I am torn bewtween buying a 2008 Prius right now and waiting to see what next years model will be like. Does anyone in the know, know if it might be worth the wait or not hold my breath and go ahead and buy one now?
If you need a car, buy it now. I have decided that my second Toyota hybrid will be a plug-in. I will wait for 2009, 2010, whenever they come out.
Who knows, it's a pretty clever marketing trick to release models for the following years to make people think they are ahead of the game. You will no doubt see run out sales of 2008 models starting in January February and the 2009 models will hit the floor any time after that. Sorry I just think it's funny that 2008 models are being sold now. We use manufacture date so there is no cheating.
The new model year usually comes out before the end of the previous year. There was hope that the 2009 Prius would be a major model revision, with lithium batteries for greater efficiency, but probably not plug-in. However, that rumor seems to have been put to rest, with hopes for a major model revision now looking to 2010. However, until Toyota makes an official announcement nobody really knows. GM announces 5 or 6 years ahead a car they'll probably scrap before they build an actual working prototype; but Toyota waits as long as it can to make an announcement, so as not to reduce sales of the current model. One poster here is hoping for a plug-in hybrid from Toyota in mid-year 2009, but I think the next advancement will be an improved but not plug-in Prius for the model year 2010 to appear in November of 2008. The real answer to your question is Nobody knows but Toyota, and they ain't saying.
Remember, Toyota is hoping to introduce multiple models of Prius. In that case, the new one could quite likely co-exist with the older for a year. If fact, that would be expected if they choose to compete directly with Honda's upcoming new hybrid by the first new Prius being smaller sedan. Then the second year would be a replacement for our beloved current hatchback model. (The third is thought to be larger and offer AWD.) .
I thought that was still speculative (multiple models of Prii)...do you have it for a fact that there will be multiple models?
That's an odd thing to ask. Nothing is certain in the hybrid world until it actually happens... lots of speculation though. Whatever the case, it does make sense that a small hybrid sedan would emerge as a choice from Toyota in the next few years. After all, that's what many outside the US drive anyway. Someone's gotta tap the "economy" hybrid market... .
Yep and it'll be interesting if the Prius "A" makes it first or another Toyota hybrid... piecing things together, methinks it's the latter.
While we're speculating on the next gen Prius, would it make sense to look at some of the most recent key automotive technologies announced by Toyota and assume that it's highly likely that many of the newer technologies will also find their way into the next gen Prius? For example, the 2009 Corolla has a new 1.8L engine with both good performance numbers as well as high fuel efficiency. Wouldn't it make sense for Toyota use their lastest 1.8L engine in the upcoming Prius - as opposed to developing something entirely new/different?
I'd hate to see an increase in the size of the engine when we don't need the power and we're trying to conserve gasoline!
Yep. The new Matrix hybrid will most likely use this setup - 2ZR 1.8 litre engine with the HSD system. Also Toyota has a new "Valvematic" system (think Valvetronic in BMWs) that will first appear in the Noah's 2.0 litre model and then spread to all the other engines.
http://www.carautonews.com/category/2009-models/ Here is a link to see what it may look like Also another link about the 2009 Prius http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-confirms-prius-derived-wagon-2009-prius-to-increase-in-size.html
Wrong direction! If they want to split the model into two versions, a small one and a big one, fine. But to make the one single model larger, no, I won't buy that. The wagon is a good idea. But only if there is still a small Prius available for people who do not need to carry five adults "comfortably."
I agree. The fact that I currently have to drive a machine that weighs over a ton just to transport my 175 pound butt around is pretty sad.
Toyota Sales Manager told me on August 1 that they just got their last allocations for 2008 Prius. The next ones will be 2009. No info on how much change for 09.
On August 29, 2008, my Toyota dealer (Smart Motors in Madison, Wisconsin) still claimed to have no release date or fuel-economy figures for the 2009 Prius. We're REALLY waiting for the 2011 Prius -- both because it will be the first to have lithium batteries, and because it will be ASSEMBLED IN THE U.S.A. ! (Toyota's new plant in Mississippi) But if the 2009 offers even a 3-5 mpg improvement over the 2008, we'll probably trade in our 2008 in the meanwhile.
The 2009 is identical to the 2008 and has already been at dealer lots for a while now. Do you mean the 2010 Gen III Prius?
