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wingdesigner
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Toyota Prius questions
What??!! you say, "Car talk on a gardening forum?!!!" Now, before you all get your britches in a bundle, let me s'plain. Theoretically, we've discussed (and good discussions, too!) sustainable practices, being good stewards, etc. So, in that spirit (and others) I am considering ordering my own Prius. I know it has been in production across the ponds, so I open this up to all. Who out there has one already? What "generation" is it? How many miles on it? (or kilometres, I'll figure it out later) What DON'T you like about it? What problems have you had with it? How does it handle (agility, nimbleness, clunky, etc.) Easy to park? Dependable? High-maintenance? (I'm a glass-half-empty kinda guy, can you tell?) I've looked on Prius forums but they all seem to be cheerleaders or telling one how to hack the car's computer. Before I plunk down a year's salary on one I want to know what I'm getting. How long does one have to study the o.m. before one can confidently drive this computer with wheels? Don't hold back, tell me good, bad, ugly, pretty, everything that comes to mind in your experience with your Prius. Would you buy another? Why or why not? Essays welcome, not graded, I promise. Thanks in advance for your replies.
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opabinia51
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Wing! Our old friend, how are you doing? To be honest I haven't even read your post yet. Welcome back! 
Well you are right, I'm not sure if this discussion really fits in a gardening forum but, if it were to go in a forum perhaps the permaculture forum. Though, this is a gardening forum and probably not the best place to be talking about cars.
I'll talk with Roger our webmaster about it meanwhile if anyone has any comments please feel free to add.
Nice to hear from you wing!
Well you are right, I'm not sure if this discussion really fits in a gardening forum but, if it were to go in a forum perhaps the permaculture forum. Though, this is a gardening forum and probably not the best place to be talking about cars.
I'll talk with Roger our webmaster about it meanwhile if anyone has any comments please feel free to add.
Nice to hear from you wing!
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wingdesigner
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Thanks, Opabinia, it's good to be back. I've gotten some help in the yard, so a bit more free time. That and they've cut back my hours at work (ugh), which, I guess means it's not "free" anymore if I'm losing money. Anyway, I did ask permission and it was granted to post this thread, so I'm hoping some folks will help me out w/feedback about their car.
How's things on your coast? It's been a cool, wet spring here, so far. My rain barrels are all filled up.
How's things on your coast? It's been a cool, wet spring here, so far. My rain barrels are all filled up.
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opabinia51
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It's been so darn cold our here! Brrrrrrr.
I'm glad that I was late in getting my seed starts going because it's been so darn chilly that I'm having trouble planting things.
It's good to see old friends come back to the site as well as all the new friends we've acquired this year. Gosh Wing, I think you've been here as long as I have!
I'm glad that I was late in getting my seed starts going because it's been so darn chilly that I'm having trouble planting things.
It's good to see old friends come back to the site as well as all the new friends we've acquired this year. Gosh Wing, I think you've been here as long as I have!
Hello, Wingdesigner!
We bought a 2004 Prius on December 31, 2004. It was used and had 17,000 or so miles on it then. It's a hatchback with the Hybrid Synergy Drive(tm).
DH works 60 miles away from here and is in a two-man carpool. The two men work 80 hours in 9 days, so they don't commute ALL the time, just 90% of the time.
The Prius now (May 14, 2008) has approx. 91,500 miles on it, the vast majority of them from non-stop, reverse-commute, freeway driving.
We have averaged overall about 40-plus miles per gallon. I personally average about 47 or 48 mpg, but DH drives with a much heavier foot and generally only gets 34 to 35 mpg.
The MOST IMPORTANT THING about driving a Prius and getting the terrific mileage is that you must Maximize Your Momentum. "Coasting" becomes an integral part of your driving strategy.
Handling the Prius: I have LOVED this car from the moment we brought it home. Unfortunately for me, it was designated as DH's car because of his very long commute. But when I have a client obligation fairly distant from the house, DH drives my Honda Accord (not shabby, but def. not Prius fuel economy!) to his carpool partner's house, and carpool guy drives the two of them to work so I can NOT waste gas to/from client's office.
Prius (yes, that is its name) is zippy, fun, good going uphill, responsive, very easy to parallel park, rear-end-first part, head-in-first park. Incredible turning radius! Yeah, I'm a girl and not mechanically gifted, but I learned to drive on a stick-shift 1964 Volkswagen bug, so I know what a "slow, definitely non-zippy, poor-on-uphills, but fuel economy car" is like to drive. I've also owned a 1979 Toyota Corolla, a 1985 Buick Regal (briefly; sigh), a 1986 Honda Accord, and the current 1999 Honda Accord.
Re. Maintenance: The car is pre-set for the "Needs Maintenance" light to go on every 5,000 miles, even though the dealership told DH that, due to the high % of freeway driving, our car only needs to come in every 7,500 miles or so. They cannot re-set the Maintenance light, so we get to drive with this stupid light on for 2,000-plus miles whenever it decides we "need" to go back...
The car has never (yet) stranded us anywhere due to failure to perform. I personally experienced a flat tire the Sunday before Christmas last year, but I think that's the only road flat we've had. We had a flat here at the house (an "overnight" flat, if you will), but we were--you know--at home.
I would buy another in a minute, but it's too expensive for us right now, given that I've been looking for work a l-o-n-g time...but YES YES YES I love the Prius.
And it took me about 15 minutes to feel OK driving the car. I had the stick-shift background, so I was used to paying attention to several different things while driving; DH took a full day or so, I think.
Yeah, the display is a lot of FUN!
Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
We bought a 2004 Prius on December 31, 2004. It was used and had 17,000 or so miles on it then. It's a hatchback with the Hybrid Synergy Drive(tm).
DH works 60 miles away from here and is in a two-man carpool. The two men work 80 hours in 9 days, so they don't commute ALL the time, just 90% of the time.
The Prius now (May 14, 2008) has approx. 91,500 miles on it, the vast majority of them from non-stop, reverse-commute, freeway driving.
We have averaged overall about 40-plus miles per gallon. I personally average about 47 or 48 mpg, but DH drives with a much heavier foot and generally only gets 34 to 35 mpg.
The MOST IMPORTANT THING about driving a Prius and getting the terrific mileage is that you must Maximize Your Momentum. "Coasting" becomes an integral part of your driving strategy.
Handling the Prius: I have LOVED this car from the moment we brought it home. Unfortunately for me, it was designated as DH's car because of his very long commute. But when I have a client obligation fairly distant from the house, DH drives my Honda Accord (not shabby, but def. not Prius fuel economy!) to his carpool partner's house, and carpool guy drives the two of them to work so I can NOT waste gas to/from client's office.
Prius (yes, that is its name) is zippy, fun, good going uphill, responsive, very easy to parallel park, rear-end-first part, head-in-first park. Incredible turning radius! Yeah, I'm a girl and not mechanically gifted, but I learned to drive on a stick-shift 1964 Volkswagen bug, so I know what a "slow, definitely non-zippy, poor-on-uphills, but fuel economy car" is like to drive. I've also owned a 1979 Toyota Corolla, a 1985 Buick Regal (briefly; sigh), a 1986 Honda Accord, and the current 1999 Honda Accord.
Re. Maintenance: The car is pre-set for the "Needs Maintenance" light to go on every 5,000 miles, even though the dealership told DH that, due to the high % of freeway driving, our car only needs to come in every 7,500 miles or so. They cannot re-set the Maintenance light, so we get to drive with this stupid light on for 2,000-plus miles whenever it decides we "need" to go back...
The car has never (yet) stranded us anywhere due to failure to perform. I personally experienced a flat tire the Sunday before Christmas last year, but I think that's the only road flat we've had. We had a flat here at the house (an "overnight" flat, if you will), but we were--you know--at home.
I would buy another in a minute, but it's too expensive for us right now, given that I've been looking for work a l-o-n-g time...but YES YES YES I love the Prius.
And it took me about 15 minutes to feel OK driving the car. I had the stick-shift background, so I was used to paying attention to several different things while driving; DH took a full day or so, I think.
Yeah, the display is a lot of FUN!
Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
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wingdesigner
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Thank you, Cynthia, your comments are most welcome and informative. We have a 98 manual diesel New Beetle, so I found it quite interesting that you drove the original version!
Opabinia, it just seems like I've been around that long... . But I miss you all, too. Anybody hear from Newt, Jess, um--(rats, the mind is like a steel sieve sometimes) and some of the other "old curmudgeons"?
Opabinia, it just seems like I've been around that long...
. But I miss you all, too. Anybody hear from Newt, Jess, um--(rats, the mind is like a steel sieve sometimes) and some of the other "old curmudgeons"?-
Garden Spider
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- Location: Western Washington
My mom and stepdad have a Prius that they love. I also have a gardening friend with a Prius that she loves. What impressed me was the amount of cargo space in such a small car--important when you're going to plant sales (yes, car talk also applies to gardening!). My friend's car held 3 people and all our plants from 2 or 3 nurseries we visited. Comfortable ride, from a passenger's point of view, and very fuel efficient. My mother is definately not a technological sort of person, hates gadgets or anything mechanical that takes more than 3 operating steps, and she learned to drive the Prius with no problem. It handles like any other car; the only difference is that you push a button on the dash to start it, rather than use a key in the ignition.
Another hybrid to consider would be the Ford Escape, which I currently have. It's a small SUV, so gas mileage is not as good as the Prius, but it is still very good, and better than DH's Subaru Impreza, which is much smaller. We needed something that would haul plants, bags of bark or compost, stone and brick, or our 2 German Shepherds. We considered the Prius, but it was just a little too small for our requirements, though DH might consider one for our commute to and from work.
Both these hybrids use the same technology. The Prius has been out for several years now, and has proven to be a very reliable car.
Another hybrid to consider would be the Ford Escape, which I currently have. It's a small SUV, so gas mileage is not as good as the Prius, but it is still very good, and better than DH's Subaru Impreza, which is much smaller. We needed something that would haul plants, bags of bark or compost, stone and brick, or our 2 German Shepherds. We considered the Prius, but it was just a little too small for our requirements, though DH might consider one for our commute to and from work.
Both these hybrids use the same technology. The Prius has been out for several years now, and has proven to be a very reliable car.
I couldn't agree with your comments more- "Theoretically, we've discussed (and good discussions, too!) sustainable practices, being good stewards, etc. So, in that spirit (and others) I am considering ordering my own Prius".
I'd still like to see a sustainable practices forum here some day. This is a very green site and what you do affects my garden and what I do affects your garden. A sustainable practices forum could be a catch all for all of these types of threads which I don't believe belong in the permaculture forum either.
OK, just had the Prius discussion with my husband last night. He said no go because he doesn't want to deal with the cost of a replacement battery which is like $3-4,000 installed and that like anything else that is battery powered, the batteries need replacing sooner or later. A new VW that is a 3 cyl has been or is being released that is supposedly able to get gas mileage greater than that of the Prius was mentioned by my husband. We don't know much about it and aren't in the market for a vehicle yet but when we are ready for another new vehicle, we're going to research all options out there at the time. That being said, all of our friends who have the Prius love them and would buy them again and anyone who chooses that car chose wisely as far as I'm concerned even if my husband is hung up on the cost of replacing a battery. I can't believe how quiet they are and would much prefer to be pulling up one of those to a gas pump rather than what I have which only gets around 27 mpg.
Because of all the growing concern regarding the environment, my husband's company (where he works) is converting employees to the Ford Escape that Garden Spider is driving. This is a big step in the right direction that will also save beaucoup bucks because they're a lot cheaper than the Ford Expeditions and Chev Suburbans and GMC Yukons they've been providing in the past. As each vehicle comes up for replacement, it is being replaced with a Ford Escape that gets twice the gas mileage if not more than the current vehicles. Most employees aren't at all happy with being forced to downsize but oh well.... it should have been done a long time ago when that Escape was first introduced and as far as I'm concerned, it's totally irresponsible to keep dolling out those resource hogs even if the employees do need to cart around a lot of scientific instruments and such. Let them use the racks on top of their new Escapes. This is going to halve the gas expenditure for the company too which helps reduce our dependency on oil. Yup, the company provides all the gas to their employees too. My husband, although he doesn't have to, will be getting one of the new Escapes too. I am thrilled he made this decision to get the type of vehicle that employees are going to be getting. Sends a message that more responsible choices can and should be made when purchasing vehicles.
I'd still like to see a sustainable practices forum here some day. This is a very green site and what you do affects my garden and what I do affects your garden. A sustainable practices forum could be a catch all for all of these types of threads which I don't believe belong in the permaculture forum either.
OK, just had the Prius discussion with my husband last night. He said no go because he doesn't want to deal with the cost of a replacement battery which is like $3-4,000 installed and that like anything else that is battery powered, the batteries need replacing sooner or later. A new VW that is a 3 cyl has been or is being released that is supposedly able to get gas mileage greater than that of the Prius was mentioned by my husband. We don't know much about it and aren't in the market for a vehicle yet but when we are ready for another new vehicle, we're going to research all options out there at the time. That being said, all of our friends who have the Prius love them and would buy them again and anyone who chooses that car chose wisely as far as I'm concerned even if my husband is hung up on the cost of replacing a battery. I can't believe how quiet they are and would much prefer to be pulling up one of those to a gas pump rather than what I have which only gets around 27 mpg.
Because of all the growing concern regarding the environment, my husband's company (where he works) is converting employees to the Ford Escape that Garden Spider is driving. This is a big step in the right direction that will also save beaucoup bucks because they're a lot cheaper than the Ford Expeditions and Chev Suburbans and GMC Yukons they've been providing in the past. As each vehicle comes up for replacement, it is being replaced with a Ford Escape that gets twice the gas mileage if not more than the current vehicles. Most employees aren't at all happy with being forced to downsize but oh well.... it should have been done a long time ago when that Escape was first introduced and as far as I'm concerned, it's totally irresponsible to keep dolling out those resource hogs even if the employees do need to cart around a lot of scientific instruments and such. Let them use the racks on top of their new Escapes. This is going to halve the gas expenditure for the company too which helps reduce our dependency on oil. Yup, the company provides all the gas to their employees too. My husband, although he doesn't have to, will be getting one of the new Escapes too. I am thrilled he made this decision to get the type of vehicle that employees are going to be getting. Sends a message that more responsible choices can and should be made when purchasing vehicles.
One of these days, I'm going to drive a hybrid, but in the meantime, a note for the poverty-stricken among us: I drive a 1986 Honda Civic in which I get 40-41 mpg. My husband gets more like 35 due to lead foot.
The drawback is that you have an older car, which may need lots of maintenance. If you can do this yourself as we do (and I do mean 'we'; his hands don't fit in the tiny engine block, so he directs, I operate), it really pays off. You do have to completely not care about the whole car-as-status-symbol thing, though, as it looks like what it is -- an economy car over 20 years old. But they are reliable; this one has over 200K miles. Downside is that when they break, it's usually serious (facing a possible head gasket now). No uphill or power problems even in mountains; it's peppy.
The Ford Festiva was also amazing mileage -- my father drove one for years until he wrecked it. Same older car caveats apply, plus they're getting hard to find, but he got 50 mpg, and he drives more like my husband than like me. Much less peppy than my Honda, but you can get where you need to go, even up mountains. You just have to make sure you keep the gerbil under the hood well-fed
The drawback is that you have an older car, which may need lots of maintenance. If you can do this yourself as we do (and I do mean 'we'; his hands don't fit in the tiny engine block, so he directs, I operate), it really pays off. You do have to completely not care about the whole car-as-status-symbol thing, though, as it looks like what it is -- an economy car over 20 years old. But they are reliable; this one has over 200K miles. Downside is that when they break, it's usually serious (facing a possible head gasket now). No uphill or power problems even in mountains; it's peppy.
The Ford Festiva was also amazing mileage -- my father drove one for years until he wrecked it. Same older car caveats apply, plus they're getting hard to find, but he got 50 mpg, and he drives more like my husband than like me. Much less peppy than my Honda, but you can get where you need to go, even up mountains. You just have to make sure you keep the gerbil under the hood well-fed
Sorry, but I did mean Festiva. Ford quit selling the things in 1993, and no one has ever described one as spacious. Here's a picture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1st_Ford_Festiva.jpg
Gas milage was the Festiva's claim to fame. There are two or three still on the road in this county, probably related to the poverty rate here, which is high.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1st_Ford_Festiva.jpg
Gas milage was the Festiva's claim to fame. There are two or three still on the road in this county, probably related to the poverty rate here, which is high.
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wingdesigner
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The Fiesta replaced the Festiva. Here in the big city, where everyone who doesn't need one (and that's pretty much everyone but moi) drives an Urban Assault Vehicle and will run you over if you don't merge onto the fwy fast enough, so acceleration counts in my territory. That having been said, whilst we are waiting for our Prius (yes, we ordered one), yours truly is trying to amend the leadfoot ways when not driving defensively (as in "self-defense") by breathing more slowly and deeply; trying to relax (hah, hah, hah) during the commute; and coasting further with the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine acronym that the Prius Owners Group uses. Being somewhat trained in first aid, This Writer was used to seeing ICE as an acronym for In Case of Emergency, on cell phones and such.) before having to actually stop. We have always bellyached about having to accelerate on an incline (which usually happens in rush-hour traffic). Been reading a blog and a couple of forums (just what we need, more time on the 'puter) and the news is generally good about the life of the hybrid batteries; the ICE battery has the usual expected lifespan and price. Most folks only know of 1 or 2 examples of needing replacement out of dozens or more, and half of those were still covered by some type of warranty. All in all, we've done as much homework as we feel like doing and expect that we'll be quite happy with The Li'l Sipper. Yes, it's going to have a name and no, you are not allowed to steal it. There will be consequences... 
Thanks to you all for your input, it has been greatly appreciated and weighed in our decision. Now I just have to adjust to having to sell my Corolla, which I expected to keep for another 100K miles or so.
Thanks to you all for your input, it has been greatly appreciated and weighed in our decision. Now I just have to adjust to having to sell my Corolla, which I expected to keep for another 100K miles or so.
Here's a photo of a Festiva-
https://www.diariomotor.com/imagenes/ford_fiesta_2008_virtual_2.jpg
Looks as if it has a trunk type deal to me??? Am I wrong? I saw this car on the road recently. I stopped right behind it and wondered what it was. Looked good to me for the class of vehicle.
I've also stopped behind and alongside the Prius and I have friends who have those who let me drive them. They are so quiet and they seem to accelerate fine. I didn't try to gun one to merge and I didn't try to accelerate going up a hill or anything but I would think with so many of them out there that if there were problems people would be complaining wouldn't you? My bet is the Prius is still one of the best values on the road.
Wing, lots of urban assault vehicles out this way too. My own father drives a big black thing. When he pulls up, we tell him he's in stealth mode jokingly. I guess it doesn't so much matter for him because he no longer puts on a lot of miles given his age as he seems to only go to the grocery store and back as well as to the doctor with any regularity. I think his new black Arnold thing gets like 12 mpg and that's only because he drives like an eighty plus year old man which is what he is. I couldn't believe he bought one of those. They're hard to get up into even with a step. The one nice thing about them is that you sit up incredibly high on the road so you can see far ahead. I can see my husband buying one because he's got a lot of kids to haul when he goes camping monthly but my dad??? Defies logic even if he drives under 100 miles per week. I thought it was a stupid purchase and told him so. He just gave me the Mr. Roper smirk.
We bought a Toyota Camry for my Mother In Law. Great car. She loves it. Mileage is over 30 mpg for her and I think she only drives maybe 50 miles a week if even that. It's a few years old right now and has incredibly low miles so we won't be trading it in anytime soon. They didn't have much out there other than the Prius when it was purchased and my husband doesn't exactly like to be the first to try newer models.
https://www.diariomotor.com/imagenes/ford_fiesta_2008_virtual_2.jpg
Looks as if it has a trunk type deal to me??? Am I wrong? I saw this car on the road recently. I stopped right behind it and wondered what it was. Looked good to me for the class of vehicle.
I've also stopped behind and alongside the Prius and I have friends who have those who let me drive them. They are so quiet and they seem to accelerate fine. I didn't try to gun one to merge and I didn't try to accelerate going up a hill or anything but I would think with so many of them out there that if there were problems people would be complaining wouldn't you? My bet is the Prius is still one of the best values on the road.
Wing, lots of urban assault vehicles out this way too. My own father drives a big black thing. When he pulls up, we tell him he's in stealth mode jokingly. I guess it doesn't so much matter for him because he no longer puts on a lot of miles given his age as he seems to only go to the grocery store and back as well as to the doctor with any regularity. I think his new black Arnold thing gets like 12 mpg and that's only because he drives like an eighty plus year old man which is what he is. I couldn't believe he bought one of those. They're hard to get up into even with a step. The one nice thing about them is that you sit up incredibly high on the road so you can see far ahead. I can see my husband buying one because he's got a lot of kids to haul when he goes camping monthly but my dad??? Defies logic even if he drives under 100 miles per week. I thought it was a stupid purchase and told him so. He just gave me the Mr. Roper smirk.
We bought a Toyota Camry for my Mother In Law. Great car. She loves it. Mileage is over 30 mpg for her and I think she only drives maybe 50 miles a week if even that. It's a few years old right now and has incredibly low miles so we won't be trading it in anytime soon. They didn't have much out there other than the Prius when it was purchased and my husband doesn't exactly like to be the first to try newer models.
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wingdesigner
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The Prius has been around since the turn of the century (I can't believe I just said that...ye gods I am old enough to use that phrase properly 
), and since the 90's in Japan/Europe. So they've had time to work out most of the bugs. The 2008 we're getting is the last model year of it's generation (3d, I think); Toyota's tweaked the engineering again and increased the size a bit, so I'm glad we're getting the '08. The buzz on the forums is that even the 1st gen USA hybrids are still in the hands of their original owners w/100, even 200K miles on 'em. You can't hardly find one on the used market--I think that is a testament all by itself.
), and since the 90's in Japan/Europe. So they've had time to work out most of the bugs. The 2008 we're getting is the last model year of it's generation (3d, I think); Toyota's tweaked the engineering again and increased the size a bit, so I'm glad we're getting the '08. The buzz on the forums is that even the 1st gen USA hybrids are still in the hands of their original owners w/100, even 200K miles on 'em. You can't hardly find one on the used market--I think that is a testament all by itself.Yup, that was a photo of the new model Fiesta- ooops. I still think it's cute.
I don't know anyone who has a new model Prius. Everyone is still driving their older model Prius. To me, that speaks volume. Only one person so far has had to replace their battery but non-hybrid cars have routine maintenance that is required too so I don't get what the big deal is about a battery and the guy who had to replace his drives his car into the city every day for the last 5 years he has had the car so my bet is he's way over 100,000 miles. What do intake manifolds cost these days... easily 3k. If you own a car long enough, there are going to be costs associated with keeping it up no matter what kind of car it is. I'm really not hearing anyone whining about their Prius and my friends are whiners when it comes to having to shell out money. There's got to be a reason why these cars aren't showing up on the used market.
wing, you gotta please let us all know how well it can accelerate up hills and how much oomph your new car has when passing or merging into traffic on an expressway. I'm thinking it will do just fine.
I don't know anyone who has a new model Prius. Everyone is still driving their older model Prius. To me, that speaks volume. Only one person so far has had to replace their battery but non-hybrid cars have routine maintenance that is required too so I don't get what the big deal is about a battery and the guy who had to replace his drives his car into the city every day for the last 5 years he has had the car so my bet is he's way over 100,000 miles. What do intake manifolds cost these days... easily 3k. If you own a car long enough, there are going to be costs associated with keeping it up no matter what kind of car it is. I'm really not hearing anyone whining about their Prius and my friends are whiners when it comes to having to shell out money. There's got to be a reason why these cars aren't showing up on the used market.
wing, you gotta please let us all know how well it can accelerate up hills and how much oomph your new car has when passing or merging into traffic on an expressway. I'm thinking it will do just fine.
My girlfriend N and her husband R purchased a 2002 Prius. We took it for a neighborhood test drive before we purchased ours.
Hers was the design model that is NOT a hatchback and DOES have a very large battery pack.
They've had it now for 6 years. No battery replacement.
We purchased a 2004 Prius on December 31, 2004. This is the Hybrid Synergy Drive model and it's a hatchback.
My husband has a 120-mile (almost 200 km) round trip commute. The Prius had 17,000 or so miles on it when we purchased it; now it has 94,000 miles.
No battery replacement.
The batteries are guaranteed, according to DH, for 10 years. The dealership where DH's Prius is serviced has not yet replaced a battery, and we live in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a high density of Priuses on the road.
We've also carried 16-foot lumber in the car. We tied down the hatchback to its latch and placed a red flat on the few feet of 2x4 that were sticking out the back.
Our worm's-eye view of the situation, Lorax; maybe this info is helpful?
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
Hers was the design model that is NOT a hatchback and DOES have a very large battery pack.
They've had it now for 6 years. No battery replacement.
We purchased a 2004 Prius on December 31, 2004. This is the Hybrid Synergy Drive model and it's a hatchback.
My husband has a 120-mile (almost 200 km) round trip commute. The Prius had 17,000 or so miles on it when we purchased it; now it has 94,000 miles.
No battery replacement.
The batteries are guaranteed, according to DH, for 10 years. The dealership where DH's Prius is serviced has not yet replaced a battery, and we live in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a high density of Priuses on the road.
We've also carried 16-foot lumber in the car. We tied down the hatchback to its latch and placed a red flat on the few feet of 2x4 that were sticking out the back.
Our worm's-eye view of the situation, Lorax; maybe this info is helpful?
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
Ohhhhhhhh, a ten year guarantee on the battery? Maybe that's why Dave never whined when he had to replace his. I know his car isn't ten years old yet. I'm already sold on hybrid cars. My husband isn't just yet because they are impractical for him with the number of kids he has to haul around camping but the Escape will do fine for him because it has additional optional seating in the far back and a trailer hitch can be added to haul their gear.
I have no idea what kind of hybrid I'll buy in a few years. It's going to depend on advancements in the area as well as which model has the most space to haul plants. I don't need additional seating to haul any more than say 4 kids at a time so I'd be fine with a Prius from that respect. I really do need an area that can handle bags of compost and plants and such more so because I can not handle driving my husband's vehicle. It's too big for me to see to change lanes safely and I can't drive anything with anything attached to the back of it. I'd end up in an accident if I had to back up a trailer.
I have no idea what kind of hybrid I'll buy in a few years. It's going to depend on advancements in the area as well as which model has the most space to haul plants. I don't need additional seating to haul any more than say 4 kids at a time so I'd be fine with a Prius from that respect. I really do need an area that can handle bags of compost and plants and such more so because I can not handle driving my husband's vehicle. It's too big for me to see to change lanes safely and I can't drive anything with anything attached to the back of it. I'd end up in an accident if I had to back up a trailer.
DH, our two Bernese Mtn Dogs, and I drove in the Prius last Monday. DH dropped me off at a client's office and then continued to his mother's house to deliver some gardening supplies.
The dogs take up all the back seat by themselves, and these supplies rode in the cargo area behind the back seat:
--one 3.5 cubic-foot bag of vermiculite
--one 3.9 cubic-foot bag of peat
--two 1-cubic-foot bags of potting soil
--one 2-cubic foot bag of grape-pomace compost (cool stuff...)
We could have put two more 1- or 2-cubic-foot bags in the space without blocking the direct rearview. There were a couple of half-gallon jars of water for the dogs, a blanket, and a water bowl.
DH had no line-of-sight problems. He could see straight out the rearview mirror. We could have put about 60 to 75% more stuff in the back if he had been willing to use just the exterior mirrors and not worry about the direct rearview mirror. We haven't yet packed the Prius COMPLETELY full; that is, with the back seat down and all cargo space stuffed. That would be an interesting experiment! The passenger seat can also fold down, so if you are an "only driver," heaven only knows how much you could pack into the car.
When shopping for groceries or other things, there's a screen available which will cover the cargo, thus protecting it from curious eyes and from direct sun. It "snaps" shut when you don't need it.
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
The dogs take up all the back seat by themselves, and these supplies rode in the cargo area behind the back seat:
--one 3.5 cubic-foot bag of vermiculite
--one 3.9 cubic-foot bag of peat
--two 1-cubic-foot bags of potting soil
--one 2-cubic foot bag of grape-pomace compost (cool stuff...)
We could have put two more 1- or 2-cubic-foot bags in the space without blocking the direct rearview. There were a couple of half-gallon jars of water for the dogs, a blanket, and a water bowl.
DH had no line-of-sight problems. He could see straight out the rearview mirror. We could have put about 60 to 75% more stuff in the back if he had been willing to use just the exterior mirrors and not worry about the direct rearview mirror. We haven't yet packed the Prius COMPLETELY full; that is, with the back seat down and all cargo space stuffed. That would be an interesting experiment! The passenger seat can also fold down, so if you are an "only driver," heaven only knows how much you could pack into the car.
When shopping for groceries or other things, there's a screen available which will cover the cargo, thus protecting it from curious eyes and from direct sun. It "snaps" shut when you don't need it.
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
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wingdesigner
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- Location: Michigan--LP(troll)
The newer Prius' have two batteries, a 12v for the ICE; and the larger LION (lithium ion) battery that powers the electric motor. So I'm told. I'm more concerned about winter starts and how does one warm the thing up/defrost the windows/etc., so the driver's teeth aren't chattering like castanets for the first five miles... Also, how does one go through the car wash? Supposed to put the car in neutral w/engine off, but a Prius is different? And those newfangled antennae in the middle of the roof (like having an itch in the middle of one's back that one just..can't..quite..reach...); how are short people supposed to remove it? Already emailed the dealer w/some of these questions.
Well, the winter weather here is *nothing* like Michigan/Wisconsin, so I can only speak to 60 mph wind during torrential rain and/or weather in the 30s or high 20s with wind and sleet (rare, but it happened a couple of times this past January).
During one of these fine weather episodes (Friday, January 4), I waded out to the car. Prius started right up in our carport. I was on my way to a job interview during an epic flood, so I wore hiking boots and casual pants to this job interview (at a hospital) b/c of the 8 inches of water in the driveway. I was VERY interested in defogging the windshield, using the lights, and having the wipers on fast fast fast. I also had the radio on for traffic reports and definitely wanted some heat.
I backed out of our fairly long (80 foot) driveway, did a Y turn, and ended up at our corner Stop sign. I had warmth already and a clear windshield.
I've taken Prius (yes, that is its name) to the carwash a couple of times. No problem with the weird antenna, no problem with Neutral. Just don't turn the engine off; put the car in Neutral and let 'er coast on those tracks and enjoy the suds! (Re. the "short people" thing: I'm 5'4" and have no intention of taking the antenna off, but since it's survived the carwash, no problem.)
I can't speak to the two batteries thing; I've never actually
popped the hood on the car. Honest! There doesn't even seem to be a need to check the oil, DH tells me--that's all part of the scheduled maintenance. I *can* tell you where the spare tire is b/c I had the flat last December. But two batteries; sorry, no can do.
Glad you asked your dealer about that one, Wingdesigner.
Is your back any better, BTW?
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
During one of these fine weather episodes (Friday, January 4), I waded out to the car. Prius started right up in our carport. I was on my way to a job interview during an epic flood, so I wore hiking boots and casual pants to this job interview (at a hospital) b/c of the 8 inches of water in the driveway. I was VERY interested in defogging the windshield, using the lights, and having the wipers on fast fast fast. I also had the radio on for traffic reports and definitely wanted some heat.
I backed out of our fairly long (80 foot) driveway, did a Y turn, and ended up at our corner Stop sign. I had warmth already and a clear windshield.
I've taken Prius (yes, that is its name) to the carwash a couple of times. No problem with the weird antenna, no problem with Neutral. Just don't turn the engine off; put the car in Neutral and let 'er coast on those tracks and enjoy the suds! (Re. the "short people" thing: I'm 5'4" and have no intention of taking the antenna off, but since it's survived the carwash, no problem.)
I can't speak to the two batteries thing; I've never actually
popped the hood on the car. Honest! There doesn't even seem to be a need to check the oil, DH tells me--that's all part of the scheduled maintenance. I *can* tell you where the spare tire is b/c I had the flat last December. But two batteries; sorry, no can do.Glad you asked your dealer about that one, Wingdesigner.
Is your back any better, BTW?
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
Braggart, am I? Bwhahahah! I wish...that the Prius had been meant to be MY car, but at the time I had a good running 1986 Honda Accord.
Bill's 1989 Ford Taurus overheated in Davis at work and was (eventually) flat-bed towed all the way home, thanks to our excellent AAA coverage. It couldn't be fixed for any reasonable amount of money, even by the mechanic who'd kept it running for several years. So we donated it to an animal shelter.
I was able to drive Bill up to his commute partner's house for a couple of weeks and planned very carefully for my car-less days when he had to hold up his end of the commute deal. But Bill took the week between Christmas and New Year's Day off and focused on selecting the new car. New to us, anyway; it didn't have to be brand new, just nice. The dealership had us in a good place (for them): we NEEDED a new car, ours was thrashed, and after our research, given Bill's regular commute, fuel economy, reliability, and maneuverability would be paramount virtues in the next car.
We wanted to know about the Prius. "Well, we don't get too many used Priuses; people tend to hang onto them." We'd heard that, too, but also knew that Berkeley Toyota had sold the most Priuses of any dealership in the Bay Area the previous year, so they would also be a good source of used Priuses. I went to the dealership on Wednesday to see what they had in and to get the dimensions of the "new" design. The salesman said, "Why didn't he just look it up on line? What can I tell you here that you couldn't find online?" "The headspace for the driver and the passenger." "Oh, yeah, that's not in the brochure, is it?" "No, and that's why I'm here. Could I sit in a car?" So I sat in the floor-demo model, a nice solid black 2005 model Prius (with back window wiper) feeling like I was looking at the control panel of some aircraft.
"Would you like to go for a test drive?" he asked me.
"No, I think both of us should go for the test drive, especially since Bill will be using it to drive to Davis."
So we came back together on Thursday. There had been a white and a blue Prius in the lot on Wednesday, but when we arrived Thursday morning, there was not one used Prius visible on the lot. I was just about to suggest to Bill that we make an offer on the floor model when the sales rep's phone rang and he let us know that Service had just accepted a used Red 2004 hatchback Prius with 17,000 miles on it. It hadn't even been cleaned or certified yet, but would we like to take a test drive?
Boy, would we! In a New York "minit"!
We closed the sale on Friday, December 31, 2004, fulfilling one of Bill's life dreams: to buy a model of car in the same year of its birth. We paid extra for this used Prius; the dealerships honor the MSRP for folks who pre-order their cars AND CAN WAIT for delivery. Unfortunately, we needed a car right NOW and couldn't take advantage of the "waiting" offer. It cost us probably $6,000 extra.
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
Bill's 1989 Ford Taurus overheated in Davis at work and was (eventually) flat-bed towed all the way home, thanks to our excellent AAA coverage. It couldn't be fixed for any reasonable amount of money, even by the mechanic who'd kept it running for several years. So we donated it to an animal shelter.
I was able to drive Bill up to his commute partner's house for a couple of weeks and planned very carefully for my car-less days when he had to hold up his end of the commute deal. But Bill took the week between Christmas and New Year's Day off and focused on selecting the new car. New to us, anyway; it didn't have to be brand new, just nice. The dealership had us in a good place (for them): we NEEDED a new car, ours was thrashed, and after our research, given Bill's regular commute, fuel economy, reliability, and maneuverability would be paramount virtues in the next car.
We wanted to know about the Prius. "Well, we don't get too many used Priuses; people tend to hang onto them." We'd heard that, too, but also knew that Berkeley Toyota had sold the most Priuses of any dealership in the Bay Area the previous year, so they would also be a good source of used Priuses. I went to the dealership on Wednesday to see what they had in and to get the dimensions of the "new" design. The salesman said, "Why didn't he just look it up on line? What can I tell you here that you couldn't find online?" "The headspace for the driver and the passenger." "Oh, yeah, that's not in the brochure, is it?" "No, and that's why I'm here. Could I sit in a car?" So I sat in the floor-demo model, a nice solid black 2005 model Prius (with back window wiper) feeling like I was looking at the control panel of some aircraft.
"Would you like to go for a test drive?" he asked me.
"No, I think both of us should go for the test drive, especially since Bill will be using it to drive to Davis."
So we came back together on Thursday. There had been a white and a blue Prius in the lot on Wednesday, but when we arrived Thursday morning, there was not one used Prius visible on the lot. I was just about to suggest to Bill that we make an offer on the floor model when the sales rep's phone rang and he let us know that Service had just accepted a used Red 2004 hatchback Prius with 17,000 miles on it. It hadn't even been cleaned or certified yet, but would we like to take a test drive?
Boy, would we! In a New York "minit"!
We closed the sale on Friday, December 31, 2004, fulfilling one of Bill's life dreams: to buy a model of car in the same year of its birth. We paid extra for this used Prius; the dealerships honor the MSRP for folks who pre-order their cars AND CAN WAIT for delivery. Unfortunately, we needed a car right NOW and couldn't take advantage of the "waiting" offer. It cost us probably $6,000 extra.
Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17
Yeah. It's not like we had/have the money, either...but once you start looking around, I think it's still the case that a brand-new Prius will cost LESS than a used one if you can wait for delivery.
At least in the Bay Area, used Priuses go for what the--ah--traffic will bear. And, since I had had a bad fall (hit my head, twisted my neck) the day of the paperwork, it didn't dawn on me that we had paid so much extra until the next week.
Cynthia
At least in the Bay Area, used Priuses go for what the--ah--traffic will bear. And, since I had had a bad fall (hit my head, twisted my neck) the day of the paperwork, it didn't dawn on me that we had paid so much extra until the next week.
Cynthia
Ohhh, that makes me want to gag. We'd probably be talking beyond smelling salts time for me. Think I would have rented a car from like Enterprise and waited for delivery of a new one and told them to sell that one to somebody else or come down a few thousand into a reality zone. Poor you. Hind sight is always 20/20.
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wingdesigner
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The first dealership we went to was not our usual Toy dealership. We did the test drive and sat down to fill out paperwork, discuss a time for me to drop by w/my car to assess the trade-in value, etc. Not until it was almost time to sign did we hear the spiel about "premium", meaning a few grand over sticker. We got up to walk out, got the "Fargo" line about seeing the sales manager, waited, listened, walked. That was just plain dirty pool. Had he even mentioned it whilst taking the test drive we might have been more agreeable. Lesson learned, we went back to the dealer/saleswoman from whom we purchased our last three cars, and after she heard our tale she said: "You don't even have to say the name of the other dealership--I've had many complaints about them." She sold it to us for sticker less trade-in or whatever I can sell my car for. Shoulda stuck w/the one person we knew we could trust, but emotions ran high that day. Now, we're waiting on a blue one which should arrive by the end of the month! Anybody wanna buy a Corolla? 30+ mpg! Low miles...just kidding--none of you live around here, anyway. However, we will take references...
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wingdesigner
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We had more choices of colours, so chose three with the caveat of whatever came in first, any colour, with our package. Black, dark grey, light grey/silver, white, light blue, dk. blue, red, icky green, and metallic beige. Beige or grey interior. The touring package gave a few more interior and exterior options, but was waaay too expensive.
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wingdesigner
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Give or take. I'm putting my car up for sale and OF COURSE it starts acting up. I think it's the shifter cable AGAIN. Second time in two years. Every car I've owned has had shifter cable trouble, it must be me. Make/model doesn't matter, and yes, I do depress the button to shift gears. So by the time I get it back from the shop I'll have less than three weeks to get it sold or I'll have to use it as a trade-in. Ugh. I guess I won't have to worry about a shifter cable in the Prius--it doesn't have one! It's an electronic tranny. I'm gonna hafta learn to drive all over again. Guess we'll see if you CAN teach an old dawg new tricks...
(Don't even THINK of replying to that previous sentence!)
(Don't even THINK of replying to that previous sentence!)