I ordered my Prius on 6/29/00...Orange County, CA. I took delivery yesterday.<br><br>Bottom line: I love the car and am glad I bought it, but I do have a few complaints.<br><br>1. For you silver buyers out there like me, please know that the car is not really silver. I love the traditional silver color, like you see on many cars. It is silver...silver. I was surprised and a bit disappointed when I first saw the silver Prius. It is closer to beige than silver. (I still bought the car, however.)<br><br>2. The gear shifter blocks the radio on/off/loudness button when in Drive. I think I'll get used to reaching around it eventually.<br><br>3. Dealer told me that you have to have the parking break on and that you must hold down the break pedal while starting the car. So, of course, I asked about giving the car to valet parkers and car was dryers, etc. She suggested I not do it or put up a big note inside the car. The "Pocket Owners Manual" also says you have to hold down the break pedal while starting the car.<br><br>4. There is no way to keep the radio stations screen up on the monitor. To get to the radio stations screen, you have to press the audio button. Then this screen which lists your preset stations disappears after 10 seconds. You need to take your eyes off the road to change your stations.<br><br>5. There is no SEEK button on the radio, only SCAN.<br><br>6. If you are driving on the freeway, especially in So Cal, it is almost impossible to keep the car at 62 MPH. You want to go faster.<br><br>7. I really miss Cruise Control.<br><br>8. I feel a noticable lurching when the gas engine switches on. Not too bad though.<br><br>9. The front of the car is really scrunchy looking. I would have liked it if you could see some of the hood while driving. Right now, you can't see any of it.<br><br>OK, enough about the complaints. I'm just stating my first impressions. Again, I love the car and I feel that it is more than worth the $22,400 (including tax and license) out-the-door price.<br><br>The good: <br><br>No haggling with dealer on price. They accepted my $150 coupon OK. I was their first Prius customer, so we had to learn together. My car shuts off a lot while idling, which is really cool. The computer display screen showing actual MPH and whether running on electric, gas, etc., is really cool. This car is really technologically advanced. It gets fabulous gas mileage. I averaged 47 MPG the first day.<br><br>Good luck everyone.

4. There is no way to keep the radio stations screen up on the monitor. <br><br>Yes there is. I don't have the manual in front of me, and my spouse is out with the car, but: Hit the Info button on the dash, then the right button on the screen. This will then give you an option to turn off the return to energy mode. Once turned off, the Audio control screens will stay up indefinitely.<br><br>5. There is no SEEK button on the radio, only SCAN.<br>All three types are available: The on screen buttons scan the presets. The on dash buttons do a simple tune up/down if you tap them. If you press and hold them (until you hear the beep) then will seek radio stations up and down.<br><br>6. If you are driving on the freeway, especially in So Cal, it is almost impossible to keep the car at 62 MPH. You want to go faster.<br>This is a problem??? Okay, I realize that it is in the break in period and we have to keep it under 62... But I'm glad the car doesn't wince at going faster.<br><br>7. I really miss Cruise Control.<br>Especially during the break-in period. It would keep me under 62 more easily!<br><br> - Mark

Congrats!<br><br>&gt;1. For you silver buyers out there like me, please know that the car is not really silver. &lt;<br><br>Yes but I feel that the difference in color is really only noticeable when sitting next to a silver car. <br><br>&gt;2. The gear shifter blocks the radio on/off/loudness button when in Drive. I think I'll get used to reaching around it eventually.&lt;<br><br>Same here. You will get used to it. Only been driving the car for three days and it's already a habit.<br><br>&gt;6. If you are driving on the freeway, especially in So Cal, it is almost impossible to keep the car at 62 MPH. You want to go faster.&lt;<br><br>I notice this at any speed. Takes very little to keep the car moving. Really have to try hard to keep the car from going over the speed limit. One of the reasons why I like using Cruise Control.<br><br>&gt;7. I really miss Cruise Control.&lt;<br>Same.<br><br>&gt;8. I feel a noticable lurching when the gas engine switches on. Not too bad though.&lt;<br><br>Thought I noticed the same the first day that we had the car. Now I can hardly notice when the ICE kicks on. Only been driving the car for three days, or 130 miles.

Others have answered your comments on the radio. Regarding the starting procedure, I assume the requirement of brakes is just precautionary. The car starts just fine without the brake. Like in most cars, you do need to apply the brake to shift out of Park, though.<br><br>By the way, I was thrilled about the color being prettier and more distinctive than the silver I had in mind. Oh, well...

Who was the dealer that you got your car from???

&gt;&gt;7. I really miss Cruise Control.&lt;<br>Same.&lt;&lt;<br><br>I tooled down I-5 today from B.C. to Seattle. Kept the car at 65 mph in a 70 zone as I still have a few miles to go on the break-in. The cruise control (yes, as we love to remind you, it's standard on the Canadian model) was great, very easy to adjust, cancel, and reset with just a flick of the finger. And it was very nice being able to change the speedometer to MPH when I crossed the border -- where the guard, BTW, had more interest in the vehicle than in the purpose of my trip!<br><br>The car did very well on the highway, and had plenty of pep for getting out from between semitrailers. Looking forward to the trip back where I can put on a bit more speed now that I'm approaching the 1,000-km mark (and barely started my second tank of gas!)

&gt;&gt;&gt;Who was the dealer that you got your car from??? &lt;&lt;&lt;<br><br>South Coast Toyota of Costa Mesa. They are really great. I dealt with the Fleet Manager. She was very nice...and she admitted that she was learning with me as I was her first. She also said she's delivering another Prius next week. They have one mechanic trained to work on the Prius, but she said they'll be training another as soon as they sell more cars.<br><br>I was worried at first when I learned that one should only take the Prius to a Toyota dealer for anything, no matter how minor, even an oil change, but then I learned that if it is in for a warranted problem, they will give you a free loaner car.<br><br>BTW, in the first 2 days of driving (some freeway, some street), the MPG display says I'm averaging 43 MPG.

Thanks, mark_in_mtn_view, for the detailed reply. You are correct...I was wrong. You can keep the radio station display from changing back to the "power" screens. And the tuning button also acts as the Seek function. (I guess I need to read the owner's manual completely!)<br><br>Also, I'd like to thank everyone who replied to my original "I Got My Prius" posting. this is a great group...and so helpful. When totally new products hit the marketplace like the Prius, groups like this can be invaluable.<br><br>As great as the Prius is, and it is great, it is exciting to think that this is just the beginning. Hybrid cars can only get better in the next few years (in appearance, features, and performance). I highly recommend this car, and I think that most, if not all, buyers will be as satisfied as I am.