Previously had a new 2012 Prius Plug-In Advance with 10 mile EV range, purchased Jan 2013, Great car that I kept for ten years. Excellent car and perfect reliability. During those ten years I also had three EVs, a 2014 BMW i3, 2017 Chevy Bolt Premier, and 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance. I traded my Prius when I purchased a 2023 Bolt EV. With the refresh of the 2023 Prius, I considered a new Prius, but local availability was almost zero without going on a waiting list. I enjoy cruising new dealer lots, seeing what's new. I was out early on Jan 1 and stopped by the local Toyota dealer. I was pleasantly surprised to see five new Prius. A variety of models and trim levels. My interest was the 2024 Prius Prime Premium. Perfect color and options if I ordered one. Although I had no need for any new vehicle, this was a unique opportunity. Vehicle was MSRP plus $2500 in dealer add-on items. Some nice additions, a few for dealer profit. I made a decision I wanted the car if I could get at least $1000 off and a fair trade for my 2021 Toyota Corolla SE Premium. An opportunity not only for a 2024 Prius, but the perfect Prius for me.
Seems your timing is pretty good. Got out of your gen3 before the big dollar repairs hit and got lucky on a new Prius Prime sitting on the lot.
I'm a firm believer in good luck. I've never been a impulse buyer. I just stopped by my local dealer killing time waiting for Lowes to open Jan 1. Five new Prius on the lot. I wasn't in the market for a new car and was happy with my 2021 Corolla SE. Perfect color, trim level, and options. Tired of lack of available cars on all Toyota lots. Was considering a future refreshed Model Y. This Prius was too good to pass up.
Welcome back! Congratulations on your 2024 Prius PHEV! This is very interesting. Our @bwilson4web had a Gen 1, then a Gen 3, and then briefly a Gen 4 PHEV. He has then had BMW i3s and and a Tesla Model 3 just like you. However, he hated his Gen 4 PHEV and sold it. You can read briefly why here: https://priuschat.com/threads/everything-you-need-to-know-about-leasing-a-bev-or-phev%E2%80%94consumer-reports.252994/#post-3504749 Gen 5 PHEV higher trims have a 56% higher BEV range than Gen 4. They also have TSS 3.0, whereas Gen 4 had TSS-P in 2017–2020 and TSS 2.0 in 2021–2022. So, while the BEV range is higher, I don’t think he would consider it enough, and his other complaints about the lack of DC charging and the gas engine kicking in when the heater or defogger is turned on at lower temperatures would still be there (in fact, Gen 5 now turns on the engine at below 75 ℉). In any case, this shows how different people like different cars. I would upgrade to a Gen 5 PHEV instead of a Model 3 myself if I had to/if I could.
