How realistic are the benifits of owning a Prius?

haha, wow! Prius owners are PWNIN you aussie!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogerfan @ Jul 17 2007, 01:29 AM) [snapback]480103[/snapback]</div>

I'd never buy a 'Rolla. So I'm saving myself thousands of US bucks right there!!!

 

I really like oranges, I like the fact I'm getting vitamin C, and throw the peels into the compost. But think of how much money I can save if I eat apples instead!

 

if you have driven both, the prius is a bigger and better riding car, I did test drive both and the corrolla would have cost me 17,000 compared to 21,000 for the Prius if both were comprably equiped, and the Corrolla was smaller, was bouncer, and had higher maintenace costs and worst resale numbers. The corrolla has no chance of even carrying my babies crap around. I say a motorcycle for sale at pep boys for 1600 bucks, if your worried about money drive that. Sounds like to me you keep wanting to compare apples to oranges. Non of this even considers the tax credits or emmision differences. How much value do you put on causing the extinction of all life on Earth?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogerfan @ Jul 17 2007, 01:29 AM) [snapback]480103[/snapback]</div>

You're comparing a Prius to a Corolla?

Why not compare a Lexus to a Yaris?

Why not compare a MacMansion to a Cardboard Box?

When was the last time a car "paid for itself"? How does a sunroof pay for itself? A Nav system? Does cruise control or air conditioning pay for itself? I pay for options on my car. I expect to pay more for a car that has electric windows and automatic door locks than a stripped down piece of rolling junk. I don't compare a Fit with a Cadillac and look to see how long it will take the Caddy to "pay for itself".

Personally, when I want a good steak I pay for a filet mignon.

 

Beyond what others have said about comparing a Corolla with a Prius (you really can't, they're vastly different cars) those prices are a little crazy. In USD you're talking about a $17,000 Corolla (which is feasible with the right combination of options I suppose) vs. a $33,000 Prius which is compeltely unheard of. My Prius was $22,900.

The most important point of course is this "paying for itself" nonsense. I would agree that if any human on earth used price and cost of ownership and NO OTHER FACTOR PERIOD as the yardstick for purchases we'd all be driving Chevy Aveos. I guess I'm not really sure what the overall point of your post is.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TooFolkGR @ Jul 17 2007, 09:44 PM) [snapback]480418[/snapback]</div>

'cos we (rest of the world) subsidy US price for Prius

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HiLaker @ Jul 17 2007, 04:18 PM) [snapback]480433[/snapback]</div>

We thank you!

Why would Toyota do this?

 

33,000.00 AUD = 28,768.82 USD

Which is a little less than I paid for my fully-loaded-except-for-leather baby if you include tax.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogerfan @ Jul 17 2007, 12:29 AM) [snapback]480103[/snapback]</div>

In America, the base price of the base Prius and Corolla is $22,175 and $14,405 respectively for a total difference in $7770.

The new combined MPG ratings for the Prius and Corolla are 46 MPG and 30 MPG respectively.

The average US price for gasoline is now around $3 a gallon.

This means that, based on gas alone, the Prius operates at 6.52 cents a mile ($3 gallon / 46 MPG) while the Corolla operates at 10 cents a gallon ($3 / 30 MPG) for a difference in 3.48 cents per mile (rounded).

This means that to make up the cost difference you'd have to travel 223,275 miles (at the 3.48 cent advantage [$7770/.0348 cents]).

20,000 km per year is equivalent to 12,427 miles, so you'd make up the difference in about 18 years in America. If gas is a lot more expensive in Australia, then that time would be considerably less. Also, if gas goes up a dollar, the ROI period would be 13.6 years in America and the time gets progressively less as prices go up.

Nevertheless, it's pretty fair to say the Prius isn't the cheapest car you can buy in the long term, but for its size and features it's pretty competitive and you get all of the advantages that come along with owning a Prius (lower environmental footprint, reduced dependance on foreign oil, cool gadgets, less time wasted at gas stations, etc.).

Now if you want to do a cost comparison vs. an SUV it would really be interesting!

 

How long you gonna have to drive that broken-down old tech POS, boy? Better start saving up for a used Corolla before the AGW police come for you.

 

I kind of feel like everyone else in the thread has launched into DANGER WILL ROBINSON damage control mode, like the big dirty secret under the rug has somehow slipped out and said hello.

Let me give you my example.

I used to drive a 2001 Accord. Fully paid off, so the only costs to me were insurance, licensing, gas and maintenance. Decided to swap that for a new Prius. So right away I have around 20k in brand new costs.

How much driving and savings in gas would it take for me to make up that 20k, given that I have effectively doubled my fuel economy?

Yeah, exactly.

So buying a Prius doesn't make economic sense in some circumstances. And that's just how it is. But then, who said all decisions had to make economic sense? People do this sort of thing all the time with other, newer cars, and nobody gets hassled for it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Jul 17 2007, 04:38 PM) [snapback]480452[/snapback]</div>

Yeah well I already converted it to USD. If we convert it six or seven more times it will only be $5,000. What a deal!

 

Maybe this is off track a little. But why is a new Corolla getting worse gas mileage than my 1996
Corolla? I am getting about 33 mpg and this is real mpg and not the fake EPA figures.
Is this because it is broken in?

Another thing, though maybe someone brought it up, but "getting your money back" seems a
dubious quest. The only property you can get more money in than you put in initially is a house.
Just about everything else you would use would depreciate over time.

So I assume they are talking about how much the "hybrid" technology costs vs assumed savings.
You would have to take an equivalent car and compare it to a non-hybrid car. So maybe a
Honda Civic or Toyota Camry plus or minus the hybrid would work better.
MSRP Kelley Blue Book Toyota Camry Hybrid $26,820
" Toyota Camry SE regular $22,760
So it appears the technology *might* be about $4000 (of course, I'm still not entirely sure these
are equivalent cars).


OTOH, as I am a real person think about getting one, I'm not thinking that way. Even if I could afford
an SUV and would like to pay $60-80 each time I gas up, I wouldn't do it. It's saying the wrong thing
in a world that needs to green up. BTW, does anybody really think gas will stay at $3 a gallon or go up. My money is that it will go up. But I still would not expect to recoup.


--des

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boulder Bum @ Jul 17 2007, 03:57 PM) [snapback]480470[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Slair @ Jul 17 2007, 05:51 AM) [snapback]480174[/snapback]</div>

NICE! Shoot the messenger. :huh:

Next time try doing a little research . . . [I laid the proof out for everyone to see] . . . before you accuse someone of being wrong.
OR, at the least, when you discover you made a mistake, either remove the incriminating evidence before the subject (in this case - ME) has the chance to respond and capture it in perpetuity . . .
OR . . . fess up and apologize for making a mistake.

IF we are going to be so quick to be "mister correctly"; It's spelled "you're" and "judgmental."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(des101 @ Jul 18 2007, 01:13 AM) [snapback]480735[/snapback]</div>

At a traffic light today there were 2 Corollas on the line but they weren't the same car. The car in the left lane was angular and much smaller. I would guess from the late '80's or 90's. The car in the right lane was much bigger (taller & wider) with the more modern jelly bean look. It seems everything in the USA gets bigger over time.

 

"The Supersize me" syndrome, huh?! Mine is quite small-- yes, I will guess it is smaller than today's Corollas.
It might not be close to the same car for all I know.

BTW, everyone is comparing a Corolla and Prius (not you all, it is just always there) for price. That is NOT fair. As far as I can tell, it would be better comparing the Camry Hybrid with the regular Camry. This is like comparing the Toyota Tundra with the Corolla because they are both made by Toyota. This makes it look like the technology is $7000+ which it isn't.


BTW, what are car companies thinking when they are actually reducing fuel efficiency?
(Oh I forgot, we are the country that loves our SUVs-- I don't but I seem to be in the minority.)

--des

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Jul 18 2007, 09:35 PM) [snapback]481331[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Jul 18 2007, 06:35 PM) [snapback]481331[/snapback]</div>

Which is why Toyota now has the Yaris, which is about the size of the OLD Corolla..

 

Today I parked next to a newer Corolla (year??). It was about 2 feet longer.
It looks like the Corolla might be heading to midsize category??
Yep the Yaris is cute. I saw one of them today too.
(It was in front of Wild Oats and I admit to listening to NPR. )

--des

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Phoenix-D @ Jul 19 2007, 12:23 PM) [snapback]481620[/snapback]</div>