Will Prius v Cannibalize Sales of G3 Prius?

Yes it does. I would not own a 3rd gen Prius. I don't enjoy driving it. Too cramped. v is fine. More roomy in the front.

 

They better not take away the liftback style of the Prius!!!

In fact they won't. It would ruin the aerodynamics, raise the Cg and lower the fuel economy!!

Don't mess with success. Just iron out the interior details of regular Prius, otherwise my next hybrid may be a Honda.

 

We couldn't get better than 23 mpg combined out of our 2008 CR-V w/AWD! My wife is getting a consistent 36 mpg combined out of her Lexus. Had the v been available and she not seen the Lexus, I think we'd have one!

 

Well, actually I meant as long as it contributes to Prius Sales, model doesn't matter! Of course it matters to the consumer because the different models are targeted toward different audiences! The v definitely has more front and rear leg room than the 2nd and 3rd Gen Prius'!

 

Which Lexus get 36?

'Cause if I have some city mixed in the Accord, it's down to 30 or less pronto. It will do 35 MPG only if it's a long highway trip and nothing else. I can deal with 28 MPG for now, but if I drive more, which I will and gas prices sit at $5 in a few years, it's going to stink. Plus, I like using less gas. That's why I still shop hybrids and such.

 

You are right, but I just thought that they may increase it in size a bit since the Prius c is now available.

Was Paul58 referring to the Lexus HS 250h?

 

People will definitely cross-shop, so it will negatively impact G3 sales for sure.

 

I don't think Toyota cares as I think they probably have more margin in the Prius v than the Prius. Consider that the Prius v uses many components engineered for the Prius, and opens up the market further without much in terms of retooling, development and engineering costs. I also don't think it costs much more in terms of materials to produce the Prius v.

 

Seems like apples and oranges. Living in SoCal the solar ventilation, remote a/c start, moonroof that opens and leather seats sold us on the 2011 IV. Moonroofs that don't open seem like a waste. I think the V is ideal for families with strollers and the rest and you still get great mileage. Just my wife and I so the G3 IV works for us along with $700 below invoice. Both great cars though

 

Oh yeah, to answer the question, G3 will lose sales but the overall market share will go up. Toyota is really hitting the TV ads hard. Not sure if sales of the V are what they wanted so far? Will not be for a lack of advertising.

 

Only on PriusChat would 44/40 be considered "dismal fuel economy"

IMO, size and equipment-wise, the v's nearest competitor is the Mazda5, which gets 21/28 mpg but costs significantly less to buy ($7k buys a lot of gas). I found the Mazda5 noticably more cramped inside then the Prius v for my big body.

44/40 is not "dismal fuel economy" to anyone who doesn't already own a hybrid... especially for something this size. It's actually quite excellent MPG.

I think the v will bring in folks who want a Prius but needed more space inside. I think it will be a net gain for the total sales number.

 

Mazda5 Sport w/ automatic is $6k less ($20,345 before dest. fee) than Prius v . Can still buy lot of gas with that. Resale value would be lower. I recall a sit in Mazda5 front seat, legroom cramped.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if most Americans walk past the v and get the Rav4, CR-V or bigger anyway. Most Americans won't be caught in a wagon unless it's got some body panels to make it look something like an SUV or CUV like an Outback. Americans just do not associate family size hatchbacks with sedan size tires. The big 3 told us all that wagons are bad, SUVs are good. In that format of vehicle, they need to fantasize that they are off the beaten path, trekking in the woods, when in reality they're on pavement 99.9% of the time.

So, no, I don't think the v will take away many Prius sales. It should do fine in Europe as they can deal with being seen in a wagon.

Sad but I don't see wagons anywhere here except for the rare Mazda5 and Outback.

 

Check out the trolls attitude for the first edmunds review for Prius v ..

2012 Toyota Prius v 1.8L 4-cyl. Hybrid CVT Automatic Consumer Review - Love it

I was the first one to give it a thumbs up after 36 thumbs down from the trolls. Good 'ole boy attitudes there.

 

of course Rav4 will be updated (this year probably)... but it is not as if Rav4 with good equipment is an cheap car, and it will never come 30% close to Prius v overall mpg.

 

...to me, the Prius v is what I wished the Camry Hybrid could have been more like, so I think it may take some TCH sales.

 

Did your wife get the CT200h? We're debating between 4 Toyota hybrids (CT200h, CaHy, Prius V5, Prius 5) to fill the 'high usage' spot that my GTI once filled and is now being split between a 4Runner and a MINI. We don't plan on getting rid of either the 4Runner or the MINI but I would like to have them around 7k miles a year instead of 15k~20k they are seeing now. I worry that the CT is going to be too small once we have children and we'll end up driving the 4Runner a lot of the time thus marginalizing the usefulness of the CT. That is precisely why I was so impressed with the v. It is like I'm not giving up any space versus taking my 4Runner if we got the v. I like the power and efficiency of the Camry, but I just don't like sedans. They are so compromised when it comes to cargo carrying.

If they would have made a Camry wagon, that is exactly what I'd buy. I love the interior, it would have 200hp, and it would fit so much stuff!