About to buy a Prius, but now I am second-guessing the decision

Check with your insurance company. One or two people here are reporting higher insurance costs but most are reporting lower.

 

Yes.
My Prius costs the same to insure as any other car of similar value.
Maintainance is less than most cars
Repairs, what repairs? It's a Toyota first and foremost.
Prius will outperform Yaris, is much bigger and gets way better mileage.

 

I think you need to ask yourself what your personal priorities in a vehicle are at this time.

If it is fuel consumption efficiency then nothing is going to beat The Prius. Most information by Prius Chat faithful suggest that especially early in ownership, < 7 years, cost of ownership is low.

Your concerns are difficult to address because you are not comparing Apples to Apples.

If you talk to your insurance company I think you can find out almost exactly how much more your insurance may or maynot be. However, reading between the lines, which I know is dangerous to do, it sounds like you are pretty convinced you just want a push.

I think if you are buying a used Prius, just like any used vehicle, the more important aspect is trying to evaluate the condition of the vehicle you are purchasing. Whatever you insure, you want to make sure it's worth insuring. Also that you will be happy with it.

Therefore, overall I think initial ownership of a new or relatively new Prius is not any more expensive than any other vehicle. Infact given the excellent gas mileage and reputation for mechanical reliability it's likely to be less expensive than many choices.

Even though my personal recent vehicle purchase turned out to NOT be a Prius, (Honda Fit) I don't think there is any singular site that can offer more information about the realities of being a Prius Hybrid Owner. But I would recommend doing some thread digging. As I say in response to many threads asking for critical evaluation of Prius, or Hybrids, remember what enviroment you are in. Many regulars, and much information available, and I don't think anyone would purposely mislead you, but this is a Prius enthusiast web-site, even if it does encompass many other aspects.

Asking is a Prius worth the extra insurance premiums vs. a Pontiac or Yaris, in Prius enthusiast web site? I have to believe your mind is mostly made up, your just looking for the extra reassurance. So I would give you the advice I would give anyone looking at any new vehicle, purchasing new or used, Hybrid or otherwise. What do you want? What are your priorities? Prius has one of the lowest initial cost of ownership of any vehicle you could choose. Yes, you could find a vehicle with lower yearly insurance premiums, but the difference is very likely to be offset and then some with gas savings. Especially if gas prices increase, which sooner or later is simply a given.

So I'd be more concerned about focusing on what you REALLY want in your next vehicle, and then if it's a used Prius? Making as sure as possible that it is in good shape. Having it checked out, maintenance history, as much vehicle history as it is possible to obtain are all important. Gas savings vs. Insurance Premiums and potential vehicle enjoyment all go out the window if it's not a vehicle you are going to be happy with, and/or there is a underlying mechanical problem.

Good Luck and if you go with Prius, this is an excellent site for information and support. For critical evaluation, and I offer no ultimate opinion the areas and threads I would research about Generation-2 Prius would be concerning the gas bladder (sometimes difficult to fill)-Also gas guage...sometimes refered to as a Guess Guage, occasional problems reported with headlights, especially HID headlights and opinions about tire wear. There are some "critical" opinions in these areas, nothing really huge as I don't think any machine is perfect, but knowing about these realities or potential realities before purchase is important.

Good Luck.

 

I would never tell you what to buy. I remind you that Pontiac is being discontinued. Don't know much about a Yaris.

Now, I own a 2010 Prius and with 12500 miles on it, it has been a joy. Fuel efficiency was impacted by cold weather ... here in Utah where it gets pretty cold in the winter, my fuel efficiency dropped to the 46-48 mpg range, but now that it is warm, I am averaging 51-53 mpg (and that is with normal driving). That is what we were getting last Fall before it turned cold.

We find the quality of construction excellent (some have reported rattles, but ours is quiet. It is comfortable (next week we depart on a cross the country trip). I like the interior whereas some report disliking the "flying" console (we find it very useful). I have no issues with acceleration, and it cruises on the freeway right along with the flow. Some responders do not like the NAV. It took a while, but after reading the manual it was more acceptable to us. I think the software could be improved.

The only other car we considered was the Ford Fusion ... but at the time of purchase, the area Ford dealers were unresponsive. The Fusion cost more, and the mileage is not quite as good as well.

Good luck.

 

Do you mean a Pontiac G3 aka the Aveo? The G3 and Yaris are in a completely different segment.

 

Given your commute you'll probably save about $1000 a year in fuel over your existing car. That's right now, if fuel prices keeps rising like they are then it could be bigger savings in the future.

 

In 5 years which car do you want to be driving? It is difficult make a decision now but also consider the future if you would be happy with your choice?

 

I know that several insurance companies have discounts just for Hybrids. I know insuring our 2007 is less than insuring our Buick.

In 60K miles, we've had NO repairs. At all. It's never been to a mechanic. We do our own oil changes/filter changes, but even those would be about the same costs if we had a mechanic do them as they would be for any other vehicle.

 

There's a price difference when new, how much more expensive is the used Prius than the Yaris or G4? The G4 is going to KILL you on resale down the road since Pontiac won't be around. If you like the Prius you can always buy a slightly older Prius with good maintenance records. Theres not a whole lot of reliability difference between say a 2005 Prius and a 2007 Prius...and its basically the same car.

Our Prius is cheaper to insure than the Lexus, which in and of itself is pretty cheap.

If anything maintenance costs are lower because brakes are needed so infrequently.

 

For safety reasons, buy a car with VSC and side/curtain airbags. The second Gen Prius started out with these features optional, but over time they became standard.

I am in general pretty miserly with money, and if my job was in doubt I would be double so. Perhaps it would help if you stated how much money you are going to spend, then we could tell you if a Prius in good shape is likely to be found. I personally would not buy a used Gen 1 Prius, but the G-2 have outstanding reliability so long as no accidents/flooding have happened to the car. Unlike regular cars, I would not buy a used Prius that had been in an accident. It is not so rare to hear stories about subtle, hard to track down malfunctions in those cars that can be *really* expensive to fix unless you are an expert hobbyist who can perform repairs. I would expect that these troublesome cars are more frequent in the used car market, than among people who had an accident and kept the car.

Honda hybrids do not have anywhere near the cachet of Prius, but they are excellent cars, and if the price is right deserve serious consideration. An inexpensive used Honda Fit is also an excellent car, but remember the safety advice above.

Pontiac ? NO, hell no.
Late model Hyundai ? Maybe
Late model Ford Focus ? Maybe.
CR reliability graphs below

Good Luck!

 

Priuses are generally the least expensive car wealthy or affluent people will buy and the most expensive car a poor person will buy.

 

I have a 2007 Prius with 55,000 miles (not for sale). I bought it because I liked the idea and minimizing the amount of gas I burn. My records to date show I have at least come out even on the price of the car compared with another with the same quality, options and size. But bottom line--even though I hated selling my old Accord, I LOVE the Prius. Its about as comfortable on long trips as my 98' Odyssey and it has plenty of pickup even at 60 or 70. It holds five adults comfortably (a Yaris is a bit small for that) and I can haul an amazing amount of stuff in it with the back seats folded down. I will definitely buy another one 'down the road'.

 

I bought a used 2005 Prius for my daily driver and the number one family car (wife and I). My 85 mile round trip is done comfortably, and I'm saving oodles on gas (1/2 of what I used to spend). Yes, I've changed my driving habits to maximize the hybrids potential, but at the cost of only 10 extra minutes a day. I'll also vouch for the safety - I was hit by an 18 wheeler on the interstate (interstate motto: if you ain't flyin' you ain't driving) and am here to tell about it. So if you like it, go for it. I know I'm sure glad I did.

 

The 2007 has side air bags standard, BTW.

 

Edmunds "True Cost To Own" results (based on a Northern VA zip code). I was surprised by the results actually. You get so much more car in the Prius and the price for 5 years @ 15K mi per year isn't so much more. Check the details in the links.

Prius: $27,546
2007 Toyota Prius True Cost to Own ratings at Edmunds

Yaris: $26,126
2007 Toyota Yaris True Cost to Own ratings at Edmunds

Pontiac G3: $26,729
2009 Pontiac G3 True Cost to Own ratings at Edmunds

- D

 

I just bought a new 2010 Prius and was stunned at how low my insurance premiums are. I expected them to be at least double what I was paying for my previous car, a 12-year-old VW. Instead, I think the payment is something like $80 more every 6 months - and that's for even more coverage than what I had on the Jetta.

Now granted, I don't drive to work (at least not most of the way) and my coverage is reduced for that. Our homeowners coverage is with the same company, and so is my wife's auto insurance. So we get a break for that. And I have a safe driving record, not an accident or ticket in the last 10 years at least.

I can't speak to the cost of ownership or overall reliability, because the car is too new. I have owned two other Toyotas and never had any real problems, other than one time when my Celica (or was it the Camry?) refused to start on a forest road 15 miles from the nearest town after a long, dusty, 30-mile hike. That was a real drag.

Good luck with whatever choice you make! You are wise to ask for opinions on a site like this before making this major purchase.

 

If the OP means the G3, aka rebadged Aveo, they should see where the Aveo stands at
Best & worst cars review, best for overall safety
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...-acceleration/best-and-worst-acceleration.htm
Best & worst cars review, fuel-efficient vehicles
worst-made-cars-on-the-road: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

They also should see how the Aveo did in reliability (attached). And yes, Pontiac is gone, so resale value will be horrible down the road.

I wouldn't consider the Yaris either. It's a cheapy car inside and out and CR doesn't recommend it despite its good reliability because it scored too low in their tests.

Notice where the Prius is in terms of owner satisfaction at Used car owner satisfaction: Car owner, car satisfaction ratings. It also was the highest in owner satisfaction there for at least four years in a row until the record was broken recently. Aveo did very poorly in that department but I'm having trouble finding the ratings now. Here are some previous ones though:
http://priuschat.com/forums/other-cars/77235-chevrolet-aveo.html#post1076836
http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...ports-prius-tops-satisfaction-list-again.html
http://pressroom.consumerreports.or...mer-reports-carowner-satisfaction-survey.html

Pontiac G3 is considered a compact car by the EPA and the Yaris is a subcompact. The Prius is a midsized car. Look them up yourself on www.fueleconomy.gov.

Regarding "I have heard that hybrids are more expensive to own and insure than non-hybrids, and that it takes 10-20 years to even out the cost with a non-hybrid", Consumer Reports years ago made a mistake regarding the generation of Prius you're interested in. See Hybrid Cars - Consumer Reports Fixes Error on Cost of Hybrid Car Ownership.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...sts/affordable-hybrids-hybrid-owner-costs.htm has figures for the current gen (not, what you're considering) and I think you'll need a subscription to their site to see it. It says the "pay back" period for a 2010 Prius II is one year and that you'd save $1250 vs. a Corolla LE after 5 years.