Hey all,

After much thinking about stuff, i have decided that off-roading is not in my immediate future. Therefore, i sold my G500 and got a 2010 Prius. My recent change in job requirements has force me to put in more hours and drive more miles. As i have mentioned before, the only car that is really expendible is the Mercedes. My Sienna is our long distance family car...and with two toddlers, nothing is gonna touch a minivan! I am sad to see the Mercedes go, but i had no use for it in almost 3 years...and don't anticipate much activity for the next 2-4 years. And if i do go off-roading again, then i will likely pick up a used Rubicon or 4runner Trail Ed.

So, here it is...a fully loaded 2010 Prius Level V in winter gray with misty gray interior. Level V is hard to find as Toyota does not make many of them. Luckily, with Toyota recent troubles and a buyer backing out of ordering this Prius, i was able to get one at a significant discount...and am the first one to even testdrive it of the delivery truck! Standard on V are LED headlamps (very cool!!) and 17" rims. Additional options include Advance Technology Pkg (radar cruise control, pre-collision, and lane keep assist along with intelligent parking assist), all-season mats, bumper protector, door edge guards, and window tints. Manufactured date: 3/10.

It ain't a 4runner, but at least, it is under the same umbrella.

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And yes, i am getting fabulous MPGs...47-48 mpg on the highway and 51 mpg in city.

Wow, talk about complete opposites. Congrats, great looking car. Remember the Toyota motto: Moving you forward.

I can't wait to see you getting a used 4Runner or a Rubicon. I am sure it will look awesome.

Awesome! Glad you're enjoying the Prius.

Congrats on the new vehicle. Big switch. Is level V just like a Limited or something?

Thanks guys...i am actually enjoy driving it!! I like to be in the slow lane for the first time in my life!

It is the most expensive trim. However, for whatever reason, Level III and IV has the optional solar roof & moonroof. These two options are not available on the Level V. On the other hand, LED headlamps and 17" rims are exclusive to Level V. For me, with my job, i drive on dark highways often...and thus, i had to go with Level V for the special headlamps. The 17" rims also make the Prius look nice IMO.

Advance Technology Package is also exclusive to Level V. ATP is just plain cool!

One more shot of the interior:
BTW, the JBL sound system on the Prius is phenomenal!! It is really good...it is better than my parent's 2010 Lexus ES350 base system...and better than my Sienna's JBL Synthesis system too. It is amazing how Toyota/JBL can tune the system so well with just 8 speakers (and 440 watts).

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Wow!
I'm amazed at all those features.

Have you driven it at night?
How is the LED headlamps compared to your Acura's HID?

and what is that "parking Assist" thing? are those incorporated by its radar?

does it emit radiations, that it can sense objects near?

(sorry, I didn't research)

definitely an interesting switch.....to each their own, long as ya enjoy it.


when i think of prius' all i can think about is jeff dunham and achmed the suicidal bomber.

"Time to find Mother Nature and shake her hand."

YouTube - Hilarious SNL skit about runaway Toyota Prius

I have not driven at night long enough to really judge. To be honest, the real competition is between my Sienna's HID and the Prius LED. Acura TSX HIDs are very bright but the road coverage is not as good as Sienna's. You also don't see the sharp cutoff line that you do in the Acura. But, yeah, i can't wait to drive at night with my Prius and see if LED is really all that.

The IPA (intelligent park assist) is based on sonars on the front side bumper i think. I have not dare to try it out yet...still trying to digest the huge Owner's Manuals!

Well, that is yet another benefit of the Prius...it kills terrorists!

Hahahaha...driving a Prius is like playing the lottery...if you get "lucky" then you get millions and millions of dollars courtesy of Toyota!

Not exactly what you're looking for, but here is a comparison b/w halogen and LED: Halogen -VS- LED Headlights with pictures - PriusChat Forums

I don't understand why Toyota doesn't allow the solar roof option on the Prius V. The Prius V looks the best with the bigger wheels, foglights and LED headlights.

Out of curiousity, even though it's probably still a year away from availability. Would you have considered the Lexus CT200h? IMO, the Prius is a way better buy than the HS250h.

Ok, enough of making fun of Ric, lets get back on topic.

HS is a poor buy IMO. Fuel economy is no better than a Camry Hybrid. It is less roomy and looks like a Corolla. And in a few years, it will be surpassed rather easily by other brands.

I would have love to have solar panels, esp. in Texas! My whole point in getting a Prius, as opposed to Lexus HS or CT is maintenance costs. My job is super demanding these days. I have a Toyota dealer literally 5 mins from my house. In addition, my days of doing my own stuff is long over. Toyota does oil changes for $30. (Surprisingly, Acura's oil changes are equally cheap!) Lexus charges an arm and a leg for everything.

Lastly, even though i live in a really good neighborhood, i really do hate attention that i got when i drove the Mercedes in the big city. There is also numerous cases of car jacking...or people crashing into expensive cars to robe them. So, one of my goals is to avoid attention when i go out. So, this is yet anoter reason why i crossed out all luxury brand names when i went shopping. My minivan costs nearly $40k...my Prius $35k, but i don't mind spending money on those "regular Joe" cars because they don't attract attention like a Lexus or a Mercedes. Like i said all along, my Sienna is the most valuable vehicle in the family.

In other words, i did this to keep things cheap (maintenance wise) but also to increase safety for me and my family.

Congrats on your new car. I really like the color combo you have. I never saw a Prius as loaded as yours. My parents almost traded the Runner for a Prius in 2009, but they opted to stay with the SUV's because of our wonderful NJ winters (which paid off this past year). How is it getting used to that gear shifter and push button parking brake?

Wow, things are so much different in your area. The Lexus dealer is actually cheaper on service than the Toyota dealer where I bought my truck.

Exactly, a Level V with ATP is hard to find...and most dealers won't even negotiate a price on such a vehicle. At most, you would see 1 at every other dealerships in a big city.

Well, personally, this color was not even on my radar! My first preference was blizzard pearl (pearly white) or silver. But yeah, when the guy told me that he had one available with all those options and significant discount, i could not turn it down!

The interior color was my first choice...so, i did get something that i want afterall! I like the two-tone interior...and the fact that all the elbow places are dark colored.

Actually, learning to drive it in the basic sense is rather easy! The shifter is now intuitive, after 3 days with it. I actually find it easier to operate than my old Mercedes zig-zag shifter or my other cars for that matter. The problem is that i am still learning to drive efficiently with it without looking at the economy monitor on the dash...yet another good reason to get pre-collision option! Still, i am getting exact EPA ratings on a brand new vehicle (not broken in yet) and i am still learning to drive it. My brother is getting 53-54 combined mpg easily on his 2010 Prius.