Toyota Prius, Fact or Fiction

[Pat]

Due to the overwhelming number of requests I have received (1 so far but I sometimes overwhelm easily) I am inaugerating this thread about the T O Y O T A P R I U S...

I have one on order and intend to take delivery soon (we hope). For those of you who haven't seen last months 12 page ad in PopSci and haven't used MapQuest lately (mapquest shows you how to navigate from A to B and then tells you how much $ you would have saved if you drove a Prius.

Our color preference is in priority order but not using their cutesy color names is: the light metallic pearlescent green, silver, gold, white. Skipping red and black.

A white one with our trim package (9 different trim packages) is due in soon and the dealer will try to swap with another dealer, if possible, for our prefered color. Well take the white if no other is available.

We were quite pleased to see the improvements that had been made ove the previous model. It is now a "lift back" with no barrier to getting groceries in and out. The back seats are a 60/40 split and fold easily forward individually or together to increase rear storage. The back seat is bigger and more comfortable than the CR-V or the Forrester.

I opted for the navigation system and no key needed entry and startup. It also will have fog lights. Yes you can get fog in Oklahoma. I drove in considerable fog in the mountains just last Sunday. It has the HID headlights and an indash 6 CD changer and premium multi-speaker audio system. It has "Blue Tooth" system to integrate an appropriately technology enabled cell phone.

My test drive was a very pleasing experience. It is surprisingly peppy for a 1500cc 4 banger (something to do with a 200 volt Nimh battery and an electric motor.) The tech whizkids at Toyota's intergalactic design headquarters increased the size and weight of the car while simultaneously giving it more power and acceleration AND higher fuel mileage than the prevuous smaller version. Still sounds like getting 10 lbs in a 5 lb sack.

More later, film at 1100. P.S. Gary, I know folks who are still waiting for color TV to be perfected before they buy one. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Pat

[Gatorboy]

So what exactly is the item you are claiming FACT or FICTION?

Talking about the Prius brings back memories of my 1984 CRX which claimed 51/67 mpg. I typically got 53-55 mpg on average, and 63 mpg when I drove exlusively on the highway.

[GaryM]

I got to drive a 2003 for a little bit and liked it. Not a muscle car, but pretty good considering the way it sips at fuel. Looking through the brochure I received in the mail makes me want to get one.

It's going to take me approx 37 gallons of fuel to drive to and from work in my Expedition at 13.5 MPG. The Prius at 58 MPG would use less than 9 gallons. At $1.45 per gallon, I'd save $40 a week on fuel. I could almost make a car payment on fuel savings alone. And that doesn't count the "cool factor". OK, maybe there's no cool factor.

How would you feel about turning the Prius over to a valet parking guy with no instructions?

[Chuck52]

I know they haven't been out long, but is there any data on the hybrid drive systems in general, as to reliability or major problems? I see that Mazda is also bringing back the rotary engine. At least, I think it went away for a while and is now re-emerging. Nice to see some experimentation. Do you think the hybrids will take over, at least until a fuel cell vehicle is available?

Chuck

[egon]

Pat; you mentioned TV. Whats that?

Egon

[Pat]

GAtorBoy, Gas mileage, I guess mostly but now the story has begun to take on additonal fictional possibilities. A call to the dealer today reveals that they don't know for a fact that we will get a car, or if we do when it will be. It seems there are allocations and the vehicles trickle down the distribution chain. they have exactly what we want except color is not first choice (still acceptable) but can't sell it till they have had it for 90 days. It is placed by Toyota into some sort of rental status and cant be sold for 90 days. Sort of a demo thing.

This whole deal just keeps getting stranger and stranger. And it isn't just this one dealer. The one we test drove at another dealer was in this "rental" limbo.

There is an annual quota that Toyota intends to mfg. Something like 1/3 of it is already sold (just not delivered.) They produce white cars first then move on to other colors. Apparenty, Toyota's intergalactic headquarters decides when and if a dealership gets product and the dealership is NOT in control.

You'd think that if the demand is outstripping supply 6:1 they would put on another shift and make some $. Folks won't wait forever before going for 2nd choice which may be a different brand.

Late breaking news this PM was that our selected dealer has a December allocation for the color we want but the trim package is not known yet.

I'm getting real close to putting them on a deadline to produce a contract with a VIN for OUR car or giving our deposit back and moving on. They said they fully expect a lot of people whoi what a Prius to be put on allocation for the '05 build.

Too weird, if I didn't really want one of these I'd tell them to defecate or remove their hindquarters from the porcelin receptical. I still may.

Pat

[Pat]

Gary, If your commute is mostly highway cruising then 58 may be a bit optimistic.

Cool factor? I think turninig it over to a valet with no instruction would be cool. Especially if you left it "booted up" (running?) First he woiuld think the engine died because it wouldn't be running the gas engine. Second, after you told him to just step on the pedal and it will go, the valet would spend a lot of time looking for the ignition switch, which isn't used and if he found the backup ignition key hole there wouldn't be a key in it.

Pat

[Pat]

Chuck52

http://www.priusonline.com is a good place to find Prius info.

Toyota has been making the Prius since at least 1999, maybe longer.

Didn't Mazda always have a rotary in its RX sporty car?

Hybrids are here now and practical. Fuel cells or xxx or yyy, or cold fusion may come later but you can buy gasoline pretty much anywhere you can drive.

I predict lots of hybrid vehicles, including SUV and light truck. I also predict domestic brand hybrids (Toyota is selling lisc to Ford.) Eventually maybe perhaps fuel cell vehicles willl become economical to manufacture with acceptable performance AND fuel will be made convenient, safe, and with wide availability. Meanwhile, as we wait for those conditions to be met, hybrids are ready now and their fuel is easily availble. What I can't predict is how long the window of opportunity will be open for hybrid before getting meaningful competition from fuel cells or xxx.

Pat

[rbhollabaugh]

Pat,
Congratulations on your choice of vehicle. Hopefully your car will show up. Perhaps you should take the one that is a different color? Idon't think fuel cells will be around anytime soon. Where is the H2 going to come from?
Rich

[Pat]

If they don't have the one you love, love the one they have?

Two white ones. One has WRONG accessory package and the other is a rental that they can't sell for a couple months.

H2??? Cold fulsion will supply free electricity to make H2 cheap.

OR check out the attached diagram. Let me know if you need help with the last box/process in the diagram. I won't be able to help you, I just want to know if you have trouble understanding it.

Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]