Hi all. This is my first post on the forums and I'm hoping to get some information. I'm driving a 96 Camry and looking to buy my first car and I want it to be a Prius! I've been looking at the 2011 and 2012 models and I'm not really sure what the difference between the two are. I'd be looking to buy a II or III and a price range to be around 23-25,000. Any details or tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I'm with you in the same boat... I can't really decide to go with the 2011 or 2012... Somehow, the front end of the 2012 looks a bit like the Yaris. I'm looking at getting a Prius 5 just for the LED headlamps. I'm coming over from a 2007 BMW 335i with a Sport Package and Manual Tranny. I know it's going to be a transition from a gas gulping Bimmer with twin turbo to a Prius. What do you all suggest?
i bought 2011 prius II(dec 5th ) for trade in 2009 my crv..... only paid $4600 for brand new prius... i did not wait for 2012....it will cost me around $2000 more(cost i paid 21500 plus ttl) and my crv value already dropped $1000 since new model came in ... i donot see much diff between 2012 or 2011 unless u get invoice on 2012 price which is less likely at this time and gas prices are going up...so dealer will not buzz on prices ....every summer prius goes for msrp....so decide before it's too late. thanks hp
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...hen-2012-prius-will-released.html#post1450030 It's been confirmed that the '12 Prius Two doesn't include the backup camera. OP, you should stop using Roman numerals as Toyota moved away from those to spelling out the model numbers starting w/the '11 model year.
Great question!!! How many miles per year are you planning to put on your car, and are you going to be keeping it for a while??? I always advise high mileage drivers to buy a previous year's model. There's almost no difference between an 11 and a 12, besides some color choices. There may be some options that are different in the higher trims, but an '11 Two and a 12 Two are going to be pretty much the same car. OK....so if you're one of those people who change out cars every two years, you might be better off getting a '12 since there isn't going to be much of a price delta (the way things are going now) BUT the minute you drive the car off the lot, it's now a 1-year-old used car. That's great if you're a high mileage driver, but not so great if somebody totals out your car six months from now, since it will be a year and a half old instead of six months. Find out what the price difference between an '11 and a '12. NOTE(!) don't find this out from the person who is trying to sell you the car! Get price quotes from several dealers to see if there's a big difference between the two model years. Sometimes the FACTORY offers incentives for last year's car that aren't applicable to this year's model. Toyota's come out closer to the calendar year than domestics, so there isn't a really big push to get the '11s out the door (yet.) Do some pencil work. Figure out what's best for YOU. Good Luck!!!
Nope. The car is basically the same but the equipment levels are quite different between the two Twos. (I removed the portions about the backup camera.) Entune's also new with the '12s. You'd need a '12 Three or above.
Good Points. I always forget about the "planned obsolescence" scheme of making new model years more attractive. Yeah.....if the '12 has a "gotts to have" feature, then you're better off paying for the newer one I guess. I'm a certified cheapskate. I always go for the leftover models...
I had the same dilemma but finally went with the 2012 Pkg 2. I got it at invoice and my dealer didn't really offer any spectacular price on the 2011's (bout a grand below invoice). I am really glad I got the 2012 because the front fascia and new tail lights looks so so nice. But if you are looking for the overall bang for the buck, get the 2011. Either way, it's a win-win!
You're talking prices at and below invoice; I didn't think that was ever possible. Do you mean at or below MSRP, instead?
At invoice isn't impossible on most brands due to Dealer Holdback - Edmunds.com. Below invoice isn't impossible if there are incentives and the dealer needs to clear out models. See New Car Rebates, Cash Back, Special Financing & Lease Rates for an example of incentives. Currently, that URL for 95136 and Toyota Dealerships - New & Used Car Deals & Special Offers | BuyAToyota.com shows none on Toyotas. Perhaps that'll change by the time others get to this reply. MrBillTulsa, if you bought your 05 new, I suspect at that time, MSRP was considered a decent deal. That was the case when I got my 06 and there were waiting lists of at least a month. Without doing any digging, invoice on a 2012 sounds really good given that it just came out. A thousand below invoice on an '11 sounds plausible, if there are incentives. When I helped a friend car shop for an '11 Prius in the last few days of December 2011, Toyota Sunnyvale was openly advertising 2011 Prius Two for $21,688 with floor mats and I'm pretty sure with destination charge. It was that low due to incentives. Invoice w/dest charge and floor mats was $22,995, not including $1K incentive (at the time). So, invoice - $1K incentive = $21,995. Currently Toyota Sunnyvale at http://www.toyotasunnyvale.com/specials/index.htm (will probably go away/change VERY soon), is showing
Thank you everyone for the responses! I drive around 40 miles a day to and from work which is why I wanted the Prius. I've driven my 96 camry now for over 6 years so I would imagine keeping the Prius for a long time. Is that the usual trend? Prius' prices raise during the summer? if so then I may have to pull the trigger faster than I planned to purchase. Has anyone had experience with this in person? How much more "awesome" is it to have these features in your car? I've been without a cd player and only casette tape for a long time so I would like to hear some opinions on these features. (Just to clarify the above, all of this would come with the 2012 Two?) Thanks again for the reponses!!
Yeah, but the Prius v wagon is different than the regular Prius liftback. I can't speak to the trend but in general, Prius can rise and fall due to gas prices. Gas prices are higher during the "summer driving season". Higher gas prices tends to == higher Prius demand == higher Prius prices/less discounting. As for those features, I haven't personally played with those on the '12 Prius, but I do like the Bluetooth support in my 2nd gen Prius as well as the touchscreen. Mine doesn't have A2DP music streaming, but I have used it in other cars, including it Lexus HS 250h that I won a week test drive of.
Automotive journalists are impressed with the 2012 Toyota Prius’ spacious cabin, unusually large cargo area and high-tech electronics.
