is a prius worth it?

I am disappointed with my 65+mpg tank after 2-3 weeks of ownership.

 

I am getting 51-54 mpg in my 2008 prius, I was getting 14mph in my jeep. Totally worth it!!

 

why are your friends bothering you? i do admit the Prius is quite ugly, looks like Honda are coming out with their ugly duckling as well

good to see you are walking to places, i take the bus to work most times of the week, i think im doing my little bit (0.000001%) for the environment.

 

I am only getting about 48-50 mpg but I still love my prius. 36,000 miles a year, this is the best option I have for now. If you're seriously have doubt getting it, why don't you take your name off the list and let the next guy inline get it sooner?

 

I wasn't being sarcastic. Just teasing. I love my Prius. I just am a bit peeved by the premise of the original post. It really sounds like a spoiled child. I am not trying to be insulting here. I work with many an impoverished family, so the very idea of struggling over a Prius decision, especially when you plan on barely keeping it, really kinda of bugged me. This doesn't make you terrible a person. This is your reality and you are allowed your struggles. Just my reaction.

And PS. I bought my car new. Anyone who really cares about the environment would never by a new car. So, guilty here. On the other hand, buying a Prius does contribute to increased environmental awareness; it's like a billboard--we can do better with gas mileage.

 

jps000 - i see. you had two of us tricked. now, if i can only come close to you in mpg's, i'd be as happy. 47.7 is the highest i can achieve. now it's going back down because of OT air con usage.

cheers

 

Okay, sorry, didn't mean any deep offense. Peace. jps000:yield:

 

Tell me how you like the FORTWO PASSION COUPE.

 

I like my "ugly" Prius (its' so ugly, its' kinda cute) I said the same thing about my old VW Beetle, but this time around the mileage is much better - 51+ mpg.

Dbcassidy

 

Since no one asked, why did you pick the Prius and what are you looking for in a car. Is it worth it, depends a lot on what you want/need/desire out of the car. For example,

The Prius excels if you want:

1) good mpg
2) a low polluting car (relative to other cars)
3) the versatility of a hatchback
4) low maintenance requirements
5) low day to day costs assuming that you are not making the car payments
6) the ability to carry passengers or cargo

If you want the following, the Prius might be a poor choice:

1) High performance (fast acceleration, sport car handling)
2) Lowest total cost of ownership. A used car that gets decent mileage would be a better choice in this case.
3) A sports car
4) Ability to carry more than a total of four people
5) Ability to tow a trailer (not recommended by Toyota but lots of people have)
6) Adjustable (height) seats with good lumbar support
7) A mechanically/electrically simple car which you can do all the repairs yourself. Most routine maintanance items you can do but there are some (like bleeding the brakes) that are better left to the pros.

Things to consider:

1) A lot of repairs (if needed) will have to be done at the dealer unless you have a good local hybrid mechanic. Probably not as much of a issue in California as in other areas.

2) Hybrid parts are EXPENSIVE. Not really a issue since it appears that you are only keeping the car for 5 years. Keeping the car to 200K+ might change the total cost of ownership equation.

3) There are some that wonder if the cost premium for a hybrid will pay back from a pure economic point of view. From an environmental point of view, it appears to be a no brainer.

4) In this market, if you buy it and decide it is not the car for you, then you should be able to easily sell in and get most of your money back.

So the real question is:

What do you want out of the car?

 

Total cost of ownership would be the least with the Prius *if* the resale value holds like it has been.

There are those who've sold their 2004 for what they paid. Their costs have been gasoline and a few oil changes. Dose not get any cheaper than that.

 

Look at all the comparable size non-hybrid sedans for sale at a comparable price you paid for your Prius. Then compare MPG. Now, here's the question... Would you prefer to pay $26000 for a sedan that gets 25 MPG or $26000 for a sedan with 50 MPG? It's a no brainer.

 

The high price for used Prius are driven by supply and demand, limited competition, hype and knee jerk reaction to high fuel price. In the next few years supply will increase (Toyota is building a new Prius factory in the US and a new battery factories in Japan), competition is increasing and people will adjust to higher fuel prices. I believe that the future value of the Prius will start to look like any other Toyota if not slightly lower due to the battery replacement issue. I believe what we are seeing now is temporary. Something like people believing their house will increase in valve by 20 percent every year without fail. Yeah it did until the bubble burst.

 

In that case, the Prius would be a good car for you. A motorcycle might be better for the environment if you don't need cargo space or passenger room.