>>i think a lot of "good ideas" start out poorly executed. Just as with the battery problems and the gas pedal or electronics... it will get cleaned up and fixed but in the meantime those Fords (who used to have the tire problems from Firestone which were made by the same factory as other brands by the way) are selling at 25% higher rates...and Toyota dropped 15%...
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>With a little luck, Toyota will make us a better offer so I can get into a new Prius. The only thing holding us back is 6% interest - we won't pay that to a bank. The Dealer has offered to drop the price of the car far more than the interest surcharge, but we still won't pay that to a bank.
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>My guess is that Toyota financing will eventually give in and give us a low rate (we bought my wife's at 0% for 6 years).
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>Considering we paid 22k+change out the door (including 100K miles bumper to bumper warranty) and have had 2 oil changes as the maintenance cost over the first 10K miles, we consider the operating expenses no problem.
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>We get 50% better gas milage than the Chevrolet Aveo it replaces. The Aveo is one of the best high mpg vehicles available (why I bought it in the first place).The Prius cost $8k more than the Aveo.
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I am surprised you draw a line in the sand over 6% interest. Historically that is still pretty low. (And considering all that has happened financially the past few years, maybe rates were a little too low for a while, encouraging reckless spending).

The new wrinkle in the Toyota story put a smile on my face first thing this morning -- they're blaming it on software! Put it on the programmers and the engineers skate again, LOL.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/04/japan.prius.complaints/index.html?hpt=T1