Perfect analogy! LOL I have a 2010 V, and my buddy has a 2008 (whatever top of the line was in 2008)...Both cars have NAV, leather, BT,etc. My car, NEW, was in the low 30's (although, I bought mine lightly used). He bought his car last summer, used, for about 16k if I recall correctly...it might have been 18k. Regardless, as much as I love my 2010, with the economy in the pooper right now, if I were in your shoes I would go with the less expensive solution. There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with the Gen II, my friend loves his. You'll get a great car with low miles, and what remains of the warrantee. Plus, you also have the advantage of knowing the owner and how the car was driven and cared for. All, big plusses. Drive it for a few months...if you just can't stand it, trade it in for a III. I agree, the color doesn't sound overly appealing...but you'll be pretty much invisible to police should you ever find yourself speeding. Always end on a high note... LOL
I have a 2006 with 55k miles too. I say buy your dad's car. It has 45k more miles with warranty and has been well taken care of.
OK, I'll play the devil's advocate. Your financially stable, so buy the Gen III of your dreams and let dad sell his car for a little more profit. :car:
Don't let the color of the car influence your decision. :blabla: I wanted a different color than the one I got. :madgrin: When I drive the car I can't see any part of the outside anyway.:nod: And I regularly drive long trips in my Gen2 without any discomfort of any kind. I enjoy my 2007 very much. I would take the 2006 model. :thumb:
Save the money and make the responsible choice. Save for finance freedom! You will be happy in the end.
Drove a gen2 today to remember what it was like (my dad's on the other side of the country). Though I definitely prefer some aspects of the Gen3 the gen2 was great and I would be very happy in it. However, lol, after all this it turns out my sister's husband might want it as well and if he does they're just going to do a coin toss (even though it makes FAR more sense for me to have it since I was already in the market for the car...though im sure they have their reasons too). So now I need to wait and see if they're seriously interested. I hate family dynamic stuff like this, so I'm not looking forward to it. Here are a few pics of the car.
Youch, well what are the financial differences between you and your bro-in-law? How much does he really want that specific car? Can there be a compromise? Use the familial situation to your advantage. This is where you can have a safe, open conversation about money, personal stuff, or whatever without worrying that the dealer or stranger is going to rip you.
I wish it was that easy. Financial situations are fairly similar. They don't WANT the car - he just needs a higher mpg car due to a new job that has him travel a lot - he is NOT a prius guy - he's a truck/suburban/tahoe guy. He'd tolerate the prius for the savings in money. It wouldn't be exciting for him. But there's no way to talk about that with them, unfortunately. Fun family politics. I'll let you all know how it works out, heheh.
I'd guess you would take care of the car since it is/was your dad's and the other guy would just drive the hell out of it Go over to your dad's tomorrow with $12k cash in hand. Mike
Take your dad's car. You will for sure have no regret. Earn credit form your family and save money.Enjoy the nice package.
I'm coming in late to this but here's my 3 cents: The 2006 is a great deal and the smart move, but BUY THE NEW CAR. If you can find the car you want and can afford it, buy it while you can. You're 27 and haven't owned a new car yet. I don't know your personal situation but maybe marriage and kids are 5 years or less down the road and it will be tougher to afford the car or any new car. Enjoy life, and don't make the practical decision all the time.
Heh - that is also worthy advice, Briank - I appreciate it. It's something I've thought a lot about too. I'm extremely fortunate in my financial success but I know that when I do want to get married and have kids that yes, most of that will be tied up in family. You're guess of my timeline is about right At this point its up to chance, I think. I'll be happy either way, we'll just see how the coin falls
How about a sensible financial choice.06 Prius although not as nice nor as loaded with option of the Prius V is a better value right now because of dealer gouging of the remaining inventory of cars available to them. Plus high demand for fuel efficient vehicles.Reports say fuel prices will stabilize and drop in September so prices should will come down.Buy your dads car drive it for a year and when some of the excitement wears off with the 06 Go trade it in on whatever the latest evolution of Prius you want.