Help me pick one of these Prii! :) First time buyer + long time fan

these are really two completely different options. i'm not a sunroof guy, so i can't help you there. since you haven't mentioned mileage or prices, i assume they are outside the equation. but in the northeast, you should be getting a sweet deal on the plug in, since they have been greatly devalued with huge incentives on new ones. i would drive them both and see how they feel. reset your trip a, and see what the mpg's look like on a similar long drive. charge up the pip and see how far you can go before the engine comes on. can you plug in at work? my commute is 15 miles and it's fine in summer, but in weather below 70 degrees, i need to plug in at work to make it home on electric, if that is a concern of yours. the solar sunroof would certainly be good on our 90 degree summer days, but testing might be difficult in the next week or two. all the best!

 

i'm assuming the pip is used, or are there still new '12's on the lot?

 

on the plus side for the pip, for the small amount of really hot days we have in the northeast, the pip a/c ice like ice and cools down really quickly. maybe all the gen III's are, but it's definately colder than my '08.

 

thanks, like i said, make sure the price is right. if it's a base model, i'm guessing 22K?

 

Given the two options, being a plug in guy, I vote YES for the 2012 Prius Plug In. It's neat having the opportunity to drive all electric, even if it 10-13 miles on average. I have a short commute and I drive all electric both directions. Very few can say that. The Prius solar sun roof is a neat concept. It's expensive and adds a lot of weight. Even more reason to put that money towards a Prius Plug In.

 

Plug In Advance, low miles, good price. As long as it's in good shape, no negative history, Go, Go, Go for it.

 

I have a Silver 2012 Advanced, a co-worker has the same color Prius 4, with the solar roof. He is VERY envious of my mileage, and wishes his car didn't have the sunroof due to the weight. I say go for the PiP.
If your charging situation at work changes in the future, you can pre-cool the car using grid power by hitting the A/C button on the key fob. (or using the App, if you get a plug-in advanced)

 

I take my daughter to work 15.3 miles round trip. All EV in late spring, summer, early fall. Rest of year and winter down to -20 f gas mileage is between 110-160 MPG. I vote for Plug-in!

 

I own a PIP. The majority f my trips are within 10 miles. Current life time fuel efficiency 179 mpg (gas only). Over the last 350 miles I am averaging 780 mpg. I am very happy.

 

If you are still looking you can buy my 2012 advanced with less than 4000 miles for 32k. Its gray. Mint condition. Never driven in the winter. Always garaged. In Connecticut. With a matching full size spare.

 

i can't see the link?

 

Apart from me being in the UK your PiP option is very close to mine. I had 15k miles on the clock, got it at about two-thirds the new list price after gvmt incentive (it gets knocked off the price here). My commute is 25m each way, but I can plug in at work, so get just under 100mpg US. You'll do even more EV; drive sensibly (and you quickly change your habits!) and you'll be forgetting where the filler cap is... Regardless of the money saved, that's just a really nice feeling.

 

Plug-in. you can turn on the AC remotely a couple of minutes before you leave your desk.

 

I vote for the PiP as well. Most of your miles will be on EV, avoiding the warm-up penalty you would have with the regular Prius for short trips. You will probably save on insurance costs, and possibly licensing fees by buying the used PiP. Good luck, whatever you decide.