Welcome -- and I hope no one was hurt in the accident. What is the "usual" price? It's only been recently that many people quit paying sticker price or higher for the car. Your handle ("organic_smallhome") indicates that you're willing to pay more for something you perceive as "greener" (that's not a slam, BTW; I do that, too). But what are your goals in buying a Prius? Lowest possible tailpipe emissions or carbon footprint? Fuel economy? Something else? Are you planning to drive the car into the ground or hold onto it for several years before trading for the next advance in "green" technology? Fact of the matter is that you can get a better deal than a Prius for a lot less money. If you're after fuel economy and interior room, you could buy one of the larger GM models (Chevy Impala, Buick LaCrosse) and get an honest close-to-30 mpg highway (hybrids are notorious for not hitting their EPA numbers) in a car that's cheap to insure and fix. If you're after pure mileage, you could go for a Honda Civic (which is now the size of the "old" Accord) or Fit, or the Toyota Yaris or Corolla and get 85-90% of the mileage of a Prius without the purchase price and the expensive maintenance. If you're really concerned about the carbon footprint, you'll go for the Civic or Corolla (both manufactured in North America) or -- even better -- a good-quality used version of either. Keep in mind that the Prius contains two drive systems (electrical and gasoline-powered) and lots of complicated electronics to make everything work. To Toyota's credit, it works well and Toyota has effectively mass-marketed a new technology without much of a hitch. (I know, Honda was first with its Insight, but it didn't sell like the Prius has.) However, most aftermarket service facilities and parts vendors don't yet see enough of a market to invest in equipment almost exclusively for the Prius, so you will be back to the dealer (at dealer labor rates) for all but the most routine parts and maintenance. And the battery pack is still a huge question mark -- how long will it last in real life? How much will it cost to replace? What will a Prius be worth without a good battery pack? In addition to the extra money it costs for all the pieces-parts, you're gambling some money on future repairability and resale value. Hope that helps....

Thanks much for the response! Guess that's what happens when you select an appliance in a hurry during a remodel! Just spoke with the service tech company associated with the PNW distributor and he said that he's very familiar with the problem. Just the way the unit is programmed. He said you can access the little speaker behind the panel and put some foam or fabric on top of it and it will muffle it a bit. I'm gonna have a go at that!

It's okay to leave it plugged in. When the batteries are full it will stop charging. It's like leaving a cell phone plugged in after it is fully charged. No harm.

Justin, I believe Nomen's point regarding the Euphorbia is in reference to the common nursery practice of grafting cacti/succulents to obtain faster, easier growth of the scion. (Or in the more extreme case of the bright red, yellow, or pink Gymnocalycium, simply making it possible for them to survive.) As you are no doubt aware, at some point the scion will break free of the rootstock. (For that matter, most members of John Q Public will likely not even be aware that the plant is a graft to begin with.) Most of the general public would be unaware of this, and will likely be dismayed when this occurs and have no clue as what to do (if anything) to salvage the situation. This, in turn, can lead to disappointment and turn them off from trying again. Unfortunately, there is a very real limit to how much info can feasibly be included on a tag. Tags for such plants really should mention the fact that it is a graft. The more observant novice, noticing such, might take it upon themselves to do some research so they know what is in store for their plant's future, or later , when they start seeking help, they'll have a search term to help. Nomen might suggest that the plants sold should not be grafted at all. And I understand that viewpoint. However, looking at this from a nursery's standpoint, I can also see the efficacy of grafting. Some plants like the aforementioned chlorophyll free Gymnocalycium are popular novelty plants that can survive no other way. Other plants commonly used as scions grow much more vigorously when grafted making it possible to grow up saleable (or salable depending on one's spelling preference ;-) ) plants faster and at significantly lower cost to the consumer.