Need a new car within weeks. Want something small and efficient. Priced out a Prius IV online with the options I wanted, and it came out around $31k. I can probably get a dealer down from there, but I was wondering the merits of a new Prius vs a 2008 Civic Hybrid or Non. I'm sure I can get one for a lot less, and the fuel savings probably won't make up that difference for quite a while. But there is also the lower emmisions angle. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
The more you drive, and the longer you own the car, the more economic sense a Prius makes. If you drive short distance, and frequently change cars, I can't justify a Prius economically. I drive 30,000 miles a year, I save $1000 a year over a Yaris in gas alone.
A Yaris is not a Civic Hybrid. I am suprised at some reponses really!! If the Second hand Civic Hybrid cost you only 20k then ofcourse you get the Civic. With the slight difference in MPG you will never make up the price based on the difference of petrol. How much is the Civic anyway? Also why do you have to go for the V? Why not go for the lower model Prius? I would choose the cheapest Prius II and then just pimp other things up slowly. SATNAV is a waste of money. If you like the wheels you can always mod your wheel to 18. Not sure what you whan the V for. See if you can get the II with SKS.
There are too many factors for a single answer. For a strictly financial analysis you would need to know the actual purchase price for each, expected gas prices, how you plan to drive it, and how long you expect to keep it. Fuel savings is only one small part of the equation. Typically a Prius will be cheaper to maintain, but if you are unlucky it has some expensive technology. Then you get to all of the non-financial issues: The Prius will have a bigger gee-whiz factor, the Civic will handle better, the Prius has more room, styling differences, and so on. If you just want to save money, go with a Civic, but find an older one than 2008. Tom
Yes if your main priorty is to save more money then I also agree with Qbee to go with an older car than 2008. Get one that has lost much of its depreciation already. 2006 I would say would be a good year.
I keep my cars for a long time. Only reason I am getting rid of my 7 year old car is the $3k in repairs it needs (about half it's current value). So I don't want a used car that is too used. 2008 or 2007 at most. But if I went the Prius route, I was looking at some of the features that would make my time in the car more pleasant. Is that solar panel worth anything, or is it just something that sounds cool? I've seen some certified 2008 Civic Hybrids for around $20K, with about 20K miles.
There is a lot more to it than just the cost and the mpg. Amongst many other things, you need to think about how much differences in interior space, trunk space, hatch vrs sedan, stability control, noise etc. matter to you. In my case, I felt that the Prius was worth a far larger premium than the cost difference but there is no single answer that is right for everyone.
