Hello,

I spend a lot of time on the freeway commuting to work
in my aging Honda Accord. I'm seriously thinking of buying a
Prius to cut down on my gas expenses. I am hoping to
have the following Prius-related questions answered:

Should I wait for the 2006 model?
Is the maintenance on a Prius costly?
Should I expect to put my name on a waiting list? (I live in Northen
California)
Should I expect to pay the MSRP (or more) price?

Thanks

-Adrian

Not answering your questions:

The Prius will not save money in the short term compared to a lower priced car
with high MPG. Don't expect the best mileage in high speed freeway driving.
I'm getting ~45 MPG on the highway. The economy really shines at lower
speeds.

Having said that, the Prius is a wonderful car.

Al


<elmofongo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1130478866.898463.243220@g47g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

In article <0uGdnZQgUOMQkv_eRVn-gw@rcn.net>,
"A Sherman" <als62@nospam@rcn.com> wrote:

Check out http://www.priuschat.com for an expenses spreadsheet. Prius
is not the cheapest car to own, not even the cheapest new car. But it
is nice knowing that one is minimizing air pollution and nearly
minimizing petroleum dependency.

Note that you get a $2000 tax *credit*, not a deduction, for taking
delivery in 2006. Thus it is much better to wait. Yes, expect to pay
MSRP, even if you wait.

My experience is very different. I bought a used 2001 Prius with
36,000 miles for under $15,000. That is lway ess than a comparably
equipped new car that gets way less gas mileage. Also, I get better
gas mileage on the highway than I do in the city. When I fill up and
get on the highway and drive I can get up to 53 mpg. When I fill up
and do just city driving, the best I can get is 45 mpg. I think it is
the fact that the engine starts up a lot more when city driving. I
can't seem to just start out with just electric power. I think the new
Prius may be better at that.

My used car still has the remainder of the 6 year 100,000 mile
warranty. Also, it seems Toyota is trying to please us Prius owners.
I have a knock in the electronic sterring rack. Toyota is replacing it
for free. The service bulletin stated that they are doing this to keep
in good graces with the Prius owner. So, there may be some perks to
buying an older Prius. It is a wonderful car and I'm not sure I can
ever go back to a non-hybrid.

elmofongo@gmail.com <elmofongo@gmail.com> wrote:
If you do a lot of stop and go during your commute (any of the bridges
or passes) you may find the Prius has 2 or 3 times better milage than
your Accord. It loves slow and go.

If you check all the dealers within driving range, you are likely to find
a car today. I have met 3 people this month who did that and found one in
stock at a dealer within 50 miles of their house. Expect to pay MSRP in
these cases.

I have the 2002 model, 36,000 miles and have paid nothing for
maintenance. :) The early models had a 3 year, 36000 mile pre-paid
maintenance included in the price. Actually, I did replace the tires
and paid for that.


enjoy!

A Sherman wrote:
Try slowing down and drafting behind semi-trucks.

Doug <indydoug@knac.com> wrote:
And while you are at it, keep the speed as steady as possible. The cruise
control does a great job of adjusting the speed smoothly so the ICE is
not started unless it's really needed. Keeping speed at or below 65
makes a noticable difference too.

I get my best milage (on level ground) when I set the cruise at 55 MPH.

<dbs__usenet@tanj.com> wrote in message
news:sdWdncUUkeT7aP7enZ2dnUVZ_s6dnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
mpg at 55 mph. Great first step toward conservation would be rolling the
speed limit back to 55.

bad idea. If you're close enough to draft you're much too close to stop
safely if (when!) the truck hits its brakes.

"richard schumacher" <no-spam@invalid.net> wrote in message
news:no-spam-EC4D0A.21511930102005@news.isp.giganews.com...
One of the best aspects of my self-imposed 55 mph speed limit is that I
rarely find myself following too closely. :-)

"richard schumacher" <no-spam@invalid.net> wrote in message
news:no-spam-EC4D0A.21511930102005@news.isp.giganews.com...
Above 65 or 70 mph drafting can be done at normal following distances (I use
the Smith System four second rule) if the air is still. It is tough in some
cars, but the Prius has little enough lateral stability to let you feel the
buffeting at the tail of the draft. In older vehicles, like our Volvo, the
weatherstripping has smashed down to the point the draft is audible as a
quieter zone.

Unfortunately, even a breath of sidewind will shift the draft a lane or
more, so it isn't something that can be used all that often.

Mike (an avid cyclist when I was younger)