i'm currently driving a 12 year old car with a manual transmission. it's been a great, reliable car, fairly decent gas mileage, but, i've wanted a prius from day 1, so am really looking forward to my new gen 3 Prius, level II (base only). i'm very economical and have lived without ABS, ESC, keyless entry, a CD player, a sunroof (heck, i don't even have a working tapedeck at the moment), but am still wondering if i'm buying the right Prius. 2 questions: 1) Is the gen 3 really that much better than a gen 2; for the budget-conscious, would I be equally happy with a good, used gen 2? 2) if i'm gonna spring for the gen 3 and expect to have the car for 10+ years like my last 2 cars, would going to the level III for the backup camera, upgraded stereo and bluetooth be worth it? as i already use a wireless transmitter to listen to my books on tape and assume i can do the same with our portable XM radio and am giddy with my new $150 portable Garmin GPS, it's not clear to me that I need to spend another $2000-$3000 on the upgrade from level II to III for any of these features. any feedback from new owners? regrets from gen 3 Level II owners?
Pure economics would say buy a used GenII. You can get a much better price and some of the useful features like SKS and VSC without feeling like you're upgrading. I'm sure you could find a 2005-2007 for nearly half the price of a brand new GenIII level II.
Sounds like you buy new and keep for a good time, just like me. I hear it's the smartest way to go economically speaking. The 2010 is an amazing car and I would recommend sticking with that idea as opposed to a used 2009. As for me it was worth the extra $1000 for the upgraded sound system, built in Bluetooth system, and XM ready radio. I believe that is the only difference between the II and the III, besides the III having the sunroof and navigation option available. I have my TomTom so I am glad I skipped the navi option. So to sum it up, if it is not worth an extra thousand dollars for you to get those three little extra features than I don't think you will have any regrets!
If I were buying a new car right now, I'd go ahead and get the third gen. I think there's a lot to be said for the better seats and the tilt/telescopic steering wheel all by themselves. If you want to save a little money, just wait until sales have cooled down a bit and you should be able to get a better price.
I would agree with F8L on this. Althought the GenIII has many advantages over GenII, you will get a lot more for your money with a gently used GenII and be able to keep it for 10+ years. You can get some of the features you would be missing on a base GenIII and be getting a great car. There should be a lot of deals on them right now if you need to get a car quickly.
Better seats on the 2010 would be worth it to me, but I don't need the extra toys (although I would really enjoy the solar moonroof).
Since the base price for the 2010 is so much lower than what people paid for most Gen IIs, I'm having trouble finding good deals on the Gen IIs. I'm hoping the Gen II prices will get better as more people pick up their Gen IIIs (no offense to the Gen II owners I will be looking to buy from..). I am also a "budget-minded consumer" and will primarily base my decision on the cost per expected mile of use. I factor in the change in gas mileage from the Gen II to the Gen III and assume that we will drive the car to 200,000 miles (hopefully longer, but I had to pick a number for my spreadsheet).
You have a joy of choices: 2009 (clearance) - you get new car warranty for a model that has all of the enhancements learned over time. Check Ebay as the options may be limited and you may find only the top-end, unsold units are available. 2010 - you get a car that is likely to have one or more, as yet to be discovered, latent defects. However, it is a marvel of engineering and the early data suggests +5 MPG and possibly more. Either way, you are going to be quite happy. Bob Wilson
I'd buy new if you were to keep it so that you can maximise the hybrid warranty (which I think is 10 years/100,000 miles on your state).
Hello Olette: Welcome! :welcome: As others have pointed out, you may want to look at a "gently used" 2009, Generation 2. Or, you may just be able to find a really good buy on a new 2009. Some of the option level packages on the G2 seem to be a little better value, IMHO. For instance, you don't get the "three door SKS" (Smart Key System) until you get to model IV on the G3; levels II and III only have a "one door SKS". But all G2s with the SKS get the three door version. The 2009s are the "end of the line", and have all the little fixes and enhancements included for the Generation 2s. The G3 is basically a brand new creature, and may have a few small growing pains to go through. That being said, those here who have already bought the G3 really like the improved gas mileage, power, and handling.
We love our '10 II and are glad we went for it rather than the Gen II. Our first ever Prius so I can't compare but I feel like we are going with the best possible technology at this time. Of course more toys are always fun but we have no bluetooth stuff and the stock audio sounds fine to us. If you could pick and choose all of the upgrades perhaps we would have the power lumbar and a moon roof, but for our $, we're very happy. radio
If your financial situation is somewhat stretched, then buy a new 2009 and keep it a long time. It may not be the latest and greatest, but it is still a really great car. Now if you can realistically afford it, then get a 2010 Version II (or Version III, without the integrated GPS nav). Right now is not a good time to buy a 2010. It is a new model and you the buyer are not in a very good position to negotiate a favorable price. Many dealers are adding extra junk that you don't want, don't need, and didn't ask for, and adding addtional markup. Wait a few months for the feeding frenzy to end and you will be able to save some money. Good Luck, Keith
I ditto radiocycle and am picking up my IIIBLUEII this Wednesday. Being a big spender, I opted for the all weather mats! One advantage of a new GenII is that 0% financing may possibly still be available. Otherwise it seems to me that you might pay more for a comparably equiped GenII over the GenIII, trim II model. And you should qualify for a PenFed auto loan at 3.99%; a few folks have beat that thru their credit union.
