My wife and I currently own a Town & Country but our daughter recently started attending a private school that is about 20 minutes away. The van averages 18 mpg so we're looking to downsize to a Prius. Since we have kids we really want leather but the only models I see in our price range ($15,000 or less) are around 2010 and with 60K or more miles. Would it be smart to buy one of these cars or go with a base model that has low miles? If we went base I could buy aftermarket leather seat covers and the backup camera if it doesn't already have one. I'm seeing some 2013's in my area that have 20-30K miles for around $15K.
All families need a mini van. Selling a town and country probably will net you very little to put towards a prius. Even at 18mpg, you are probably spending $4 more per day, $80 a month, $1000 per year. Not enough savings to be spending $15000 to ultimately save a few thousand.
We still owe quite a bit on the van and it is already having transmission clunkiness more than when we bought it. We use it as our primary car and fill up almost weekly. My wife also doesn't like the size of the van and prefers the Prius or Camry hybrid. Nexus 5X ?
You will still almost fill up weekly with the prius. Just fill up less gallons. Anyways you'll need to look for a prius 4 for the leather option. After market classio leather will run you $500 if you get a cheaper model prius. If a rear camera is 100% necessary, then you would want to avoid prius 2, unless it's from 2015. Tampa prius has lots to choose, Google him, his name is Todd. A forum contributor here
Welcome to Prius Chat ! How many kids and the ages? I have a 5 and 4 year old and the 2010 Prius II just meets our needs. If you have more kids than that, stick with a van or if you really want a Prius, the v is an option as it has a larger storage area in the back. It gets lower mpg though. Is the 20 minute drive mostly highway or in town? What is the average total mileage per year you put on the van currently? Keep us posted .
I have 3 kids and I mostly use my prius for transporting them. However I have a Sienna van for those special days that require more than a prius
+1 on the Prius v suggestion. You need the extra space and MPG would not be much different than a Camry Hybrid.
We have a 5 and 2 year old and have averaged a little under 10k per year on the van. My daughter switched schools though so we're driving much more now than we ever had. Today we test drove a 2012 Prius 4 with around 55k miles and was $16,999 I believe. It had leather and a sun roof which my wife liked but seemed a little pricey. They didn't have any Camry Hybrids but will have one in early next week that well go and check out. The Camry and Prius seemed similar in the interior but the trunk is bigger so we'll compare next week and bring a car seat this time. Nexus 5X ?
I believe the Camry Hybrid has lower MPG compared to the Prius. The Camry is a nice, comfortable car though. I miss my 1996 Camry.
The MPG in the Prius is the reason I'm trying to steer my wife in that direction. She liked the Prius but was a little apprehensive about the shifting knob and all the buttons. I'm not sure if the Camry is the same so we'll see after we test them side to side. Does anyone have experience with the sunroof on the Prius? My wife would really love one but I know many cars have issues with them. We also did not really like the leather on the 4 model since it was much softer than the thicker stuff we have in the van.
We also have a PT Cruiser in case we need something larger. It is not the size of a van but has a little more room and can haul with the seats down if needed.
My son does not have 2 legged kids, but he has small dogs (4 legged kids). When he retired his 2005 Prius, he opted for a 2015 Prius v to get the extra room for dog crates, etc.
We checked out the V at a dealership a few weeks ago and it didn't honestly seem much bigger interior wise. The trunk was bigger but for everyday grocery store type trips, the regular Prius should be enough.
I took a look at the Tampa Hybrid site and he does have some very good deals and selection. It is a 2 hour drive but I might have to give him a call. I am intrigued by the plug in models because I never considered them since I never saw any locally for sale. The 13 mile electric range might just get my wife to my daughters school and back without using much gas and could plug it in for long enough to pick her up again. Nexus 5X ?
Backup camera became pretty common in Prius in 2012. I added a backup camera to my 2010, and it's a huge project because you need to replace the entire radio unit AND run a cable from the license plate, up the hatch, thru to the body, down to the doorsill trim, across all the doorsills, up to the dashboard and into the radio. It's definitely cheaper to buy a Prius with a stock backup cam. Leather seats are another story. They are available only on top of the line models, with lots of other features. Most Priuses don't have them. If the Prius has factory leather seats it will also have the backup camera. But it's also possible to add leather. There's the Clazio method, which covers the existing seat, and there's the more expansive Katzskin, in which the cloth material covering is removed and the leather replaces it, which will provide you a factory-quality, like-new leather seat. But Katzkins cost a little more and they need to be professionally installed. You can do it yourself but it's a project.
Looks like the choice is a close one. The Mini van fits the family except for the gas mileage and possible forthcoming transmission issue. I would take a look at the overall cost of owning the Prius over the overall cost of keeping the Mini van. You will easily put on 100,000 miles on the Prius and most likely will only have to do oil changes and one Synergy-Drive fluid change. At worst, looking at maybe $1,000 (most likely $500) over 100,000 miles. Now, if you can go another 100,000 miles in the Mini Van and spend the same or less in maintenance....................?
I just went trough a similar process, I was torn between a 2013 model 2 with 40K or a 2011 model 4 with sunroof and 60k. I ended up with the 2011 for $13K + tax, rolling off the lot new this car as $34k.... so it dropped 20k in 5 years ouch... At this price point I put another 100k on it and lose very little. I will do all the fluid, filter, and brake changes myself. I totally love the car, leather is great, sunroof rocks, I love the extra light, eight speakers. I drive over 500 miles yesterday and loved it! Read up on cargurus and start learning the market, what cars have been sitting around, you will get a better deal on a trade in compared to car bought a auction. It sounds like you are not in a rush so go slow and make sure you get a car you want. I also looked at the v series, but honestly the mileage sucks and I don't really see the point. I think a civic hatchback would be a better option. Too bad TDI ended being cheats... a jetta tdi wagon was a great option
