Hi Everyone, I picked up my new 2013 Prius Four (Blizzard Pearl with Bisque Soft-tex interior) Monday morning. I love it, each time you drive you learn something else about the car. Got tired of being a slave to the gas pump. The prices are never going to go down and paying $45-$50 dollars a week is crazy. Other people I work with tell me I'm lucky I was only paying that much. Traded in a 2007 BMW X3 that had close to 80K miles on it. It was starting to become the true meaning of BMW (Break My Wallet).
Congrats on the new purchase! I recently made a similar move, trading in a 2004 Lincoln Navigator for a 2010 Prius. Your coworkers are right, you were lucky to only spend $45-$50 per week in fuel; my Navigator was a little more thirsty. I actually took a job closer to home hoping to stop spending $600-$800 per month in fuel, and was only partially successful since it only went down to $400-$500 per month. It seems the shorter drive and more frequent stop-and-go were still detrimental to obtaining any sort of fuel economy. Now I'm in a job I don't like but it's close to home, and was still a slave to the pump. Fortunately I was able to unload the truck and get a Prius - so far it seems like a good choice, and one I should have done sooner vice changing jobs. Doh!
Congrats. I sold a 2006 MMW 325i with 106,000 miles for a new 2012 Prius and never looked back. I enjoyed the Bimmmer but the repair costs and problems were a financial headache. My monthly gas bill went from $300 to $100. Tires $1,300 Major tun up $1,000 Oil change $150 Brakes $300 per axle Oil gasket repair $600 Etc
I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but one thing that I LOVE about my Prius is the 450+ mile range. Range is over 500 miles under optimum conditions. The range means that I am able to pick a decent-weather day to gas up and then wait two weeks or more until another nice day. Sunshine and air temperatures are a lot nicer than near-freezing and gusting winds! It was nice today so I filled up. It took a whole 8 gallons (gasp!) and I'll be set until at least the first part of April. Best of all, when I pulled into the gas station there was a white Pri ahead me (the driver likely had the same idea as the weather won't be this nice again for two weeks). And seeing another Pri isn't exactly common in this little midwestern town!
Good move!! Like you I doubt gas will go down much at least for long. It would not surprise me to see it spike above $5 this summer. At that time the Prius will be in very high demand like a homely girl after she wins the powerball! RAL
