So I was in the market for a Prius - at first I was looking for a used one, but the 2012 Plug-in caught my eye, and I decided to go for it. I ended up leasing it, how did I do? I am paying $350 a month, with gap insurance included. I paid the fees and taxes, about $4,000 out of pocket. It's the base 2012 with 12,000 miles a year. A note - I plan to buy it out at the end of 3 years. I drive a lot, and likely will pass the allotted mileage limits so I plan to keep it. I really like it - technology is great in the car, and the gas savings are amazing. I charge it up occasionally and really enjoy driving it in EV mode and not using gas! The navigation and sound system I'd rate a 6 out of 10, they do the job but definitely are a bit outdated and lackluster in terms of their interface and sound quality. Otherwise, everything else is fantastic. Oh, and it's silver!
A couple of comments: If you realize if you are able to charge it at night (if you have cheaper night rates of $.047) you would be getting a huge difference in energy prices. For us the typical gallon of gasoline is "about" $3.50. If you then compare the price of charging with electricity the electric night rate equivalent is $.48 per gallon of gasoline. We are complete converts and faithfully charge the Plug-in knowing this huge difference. Second, the sound system will sound much better if you adjust the bass and treble control up most of the way and leave the mid-range level alone. I believe you will enjoy the sound system much more that way. Each audio source has it's own memory settings for this. Just touch the "Sound" button to see the adjustments. Lastly, there are some really kewl gems in the navigation system. For example, if you know the phone number of the business you want to navigate to just enter it and that's all you have to do. You can access that option from the "Points of interest" destination screen. Welcome to the Prius community. I know you will enjoy it the more you find out the hidden gems inside it. Cheers -
