Thinking about Trade in Prius 2015.

I really like my '13 Prius Persona but my wife says it is uncomfortable and doesn't like driving it so I bought her a 2015 Avalon with no money down and 60 mo. 0% interest ($27,500). She is happy as a clam now. The Avalon is really comfortable and handles well and the Blizzard Pearl looks great. This is our third Avalon and second Prius. (I still have the 2001 Avalon with 140k miles and drives well).

 

We're the last people who should be driving a Prius, going by the gas savings. Tank up once every 3~4 weeks, and then only 25 liters, at most. So even with inflated Canadian gas prices, only about $30 a month. It is not just about the money. I'm hooked on engine shut down when coasting, or at red lights. A regular car would drive me nuts.

 

If you go from Prius G3, for more comfortable ride, why not Camry Hybrid? Avalon is too bulky, CH is closer to v6 than i4 Camry. I would also see and try G4 as reviews claimed more comfortable ride and better handling.

 

+1
i can afford any gas guzzler easily, but prefer to drive a prius.
incidentally, this is about the cheapest car one can buy that would not be looked down at my parking lot for our professional staff only.
BTW, when i drive my wife's V6 pocket rocket, i'm tempted to do dangerous stunts. driving a prius cures me from that (and i'm still one of the faster drivers out there).

 

Now is the time to haggle on/buy a Prius with the gas so cheap. Cannot give up my hatch back as it is needed for long cargo.

 

When I was buying Prius, it was used, and prices for Civic were higher and Focus lower (year 2013). It's always matter of priorities, what we buy. I decided to put money in paying crazy SFBA mortgage. I could definitely buy MB, and keep up with all payments.

I love Prius as it is, with many drawbacks it's a smartest not subsidized car on the roads.

 

Very true .... When I bought the Prius as an extra car -- it was used all the time. I started to take it into the city one day vs my expensive SUV -- parking it next to my partners Porsche ... we ended up taking the Prius if we had to go someplace. No worries about parking .. valet.

The family has used it so much that we now have 130K+ at the 4 year mark. I bought a CT ... funny how things change.

 

Of course not.
You have a what is a nearly brand new Prius.

It's not defensible on a financial basis at all.

BUT....

People who can afford it often cycle through vehicles for abstract emotional reasons. You don't really have to justify it's "worth".
I'm assuming you wouldn't even be asking if you couldn't afford it. So what it really boils down to is whether it's "worth it" to you?

Only you can answer that for yourself.

 

Agree. Buy what you want. But, what happened to the "green" movement? I thought people were also buying a Prius because it's great for the invironment. Not so much NOx pollution.

 

When you say it would take a decade to recover the costs going with a Prius, were you including the resale in your calculations?
That said you will likely take a hit trading so soon. You spend quite a bit of time each day in a car so comfort absolutely should be considered. I seem to be in the minority here. Even though I am 6'4", I find the Prius quite comfortable.

 

Gas prices will go back up, but the maintenance costs over 10 years versus a regular car can't be beat.

 

So far the Prius has been the most reliable car I have ever owned and cheapest to maintain and operate as well as the best mid size cargo area.
As Willie Wonka said, "will it last".

 

Mostly I think we are discussing the cost bases of a new Prius. I tend to buy 2 to 3 year old cars (30,000 - 45,000 miles). I spend about half of the new sticker price. I paid less then $13,000 for my 2013 Prius 2 with 46,000 miles. It's running great and should last to 200,000 miles (I hope).

With the low initial cost and the low cost of fuel and maintenance, it is by far one of the best values.

My sports car before age 30 was a 1981 Datsun 280XZ. I bought it 3 years old, 40,000 miles, for $8,700 (half of cost new). Kept it about 6 years and put about 90,000 more miles on it. It was very low cost to maintain.

So, I hope you choose what makes you happy. Keeping your Prius for a few more years will lower your cost of car ownership. Buying another car and keeping the Prius is expensive. Also, buying new cars and selling one or two years later is a fairly high cost way of ownership. But, for those that make good money and aren't financially burdened, buy what makes you happy, That's what drives our economy.

Cheers.

 

Cars, unless they are true collectibles, are a horrible investment, but a necessary purchase for most of us. Some cars are a lot worse than others on the money/value equation. Dumping a car before it's time is a financially poor choice, unless there are maintenance issues or personal situations change enough to absolutely require a different vehicle. Not being satisfied with the ride and comfort of a Prius is an individual preference that should be researched well before making the purchase.

I commuted during my working years in the most frugal cars I could buy, usually Honda Civics (back in the day when they were actually a small car). In 1992 I ran across a tiny Suzuki Swift with a 4 cylinder engine that the dealer was hot to sell. For 6k it had A/C, big 14 inch wheels/tires, and returned 46 real mpg with a manual transmission. With snow tires it was a snowmobile. That little 3 door hatch did commuter duty for 10 years until the salt ate it up. Hated to give it up, the engine/transmission/interior was still perfect. I then bought my first used car, a Saturn wagon (SW2) that lasted until I retired and also did well in snow with dedicated snow tires. It turned out to be great transport to the ski areas in Winter or hauling bicycles or kayaks in Summer, as well as the commuter stuff.

Driving those frugal cars as commuters caused no pain or illness. What those small cars did was allow me to save some significant money through the years on gasoline, repairs, insurance, and of course those all important costs at initial purchase. Those savings piled up. When our kids were out safely on their own after finishing all their schooling, my wife and I got our first Prius in 2005. We traveled extensively in that car, and then decided to go with the 2011 we currently have in early 2012. It was a leftover... so discounts! We could buy fancier, cushier rides, but they would not be as easy on fuel.

We still love the red Prius you see in my posts, and we take at least couple of long trips a year in it. It's a veteran long distance Interstate cruiser that happens to be a fuel miser. Best thing we did for this Prius was install Pirelli Cinturato P7 205/50 17 tires on a set of Persona wheels we bought a couple of years back. Excellent riding tires that have a good combination of quiet and comfort. We only lost a couple of MPGs with the bigger wheel/tire combination. Still averages 52-53 mpg, down from 54-55 so really can't complain too much.

At the point the old Saturn wagon was at the end of it's life, I stumbled on a heck of a deal on a lowly leftover Honda Insight EX that surprisingly equals and at times exceeds the Prius' MPG figures driving mostly rural roads. It's my "intense" retirement commuter that gets me around to bike group ride meeting points (I can stick the bicycle inside with the rear seats folded down), snow skiing, or anything else I need it to do. It's even a pretty decent second travel car, although I prefer the Prius on the highway. These cars are not for everyone, but for my wife and I, they fit our needs perfectly. Even during this period of temporary "cheap" fuel prices, we're still saving money when we drive. And key here, was that both of these cars were discounted heavily when we bought them. I've never bought a car that wasn't well discounted.

 

Seriously, I'm not being critical of you. But you are not going to keep this car more than 24 months. You likely won't keep it more than 12. You like nice things. You presumably can afford nice things. There is no reason to justify your purchase to us or anyone. Just enjoy it. I look forward to your post next year discussing purchasing the 2018 Avalon

 

What did Toyota give you for the 2015 Persona?

 

A hybrid Avalon would be sweet.