So my 2014 Prius V is at the end of it's lease. I currently have 16k miles. It's the V Five advance with moon roof etc. Top top top model. My buyout for it is going to be around 18k when I finish with it at the end of the December. Any reason to return it and get a new Prime instead? I have 1 child who is 2 and a half and while we love the storage, it's not like I'm packing up multiple kids.
Keep the v five. The reason to keep it: 1. You save thousands of dollars over a new Prime. 2. You have a spare tire in the v.
The main reason would be high mpg and possibly the ability to do your average 17-20 miles a day with electric only. Maybe a HOV lane sticker if you need one. Otherwise, you have a practically new Prius v for less money at this point. Although you do get healthy rebates on a Prime which means more equity in your pocket later on when you trade again. If you put in a lot of miles the choice would be easier, go Prime. As is, even $5 a gallon is not too bad when you only fillup every few weeks.
I really have no need for a HOV sticker as my commute i.e. 10 miles a day (round trip!). Obviously that would all be on a EV and not gas, but still. I currently only fill up once a month at about $35 a tank.
It's a good idea to check the inflation of the spare every lease turn in cycle, or every 16,000 miles.
If you didn't know you had a spare, then maybe it isn't all that important to you. I had to use a spare twice with my PiP over 132k miles. The PiP like the Prime does not come with a spare. I borrowed the spare from another Prius. I will admit that both times it was a small leak and the included fixaflat goop Toyota includes would've worked but the tire place I go to recommended against it as they charge an additional fee to clean the rims before repair.
apples and oranges. one has great storage and good mpg, the other has poor storage, fabulous mpg's and 30 miles of ev, plus all the new gen 4 benefits and electric heat pump. if you can live with the hatch space, you need a test drive.
Do you value all the Safety Sense features Prime might have? Ever use the moon roof? If you didn't have half the gas cost, how long would it take you to save up enough to break even on the Prime? Have another car that can handle the sorts of items the Prime can't? The v could need a new 12v battery in a few years. How was the v maintained? Oil every 10k miles? Or better? Convenient charging at home?
If you have a mansion, keep the v, AND buy the Prime! You didn't use the v much. I suspect the value is more than the payoff. Payoff the v, then decided whether you want to keep it or not. Then you could sell/trade it for more which can be used towards the Prime...
