Trade in for Prime for Ontario

The $14,000 rebates only seem to be for fully electric vehicles. Since the Prime is a plug-in hybrid like the 2015 Prius plug-in listed on the Ontario government rebate site at a $5,000 rebate (I guess they haven't listed the Prime because it's not available in Ontario yet), I would expect something similar in the ballpark of $3,000-$5,000.

 

You're right, it is related to the battery size, and vehicle price. The Prime has an 8.8 kWh battery, like the Audi A3, which has a $8,095 rebate. The Volt has an 18.4 kWh battery and $14,000. The Porsche Panamera 4 has a 14.1kWh battery and only a $3,000 rebate because of its price tag. I guess you could expect something like the A3 rebate?

 

We in Alberta need to "lean on" the "Energy Efficiency Committee" to offer a rebate for plug-in hybrids! So far they don't believe it's a good idea.

 

You've got a 2017, and want to trade to a Prime? I would definitely sleep on it.

 

I think his point was that the Prime seems to have incredible tax rebates which his liftback didn't, and that he might be able to trade up to a Prime and come out even. Maybe the numbers won't quite end up working out like that for him but that is what he is looking into.

I had a similar situation with my original Prius that I bought in 2002, I had no plans to trade it in after just four years, even though the Gen 2 was much nicer, especially the 2006 model which had some nice upgrades including a backup camera and a higher resolution display. However they had the $3,150 hybrid federal tax credit, and I was able to get very good resale on my Gen 1. I didn't quite break even but I didn't expect to with a four year old car, and it was definitely worth the relatively small net amount that I paid to upgrade.

 

Yeah I know I'm playing the curmudgeon here. I'm barely bright enough to know that frequent visits to dealership sales departments tend to get expensive, lol. Too, and I appreciate this is further heresy:

His 2017 Prius is a nice car. Trading "up" to a Prime, with 4 seats, no spare?

 

Yeah I think that's why some of us Gen 2 owners are still struggling to upgrade, and lose the big comfy front seats, spacious cargo area, more storage compartments than we can sometimes keep track of, spare tire, and in the case of the Prime Plus model going to single door smart key.

For those who don't understand what all the Gen 2 whining is about, I'm going from memory and may be forgetting something but here is a list:

1. Very roomy storage bins on the front doors (I seem to remember current model as being slimmer)
2. Dual glove box, with separate doors (we all love this dearly). The lower section is very spacious, the smaller upper section alone seems nearly as big as the current single glove box.
3. Spacious and deep center console storage under the armrest
4. Hidden and surprisingly large pull out drawer in front of the armrest (many owners don't even know it's there). I would store $1,000 in cash in that hidden drawer with no hesitation. That is if I had that much cash! If most owners don't know it's there what are the odds that a thief would find it.
5. Sunglass storage between the visors
6. Small (glove box sized) storage area on the left rear of the cargo floor, accessible with a little cloth tab that you pull up.
7. VERY large storage tub under the cargo floor, as big as many of those plastic storage tubs that you have at home. The entire tub pulls out easily if you want to. In fact you remove the tub to access the spare tire underneath it.

Okay I get that the Prime has a big battery that has to go somewhere, but that still doesn't explain the overall lack of storage, and I don't understand why the liftback had to give up so much of this great storage.

So yes I agree with you that "upgrades" should always be slept on, as there is inevitably a tradeoff.

 

Yeah, third gen retained a lot of that, 4th gen, not so much.

I swear I didn't notice the upper glove box for 2~3 years; my wife claims I knew but forgot.

 

Don't they all?

 

Oh yeah the in-dash storage, I knew I would probably forget one, there are so many.

And yes the small shelf in the upper glovebox. Although I don't have a shelf in the lower glovebox, unless you mean that narrow deep section in the back of the lower glovebox. I keep less often needed things in that deep back section, like registration papers and my small battery jump starter fits in there.