availability of next gen Prius..

nothing but guesses here... but i always believed that the rollout would be a two step process with the first step a mid season release (builds more excitement and attention) for spring 2009...with plug in with old battery tech...then upgraded battery options for 2010

 

Where did you read this?

 

I personally think they should do a "midlife" refresher.. but I guess they did that with the Touring Model.

I think next year would be a little early for a complete redesign.. I know the car has been in production in it's current form for 4 years or so.. but the car is selling so well.. why change it when it's so far ahead of the game?

I think what might happen if they rush a new model with current technology.. By bringing a new design with current engine, THEN changing the engine a year later it will hurt sales.

Many people won't know the differences .. I know we will.. but the general perception won't.

How many people know when they put a new engine in the same design? The 350z has an all new engine.. yet no one gives it a second look..

The G37 they brought out a whole new model because of the engine..

The Ford 500 (Taurus) has an all new 3.5 liter engine.. no extra sales.

How many of us would have bought the current Prius if it still had the Generation 1 engine in it?

I know I would have waited! No offense.. we give a lot of thanks to the Generation 1 for paving the way to the gen2 but still...

 

The plug-in will be available next year according to Toyota, but only for fleet sales. It will use a double pack consisting of two of the current packs in some redesigned package form.

As we haven't seen a "new version" at any auto shows yet, I suspect the new 3rd gen will not be out until late 2009/2010 as a 2010 model.

But this is all speculation. Toyota are very good at keeping the cards to their chest.

 

No, this format is only for the development mule that is currently in testing. The PHEVs offered to the fleets will have an entirely new battery.

 

I actually wish I were an Oracle, as my username implies. However, that not being the case, I have some questions that I'm hoping priusChat gurus might weigh in on. I'm currently a non-hybrid minivan owner with that minivan on its last legs. The minivan has served the family well, and our three children appreciated the room. Now, however, with the oldest getting his license in 6 months, I want to downsize a bit, if possible. I'm eyeing the prius, and trying to wait for the gen III prius to be announced and become available, but I don't know whether the minivan will survive another Chicago winter. I've been able to save enough to buy a replacement vehicle now, if needed, but I'd really love to wait.

If I can't, whats the most cost-effective thing to do? If I go with the 08 prius, could I fit all 5 of us into it if necessary? Will the 08 prius' resale value be most effected by the Gen III when it arrives? If I can hold out for the Gen III platform, and I get it with the initially anticipated dual NMH battery packs, could I eventually retrofit it (hopefully by Toyota) with the Li-On pack at some point? Or should I just get a used gas guzzler with a good resale value until the 2010-2012 timeframe when it looks like the PHEV will be available, and hope I can trade it in for the car I really want when it becomes available?

I know I've got a lot of questions, but I've not seen much on the economic considerations involved in terms of the most cost-effective way to get to the car I really want (the Gen III Li-on plug in prius) given that I'll likely have to get a replacement car in the 6 to 15 month timeframe.

 

If the kids are small seating five is possible. If they are large then it would be crowded. Lots of legroom, but the current car is a little narrow for three in the back. Hold on to the mini-van for those rare times you need the extra room.

If you purchase a 2008 you will save some money in fuel. Keep it until perhaps 2011/2012 when the bugs of the new model are worked out. Resale shouldn't suffer. Prius tends to hold their value better than most cars - the first gen is a good example. It won't be that much different from the new model, and there will be a lot of people looking for an economical way to avoid some of the $5 per gallon gas we will be facing then, rather than having to buy a new car!

 

The Prius is not really designed to hold 5 people comfortably for any distance. It is just too narrow.

A minivan is still the most economical way to haul around 5 or 6 people.

The resale value of Gen 1 Priui was not effected much be the release of the Gen II. Since the Gen II is such a great car, I doubt its resale will be affected much by the release of the Gen III.

 

resale always depends more on demand and supply than the actual car.

currently, there are simply way more buyers than cars. most areas have a least a few weeks waiting list and virtually no area of the country has Priuses "languishing" on the lots (average time from boat to buyer for Prius has been in single digits for days...keep in mind that the shortest possible time is about 4-6 days. this includes taking them off the boat, shipping to the dealers and dealer prep time )

so as long as Toyota struggles to meet demand, resale values will be good.

 

Everyone who bought a current Prius. It does have the same engine. (Now the HSD is a different story.)

 

I gave some thought to "holding out" for the GenIII, and could have done so, but decided that (a) they probably won't be available as soon as predicted, (b) that they will initially be hard-to-get and thus dealers will feel free to charge a premium for them, (c) there may be growing pains and bugs to be worked out, and (d) this probably won't be my last car. I agree generally with what the other posters have said. Besides, there's always going to be something newer/better/greener on-the-horizon. If we were to keep "holding out" we'd basically never buy a new car. Would you hold out for a Volt? I wouldn't. Yes, Toyota is probably more reliable than GM, but I have a hunch that the true GenIII with a redesigned body and Li-Io battery is still several years out.

Five adult sized people in a Prius is a bit of a squeeze, but not impossible......for reasonable/short distances. I wouldn't want to try going 500 miles that way, but across town isn't a problem. Four is very comfortable.

 

You described how I felt in 2001 with this new car called the Prius. I made the right decision, but only because it was available. In your case the real unknown is when is it going to arrive.

 

Toyota struggles to meet demand? may be in your part of the country.
Here in CA north, we have more Prius in stock than buyers!
I have in excess of 83 Prii ! 73 regular packages ranging from Base to #6
10 Tourings ( Only comes in #6 ) in this part of country.
And these inventories are here unsold not for _lack of Deal_ if anyone offers me invoice type of transaction I will take the deal...

So I guess the supply and demand is marginal depending in location.
Also a good barometer of future re-sale value is seen in Toyota lease reisdual. a 3 years old #6 packaged Prii has the future trade-in value of $15.242.00 it was at MSRP of $27.535.00 so I don't know if $12.290
depreciation in 3 years is a good value ? A couple of years ago it was fetching
almost MSRP even at trade-in time, so Prius value is dropping dramatically and fast.

 

Re: availability of current gen Prius.. (was next)

Just went shopping for Camry hybrid for my wife (I am very happy with my 2004 Prius). Found 10 Prius for sale at Ventura Toyota, some 3 months old! Found 4 Camry hybrids at same dealer. Oxnard dealer has a few less, but plenty of colors and packages. Since CA stopped giving car pool lane stickers to Prius owners, sales have slumped. Availability is only a few hundred $$ over Invoice! For those not in CA, tell your dealers where they are, I am sure they can get them one way or another.

 

Oooh that doesn't sound very good. Unless one is in the market for a used Prius.

How much *would* a 3 yr old Prius sell for in N. Calif?

 

I saw a bay area dealer offering fully loaded Camry Hybrid for $4000 under MSRP. That is about $500 under invoice... I think.

Like Rickey said, there are so many Prius/TCH around in the lot now it is not so funny..... Remember, CA is hit hard with Interest only loans (and subprime loans) that new cars are people's last thing to worry about.

Imagine owing the bank $600k-$800k while your whole family income is less than $100k.

 

Don't forget the Toyota hybrids no longer qualify for tax credits... But Jan sales were still way up compared to last year.

I think Toyota is simply making more of them. I see more and more Prius' on the road every day, and see a lot of new ones with dealer plates, too.

 

its easy to understand why Prius sales maybe slumping in areas with artificially inflated demands (eg HOV exemptions)

however, in WA state, where we have never had an incentive to buy a Prius, sales are still pretty brisk...