I'm a proud 2006 owner, and I'm not planning on buying the 2010, maybe not even the 2011. I have 79K miles and I plan to run this car till it dies, (or until I come upon some money . Here is my opinion. Toyota has a few things going against them: 1. The current economy shows less people splurging on luxuries. The dollar is weaker, and people that absolutely need a car are willing to buy a cheap, small used car. 2. Gas prices are not too high. People are not ditching larger cars and running to economy cars at this point. They've already moved away from the SUV mindset years ago, and once their current SUV's fall apart, they will be getting a car instead anyway. 3. The 2010 just really isn't *that* much better. People buy the hybrid for the mileage, and I think they are more willing to purchase one of the millions of used 2nd gen Priuses that gets 45 mpg, rather than spend top retail dollar for a 50 mpg version.
Why I will not be buying the 2010: NO PLUG! I will keep my 2004 until I can buy something with a plug.
Anyone else care to weigh in on this? I plan to get rid of my 2009 (as long as the negative equity doesn't hurt me too badly) and get the 2010. Just interested to hear other peoples reasoning for buying or not buying the new one.
I'm largely with you. My 06 has 32k on it. Nothing for this car. I simply can't justify upgrading. Instead, I'm going to spend a couple of bucks to reapolster the interior of my 06 in Leather. This should keep me going for another 5 years before I get the insatiable itch....
I feel there are enough positive changes in the car to trade up the 2002 for the 2010, but keep the 2004 in the family. The car isn't perfect, but it is better.
Because my 06 only has 225,000klm on it and hopefully good for more of the same. Is in great condition,some passengers ask "is this a new car" and are quite surprised for the fact it's a Taxi and the mileage done. Can't afford the G3 [2010] just yet but i expect i will get one....eventually,i honestly can't see myself driving anything else for my business...not without a Toyota badge anyway!!
And if I had a 2006 Prius, I wouldn't be upgrading either. With the exception of a relative few enthusiasts, most people buying a 2010 are already in the market for a new car anyway. I've got an old V6 mustang. Still runs pretty good, but the mpg is lousy and it's almost impossible to load the kid into the back seat. I'm looking for a new car. I love my HighHy and the Toyota hybrid technology, so the Prius is the obvious choice. The 2009 makes more sense financially, but from a pure cost standpoint a used car is an even better way to go. If I'm buying a new car, I want the new model. (And yet, I think people paying MSRP for a 2010 right out of the gate are suckers, which just shows how convoluted my reasoning is.)
See I can understand going from Gen I to III.... I can also understand going from II to III, but simply can't justify it in my case whatsoever....
What plug is it missing? I need a new car and so I decided to go for the gold. BTW my local Honda dealer is selling Insights at $308 above MSRP. Oh, you mean an electric plug? I live on the 3rd floor of a Condo so I couldn't use one even if it had one. And I can't wait that long anyway. Oh, well.. Rich N.
I won't be buying a 2010 only because the bottom at dropped out of the used Prius market. In years past the Prius depreciated such a little bit I nevar had negative equity in it. Not anymore now I'm upside down in my loan just like any other car:Cry:
I was so excited to check out the new Prius in LA in March; was ready to trade up in at the end of the year until I ran the KBB on my car! I was planning on selling my '06 and see that private party value is around $15,000!! Ouch! That is over $11,000 in depreciation in 2.5 years!! What happened to the Prius retaining its value? Luckily I have no mechanical issues or major reason to give up my car, so I will just be "stuck" with it for a while longer. I still owe way more than it is currently worth. Bummer!
Well, I checked blue book for trade-in and private for my 06', ($10k, $11K), and both are still above what I owe, even at "Good" condition with 79K miles. But yes, it did depreciate a lot more than I expected.
All around good answers - for your particular predicament. My spouse and I are both commuters I've also got a 2006 Prius - with only 30k on it. However our '97 Rodeo is likely to die soon - so I can't wait for my new 2010. As luck would have it, the Rodeo's thermostat and flow sensor went kaput just last weekend, and I had to shell out more dough to keep it running whilst I wait.... Cheers, Dave
Why I'm not buying a 2010 Prius: I have two perfectly good cars. My VW Jetta only has 184,000 miles and still runs great. My 2005 Prius only has 56,000 miles. Why would I even consider buying a car? I don't buy new cars so I would have to wait at least until 2012 to buy a 2010 Prius. I see no reason to pay 30% more to breath noxious fumes leaching out of the plastics. (New car smell) It isn't electric. I see no reason to purchase soon to be obsolete hybrid technology when in 3-5 years we may have viable electric cars. Here is an excellent article on why you shouldn't trade your 2009 on a 2010: The real reason you're broke - MSN Money
Well I already have a Hymotion Plug-in Prius and that should carry me until the real reason I won't be buying a 2010 Prius arrives - the Tesla Model S.
Sorry guys, but I have to laugh a little at the angst over Prius depreciation. A big part of the Prius's worth is its advanced technology. Prii sure are cool, but with the rapid advance of technology, there is a risk that their value will decline more sharply than other vehicles which do not rely so heavily on tech appeal. This depreciation was slowed in recent years due to energy prices. Energy prices could spike again (putting aside foreign factors, just think about the domestic cap & trade agenda) but it certainly isn't the case now. The fact that many buyers pay a substantial premium for their Prii only worsens the depreciation hit. At least Prius has the benefit of Toyota quality. That should help some.
Lets keep things in perspective. I have an 06 Prius. My wife has a 06 Subaru Outback. Both were 24k vehicles. The Outback has 29k miles, the Prius has 32k. In a private sale, lets look at the current numbers from KBB. Prius Excellent 17,980 Good 16,980 Fair 15,680 Outback Excellent 16,140 Good 15,290 Fair 14,090 So yeah, the Prius has fallen back to earth. But in this example, still fairs well compared to a standard ICE car ($1500 dollars better in each catagory... with more miles!). Subaru's hold their value EXTREMELY well, so it would be interesting to see the difference between the Prius and a comparably priced offering from GM, Ford or Chrysler from 2006....
Disagree with number 3 completely. The 2010 is a significantly better vehicle in every reasonable way it could be.
I just bought a 04 with 58K on her, and this for 10K out the door, I will keep it a bit and buy a 2010 in 2015
well if you have relativly new vehicle, obviously you would be taking a hit by buying new car - market is that bad right now. Otherwise, i think Gen III could be called Gen III.5 as i see so much improvements overall in the vehicle.
