To Buy, Is It Worth It?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacdl @ May 19 2007, 04:11 PM) [snapback]445801[/snapback]</div>

Welcome to the site. Future resale value is anyone's guess. If supply is low and demand is high then a used one will command as much as a new one. When the technology changes so that an old one ONLY gets 50mpg the resale value may soften. At its worst I would expect a Prius to depreciate like other Toyotas. If you plan to drive the car until it dies then resale value is not a factor. The brand new car will have a full warranty. A used car will not.

Is the Prius "worth it"? Is the car built by GM, Ford, Chrysler, or anyone else that you by for $25000 "worth it"? IMO at the same price point the Prius is delivering better technology, lower maintenance, and lower operating costs.

Ask your insurance company if owning a Prius will increase or decrease YOUR insurance. My impression from reading the posts is that there is a 50/50 chance.

The Prius has a high rating for reliability period. No unusual electrical or mechanical problems.

Once the traction battery fails it will need to be replaced at your expense if it is out of warranty. The hybrid components are warranted for 100,000 or 150,000 miles depending on the state. As far as I know, the useful life of the traction battery has yet to be determined. In your current car if you need a tranny or engine out of warranty was it worth buying the car?

What do you consider "good" gas mileage? In round numbers I get 50mpg in my Prius and 25mpg in my Intrigue with a 3.5 liter V-6 in the same conditions. Go to www.greenhybrid.com to see what others get for various cars.

Go to www.toyota.com to get the options list. The display, ABS, and side airbags are standard. The camera may be standard by now. if not you will probably have a tough time finding one without. Bluetooth is a higher option package while the SKS (keyless entry) is in a lower package.

For general car buying advice go to www.carbuyingtips.com.

The bottom line is that only you can decide what makes sense for you to buy. Rent a Prius for a couple of days from a dealer to see if you like it. Part of the rental may be applied to the purchase. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

I'll second JimN's comments and add that other cars are not "obviously cheaper". Sure, you can buy a little econo box for less money, but it won't be the same car as a Prius. The Prius is a mid sized car with lots of great engineering behind it. The Prius is loaded for its price. Even without the fantastic gas mileage, I consider the Prius a great car and would buy another one in a heart beat.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ May 19 2007, 03:38 PM) [snapback]445850[/snapback]</div>

Agreed. Since all I do with mine is drive myself to work, though, I probably could've gotten by with the bottom-of-the-line Aveo. :lol:

 

Agreeed as to the above mentioned, I too average 52 or so mpg with the prius with the gas going up I save even more at the pumps than our trade in jeep 13mpg . Plus the Prius comes with SRS air bag system driver /passsenger curtains /door etc... plus has the stnd 6 spkr am/fm/cd/stereo sounds good to me. smart key system no need to fumble with key to unlock climate control cruise tilt wheel but that is not great
a lot of cargo area rides nice smooth electric motor and not just electric assist as in honda's . best thing to do is to go to your dealer drive it oh but first read on this site about pulse and glide and try that during your test drive and you will see the energy screen show some good mpg numbers plus the technology is there in the toyota. I wished I would have bought sooner.
It is amazing car. It will change the way you drive in most cases to some point.

good luck and happy test driving

 

There is a little metal key that is stored inside the SKS remote. Each of the front doors has a keyhole that the key works in. Once you're inside, there is a socket in the dash you stick the remote into if the battery's dead. So, no, you're not at all screwed if the remote's battery dies.

I have a package 1 and really like it--it's definately loaded.

I'm averaging 59-60 mpg and it's not broken in....only 600 miles on it. I hear milage can improve up to %20 after a few thousand miles are on the clock.

The 4-door hatchback is very versatile. There's plenty of passenger space, and cargo space is impressive with the split-folding rear seat, under-trunk storage, and even a place to store the cargo cover under the trunk. They do think of everything. Right now I have a huge mountain bike, one of those patio fireplace bowls from the hardware store, and a few bundles of wood in mine and nothing's blocking the view out of the back. I could probably throw in another bike or two.

Eric

 

The "fob" battery (common parlance for what you called the "remote") is a standard electronics battery and can be easily replaced, as well as what tanglefoot said about using a "dead" fob.

As for new v. used... The hatchback body introduced in 2004 is expected to stay the same through 2008, outwardly. The sedan model, prior to 2004, is still very much a viable option. Of course, refinements and features have grown over time. The HSD model (2004+) has a stronger traction battery and gets marginally better MPG. The 2004 and 2005 did not have the backup camera, the 2006+ has a higher resolution display. Leather enhanced seating was not a factory option prior to 2006.

One thing to keep in mind: The Prius was designed as a low pollution vehicle; high fuel efficiency is a byproduct of not wasting gas and putting its combustion products into the air. No other car, other than an electric vehicle or used Honda Insight, will pollute the environment less. I hope that counts for something in your thinking.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacdl @ May 19 2007, 09:07 PM) [snapback]445922[/snapback]</div>

Hail from Oklahoma.

Package #2 comes with the backup camera, smart key, and VSC. That's what I suggest (and own). I love driving my Prius and I still smile when I look out the window and see it waiting for me. =P

 

just do it

 

I have had my 2007 package 6 for about 3-4 weeks now. It is a thrill to drive and has just about every option you would want (hard to believe what it has). friends are amazed when I tell them or they see what it has. GPS, Bluetooth, premium stereo, backup camera, lSmart key system, leather, HID headlights and voice control of just about everythng.... Things you would expect in a BMW or similar.

50MPG on average is about 2 times better then any standard vehicle. If everytone drove one, we could almost do away from imported oil and just use domestic. Quite a feat, and entirely possible over the next few years.

But all that aside, it is a dependable, comfortable car. "Seems" larger then it is.

If you get one, you will most likely be happy with it.

 

1. Low maintenance costs;
2. Great gas mileage;
3. Partial Zero emissions vehicle;
4. Costs the same (or less) than other comparable vehicles;
5. All the on board high tech......

ITS A NO BRAINER :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

every 5k miles oil, rotate tires chk brakes


what I dislike most is : I did not buy soon enough

plus the tilt steering wheel is not that great other than that it's perfect for us and we save 225.00 a month in fuel and our car insurance dropped 86-96 dollars a yr. I dont remember right now the exact amount.
State Farm Ins..Co,

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacdl @ May 19 2007, 02:11 PM) [snapback]445801[/snapback]</div>

To paraphrase a line from The Matrix, "You've already made your decision. You're just trying to figure out why you made it."

 

The best advice I can give you is: FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU MUST **LIKE** THE CAR. If you look at the Prius and say, 'well, I'll give up what I want for fuel efficiency', you're making a mistake by buying it. When my wife and I looked at it, we wanted the fuel efficiency, but we also liked how the car was laid out and how much room there was - relative to the other hybrids on the market.

There *are* cheaper alternatives in terms of gas mileage in the short term. You can go smaller with a Carolla, a Yaris, or a Honda Civic. The difference in price between these vehicles and the Prius can counteract gas cost in the short term.

What I can say is that we're very happy with the car, and it's nice to be able to sort of laugh off the high gas prices.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacdl @ May 20 2007, 07:39 AM) [snapback]446064[/snapback]</div>

Hi zacdl. I dont own a prius myself, my dad just bought a 2007 bout 2 months ago. I indulged myself and bought a HCHII. Compared to the civic, what I dont like about the prius are the following two things:

1) No tachmeter, I really like to have one in order to know how much I am pushing the car.
2) Oil change is required every 5k miles for the warranty. Not so in the civic, which lets u know when you need an oil change depending on how you drive. Thats the #1 reason that I bought a hybrid.....lower maintanance cost.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zacdl @ May 19 2007, 01:11 PM) [snapback]445801[/snapback]</div>

You say most of your driving is around the city, so here's my short opinion: Yes

 

Zacdl, you can't just add in Toyota factory options later. The good news is that there are cheaper aftermarket solutions that are just as good or better. Garmin makes a good GPS unit. An upholsterer can custom make leather seats for you or you can buy seat covers. Many members hook up scangauges to get all sorts of info from the computer. Regular maintenance consists of oil changes, filter replacements, and tire rotations. Many here believe 5000 miles is consevative for an oil change. Search for the oil change threads and you will find heated discussions but an oil change is only $20 around here. If you are comfortable in the car, decide on a color and one or two alternates as well as an option package and start e-mailing dealers. As gas prices increase so will demand and the dealers won't discount as much. If gas goes high enough you won't get them off MSRP.