I do not give financial advice. Even if you accept the analysis here on peak oil, global warming, and clean tech, that is insufficient information on which to base investment decisions — as the financial meltdown of the last few months should make clear.
But I do think the Prius is easily the best hybrid — best green vehicle — on the road if you are looking for a vehicle in that class size. And as much as people tend to be skeptical of an extended warranty, I assume most Prius owners get one because of the somewhat uncertain lifetime of the battery — although they have been holding up quite well.
But my display monitor just failed outside of the regular warranty, and it would have been almost as expensive as replacing the battery if I didn’t have the extended warranty. And since it controls not just the GPS system, but other vital functions like the heating and cooling system, you can’t do without it.
This was one of the cases where the system wouldn’t work except the moment I pulled into the dealership — I guess it kept warming up. The dealer says the service people are incredibly reluctant to replace parts that appear to be working since the parts get shipped back to Japan, and if they can’t find anything wrong they end up charging the service people. But I took a digital photo of the frozen screen, and they replaced it without putting up much of a fuss.
Anyway, you can take this advice for what it cost you.
This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
