Driving 380 miles a week in SoCal traffic means $50 (and even $60) weekly fill-ups in my otherwise-loveable 2006 MINI Cooper S, so I'm thinking it's time for something a little more responsible. It looks like there are a fair number of used 2009 and 2010 Prii around in the $18-20k range...but what I'm really eyeing is a C II... Anyway, I'll be wandering around the boards, reading and trying to make myself less of a newbie, then maybe I'll be posting a thread somewhere (Gen 3 boards, C boards?) to ask for specific buying advice. In the meantime, if anyone can give me advice on whether a 2009 Prius I with 28k miles for $19k is preferable to a $20k 2010 Prius IV for $20k, or if I should just go with a C II for $21, I'd appreciate it. Too many (awesome) choices!
Welcome aboard! There is a lot of information to consume here for sure. I would rent before buying any model. With that commute though, I think you will really appreciate what the prius has to offer. Good luck.
You should easily save 40% over the Mini - assuming it is the manual transmission version. The mini is fun and I remember the smile I had all over my face when I used to drive the bosses daughters Cooper S, but they're not great on fuel. It does all depend on your driving style thoughl. If you drive the Prius with enthusiasm, then it won't be as good as if you just take it easy. The Prius is a smooooth and chilled ride.
I would first decide what it is your needs are. Most of the older Prius cars, used, are still in the $10k range, and if we are to believe the Kelly Blue Book price, the used 2009 starts around $19.2k with 40k miles... So hard to say what would be your 'best' option is. Again, it boils down to your 'needs' over the cost first. What car will give you the most for you, not just commute but overall, because you will obviously be doing more than just the drive to work and back.
And now it's down to the 2010 Prius IV (e-mailed the dealer to make sure it's a clean Carfax) and the Prius C II...
It's the MCS auto, so about 29 MPG. My calculations (based on $4.20/gal for regular, $4.40 for premium) show that I'll be saving up to 47% (or $1,432 ) per year on gas. I'm still reading up on driving tips and whatnot (including the link in Keiichi's sig, open in another tab), but we'll see what I can get. My policy has generally been to drive in the rightmost lane that'll let me go 75 MPH, but with the MPG info staring me in the face, maybe that'll drop to 65. And Keiichi's hit the nail on the head regarding my dilemma. I have a spreadsheet of about 35 cars (including about a dozen Prii), calculating rough costs of ownership to the dollar, and it's rough trying to figure out where value, comfort, and fun all come together. (And then there's the ever-incalculable wife-tolerance factor, or Wth...)
I went down to London and back a couple weeks ago (220 miles each way) and including a little driving around during the day I managed 57 mpg UK (48 mpg us) for the entire trip. I was doing 70-80 mph on the motorways, including overtaking lots of cars (I don't drive at a steady speed and I don't hang about) and driving on the dreaded M25 through the Dartford tunnel bottleneck. You will struggle to get less than 40 mpg US if you get a Prius.
It's sort of up to you. Personally, if the C meets your needs as a commuter vehicle, I would go for it just to get the full warranty. But as others have stated, don't get it strictly based on potential fuel savings.
Take them both for a test drive to see what you think. For the prices you've quoted, I'd say the new C is the better deal, but then you're comparing quite different cars.
That's what I think too, but then I'm guessing the Prius IV price is softer than the C's. If they come down far enough, hey, I can appreciate premium audio. And thanks for the anecdata, GrumpyCabbie, that sounds a lot more like how I'm used to driving, so it's nice to know that I'll still have that option for my impatient days.
I wrote a post on who SHOULDN'T own a Prius, it is oriented on the Gen 2 but applies to them all. http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/94450-considering-prius.html#post1334003
That post, and the one you wrote following it, were both great information. Thanks! Johalareewi, the C is indeed a little more tempting because of its smaller size. But my car before the MINI was a Honda Accord sedan, and I occasionally drive my wife's Civic sedan, so I don't mind a larger car, per se, just prefer smaller ones. (Because I suck at parallel parking enough as it is. )
Bah. Looks like the Prius IV was a myth. "Yeah, this is a 2. The website guy must've mis-entered it into the system." Well, back to the drawing board. EDIT: Question, are the EV/Eco/Power mode buttons all standard on the 2010? Because the car I was shown only had Eco/Power. In addition to "mis-entering" a II as a IV, were they also trying to sell me a 2009?
All 2010-2011 Prius model II/Two thru V/Five (they changed to spelling out the words with MY 2011) should have EV, Eco and Power buttons. There are really 4 modes w/none selected == normal. There's a pic of the buttons at http://priuschat.com/news/priuschats-2010-prius-in-depth-review-and-first-drive. If the EV button was missing, then it's possible it was a (really stripped down fleet only) Prius I. See http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/69521-prius-i-other-news.html. The matrix at Toyota Vehicles : Toyota Announces Prices for 2010 Prius / Toyota might help you. The prices are old though but the models and matrix apply to the 2010-2011 models (USB is missing though as it wasn't on early '10s). If you're interested in a 2nd gen (04-09), http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/100759-buying-first-prius.html#post1427516 should help.
You really have to go drive them. All three are such different cars that no amount of talking/typing can really describe the difference between them.
