on their experiences for any tips for things to keep an eye on. I have had nothing but excellant reliability from all of the Toyota vehicles I have owned over the years. I really expect the Prius to treat me as well.
     
    #5 wetntacky, Jun 8, 2004
  6. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Being that the 2K2 is the same car, I'll chime in.

    See this post Advice on Purchase of Classic

    Basically tires are probably the biggest thing to watch on this car. Keep the car aligned, tires rotated, and the tire presssures higher than factory recommended (42f/40r is a popular pressure) and they'll last a bit longer than 15-20k miles.
     
    #6 HTMLSpinnr, Jun 8, 2004
  7. bookrats

    bookrats New Member

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    #7 bookrats, Jun 8, 2004
  8. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    When I step on the pedal in a normal (sane) manner, my '04 moves out immediately and quickly. I move out ahead of all the normal cars. If I floor it, it moves out as above, and there is only a very brief hesitation before it takes off like a rocket car. (Okay. Slight exageration there.)

    I've never driven a muscle car (or a Classic, for that matter) for comparison.
     
    #8 daniel, Jun 8, 2004
  9. siai

    siai Junior Member

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    Having both a 2K2 and a 2K4 Prius I can tell you is that the cars are truly different in a lot of respects. One thing that the Classic is way better with is turning radius. If you are doing a lot of city driving and trying to get around in small parking lots, tight streets, etc. you will really like your classic :)
     
    #9 siai, Jun 9, 2004
  10. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I was reminded of the turning radius when I drove the classic yesterday. Boy do I enjoy being able to U-Turn on a 2 lane highway :) (swing it wide, but it'll do it!)
     
    #10 HTMLSpinnr, Jun 9, 2004
  11. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    Additionally, a rental Civic Hybrid or Prius is WAY more expensive than a regular car. I think it was about $50/day when I rented each last June. A comparable size car for weekend rental is more like $60 for 3 days. Could explain the low miles, not rented that often. It is one thing to pay a higher price for a car you own, but it sure isn't anywhere near 3x.
     
    #11 bruceha_2000, Jun 9, 2004
  12. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Unless you are renting it so you can drive it for a few days and decide if you really want to buy one!

    I got lucky and the dealer let me take the demo car from late Saturday to early Monday. But I would have been willing to pay $60 to rent one for a day just to have the extended test drive.
     
    #12 daniel, Jun 10, 2004
  13. Wolfman

    Wolfman New Member

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    I have about 23k on my 2003. I've literally have had zero warrantable issues with the car. I will concur on the crappy tires though. I hit a dead animal late at night, knocking my alignment off. By the time I got to the dealer (next day), the whacked tire already had permanent irregular wear. Now I get a hum from that tire on some surfaces. An even 50 is far from what the car is capable of. My top tank, according to the computer, was 57.9 mpg with my car. I also have a very highway biased 100 mile round trip commute to work as well. You'll like your Prius.
     
    #13 Wolfman, Jun 10, 2004
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