4th generation coming 2015!

Nuthin

 

Wow. I have an '88, an '04 Prius, and I just traded in my '01.

Frankly, considering trading in my '04 for a 2016 G4 seems premature to me. I'd rather keep my '04 for another 10 years or so, but for various reasons, I may not do so.

 

Does she have intimate knowledge of the redesign process/schedule for Toyota?

 

No,
But if she did she would not tell you;
And if she did, she would have to kill you

 

With 132K miles on our 2008 I am thinking about upgrading. I know these cars last well past 200K so keeping it isn't out of the question. The car has been 100% perfect - not even a loose screw. We just had the serpentine belt replaced today, normal wear in my opinion rather than a failure. We still have no reason to replace the original brakes.

I took a look at the Gen III and didn't like it. I hate the center console. I also don't understand why Toyota insists on pushing the gauges toward the center of the dashboard; I'd prefer a traditional gauge console behind the steering wheel. I also don't care for the large shift lever.

I'll keep the Gen II alive and wait for the Gen IV, even if it isn't available until the end of 2015.

 

Good idea to wait. I had similar misgivings about the Gen III in 2010 when I had to replace my totaled 2007 model, but after getting one, found it quite superior to the Gen II.

 

I rented a 2013 Gen III for a week in Florida last year. I immediately noticed better gas mileage. I easily averaged over 50mpg for the week. But, while I like gadgets, I didn't care for the updated graphics. I missed the Gen II touch screen display. Even after six years and 132000 miles I still watch the bar graph every time I drive.

It was during that week that I found the center console was an issue for me. I felt the cup holders were better positioned in the Gen II. I have claustrophobia and the console constrained my right leg while driving. For the life of me I can't understand why Toyota keeps pushing the gauges toward the center of the dash board.

I'm a 100% positive Prius supporter. I love the technology of the drive train, the great mileage, the ride, the spacious interior, the generous hatch back trunk space (the main reason the "C" isn't on my buy list) the price is very attractive (especially right now Toyota is offering 0% 5 year loans), and the superior reliability. But some things bother me enough to 'consider' other cars when I shop.

I know information on the 2015 Gen IV version is speculation or even wishful thinking but if Toyota removes the console and puts the gauges behind the steering wheel I'll be first in line to buy one. Squeezing out a bit more mileage will be a welcome bonus.

 

Personally, I like the "flying bridge" and the center display. But there are many that do not, and that is fine. No issue with me.

I wonder, however, might the center display have been used so the same dash could be used in the right and left hand Prius? I have not seen a right hand Prius, so I have no answer to my question.

 

Well, from this picture below of a Great Britain Prius, there appears to be a different dash-display used on RH models:


• source: Toyota Prius | Cars

 

Center display is better for the eyes. It enables the MID to appear further out in the hood (further than Gen2). Your eyes can quickly focus on it coming from looking at the road. Better than focusing closely behind steering wheels.

 

That doesn't prove to be true or useful in my case. I alternate between cars and find it easier to read the display in my Toyota 4Runner.

I'm not sure if there is a pole on these subjects but the tendency of Toyota to move gauges toward the center and the console or "flying bridge" as some call it could actually be enough for me to move to a different car.

When I first researched cars I determined that gas savings were never going to be enough to offset the extra cost of a hybrid. We ended up buying the Gen II because we simply liked the car better than our other choice which was a non-hybrid Civic. So it is about high mileage but it is also about the rest of the car for me.

When people calculate the cost savings of the Prius, as I did, they decide on some number of miles driven per year, the cost of a gallon of gas, and the MPG factors for a Prius vs some other car. What most people fail to do is calculate the extra cost of the dollars spent on the car. In my case there was a $5,000 difference between a 2008 Civic non-hybrid and the Gen II Prius. That $5,000 either has to be borrowed, or it comes out of investments. In either case the percentage cost of the loan or the loss of investment income can be quite dramatic.

Reliability is another cost factor but the 1997 Prius that we purchased new and just sold to our grand-daughter was amazingly reliable, as been our Prius.

 

My calculation says otherwise.

We save about 4 cents a gallon.
5000/.04 = savings after 125k miles.

 

Where does the 4 cents a gallon figure come from?

 

Sorry, should be savings of 4 cents a mile

1. $3.6 a gallon
2. 50 mpg Prius -> 360/50 = 7.2 cents a mile for fuel
3. 32 mpg non-hybrid - 360/32 = 11.25 cents a mile for fuel

 

You sold a 17 yr old car to your granddaughter? No birthday or graduation event was nearby? (-:

 

7 years

I sold our 10 year old Prius to my daughter this summer. Before she agreed to the price she shopped around LOL
I should have charged her a lot more because I know that I am on the hook for technical support forever.

 

But jdonalds sold an older one to their granddaughter.

We've gotten into the habit of buying our kids a Prius when they obtain an advanced degree from school. By habit I mean the oldest got one, and now we feel obligated to get the next two a car when they finish grad school. The Prius cured her of her tendency to be a lead foot and now drives a bit safer. I've got 2 more years before the next one graduates, and I think the choices in 2 yrs will be more interesting than what they are today.

 

Yes but you'd have to know the circumstances to understand why I "sold" it to her. On the surface I'm sure it looks selfish. But there were other's involved. I did give her a 0% loan. The car was easily worth $4K. She paid $2,500.

 

Very low cost auto loans today make the break even sooner (I see Toyota has 0% loans right now). But here are some reasonable comparisons for you to consider. The main point I would like people to think about is to include higher cost of a hybrid, including the interest paid over the live of the loan. The gas savings payoff isn't necessarily as quick as you might think.



Remember I did choose to buy a Prius, and I would again even though it costs more. I've liked the car and I enjoy the high mileage. I just have to be realistic about overall cost. But if Prius screws up features that I don't like I will shop elsewhere.

 

$26k for a Prius, to match a base Honda Civic ? I think NOT