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

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Bob Hayes, May 8, 2009.

  1. sluday

    sluday New Member

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    You will get the most value out your Prius if you stay away from the options. But like myself and many others here we like fancy buttons and gadgetry while driving. Also if you drive a lot of miles, the extra options and upgraded packages will be well worth it. :)
     
  2. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    if i could have saved a few grand but not getting the solar panels or the NAV, i would have done it, but wanted the sunroof, so be it.
     
  3. yadax3

    yadax3 Member

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    1. Impressions of buying 'foreign made'
    2. Initial cost
    3. Eventual battery disposal issues (ref: carbon footprint concerns)
    4. Different needs - ADA, larger capacity, etc.
     
  4. hampdenwireless

    hampdenwireless Active Member

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    Excuse me? I like a Camaro so I should get off the board? You first!
    I never compared the Prius to the Camaro! One is a sports car, the other is the most efficient car sold on American roads today.

    I was responding to this:
    Originally Posted by sluday [​IMG]
    "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."
     
  5. ramdulari

    ramdulari Member

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    Considering that you are obviously very tempted to dive in and get the new model, I admire your objectivity in coming up with this list! :rockon:

     
  6. brianric

    brianric Junior Member

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    I had a co-worker who told me I was Unamerican and not patriotic for buying a 2010 Prius versus getting a GM car. I told him I spent eight years in the US Navy and he could go f*** himself.
     
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  7. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    Thank you for your service! You've earned the right to drive what you want.

    GM has screwed the American public for years and doesn't deserve selling you a car unless it happens to be the one you want. They needed to compete and they didn't. I feel sorry for the people who have bought a Saturn lately thinking the brand would survive. I don't know what else GM could have done, but I certainly don't trust them. My neighbor lost their family GM franchise that has been around for decades. I know some of the details as to how this was handled and it stinks.
     
  8. ALS

    ALS Active Member

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    Top 10 reasons To trade up to a 2010 Prius.

    1.
    Buy American -WHY? I'm the on who makes the money I should be able to buy the kind of car "I" want.
    2. Plug-ins - The cost is $5K-$10K plus installed and your return on investment is pitiful.
    3. Carpool Sticker - (Applies to California only): I'm smart enough to not live in a state that is made up of individuals that are more like a bowl of cereal. You've heard the Joke.
    4. Cost - If I wanted all the toys I would have bought a Lexus
    5. Ford Fusion - Nice car that is priced more than I was willing to spend on a new car. Plus Fords depreciate 50% in the first 2-3 years.
    6. Sameness - It's a Prius it is suppose to look like a Prius
    7. Tire Wear - Can't answer that one since I haven't owned the car long enough to find out.
    8. Sound System Problems – Stereo sounds fine and we'll see how it lasts.
    9. Tree Hugger – I’m a Conservative and I only buy a car when I need one. The Prius replaced an 87 Volvo wagon that got 20 mpg and had 370K miles on the clock. I'll save 360 gallons of gas a year owning my 2010
    10. PriusChat – I love this website, and am spending WAY too much time on it.
     
  9. spinnsilly

    spinnsilly New Member

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    One reason not to buy a prius: because dealers are trying to take you for a ride on the price. at least in CA they are. I've been quoted a 5K margin for a 2010 package 2. And that's from the people I can actually get to respond to my inquiry. The rest are all just ignoring my price quote request. I was so excited to get a Prius and while I'm on a wait list for one, I'm starting to get cold feet because of all the hype from the dealerships.
     
  10. drspielman

    drspielman Grand Master Chief

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    the way I see it is:

    I bought a 2010 prius, I will keep it for 4-5 years and then get a plug in if available in one type of car or another. I hope to never have to own another gas powered car again. It is so frustrating to have to rely on the petrol companies. American car's have had their chance, they let that slip away with their greed for SUV's and crappy products.
     
  11. leeb18c

    leeb18c Active Member

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    I just bought a Pkg 2 Silver/Dark Gray with floor mat & rear bumper applique on Monday for MSRP. I also emailed about 40 dealers around bay area and only find 3 or so Pkg 2 silver with minimal options. Blizzard Pearl is even harder to find. Good luck.


     
  12. Bob Hayes

    Bob Hayes New Member

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    So, since so many folks have asked if the original author of this frequently read post actually bought a Gen III after all was said an done, the answer is...

    NO!

    The differences between Gen II and III are not that significant. Plus, my CA carpool sticker still works. Plus, the Gen III is on the way, with plug in. Plus...the Chevy Volt is coming, and I'd like to support the devasated US auto industry. Plus, my Gen II is a fantastic car.

    So..I'll see you all at the Toyota....and Chevy dealers in a couple of years. Until then, enjoy the ride!
     
  13. neilz

    neilz Member

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    Who cares if the Top 10 author bought a new Prius. I don't. To each his own. I got mine and I am very satisfied. :whoo:
     
  14. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    I can tell you my very top reason why the Prius was not such a good idea before I decided to finally buy it:

    Price. The Prius is an expensive car for its size. Period! Luckily, Toyota made the very same car with the very same FE in many different trims with a 10K difference between the lower and upper end! You can almost buy a decent brand new compact car with 10K! I said this before, but if I were to spend more than 30K in a hybrid, boy, the Prius would face fierce competition with the Ford Fusion Hybrid. The later is indeed a better refined car overall, but my budget was < 25K.
     
  15. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    I hope that you will enjoy participating in the future threads "Top 10 reasons not to buy a plug in Prius" and "Top 10 reasons not to buy a Volt"
     
  16. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    If you are waiting for the Volt, the Nissan Leaf will be a way better alternative and they are both coming out at similar times.
     
  17. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    You do that every payday. We're 70% owners of GM.

    And, if the Volt is $40K, just buy a Prius and send the extra $15K cash to GM. Both of you win in that case.
     
  18. Greysquirrel34

    Greysquirrel34 New Member

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    I think it boils down to this.

    Do I really NEED a 2010 Prius? NO!

    Do I really WANT a 2010 Prius? YOU BETCHA!:rockon::rockon:


     
  19. Habiru

    Habiru Junior Member

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    Wow I couldn't agree less!

    1. For my hard earned money give me a Japanese car built in a Japanese plant by the Japanese. American automakers got enough of my money from the bailout.
    2. No thanks (for the money) I'm fine with the current MPG output & I'm green enough with this car.
    3. I don't live in CA so I don't havbe an opinion on this.
    4. Since this car should hopefully hold a pretty good resale value & I went with the base model I think this car was a pretty good bargain.
    5. I wouldn't buy a ford hybrid because of the cost ... now the 2011 Hyundai Sonata hybrid :) I can't wait to see the pricing because I'm excited about that car!
    6. Well drive a second gen & 3rd gen back to back & you'll see how wrong you are. I would never have considered a 2nd gen but was so impressed by the 3rd gen after I drove it the first time I ordred one.
    7. Time will tell but I think there is a warranty on these tires & tires are cheap enough if you buy them on tirerack.com
    8. I don't plan on keeping the factory stereo ... I never have in any previous vehicle. I like my Pioneer navi unit & speakers too much!
    9. No a tree hugger & don't have a Change bumper sticker on my car. I'm using less oil with this car then my last one.
    10. This site is pretty fun & useful if you ask me :)



    Top 10 reasons NOT to trade up to a 2010 Prius, in priority order (for me):

    1.
    Buy American -The American auto companies need our help, and they have some darn good products now (especially Ford…see #5 below).
    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).
    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.
    4. Cost - The fully “tricked out†Prius is really expensive; $32K puts it into a league of some upscale cars.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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).
    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.
    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!).
     
  20. resoh02

    resoh02 Member

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    Help will come to the american car builders when they build cars in US and have a car that the american public wants, not the cadillac Escalade. what a joke