24 Hour Test Drive.

[Fujisan]

Spoke to my local dealer a little while ago.

They told they are getting three new Prius, one for the showroom, one for normal test drives and one for 24 hour test drives. :D

They haven't arrived yet, but with a bit of luck, they will clear PDI in time for me to take a 24 hour test drive, just a few days after launch day!

Just cannot wait

[chatman]

Spoke to my local dealer a little while ago.

They told they are getting three new Prius, one for the showroom, one for normal test drives and one for 24 hour test drives. :D

They haven't arrived yet, but with a bit of luck, they will clear PDI in time for me to take a 24 hour test drive, just a few days after launch day!

Just cannot wait

You jumping ship Fuji.............. ;) ;)

[Fujisan]

You jumping ship Fuji.............. ;) ;)

I'll see which way the tide takes me.

[Stepppy]

wow, fingers crossed for Southampton dealer too. Can't beat a proper normal drive on roads & routes that are familiar without a salesman chirping in ever 5 mins :D

[benw123]

A 24 hour drive would appeal to me too - would be great to try it out on the commute! It goes without saying that if you do go ahead with a drive, please post back your thoughts here. I have a feeling this section of the forum will get busier in the coming weeks...

[Fujisan]

A 24 hour drive would appeal to me too - would be great to try it out on the commute! It goes without saying that if you do go ahead with a drive, please post back your thoughts here. I have a feeling this section of the forum will get busier in the coming weeks...

My pleasure!

[Fujisan]

By the way, the e-version's of the full Prius Gen III brochure are now available.

Only had time to have a scan through it so far. :)

Hopefully the paper copy is on it's way soon....postal strikes allowing. :(

[Fujisan]

Had a little sit in the car that my local dealer will be using for the 24 hour test drives, today.

Apparently it turned up only yesterday (Monday) afternoon :D and hadn't even been PDI'd yet, when I got there.

It is a Pearl White T4, normal (nice ) velour trim, Michelin tyres (if anyone's interested :P ).

Managed to bag an extra (ordinary) test drive, which I think will be in this car on Friday

The showroom car which is arriving any day (hopefully by Friday ) is a Red T Spirit.

First impressions ......so far, so good! :D

But......I'll be honest, on a wet, drizzly, grey day it was hard to say that the White was Pearl White! It might had been clear if it was stood next to a solid White but it in that light it just looked.....White

[dave.m]

You jumping ship Fuji.............. ;) ;)

I'll see which way the tide takes me.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Fujisan]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

.....turns out to be YESSSSSSSSSS

[Fujisan]

Managed to bag an extra (ordinary) test drive, which I think will be in this car on Friday

The showroom car which is arriving any day (hopefully by Friday ) is a Red T Spirit.

But......I'll be honest, on a wet, drizzly, grey day it was hard to say that the White was Pearl White! It might had been clear if it was stood next to a solid White but it in that light it just looked.....White

Well, that was nicest no pressure test drive I have ever had! Top marks Bentleys Warrington

50 minutes just going where I wanted to go, over roads I knew.

The Prius...so smooth, so easy to drive, felt right at home straight away. Rides very well, steering a little light but no problem at all and very easy at parking speeds.

Coped with all manner of roads, hills, town and motorway in such a relaxing easy fashion.

Gliding around town in EV is spookly quiet. B)

Plenty of zip in Power for joining the motorway. Even at motorway cruising speeds the ICE was smooth, quiet and relaxed.

Managed to avoid sending the saleslady though the windscreen when I first touched the brakes! But definitely a gentler touch needed then to haul the RAV to a halt! ;)

All things considered very impressed....so much so....well you know by now!

Only thing left to decide was the colour and spec.

Going for the extra toys in the T Spirit was easy.

Colour...

Black...no, there are too many black cars around here. Silver...two of my last three had been silver. Red...was top of my list but they had a customers red T3 around the back and well , sorry, I didn't do it for me :(

So sorry to be boring but Pearl White it is....it just suits the shape of the car so well

Still got the 24 hour test in a week or so's time ....can't wait for another play!

[blue verso 56]

I was on the verge of ordering a Verso2-2 t-spirit diesel automatic and saw the posts on the pirus which to be honest have always interested me .

If someone could give a more in depth review of driving it when coming from a normal Diesel or petrol model car it would be appreciated

I will try to get a test drive next week

Thanks for any advice

[Nerfie]

Bah, I'm really interested in the new Prius, I never thought I'd say that.... but toyota really have got it right with the third one... I like it a lot.. :D

[Fujisan]

If someone could give a more in depth review of driving it when coming from a normal Diesel or petrol model car it would be appreciated

I will try to get a test drive next week

The best advise I can give is to have a test drive!

Sorry, my poor words cannot describe how quiet and relaxing the Prius is, especially in urban driving. And from the short section of motorway I took the car on, it is my feeling that it will be a very comfortable long distance cruiser.

Only you can say if as a Verso owner, the Prius will be big enough for you, certainly the passenger space is equal to if not a little bigger than my RAV, so fine for my small family.

If you have ever driven an automatic before (especially in the States), you will love it!

Have a test drive.....and enjoy!

[Stepppy]

Spoke to my local dealer a little while ago.

They told they are getting three new Prius, one for the showroom, one for normal test drives and one for 24 hour test drives. :D

They haven't arrived yet, but with a bit of luck, they will clear PDI in time for me to take a 24 hour test drive, just a few days after launch day!

Just cannot wait

Does anyone know if this is a dealer specific promo or is it nationwide?

I am going to Kings in Hedge End tomorrow and would like to know before I went :)

[Fujisan]

Does anyone know if this is a dealer specific promo or is it nationwide?

I am going to Kings in Hedge End tomorrow and would like to know before I went :)

Sorry no idea one way or the other

[Stepppy]

Does anyone know if this is a dealer specific promo or is it nationwide?

I am going to Kings in Hedge End tomorrow and would like to know before I went :)

Sorry no idea one way or the other

OK, thanks for replying...... I will ask and see what they say :P

[The Traveller]

I'm getting one through employee car ownership at work. Ordered last week after spending some time looking at the alternatives and pricing them up, etc. It's a no-brainer really.

TSpirit in black with the Solar Roof & Protection pack. No Style pack and no Leathers. Ordered so recently that I don't have a delivery forecast etc., but I gather that the Solar roof option punts it back into November sometime? The fleet manager said October, but they're always optimistic, aren't they.

Got a T4 out for a test drive this week, sadly only for a pair of hours. Thoroughly impressed by the experience. It's easy to be dazzled by all the technology, the electronic dash and so on. But underneath is an excellent ride and great handling both in traffic and out on the M'way. Never had a Toyota before and had carried an unfavourable impression of Japanese cars overall, formed by a disastrous experience with a model from a manufacturer whose name begins with H about 20 years ago. Stupid and judgemental I know. 2 hours with a Prius has canned all those ideas. Noise levels up to the legal limit were very good to excellent (how much noise does a Battery make?), ride was firm and handling crisp without stepping over into harshness.

Fujisan I'm down the road from you, my lend was from RRG in Stockport. Thoroughly professional bunch and (as of last weekend) their chap claimed that they still had 4 cars left from this years initial allowance of 24. I believe that the next batch is released to dealers in October. So those looking for a dealer with one to sell may still find one there. The fleet manager let it be known that he and his colleagues in fleet sales in Manchester (9 dealerships) have sold over 400 already.

The Manchester dealers are holding an event on Thursday for prospective buyers, where you get the chance to be taken out and then have a go yourself. All the fleet demos will be there, so there ought to be plenty to go around.

[Fujisan]

Fujisan I'm down the road from you, my lend was from RRG in Stockport.

Noticed that! Gods country the NW!

The fleet manager let it be known that he and his colleagues in fleet sales in Manchester (9 dealerships) have sold over 400 already.

Yeah, hard to get away from RRG in our neck of the woods

The RAV was RRG Macclesfield!

Anyway, glad you seen the light and enjoyed your test drive! :D

[Fujisan]

Just handed the car back!

Not the full 24 hours, the saleslady asked very very nicely if they could have the car back early because they had customers queing around the block to test drive the Prius and their other demonstrator doesn't turn up until next week.

Anyway most of the day with the car and a lot of miles!

It took all sorts of roads in it stride without a problem, the congestion in Chester City centre: for those who know the area, up Kelsall Hill at speed ;) : crusing on Cheshire's finest motorway's, and so on.

Had a play with most of the toys, auto wipers, cruise control, all the displays, no prob's! B)

After hours in the car, still very comfortable.

Only a couple things, no idea where the end of the bonnet is, when I'm driving all I can see is the wipers and then nothing. But parked it up in Sainsbury's all right, so that's OK. Which leads me on the the only other thing, I couldn't find any hooks in the boot for hanging shopping bags, to stop them sliding around. But if that's the only issue with the car ... well, I can live with that!!

Very happy with my choice

...and more importantly....so is the wife! :D