Bottom line, it ended up cheaper than the Camry. My wife's company offered a $4000 rebate on a hybrid, I got in on the Fed tax credit, and Colorado had a great tax credit, too. By the time income taxes got filed, I came out thousands ahead. Didn't really need a new car at the time, but I'm sure glad we took advantage of all those credits--it's been a great car.
Andrew, did you end up paying any money, or did the car come with a pile of bills in the front seat ?
I've driven Caravans and Voyagers for the last quarter century along with my Jeep and PowerWagons. In July of last year I rented a Prius to drive from Washington State to Texas and back. Renting a Prius wasn't my idea. The rental company's car I'd reserved did not have a speed control. The rental agent suggest a Prius. I balked, and said no... I've never been fond of foreign cars after an experience with a VW Type II transporter. The agent said: "You'll save money on fuel." Well, I gave in and decided I could always switch it out in Omaha (the first stop). It took a few miles to get used to the Prius' quirks. This rental had over 40,000 miles on the odometer. I was surprised. In quizzing the agent when I returned the car she said that Toyota doesn't lease fleet cars. They had to buy the Prius, so these stayed in their rental fleet longer than any other make. When I pulled into Missoula MT to fill up, filling up consisted of $12 worth of fuel. That's a whole lot less than I'd normally pay. My attention picked up as did my interest in the Prius. I was pleased with the car. The only problem I had was coming back west over the Rockies on I-80 when a Semi pulled out in font of me to pass another Semi. It was doing 25mph. I was doing 70mph. I guess he didn't see me, I slowed down real quick! It took some time to get the Prius back up to speed going up that grade. It handled a panic stop well. On one leg of that trip between, Northwest to Rock Springs Wyoming - Jackson Hole - and southwest to Idaho Falls the MPG climbed to over 60mpg. I was stunned, that area ain't flat! To make a long story short, on that trip I saved enough money on fuel to almost pay for the rental... and I was sold on the car. Quality seemed to be engineered in, not inspected in... and I liked that. After the trip, I started looking for a used Prius Two days ago, Dollar Rent A Car found a used one-owner Prius in the middle of Oregon and trailered it up here to Washington. I traded in a 2003 Buick Centruy (200,000 miles) and a 1999 Voyager (220,000) miles and an undisclosed amount of cash on the Pruis. So far, I couldn't be happier. That Buick went it's entire life without a me putting a dime into ANYTHING but oil changes and tires. If the Prius does as well, I'll be one very satisfied Prius owner. The better half commutes 90 miles a day (mostly freeway) to work, I figure the Prius will save enough on fuel each month to pay for the car payment. Now I'm taking my time and looking for a second Prius to fit in the garage. Ain't life grand!
Leve, As gas prices increase over the next few years you'll have to keep redoing your math! You'll probably save more money than you originally calculated for each month....
Mileage Technology Reliability Hatchback/cargo space I kept up with the hybrid technology & the Prius when it was only available in Japan. I'm sort of a "buy American" guy, but the logics are also a factored in. When it came time to change vehicles, the Prius was on the list. What other cars did I consider? Crazy mix: Mustang GT350 convertible Vette Viper Impala Rav4 Camry A couple "classic/antiques on the list. Eventually the mileage,etc won out. I just wanted to own one. I have a 4wd pu for pulling horse trailors, hay, etc. However, I do load my poor little Prius down with all kinds of stuff, including several bags of feed. I have loaded several hundered pounds in the back & honestly cannot tell any difference in handling, ride or acceleration. ?? Seems the suspension is fairly tight to me. I have put a little over 38,000 miles in the past year & still very impressed & satisfied with my car.
Same reason I set up our PV solar array. To keep as many training, and bomb building $$ out of the hands of al queda as possible. .
My top reasons of buying a Prius: 1. MPG 2. Space/Hatchback 3. Low noise (engine only runs when needed) 4. Tech I keep driving my cars until the wheels fall off, so the Prius makes sense and at the end, should save me $$$
I like the technology I like the fact that it is super quiet (here in EU land we have a AV switch standard, and can run it on batteries only, to impress the chicks) It is practical - saves on gas - fits groceries and other stuff I need to transport It is actually good for the environment, despite what Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear say. Good idea for my commute, as I have to "drive" through down town Zurich to get to work. My employer gives me a $5000.- rebate if I buy a hybrid car (insurance company that is very worried about global warming) and the Honda Insight does not do it for me
Quite a few reasons but the main ones were 1. My love of 'performance' cars started to wane and my values, ie what I desired from a vehicle, changed. 2. I wanted to be as 'responsible' as I could be in my choice of car 3. Good diesel cars are equally efficient and cost effective, but they still pollute more and are noisier (in my view) 4. Toyota reputation for engineering and reliability 5. Good warranties 6. Love of technology, I realised that the Prius had more to it than I thought, and more than its reputation with Petrolheads suggested.
Camry is too boring, blah, generic sedan. I chose the Prius because of: 1) Fantastic gas mileage 2) Cool tech toys (SKS, hybrid, touchscreen, etc) 3) Had almost as much cargo space as my old Jeep (2007 Compass) 4) Toyota reliability reputation 5) We mostly do city driving 6) It doesn't burn gas at stop lights, drive thrus, etc.
1. Prius was (is) the technological poster car for enviromentalists. 2. I want to support alternative technologies. 3. Prius has the "Beetle" carisma and uniqueness; Camry is what my mother would drive. 4. Toyota reliability. 5. Whacked out spaceship design.
