Top 10 Reasons NOT to buy a 2010 Prius (from a huge Prius fan)

You are smoking the crack pipe too much! Put it down now

 

1. Buy American - Since Toyota has all along been trying to establish production here for Prius and already does for Camry-Hybrid, buying a Fusion-Hybrid from Mexico makes a mess of your point.

2. Plug-ins - If you can wait and afford it, you probably should just hold off on any new vehicle purchase.

3. Carpool Sticker - They aren't available anymore and the existing one will expire in 2011.

4. Cost - Extras add to the cost regardless of which vehicle you choose.

5. Ford Fusion - Non-Issue if your need is for a hatchback.

6. Sameness - Again, it's a hatchback.

7. Tire Wear - Huh? I certainly haven't experience this. Got 77,500 miles out of my 80,000-mile rated tires.

8. Sound System Problems – Mine still works fine after 5.5 years of use.

9. Tree Hugger – When you sell your used car, it is not dumped into a landfill. Someone else buys it and use continues for a few more years.

10. PriusChat – Everyone needs some type of distraction from the everyday chaos. Contributing to reduced emissions & consumption is an excellent way to do that.
.

 

Keep talking...Im having the same struggle! My biggest reason for not buying the 2010 is #4 -- to get everything I really want (and the reason why I would want a 2010) would cost me a lot. There are also a couple of extra costs that I find really annoying. For example, to get the back-up camera and the 3-door SKS, which is what I have now and therefore can't imagine doing without, I'd have to spring for the higher packages. I don't need/want the nav system.

Also, the trade-in value on my 2006 according to KBB and other sites is now much lower than I had expected. It's hard for me to justify spending so much money on a new car when my old one is perfectly good.

But, like you, I can't wait to get the call from my dealer to go see it and I may not be able to resist.

 

Bob, I totally agree with you on reason #10..

 

I've never heard about sound system problems, but I have read that tires wear much faster than most cars. The cost reasons are valid, other competitors are out there, but I do need a new car (mine has 154K miles and needs repairs). BTW, does the Toyota Platinum Warranty cover the sound system?

Yes, #10 is a definite long-term issue. I'm hooked because my work allows this site to pass through its restrictions.

Thanks,

Rich N.

 

I agree with PriusRos, NO 3 door SKS or backup camera on the #3 which is what I would get.
When we went to the LA event my wife caught the SKS thing. It's important to us.
Carl

 

I too am a 50 plus teenager that is all giddy about the 2010 and have driven the car-and Love everything about it.. I am a Prius priority buyer that has a package IV Barcelona Red/bisque moonroof-nav-leather-heated seats-etc on order. there is no way I could justify spending all that money-its just that I WANT to have it!!! I really could buy a Dodge Charger and have a $10,000 gas card to boot with what I will spend.

 

I'm not buying one because it doesn't have signal mirrors I already have a perfectly good Prius. However, when I do need to replace it (I'm guessing there's another three or fours years in it at least), I assume the 2014 Prius will be to the 2010 what the 2010 is to the 2006. This is also assuming the Volt and whatever Ford comes up with are typical GM and Ford POS.

 

Bob,

I think I understand most all of the conflicting feelings, particularly the WANT, WANT, WANT that just isn't knocked down enough.

Still, I don't think your top ten are all that valid. Worthy of consideration, though, so I'm offering a couple of responses a la John1701a

1. Buy American -The American auto companies need our help, and they have some darn good products now (especially Ford…see #5 below). Our best help may have been to refuse to buy the bad cars. These are tough times, but the American companies that survive and thrive will do so because of quality-built products offered at reasonable prices. Do we do better supporting Ford who builds in Canada and Mexico or Toyota who is building in the U.S.? No, the question isn't that straightforward or easy, but then "Buying American" isn't always easily determined either.

2. Plug-ins - There are some really cool plug-ins, right around the corner. From what I read, if I wait 2 – 3 years, I’ll have some excellent options (Aptera, Nissan, Volt?, maybe even Prius). I'm with you on this one, except that the move to plug-ins will be accelerated with the continuation of increasing hybrid sales.

3. Carpool Sticker - (Applies to California only): I lose my carpool sticker, meaning I lose my right to laugh as I fly by all those folks in “luxury†cars stuck in LA traffic. OK. This one sounds way too selfish. (If I buy your current car, can I keep the carpool sticker?)

4. Cost - The fully “tricked out†Prius is really expensive; $32K puts it into a league of some upscale cars. OK. Then don't buy it fully "tricked out." On the other hand, if you want some of those items, you'll find them available only on REALLY expensive autos. Where else can you get some of these things for $30K? Nowhere!

5. Ford Fusion - The Ford Fusion Hybrid seems like an amazing car…bigger and (maybe) more like a “real†car than the Prius (plus see #1 above). The Escape Hybrid is also amazing. Ouch! This just doesn't sound right -- or good. I've heard the FFH is a great car. As far as interior space is concerned, the FFH is almost identical to the 2010 Prius, except that the FFH has quite a bit more hip and shoulder room (almost 3 inches, I believe) in the back seat. It has much less cargo space than the Prius, and the mileage isn't quite so high, but it appears to be a quality car. I applaud Ford, but I don't think it will have the dependability of the Prius. It also is pretty pricey!! And the "real" car thing!? What!? I like the look of the Prius, and I think the hatchback concept is so much more reasonable and valuable.

6. Sameness - While the new Prius is indeed a nearly all-new car, it looks the same, and my hunch is though it’s a tad faster, a tad quieter and a tad bigger on the inside, the driving and owning experience probably isn’t as different as some would want me to believe. Only one way to find out, I suppose!! Actually, the people who've written it up on driving experience find that it is radically improved over the prior versions. Who cares if it is faster or a "tad" bigger? (OK, some people do, but I don't.) If you've seen one in person, I don't think you'll say it looks the same. Certainly, the general shape remains the same, but the car has a different look and feel to it.

7. Tire Wear - Rapid Prius tire wear eats up a good portion of the gas savings (check out the numerous posts, and talk to your dealer’s service dept….you are lucky if you get 25,000 miles before needing to replace all 4 tires, as I did, despite aligning it 2 times and rotating several times). My friends who own Priuses had the same experience. I, too, have heard of the problem. My tires look to make it to about 35,000 to 36,000, but that is mainly because I don't want to do another winter in the Integrities. If I keep my 2007, I'll likely get new wheels (16") and much better tires. I recall doing this on plenty of other cars, though, so I don't see this as a big issue.

8. Sound System Problems – Maybe this is fixed in the new Prius, but according to Consumer Reports, 4 year old Priuses tend to need very expensive sound system repairs (mine did, to the “tune†of $500). I haven't heard about this as a big issue. I did have a problem early on, and Toyota replaced the amplifier for me.

9. Tree Hugger – I’m a confessed tree hugger, and buying a new car when you don’t really need one, even a Prius, contributes unnecessarily to global warming. I don't know about that one. If I were to trade in my 2007 Prius, it just means there will be another Prius on the road replacing someone else's junker. That sounds pretty good to me.

10. PriusChat – I love this website, and am spending WAY too much time on it (started this note at 6:30am – isn’t that sick!). Have no idea what you are talking about . . .

 

Please post 10 more reasons. Im not convinced and neither are U.

 

The "buy American they need our help" reason is a joke. American car companies have been crapping on us for years with overpriced and unreliable pieces of junk and now there in trouble so they ask us to bail them out with our tax money and beg americans to buy their cars. I hope the big three all get bought out by asian and european companies so they can finally make cars we can be proud of. Saturn is the only american brand I would buy from again and it looks like they will soon be extinct.

 

I saw someone make a similar 'real car' remark on another board yesterday. Do people look at the specs before making such remarks? Seems unlikely..

 

1. Buy American - When they make better car I might think about it, Ford s*cks!
2. Plug-ins - I will buy one no matter what.

3. Carpool Sticker - non her in FLA
4. Cost - Buy in 2011
5. Ford Fusion - FORD!

6. Sameness - Non Issues

7. Tire Wear - Not a problem
8. Sound System Problems – Mine is perfect after 5 years

9. Tree Hugger – yea! ok
10. PriusChat love it!

 

A couple of the OP's reasons addressed below:

 

#11 When I buy the new Prius I will be on this forum more and be forced to read dumb threads like this one.

 

Someone forced you to read a post?

 

Maybe forced is too strong a word for some people, Professor.

 

5. Ford Fusion - The Ford Fusion Hybrid seems like an amazing car…bigger and (maybe) more like a “real†car than the Prius (plus see #1 above). The Escape Hybrid is also amazing. But for a Fusion or Camry Hybrid, you're paying several thousand more for slightly more room and significantly worse MPG. The math doesn't add up.

I'm not too sure about that, at least for top end versions. You can currently get a loaded TCH for about $27 (about a $5K discount). With the $1700 tax credit and perhaps a sales tax deduction, if you have X-Plan pricing you can get a Fusion Hybrid for the same. Probably will have to pay $30K for the Prius V w/ NAV. Even at 50mpg, you don't save that much in $$$'s over the 35 to 40 mpg you'd get in the other two. $3K of gasoline goes a long way in a TCH or FFH.

Still I want one.

 

Careful.

Generalizations like that can be trouble.

My 2004 has 117,200 miles on it now. It lacks a number of features commonly available on the newer models and it still offers a decent value for trade-in. I also have $1,600 in new-vehicle purchase rebates built up on my credit-card and I can take a (stimulate the economy) deduction on the sales tax.

Upgrading makes lots of sense for me... even without taking into account the help-to-promote aspect of the purchase.
.