Having a hard time justifying 2010 Prius

Can't blame you for that Bob. Makes a lot of sense, especially with the miles you drive. I just never used a lot of sense when making my car purchase in the past so this is a big step for me. I'll have a hard time paying 50 grand for a car again or buying one that doesn't get at least 30 mpg. I still get the urge, but when I use my rational side I say "why"? The car will still have to appeal to me, but so far Toyota is doing that. The Insight has a goofy interior and I could not stand sitting in it and driving it. The Fusion did interest me, but my experience with Toyota swayed me in that decision. I used to be able to talk myself into these things but maybe I'm starting to listen to myself.

But I do find myself admiring the 335d

 

Correct. I used to have an 02 Maxima and 02-03 Maximas (first model years to come w/HIDs standard, regardless of trim and equipment level) in NY, NJ and one other state were getting their HIDs stolen, sometimes multiple times. They were ~$1300/pair + cost to repair any body and electrical related damage the thief inflicted.

I use to see at least a post or two a week of someone on maxima.org w/an 02 or 03 in one of the above 3 states saying that their headlights got stolen.

There were TONS of stories in the press about this, a class action lawsuit and Nissan later offered a stronger metal bracket (instead of the cheap plastic ones) and data dots to aid in tracking stolen lights.... I posted about this (as cwerdna) at http://priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7249&start=45, but I digress.

The 3rd gen Prius doesn't have HIDs as an option, so that's moot.

 

Justify it?! Just roll with it, maan!

 

You hit nail on the head for me. I have a 1996 Camry four cylinder, and before I got my Prius I thought, wow, I just got 31mpg on this tank. Now, I find myself saying, do I want to get 20 mpg less by driving that car? I hardly drive the Camry because it is such a gas hog. See where I'm going with this? You won't want to hop in the Element because it will cost you $30 to fill instead of $18. This thinking surprised me because I have a 39 foot motor home that gets 6-11 mpg; thirty-one mpg looks pretty good compared to it. I, also, really enjoy driving my Prius, maybe because it's new or the features, I don't know. You might have buyers remorse that night, after buying it, but at the first fill up it will hit home. The remorse will come later when gas is back up to $4.00 per gallon. You'll feel like you should have done it when they were available and not demanding MSRP or higher.
Good Luck

 

When my wife & I bought our Prius, we had already decided that we would spend about 26K on a car, and it fell into the price range, we liked it and bought it.

We have 3 cars, the prius which is 2 months old and has 3500 miles on her already. You can tell which is fast becoming the favorite.

 

I agree: the Prius is a well-designed and fun car to drive, in addition to its gas savings. So many people come on the forums with their gas expense spreadsheet and say that they can't justify the Prius' price in light of it's gas savings.

Gas savings is obviously a big part of the Prius' appeal, but it's not the only thing. I can honestly say that I look forward to driving the Prius every day, which is a lot to say after 30+ years of driving. It's a fun car to drive. It's not a sports car, of course, but that's the second beauty of the Prius: it's fun to drive without encouraging costly (tickets) or dangerous driving.

And really, most of us have a price limit, beyond which we simply cannot afford a car, but other than that we buy not just on monthly costs. We buy sporty cars, or 4WD vehicles, or vehicles with lots of passenger room, or lots of storage room, or "cute" little cars, or "cool" unique cars, or the car with futuristic electronics, or the super-safe car, or super-reliable cars, or ... If we bought solely on expenses, we'd all drive used Corollas or something like that.

 

Beyond just the gas savings, beyond the tech gadgetry, I think one reason I like driving it is the fact the car seems really optimized for its purpose, a tight melding of form and function. It's beautiful in a very functional sense, and when I look at other cars around me, they seem kinda antiquated and, I don't know, somehow not as unique as the Prius. Ok, I'm starting to go metaphysical there.

If ever the plug-in generation (G4?) comes in 2012, we'll probably replace our other car with it

 

Since my 2005 Prius base model was recently wrecked in a collision (not my fault), I needed a replacement. I gave up on trying to find a base model and decided to bite the bullet and get a Prius III. I could not find a single Prius III in the State of California that did not have Navigation for an additional $2K. I was not pleased. But I was in a negotiating mood. I told the dealer that I did not want Navigation, would never order it, and that I resented Toyota's marketing ploy to include it in the Prius IIIs shipped to Cal. Then I made an offer that was $500 below sticker on a Winter Grey (I wanted Barcelona Red). They accepted the offer and I drove away a short time later in my 2010. In my case, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford it. I knew that if I drove away in a new Corolla, I would probably regret it later on. I feel I made the right decision, and my recent accident seems a distant memory. OBTW, my insurance just sent me a check for $17K for my wreck.

 

Mark up? I'm paying below MSRP and am super cheap when it comes to spending money on a car - so much, this is my first brand new car purchase!

 

The mark up comment was referring to the first couple years of Gen2, not Gen3. :welcome:

 

Not always that simple. Some of us, like me, thought the electric drive was The coolest thing. I really wanted a car with some electric drive capability, and I liked the way the car drove (smooth acceleration). I had some environmental concerns. Political, not so much at the time.

 

Gen2 resale prices were off the hook in 2008, but look at resale of a 2002 Prius for example. Not to bash the car, but as it nears end of battery warranty, the resale price is about $1 -2K over a Corolla ...

and the 2001 Prius MSRP was $19,995 + the TTL. Resale is about $8k these days with about 80k miles.

If gas prices average over $4/gal, Prius resale is inflated.

 

Same here. Prius is my main car. Got tired of the 19 MPG's with my 1988 4WD Toyo pickup, so that's a backup vehicle for bad weather, bad parking places, etc...

 

Hmmm, for someone having a time justifying $$ for a Prius as 2nd vehicle, plug-in would not be a fit.

Even when it becomes available a few years from now, it will be the most expensive Prius to buy.

 

To the OP,

Consider the battery warranty is 8yr/100k or 10yr/150k (CA, etc..)

so, 12k to 15k miles per year for best use of battery warranty.

If you drive 6k miles/year, a Honda Fit, Toyota Matrix (both hatchbacks) might be better.

 

Totally agree. A Prius can't do everything. I had 5 adults in my Pri last month and let me say I won't do that again. Although it didn't hurt the car, I almost did. I was caught unaware of the increased braking distance. Came a little close to a fender bender when stopping downhill in San Fran.

Best to stay under the 825 lb total load limit (2010)

But the Pri is great for my daily driving.

 

A 2010 base Matrix w/ manual trans./power package/alloys is $19.2k

2010 Prius II base is $22.9k

Delta is $3.7k. Not going to do all the comparo's, but my guess is a '10 Pri II blows the doors off a manual shift Matrix. Corolla/Yaris sedan not even same type of vehicle as a Prius, so why bother unless looking for any car. Get a base model Hyundai.

No, 2010 Prius II currently $22,950 sticker with floor mats, not $27 as you say.

 

I hear ya. $17k down and a $14.4k note (PP maintenance incl.). Glad that debt is over with. It got tiring paying off every last bit of that debt. And the insurance / reg. / maintenance / gas costs are still there to greet me.

Repeated new car buying would not be a good hobby, except for some.

 

One thing that helped us decide on the Prius was that we rented one for a day just to be sure. We went back that afternoon and bought one.

The only regret is that we weren't completely sure we'd like it long term so we went cheap (package 3) with cloth seats, no nav, no security system, etc. It turns out we like it as much as any car we ever owned and just wish we had gotten a nicer one.

 

That is precisely the point, if a buyer is looking at justifying a Prius with economics, then shouldn't one factor-in these other choices? Cost of ownership, cost per mile, etc... As the OP and many others including myself, the decision here is more emotional, political, technology, and environment related than simple economics. :mod:

In Cali, a base II sans options out the door w/ tax and fees is somewhere close to $26,000. That's a few more green than I think is worth being green for an almost no frills car.

Outside of the base II's, you are most likely looking at III, IV, or V's with some packages, and they are most definitely above the $26,000 + tax and fees for many of us.