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8 Priuses later...So long, thanks for the memories!

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by The MCA, Jan 26, 2022.

  1. The MCA

    The MCA Member

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    I never thought this day would come. After owning 8 straight Priuses (9 if you ask my girlfriend, who counts that one I flew to California to buy but had to re-sell the following day due to sunscreen all over the leather..), I now find myself Prius-less for the first time since my teenage Corolla years : \

    By my calculations, I've driven 137k mi over 5.75 years of Prius ownership, and netted a positive +$2,316 in total appreciation after factoring in all vehicle purchases and sales (no state sales tax has its benefits). These cars have taken me all over the country (14 states and 9 National Parks), across a closed Icefields Parkway in Canada during the winter due to extreme weather (still finished the drive in a Gen 1), and towed countless motorcycles to race tracks all over the West coast. I've fit an entire dining room table with six matching chairs in the car, and managed to squeeze a complete Queen bedframe headboard in the back as well. Seen 116mph on a downhill with the wind at my back. Stealth camped in Yosemite. Taken me on my annual pilgrimage to our country's greatest National Park to summit Half Dome 8 years running now. Silenced many a SUV/Truck/Hummer dudebro critic who've never towed anything or ever seen dirt with their rigs.

    I've driven nothing but Toyota's my whole life, so I had to keep it in the Yoda/hybrid family with a new 2022 Corolla Hybrid with the leather package. Cheers y'all and thanks for a decade of adventure and great advice!

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  2. Johnny Cakes

    Johnny Cakes Senior Member

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    Wow -- so what prompted you to finally change?
     
  3. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Change? With 8 (or 9) cars in fewer than six years it sounds like nothing but change.

    Still, those new Corollas seem darn nice and now you can get them with the Prius powertrain. Congrats and good luck with it!
     
  4. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Wait... is the last photo Prius?

    Edit: Oh, I see... That's your brand new 2022 Corolla Hybrid. Wow, cool looking. Yep, if I was in a market to buy either Gen4 Prius or Corolla Hybrid, then I would go for the Corolla.

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  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Change what the Corolla hybrid is essentially a Prius so not much of a change there for me that's why I haven't done anything like that I don't want to have to pay cash or have a car payment for a new 2021 Corolla when Corolla EV is next down the corner so my Priuses are all running so good there's no need for me to change until a real change is viable changing from my Prius to a Corolla now would be a want or a desire not any kind of a need other than the new Corolla may get a little better gas mileage but my next car will probably be eliminating the gas and generally I'm trying to be on my big bore scooter getting 70 miles to the gallon running 90 miles an hour the car is for when you absolutely have to haul stuff pick up somebody pick up somebody that's scared of two wheels etc
     
  6. Paladain55

    Paladain55 Active Member

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    So now that they get the same gas mileage did you decide to swap to the Corolla?
    I see fueleconomy.gov rates the base prius and corolla hybrid at $950 a year fuel cost.
    Even though the Prius is ugly i still enjoy the hatch for me lol
     
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    If I'm not mistaken they have a hatchback Corolla hybrid too I would hope so kind of like my '77 TE51.. That's what I really need to be looking into an electric drive train for my 77..TE 51 that would be great.one of my fav vehicles
     
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  8. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Nop. Corolla hybrid is only available in the sedan model. Corolla Hatch is a standard ICE vehicle in the US. IIRC, they made the hybrid version for the EU??? Yeah, if you need a hatchback HEV, then the Prius is still the best buy. Rav4 Hybrid or Venza Hybrid will be quite a bit more expensive.

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  9. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Please don't leave.
    PLEASE.
    I'm sure that there is a fair amount of interest among the users on here in the car that you now have.
    Especially since they don't sell the C in the US anymore.
     
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  10. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    No I don't buy any car until it's at least 10 years old I don't take any depreciation none of that never have I never ever buy new cars airplanes or boats motorcycles or power sports equipment never ever the money I save doing this more than makes up for any new car smells or anything that goes along with that no sir I keep purposed vehicles for certain things I have a sienna van to move things and tow with if I need to I have a Prius to get high gas mileage and carry me and my service equipment to my local calls and then I have my 70 mile to the gallon big bore scooter that's one of the most beautiful things ever made on two wheels according to motorcycle magazines and that's that one vehicle can't do everything generally speaking
     
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  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Yourpostswouldbeeasiertoreadwithalittlepunctuationandformatting.
    :)
     
  12. The MCA

    The MCA Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    We decided on the Corolla Hybrid over a 2022 Prius mostly because the Gen 3 > Gen 4 transition is brutal, you give up SO many things: storage space, looks, interior comfort, dash/trim quality and materials, etc. Also, I realized that we drive the Prius 99.9% of the time with just the two of us, and we haul large loads that require the hatchback maybe...twice a year? My folks own our old 2014 PIP so we'll just borrow that anytime we need to haul/move large stuff. The original appeal of the Prius was the MPG's, but now that Toyota has sedans that exceed those numbers for much less money (once you spec out a heated Softex interior, a must for us) it just made a Gen 4 much less attractive. We sold our 2015 Prius Five for $22k (lol) and the Corolla was $27k OTD, no sales tax, with the Premium Interior Package + BSM/RCTA packages...it was just a no-brainer. First time buying a new car for either my gf or myself!

    First impressions vs a 2015 Prius: the Corolla is *much* quieter in terms of cabin/road noise, MPG's are scratching 60mpg with normal driving (I've never done hyper-miling, I accelerate relatively quickly, but I always drive in "Eco" mode), auto-EV mode is dramatically stronger and longer-lasting than a Prius: it will climb up a steep driveway <10mph without the ICE kicking on, and also stay in EV mode while accelerating up to 30-40mph much longer than a Gen 3. It has way sportier handling, much less body roll, and is more responsive and tight at the steering wheel. Apple CarPlay is glorious, as is adaptive cruise control! Speakers aren't as good as the Honda Insight that we test-drove, but about the same as the premium JBL package in a Gen 3. Toyota really needs to start placing tweeters in the front door areas (just inside the side-view mirrors), the "music coming from under the windshield" audio quality is about a decade dated at this point.

    Dislikes/nitpicks with the Corolla: corded Apple CarPlay/Android Auto rather than wireless, and the USB-A data port is under the front dash, rather than hidden in the center armrest (there is a 12V power socket and USB-C charge-only port in there, at least). Chintzy push-button ODO/Trip stalk poking out of the otherwise-impressive MID ("dash" AKA Multi-Information Display), why couldn't that have been cleanly integrated into the steering wheel or the bank of buttons below/left of the wheel, where you have the other rarely-used buttons? Key fob is huge. No lock button on the rear trunk lid, the way you could lock your entire Prius after closing the hatch by pushing that little button. The cubby forward of the shifter is way too small/shallow to hold anything of use, awkward to reach while driving, it doesn't even fit my iPhone (13 Pro Max) or even a sunglasses case! Heated seats have High/Low settings but the High setting isn't as hot as a Gen 3. The backup camera doesn't move the lines as you turn the wheel. In 2022...really? It should have proximity sensors with the BSM/RCTA package. The $2k Premium Interior Package gives you heated Softex seats but eliminates the seatback pockets..lame/cheap. There is no spare wheel with the Corolla Hybrid version, but the giant styrofoam insert that fills that empty wheel well space is 70% solid styrofoam with some minor cut-outs for a jack and tire inflation tools and a few storage spaces, it could have provided for way more "secret" storage while still supporting the cargo area above it. It's a bummer that the US-spec Premium Interior Package ditches the heated steering wheel, wireless charging mat, and heated rear seats that our Canadian friends receive with theirs. Eh.
     
  13. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yep I hope to be in ev before I would be looking used 22.. like I say I don't understand how these EVs have such cheap interiors she's looking interiors especially like the seats these cars are going to be able to go a million miles and they're going to need three sets of seats to do it among other things I got to get them like aircraft seats or something where they can be redone reasonably something
     
  14. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Some punctuations would be nice. Would be easier to read your thought than read your comment. LOL

    But I get your points. We used to own a Sienna, a 2005 model purchased new and decommissioned three years ago due to rusting. It was the best cargo van we ever owned. By comparison, our current Pathfinder Hybrid SUV that replaced the Sienna is far less a utility vehicle than the Sienna ever was. Sporty, maybe, but not utility. But there was one weak point for our Sienna. It was a gas guzzler for sure. Only 19mpg average over 10+ years of service. I was hoping the Hybrid SUV would change that trend. But as it turned out, the 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid was not that fuel-efficient. I tried to replace the PathHy with the new Hybrid Sienna this year... only to find out that the new Hybrid Sienna has non-removable second-row seats. A deal-breaker for us.

    Our other car, Prius Prime makes up for the fuel inefficiency of the SUV. It is by far the most fuel-efficient and cost-efficient car I have ever owned. BTW, I too believed that a new car purchase is always a bad investment due to depreciation. But the purchase of Prius Prime has changed that view completely. I am on my third PP in 5 years, and there has been no money lost. In fact, I have made a net gain on each swap. The timing is everything.
     
    #14 Salamander_King, Jan 27, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2022
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  15. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Save your breath. He doesn't care.
    I just skip over posts like that.
     
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  16. WolfpackBill

    WolfpackBill Senior Member

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    Awesome! Congrats! I'll be jumping ship when my new car comes in hopefully later in the year. My 2010 has 180k miles and is a good commuter. I ordered a 2022 VW ID.4 EV. I hope it'll be as great commuter as the Prius!
     
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