Gen4, is it worth it?

Shouldn't be necessary, could be detrimental. I just go at it with a duster boa, and a paint brush or two, every once in a while. A leaf blower or strong wet/dry vacuum on blow works good too. Looks like new.

 

It all comes down to where you are coming from. If you have a gen3 that you happy with it, and hasn't reached the point of needing to be retired, then no. Time for a new ride, those happy with their old Prius will likely be happy with the new model. If they opt for something else, then they weren't really that happy with the old Prius, and there probably wasn't anything Toyota could do to the new one to make them happy without departing too far from the Prius ideal. For someone coming from a non-Prius, the improvements are enough that they likely won't wish they got a gen3.

My objective, technical opinion is that I won't get a gen4. It is simply bigger than I need for daily use; the c is a better fit, and close enough in fuel economy to further justify the price savings. We use the wife's car for longer trips. A 2001 Sable isn't the greatest on fuel, but it would see under 3000 miles a year if not taken. Which would push the annual miles on my car over 15k. The increased size and comfort, along with being paid off for some time, justifies using some more fuel.

edit: left the 'out' otu of 'without'.

 

Of course it is worth it or there would be no PriusChat.

Bob Wilson

 

If any bay area folks are heading to the San Francisco auto show starting this weekend the 21st, could you tell me / us if they have a 2016 Prius available to sit in or is it roped off?

I wouildn't mind getting a head start ruling the car in or out.

TIA

 

If it weren't for the security, I would suggest taking your drum case.

Bob Wilson

 

according to all the reviews, all the previous Prii were trash and this one is awesome... but of course, it is up to you






Android merge.

c gets pretty good mpg, especially in the city... if you are using it only for shorter drives, then smaller size helps for parking and maneuverability too.

 

Yeah this is bugging me a little. Even Danny got caught up in that a bit, in his test drive video, regarding the new independent rear suspension being night-and-day better than 3rd gen, and the vast improvement in sound isolation.

Dis'ing last year's model a bit is ok, but it can start to stretch credulity. Some of it is hard to resist, a brand new car always feels tighter, and there are subliminal smells that get your subconscious.

Maybe I'd be singing a different tune if I had a test drive, lol.

 

Interesting as this is how the automotive press sees Prius owners:


Bob Wilson

 

I was a bit cheeky there, and you noticed .

I thought G3 was nice when it just arrived, no doubt it is older vehicle now... Engine was always the best part of it, and even that got huge upgrade in G4. Getting diesel-like maximum efficiency and beating (cheating) Jetta/Golf in highway steady speed efficiency are not small things.

So when it comes to upgrades, I dont think I remember any "mature" model having so many upgraded when new model arrived. Even things that look the same got the upgrade, like Entune system which has dual core cpu now and 85% improved response time.

I cant wait to test it, might even buy it (or Rav4 Hybrid (doubtful) or new C-HR)... Unlike reviewers, I never thought G3 was bad but at the same time, all the tech in new one is tempting. I think it was Motortrend that wrote something like "finally a Prius worthy being parked next to Tesla in your garage"). Of course, Prius always had great tech when introduced, it is easy to forget that now - however no doubt that Prius never had quiet drive/interior, good handling, quality interior or good seats. So all of those plus upgraded engine plus latest tech is getting tempting.

 

What do you have now?

Why not a plugin that you've been preaching about?

Leaf or Volt that came off the leases are cheap.

 

Something not discussed but critically important is the reliability of the car. The whole reason I like Toyotas is a lot (not all) of their cars can last for a LOOOONG time. The Prius line is appearing especially long lived to me and hopefully this new Gen continues this characteristic. That and great mpg matter to me. The style, handling, and other frilly stuff, not so much. Hopefully the new tech is long lasting more than eye appealing. How many others have similar priorities?

 

You have asked this multiple times, but I will answer again.

Our house is listed as being built in 1910, but is likely older than that. We had the old 60 amp service upgraded to 200 amp when we moved in. We didn't rewire the entire house at the time, though. One of the areas not done was the garage. It is really a carriage house that is 100' or so from the house. It still has the original, horizontally rolling door.

Power going out to it is just through a single 15 amp line simply buried in the ground. When we get around to rewiring the garage, I do intend to run a separate 50amp line for a future EVSE. It wouldn't be prudent to charge a car on the circuit as is though. There is a dusk-to-dawn and motion detection light on circuit, and possibly lights and outlets in the house.

I drive a 2013 Sonic right now. If Toyota assembled a Prius in North America, I would have considered a Prius c, but they don't. Even if they did, the Sonic would likely have still won out. My father has a GM credit card, and I got an additional $3000 in rebates through it, which is big for a car near $20k. With the initial price difference, the c becomes a harder sell.



Android merge.

Oops, missed this.
I stated why no c above, but my commute is 30 miles one way, and I'd say it is about a two thirds EPA highway. I can shift the route to favor the HSD, and I did with the gen2. So can maximized the fuel economy of a c, but the 'what I paid' would still make it hard to justify with the work needed on my house.

Most of the Sable's trips are actually under 5 miles. The only reason I can see for trading would be for more comfort and a higher tow rating. The amount of driving any car replacing it would see puts fuel efficiency further down the priority list. An used Volvo XC70 or 60 would be on my short list. Though an used HiHy or RXh AWD would be there too.

 

i'm in it for the mpg's, and all of the benefits that come with them. pretty tough to look at anything else and say it's better than this car or that car. i don't keep my cars long enough to worry about longevity, and we now see that it doesn't help resale value with a prius.

 

Why do you believe that longevity does not help resale value? It's obviously not the only factor but so far as I'm aware it is ultimately an important factor.

 

of course it helps... In NA though, maybe people are too interested in different cars and not in mpg right now.

But in Europe, Prius holds too much value if you want to buy it used. It is way too expensive, for instance 20% cheaper when new than Avensis diesel but 10% more expensive than buying used. And thats against Avensis. You can almost buy an Audi A4 for the same price, which was much more expensive vehicle to start.

 

larger and more expensive it is, more it depreciates... Prius hold better value than cars sold with similar price at least around here, due to high reported reliability and also good efficiency... gas is still expensive here.

Prius is not considered small car here, so it falls in same class as Avensis, Passat and others.

It is also around 50% more expensive used than Auris Hybrid... difference when new is much lower.

 

Same here.

 

yep... larger cars depreciate more since they cost more to maintain and use... Prius is here in good position since it costs less to maintain and use than cars that are smaller, let alone larger, hence the resale price being more than usual for the class.