"Scaling back" from a PiP to a Gen III?

You'd be losing money switching to a regular Gen3.

 

How many miles are on your PiP?

I overlooked the fact you wanted to buy used.

 

Yes they're similar. I see no reason not too if you are doing a plain paper comparison.

However, you have a car that you bought new (assumption) and you know what those 40K miles were and how they were added. You have already taken the large depreciation hit, and now you want to swap to a car with 100K miles driven by who knows who and maintained by the grease monkey mechanic paid minimum wage to whack a hammer at anything that turns? It doesn't seem like the best decision.

The PiP is the same as the normal Prius except with a plug. If you don't want or can't plugin, then so what. In 5 years when you can, you might want to and it is there. You aren't losing anything having the extra battery there.

 

+1 You might try getting a value on your car by taking it to a Toyota dealer and offering to sell it outright. (You can negotiate for a higher price- I did it when I sold the local dealer my '06 Prius.) Compare that to what Edmunds or Kelly Blue Book list for your car's mileage and condition. Do the same at those sites on the Gen III's you find. Unless you are trying to get out from under a financial burden, this is not going to be financially rewarding for you, IMHO. Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

What would it take to start using the plug-in capability? Compare that to the various downside possibilities of a used vehicle and its long term costs. I went from a low mileage Three the the PiP and find the cars are pretty much the same except for the obvious.

 

#3) yes, driver door only, unless you get a III or better i think.

#2) without knowing what you can get for yours, it's hard to say. around here, you can get a used pip for the price of a cup of coffee. i wouldn't be happy going from a '12 pip with 40k to a '10 pkg. III with 100k, even if i couldn't plug in. but that's just me. if you need the cash, i think it's a personal decision. you'll be spending a lot more time at the dealer, and your warranty will be up soon.

 

If you had the advanced PiP I'd trade you and some money. Mine has 52K and dealer serviced. Also keep in mind, if you do find someone to trade, you both have to pay sales tax based on value of the car even if no money exchanged hands.

 

This sounds like a money-losing proposition, to end up with basically the same vehicle. What is the motivation to switch? Keep in mind that the PiP will be command a significant premium for the duration of the HOV decal program, not just right now.

 

I don't see how going back 2 years and adding 60000 miles for a car with the same options and a smaller battery makes sense. As already mentioned, the warranty expires sooner, sales tax & DMV fees will be paid, it's time for some maintenance, and the 2010 is probably going to need another set of tires "soon".

I'd guess, just on the numbers, that the older car would have to be some 8-10% cheaper for you to break even.

Without charging, a PiP works like every other Gen3. The larger battery should provide better fuel economy. One advantage of the PiP is that it can capture more of the regen going down a mountain.

54mpg is a good average for a Gen3. I don't believe you'll do any better in the used car.

If you really want a used hybrid that gets higher fuel economy then find an original Insight.