2010 to 2014 Prius, plug in or not

I did test drive one. This really is the perfect location since it's likely I can charge from work, and electricity is so cheap (about 8 cents / kWh). The WAF (wife acceptance factor) is not high on anything that has to be plugged in, but she would learn to like it. Again, it's difficult to find something in the $17,000 range, which is really the very upper end of what I would spend on a vehicle. I could easily pay cash for a new car, but I'm not rich because I make a lot of money; I'm rich because I live as though I were poor (conversely, the poor live as though they were rich).

I simply don't like spending so much money on such a rapidly depreciating asset. Cars are among the worst investments. Prior to my TSX, which I bought 4 years old for $17k, I drove a $3k Subaru Legacy. I have to ask myself whether the TSX is 5x better than the Subaru I drove and loved so much.

That said, free fuel and next to zero maintenance (Leaf) can begin to make financial sense. I'm getting a Prius for road trips, but I might be convinced to sell the TSX in favor of the Leaf.

 

How much more is a few extra thousand, including federal and Oregon tax incentives? If I were to buy a new PiP, or even a used one for that matter, I would wait until the new model is released.

 

There are going to be a sh*t-load of Leafs coming off-lease, and the prices should be below $17k. The payoff for my 2013's lease is $18k, and that will depress prices, along with the sheer numbers of them, and the pack degradation issue. You won't get a heatpump heater, but you shouldn't need one, and the non-HP air conditioning is even more efficient.