thoughts on upgrading from a '22 XLE?

I don't think it is worth it, your Prius has more space, it's more practical.

 

Your car is still new. I don't see anything about the 23 worth trading in a 22 for. Wait, and you can avoid the first year issues, which even Toyota has. You'll also avoid the mark ups from an early limited supply.

 

only you can determine that, it's a personal choice, and you'd really need a test drive.

 

I think it is pretty excessive to upgrade a one year old car. But if you’re looking for reasons to do it, check out the safety features. There’s a lane assist feature I dont fully understand but it sounds cool. I think the car will correct its own course if it drifts out of a lane on its own under certain circumstances…but not sure. There are several new such features.

honestly tho I like the 2022 colors better—specifically sea glass pearl and the beige interior. And there doesnt appear to be roof bars yet to mount a kayak, another disappointment.

im considering buying a 2022 myself instead of 23 because of these factors alone, tho not sure how long it will be possible to buy new in a custom color configuration

 

if you can get what you paid for and get a new one for msrp, go for it

 

The reason to upgrade is to a Prime so you can do much, most or all of your driving on electricity.

 

Intellectually, no. Emotionally, depends on how the new model pushes your buttons. What emotions do you feel seeing it for the first time, sitting in it, grabbing the steering wheel, etc. Maybe the driving experience will be more satisfying than the Gen 4. Who knows at this point. I had a perfectly fine Gen 3 when the Gen 4 came out, and I traded mostly on emotional appeal. Do I regret it, not at all. The Gen 4 has been the best Prius I've ever owned. At this point, the Gen 5 intrigues me, and I'll just have to wait until they hit the showrooms to see for sure.

 

Yes indeed, the keyword is MOST of all your driving on electricity .
Since it is a Plug in HYBRID , you must burn some gas in order to burn all of it before it becomes staled. It is safe to burn a tank in 3 to 5 months .A PHEV will save you range anxiety ,but not burning gas will bring you corrosion anxiety.

 

I burn gas when I go on an out-of-town road trip, not while in town. I last got gas in May when I went 600 miles to a wedding.

 

if you're only filling up your tank once every 6-12 months, I hope you're putting sta-bil or something in your tank when you do

unrelated - having nearly double the horsepower with the same mpg is a big deal and a massive win. it's not just about the styling, new gen, etc. - there are very practical, including safety, implications in having average acceleration in the new model vs. below avg acceleration

 

I've never felt my 2017 Prime in EV mode was unsafe. And we don't know if the new one is faster in EV mode anyway.

 

Just for kicks take a look at the recalls, TSB’s etc., available on this chat for the Generation 4’s. Perhaps that might influence your thoughts.

 

That's not what I said, lol. The only thing I said relevant to a Prime is that (basically) you need to put Sta-bil or similar in your tank bc you likely have bad gas now, which can cause a host of issues for the engine.

I believe this thread is about the regular Prius, not the new Prime. 0-60 in 10+ seconds is a lifetime and it can be a safety issue if you are trying to get up to speed in traffic, need to quickly maneuver, etc. Getting a new car with same mpg, but acceleration closer to 7 seconds is massive. There's a reason people put a premium on power and acceleration for every other class of cars.

I love my Prius, but this has been a big compromise I and many people have been happy to make. It's nice that it will not have to be made in the future. Trading a year-old car for the new model would normally be seen as wasteful, which is probably why the OP is asking the question, but I think this power boost alone is significant enough to warrant the upgrade, assuming the $'s work out.

 

"...having nearly double the horsepower with the same mpg is a big deal and a massive win. it's not just about the styling, new gen, etc. - there are very practical, including safety, implications in having average acceleration in the new model vs. below avg acceleration"

I took that to mean "nearly double the horsepower" would improve safety.

I use full-throttle in my Prime in EV mode maybe a couple of times a year. The rest of the time, far slower than 10 seconds to 60 is plenty.

Yeah - they're children who need their car to also be a thrill ride.

Speeding and Aggressive Driving Prevention | NHTSA

"For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities."

 

@Lee Jay

1. Yes, I am saying that
2. I tried to HELP YOU by suggesting you use Sta-bil. You likely have bad gas in the prime you keep inserting into the conversation because it is 6+ months old. Consequences could be even worse if you're using gas with ethanol. Nothing else is relevant to your prime - btw, I noticed you removed the 'unrelated' part of my quote, haha
3. Oversimplifying the subject is childish in its own right, but hey, it's not like electric car companies tout their power and acceleration, right?

I stand by my suggestion to the OP that I think it is worth it if they can make the numbers work. When they get in that car and see how much more responsive the vehicle is, there will be no going back if the financial end makes sense. And in this market, I think it likely will if they're able to buy the new car at msrp

 

Thank you for pointing this out. I’ve been waffling/agonizing over 2023 Prius/Prime compared to 2022. I’m often struggling due to acceleration issues with my 2009.

 

I know what you mean

Ironically, I'm leaning a little towards the 22 Prime or awd non-prime right now vs. getting the 23 bc even though I don't like the acceleration, I'm not crazy about the over-the-air updates on the 23s, but that's another topic

 

What do you mean by over the air updates? whst have you heard?

I’m rewatching YouTube videos and seeing how much smaller cargo space is in 2023. One reviewer pointed out that entering the 2023 is slightly more challenging due to the lowered roof. I’m only 5’ 3” but hate hunching over and hitting my head. No problems with 2009.

Stressful not being able to examine and test drive different models side by side.

 

It's basically the ability of the manufacturer to push out software updates to your car at any time. Common with electric vehicles like Tesla and will become more common with Toyota this next year. I know there's some benefits with it, but I hesitate a little bit at the idea and am trying to learn more.

Fwiw, I doubt you'll have much issue getting in or out. I'm 6'5'' and find the prius proportions fairly generous. My understanding is the roofline may be lower, but I don't think that means the interior space is diminished by the same amount (may sit lower on the inside as well?).

We're probably a couple months from dealers having demos, but maybe if there's an autoshow or demo day by you, you'll be able to see one sooner.