A Prius in our future?

Hello all,

I wish to thank all of the posters in alt.autos.Toyota prius for some excellent & entertaining posts I have been viewing for the past week and a half. I have always thought about a prius as our (wife and I) next car and in reading the post have moved it up to the top of our "short list" of cars to go for (the others are the Camry, Honda Civic and Subaru Forester).

Our present car is a 1991 Toyota Camry Dx and has given us 15 wonderful years of service (now @ 232432 miles). Unfortunately, it's inspection is at the end of this month and to pass it would require over $1,000+ in repairs to pass. We were hoping to hold on to it for another couple of years more but it was not to be.

I have started my search for a prius online about a week ago & found a dealership in New York that is the #1 seller of hybrids but at this time none are available, not even for a test drive, until about a month from now. I have cast my net along other dealerships along the east coast & have found some others who also MAY have some on their lots, especially with the option configuration I would like (option #4 with security alarm) with our favorite color, blue. I know, rather insane to seek out a car that may be hundreds, if not at least a thousand, miles from home.

Did find a local dealership in New Jersey that has 2 Prius's so I will be going for a test drive today or tomorrow.

Updates will follow!

Reply to
Vic
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Unless the thing has dangerous frame damage it's almost always cheaper to keep a used car running than to buy a new one. You will probably have to pay a premium to get a Prius within 10 days.

Reply to
richard schumacher

You'd be surprised how many dealers have them "buried" amongst all their other new vehicles. It doesn't really matter where you buy one (all things being equal). Toyota would like you to take it to the nearest dealer if it needs servicing. I live in MA but I take mine across the border to CT. I've also had service done in New Brunswick, Canada (oil and filter), and Nova Scotia, Canada for the same treatment. They were very happy to see me. The service took longer because they didn't have a Prius certified tech on hand and they had to make some phone calls. I also had it serviced in Colorado (same thing) there too they were happy to see me. I suppose maybe because a Prius owner is a different breed of animal altogether. We're cool!! hehehe

mark_

Reply to
mark digital

Thanks for your post, Richard

I am sorry that I did not have time to also state in the first post that in January of this year "Betsy" needed $3,000+ in repairs (3 oil leaks, replacement of high pressure brake line, water pump, timing belt, assorted hoses, struts, etc.

I really gave a very serious thought to getting a new car then (my Toyota dealership had a couple of 2005 Prius's available.

Unfortunately, I could not spend the time & effort to pursue this due to the fact that my wife had some serious health issues that needed my up most attention. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of

2005 and was starting up her 2 months of daily radiation treatments at the end of December of 2005

She also was starting physical training for her left leg in which both of the leg bones fractured at the ankle attachment in September of 2005 due to her many years of taking an anti-epileptic drug who's side effect is a weakening of bone and the Chemotherapy sessions for her breast cancer. BTW, she has been given very good prognosis of no recurrence of cancer and the leg should be, more or less, up to near

100% healed by the end of this year.

So, due to the increasing cost of upkeep for the Camry and the not so insignificant expenses incurred due to my brave wife's time of need (and 2 of our 3 cats who passed away around Christmas last year - one who had bone cancer of the mouth) it was time to cauterize the leaky wound (The Mobile gas station mechanic said to me in January that Betsy is good to go for another 2 year of service)

So I do agree that it would be cheaper to keep the 91 Camry, it has reached the point where I needed transportation that I can re lie on for myself and my (still healing) wife.

The tale of the Prius test drive will follow >>

Reply to
Vic

You may want to consider a used Prius, past the 3/36000 mile warrantee. You can find them, from a dealer via Ebay, for reasonable prices. That is what I went with when our '91 Camry was taken after an accident:

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NOTE: I am comfortable with self-maintenance.

Bob Wilson

Reply to
Bob Wilson

Hi, Mark. Thanks for the post!

I do intend to do my auto services at Toyota City in Mamaroneck, NY , but I am getting ahead of myself...

Today my wife and I went to East Coast Toyota in NJ to test drive one of the 2 Prius's that were on hand. We left after work but arrived later than planned due to the tremendous thunder showers that were occurring in this area of the country (again!). Waited in the 91 Camry in their parking lot until the rain slacken somewhat. Noticed that a Red 2007 Camry kept going around inside the parking lot several times (guess the Toy sales rep refused to allow the potential "Pigeon" to take it onto a very wet, busy, rush hour Route 17 traffic flow, he he).

The rains slacken and we went inside to do a test drive. In addition to the 2 Prius's at the lot, 3 more were just off loaded that same morning - or so they claimed = :-o

One of them was almost exactly the way I would like the car configured (option 3 with VIP plus security system, wheel locks & rear bumper application) for a price of $24,417. The Toy guy went back in to get the keyless fob but brought the wrong fob - it was for a $22,000+ base Prius that was on the other side of the Barcelona Red Metallic Prius (pant, pant - sigh - that one was listing for over $28,000 - Ouch!) the 2 other Prius bracketing the Red Menace were both silver - I guess I should not be picky since these Prius's were available NOW...but we do like blue...could paint it later???

Got into the driver's seat with the fob and was told to press the brake pedal & push the "Start" button!

Well, it did not start, of course. I was told to press harder on the brake pedal ( I have been driving for over 25 years so maybe he thought I didn't know what I was doing?!?). We switch seats and he tried - no luck there. Finally he inserted (?) the fob into the dash and it finally did start!).

I jumped into the driver's seat and away we went (no, we did not go around in the lot!, shame on you!). The A/C was on (It WAS cold at start up!) so I didn't really hear any engine noise. Even when we were on Route 17 I didn't hear anything other than the a/c.

BTW, the a/c was causing the driver and front passenger windows to fog up with condensation on the outside of the car and I was having a hard time seeing the outside mirrors. Also, the view outside the rear window was rather small (well, compared to my 91 Camry, all subsequent Camry's I have driven had ever decreasing views outside the rear window - haven't had the pleasure of driving the 2007, though).

Did a couple of clover leafs and was back at the dealership (about a few miles). Stopped the car and was told to position the dashboard shift (! weird !) up for park. He opened his door but the car started to move forward! (I guess "park" is not up on the shift! - but that is what he told me!!!) Tried again and put it into neutral and this time the car was rolling backwards! I put a stop to this nonsense and engaged the parking brake and we all leaped out of the car, where the Toy sales guy asked another "younger" Toy guy to park it (he he).

He asked me how it was (it was kind of exciting) and wanted to write me up for a sale as soon as we got back inside. I reminded him that I have told him earlier that I also wanted to look into 3 other cars (Camry 2007, Honda Civic 2006 and the Subaru Forester - with all that rain I should have driven the Subaru first!) I guess he was kind of flabbergasted that I did not insist on seeing the manager of the place and offering one of my kidneys to hold da car!

We talked some more (after he calmed down) and told me that in all likely hood all of those Prius's in the lot would be all gone by Sunday (I believed him, especially after reading some of the "waiting" posts in this group). I did put down a "good faith?" credit card deposit of $2,000 after he came back from the "manager" who wanted him to ask if it could be raised from $500 to $1,000 when the Toy guy asked me the first time. Filled out some paperwork and prepared to leave. The Toy guy thanked us and did tell us that we could still take the Silver Prius tonight. I said no (!) and would come back tomorrow morning to finalize the deal, If we were still interested (!!). He asked what time (!!!), I said, maybe early - what time does the Dealership opens? (8:30am). He said he could come in earlier than that (!!!!). I told him that I would call in the morning before I come in. Sheesh!!!!!

To be fair, the Toy guy (not the one that I was originally going to see) is somewhat older than I am (I'm 49) and most of the other staff are mostly YOUNG (It's not a very old dealership). He was not shown a lot of respect from one of the "Young Thugs" who bitched about leaving the licence plate on his desk with us instead of returning it to where it belongs.

Sorry for the long winded tale...to be continued!!!

Reply to
Vic

Care to share what your wife had to say about the experience?

mark_

Reply to
mark digital

I asked her at the time...she said she liked the car (also said than the back view was rather small). Not much else she did say - only that it's important what I thought about it, since I would be the only one driving the car (she doesn't drive) - a woman of few words (at times!!!)

Vic

Reply to
Vic

!! It's such a joy when the salesanimal knows nothing about the car you're test driving.

Reply to
richard schumacher

Our New Prius:

Born: July 22, 2006 Model: Prius 2006 Classic Silver w/pkg #3 + some extras Beginning Odo: 10 miles

Impressions: WOW!!!

Reply to
Vic

Vic, you might enquire about a waiver for the emissions. In some states, putting 250.00 in to solve the problem with receipts will show the DMV due diligence. Don't give up on your old Toyo: they last forever. If you really want a Prius you won't regret buying it either.

Reply to
windwatcher

Congrats! Enjoy. Study the relevant parts of the owner's manual.

However, do not allow more than 3.5 US quarts of oil to be added during oil changes. Three quarts exactly is most convenient and works just fine. (The owner's manual is misleading on this point and the shop manual is unfortunately just wrong about it.)

Reply to
richard schumacher

Thanks, Richard for the info. Will watch this and the tire pressure values and hope they don't go bananas with the parking brake - damn grease monkeys!

Reply to
Vic

Unless a person by the online name of Mike Hunt gets a hold of you. He'll keep harping on you about the replacement cost of the batteries although he's been told a thousand times not only are his cost figures inaccurate ( he quotes from outdated insurance allowance of approx $4500), a whole battery pack has never been replaced to due age either.

Reply to
mark digital

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