Does anybody else think the PiP is overpriced ???

In a plug-in hybrid? Don't hold your breath

 

I beg to differ. I think Toyota did a great thing in preserving the usefulness and interior space. They did not sacrifice the chassis to get 40 mi EV like the Volt. Toyota made good use of the battery capacity available.

It's painful, but we'll have to wait to get PiP chassis in PHEV40. Will take major battery improvement.

 

Well they always say you can't put a price on a human life, so that equates to no value.

Spare tires are pretty useless. Carrying around a bunch of dead weight for no reason. If you are driving in the middle of nowhere, you won't be doing it in a Prius. So you can call AAA from your cell phone and all is well. Actually the PiP comes with some roadside assistance thing for free right?

I have the spare in my Prius, but if I get a flat tire? AAA will be called, and the car will be towed to a tire store for replacement all for free.

 

No the tire will be replaced for free too unless it was something I did. They come with warranties too.

 

VOLT: $42K/40 = $1050 /EV mile
PiP $32K/14 = $2285 / EV mile
Leaf $35K/80 = $437 / EV mile
Tesla $110K / 224 = $491 /EV mile

PiP is OVER priced.

 

You're still missing the point. Car's don't pay you back. Nothing you do will make it work. Expecting a car to pay you back financially is ridiculous. If everything is 15miles or so away, then buying a 20mpg car for $1000 will save you a bunch of money over a $25,000 car that gets 50mpg or a $30,000 car that gets EV and 50mpg.

When you add the $6,000 nav package to an RX, you don't really think about how many miles it will take to pay you back...

If you want a plug-in hybrid, there is no better alternative than the PiP. Buy what you want and can afford, stop trying to rationalize your inability to afford it because the car won't pay you back.

 

I'm waiting for a PiP with a 100-mile range plus a supplemental ICE and gas tank for $25k.

 

The 100 km/h speed ability was available way back in 2003. The system was designed with support for a plug all along. But at that point, battery cost & capacity made that ability totally unrealistic.

Now, there's the 2012 PHV rolling out to consumers. It's actually the third generation plug-in, improved upon the two previous we saw in the past. Toyota started with the Iconic model, simply by adding a second NiMH battery-pack. Then came the Gen-III model, which introduced a Li-Ion battery-pack. Since then, the battery-pack has been reduced in size while achieving the initial target price (roughly $5,000 for the option) and capacity (at least 20km, that's 12.4 miles).

It's easy to see how some people perceive PHV as an adaptation to the original intent rather than being part of the plan all along. After all, that's exactly what the other automaker supporters want you to believe. But to those of us who have been supporting Prius for years, we see the situation different though. Being able to add kWh without loss of efficiency after depletion on a platform which doesn't require a plug is a brilliant design for business & consumer.

PHV doesn't require a paradigm shift. All you need is everyday household outlet from time to time. If you don't plug in, no big deal. When you do plug, the system automatically squeezes out much higher efficiency. You even get the option of choosing when to deplete.

What wouldn't be considered "a cobbled together prototype" from your point of view?
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That's a rather bizarre measurement. Where's the control, a standard basis of comparison... or do the owners only drive that distance once ever? In reality, there will always be something without a plug to compare to.

In the case of Prius PHV, it's the regular model Prius. So, based upon that approach above, it would be somewhere around $350 / EV mile.

The price of the EV part is all that should be included in the equation... since you still get a 50 MPG AT-PZEV hybrid even after depletion.
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Yeah, that doesn't exist.

What's a competing vehicle? Prius on Prius action? Ok, then what about the Prius C? Or the Prius V? Why would anybody buy a Prius 5 ATP, that $10,000 extra cost surely won't be paid back at resale and the extra 17in wheels hurt the fuel economy if that's your main criteria.

Or Prius on other hatchbacks? But then every one has different features, different stylings, different records, and most importantly different things that mean more or less to different people.

Comparing a regular Prius to a PiP is like comparing a Cruze to a Volt. It isn't a comparison. You cannot draw conclusions or rationalize the price difference as anything other then, "they are different vehicles, they are priced differently".

You might be able to compare the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Chevy Traverse. They are all the same car, but with different badges and different prices. Why would anyone buy anything but the cheapest? Why buy a Lexus RX instead of a Toyota Highlander? Same car, different trim. Since it is the same vehicle, it must be competing with eachother... So when will you ever get your $20K additional investment back on the Lexus? Maybe $5k or so when you go to sell it, that's about it.

I know people do this all the time, trying to rationalize a more expensive purchase or cheaper purchase by comparing things that aren't comparable. Same reason why people rationalize spending $3k to fix a transmission in a $3k vehicle, because they bought it for $30k.

 

I have had my PIP for 5 days and love it. I will get $4000 back from the govt. and a CA carpool sticker. I got $500 off from the dealer and I plug it into a regular wall socket for a couple hours at night. My SCE electric bill should be cut by 1/2 to 1/3 because I get a whold house e-car rate from midnight to 6AM and thats when I run my electric spa etc. Soooo $27,500, car pool sticker, lower electric rate and a cool car everyone wants to look at and talk about. Not a bad deal for the early sign on people. Just my thoughts, but I like it better then the corolla, I got tired of basic budget car.

 

The PiP is too expensive for me to even consider buying.

As far as being overpriced????
That depends on who you ask I suppose.

My next car "might" be a Prius c, but I'll have to wait and do a stare and compare with other models when it comes time for me to replace a vehicle. I seriously doubt it at this point though, since my next vehicle might have to be pressed into tow duty.

If I had to buy a new car today, it would be a base model Corolla.
It has a 1500# tow rating and the Elantra, which is a more capable sedan to be sure, just felt 'wrong' to me the last time I did a test flight in one.

I'm sure the PiP is nice, but it's just a little bit outside my depth band.
YMMV...

 

I am exactly in the same boat. Had a Hyundai Elantra 2001 (brought new) with 146K miles which ran perfectly but I got bored.

I was planning to buy a new 2012 Prius III with Nav anyway and decided to spend $3K (After Tax & Rebate ) more and get a PiP. A lot more cooler car , I know I will never recover the $3K but I keep my cars for long term.
I will also be moving to time of use based metering for my whole house which will allow me to charge at $0.14/Kwh.
My wife who will be the primary driver will be able to use car pool for the next three years while on the days I take it to work will be able to charge it for free.

 

Per the initial owners data, Prius PHV is using less electricity per mile than EV1! Gas mileage is also up (55 MPG).

None of the current Gen plugins (Leaf, Volt, Focus EV, etc) have the spare tire so none of them are for you.

 

If you put no-plug Prius on the list, it'll look even worse.

With Prius PHV, you are not buying the bigger battery pack. You are paying for what the Synergy drive can do with it.