Justify cost of a Prius!

One comment: wait until you hear a Prius sound system before you decide whether it's actually an upgrade. Most people think that even the "premium" sound system that comes with the #6 option package is only adequate.

 

If you get the AM or BC option packages, you get Vehicle Stability Control. VSC alone decreases your chances of being killed in an accident by over one-third compared with a car without it. That falls into the "priceless" category for me.

Link: http://www.highwaysafety.org/news_releases...04/pr102804.htm

You may not want to tell your wife this, but you probably won't get 55 mpg from the Prius - though a few drivers get this and even more. My impression is the majority of owners fall into the 45-51 mpg range. The two main non-negotiable determinants are the length of your average drive (longer is better) and the weather where you live (warmer is better).

 

i think the stereo is more than adequate. there are many things about driving a Prius that simply can not be quantified. its an attitude adjustment on the good side that may lead to a lower stress level in your life. cant put a price on inner peace in my book. it may not be the cure all for what ails ya, but it definitely helps!!

 

Ill try to add to your pos. points on this subject.... start with the insurance rates for both vehs. i know my $17000 01 chrysler seabring 4 door and 4 cylinder (only front air bags and NO ABS) cost me more a month on ins than my 26K 04 prius (got package 9 with 6 airbags and vsc ) it might be the difference in your girlfriend giving in. Or do what i did..... LET HER DRIVE IT SOME !!!!! :mrgreen: also look at tire life on your ford. i have had good luck with mine at 16K miles showing no wear.

 

Maybe your state offers an additional tax credit, but if you're referring to the federal tax deduction, it's only $2000 (and will go down to $500 in 2006).

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid.shtml

Now there is talk of a more substantial tax credit that might be offered by the federal government in the future. So far it's just talk and may or may not be retroactive.

 

8) VisualMonster,

The 04 and 05 Prius have a timing chain. So there is no timing belt to be changed every 60,000 miles. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Ben

 

The largest flaw I see in your figures, is that you are mentioning the resale of the Escort ZX2 twice.

Brakes and clutch are difficult to determine when they need to be replaced. Unless you are dogging both, they should have quite a lenghty lifespan. I have nearly 107k on my truck, and am still on the original clutch, brakes, and tires.

Rims and stereo equipment? I wouldn't even begin to add these into the equation. Maybe you'll get what you think they're worth, but most likely, you will not even get close.

 

And excellent thought it is!!

 

Prius is an AT-PZEV vehicle (Advanced Technology - Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) - minimal emissions, no smog checks, longer life for all components. In a sense, driving a Prius means to "pay it forward." You take personal responsibility for your use of a finite resource (oil) with attention to air quality.

Service intervals are 5,000 miles. One rationalization is that the ICE in a hybrid does not run continuously as in a pure ICE vehicle, hence there are actually fewer than 5,000 miles between oil changes.

 

Three quarts is more than enough (the info is in the owner's manual, but not all in one place), and gives slightly better fuel economy.

Besides, anybody who wants to save money buys a used car, not a new one. We pay a premium for the Prius to reduce oil imports and air pollution, and for the techno-geekiness of it.

 

I don't know what incentives your state gives for Hybies, but in Washington, Hybies are exempt from vehicle emissions testing. That contributes to the overall savings. I found my 2005 PRI less expensive to insure than my 3 year-old Matrix due to the side curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes.

 

Well, we traded in our 01 Honda Civic which got 30 mpg avg for a new Prius. Now the wife gets 48 mpg but she now has a new car (that got me some wife faction points ), keyless entry, nav system, and more power. If her Honda had 4 people in it someone had to get out and push it up hills.

To be honest it will probably take the life of the car (or 62.17 years to be exact) to justify the $24k expense ($3.6k trade in value). We only save $370 a year in gas (at $2.21) and oil changes. However, the cost benefit goes beyond simple numbers. The car is more powerful, larger, safer, advanced, and greener.

We have bought two and I do not have a single twinge of buyer's remorse and this is something I get with everything I buy (I am usually an impusive buyer so could probably do without have the junk I get).

 

The Federal tax incentive is a deduction, not a credit. A credit is where you get $2000 back on your taxes, a deduction reduces your yearly income that will be taxed.

 

I love my Prius more everyday, but your girlfriend is right. You could justify the cost if you had to replace you car but you are completely ignoring the time value of money. You would be better off saving you money and making a large down payment in three years when your car reaches 96000 miles.

 

If you're thinking of 10-12 years out, you will most likely need to replace the batteries. I consider this a wash with the 2k tax rebate now.

It's also interesting that the ROI curve is a bit strange because of these batteries. Basically, a "normal" car degrades it's value to 0, but a hybrid (or electric) abruptly drops to 0 when it reaches the cost of the battery replacement.

I also have a pet peeve about recycling NiMH batteries. As far as I can tell this is far from economically feasible. I assume eventually there will be a recycling tax added to the purchase price like there is for laptops.

I personally think such an exercise as this is really futile. There are way too many variable to make a factual statement

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GAGendel\";p=\"87460)</div>

My previous car was a Chrysler 300M. It was 5 years old when I traded it. In the 2 years it wasn't covered by a warranty, I spend $6,000 on repairs ranging from transmission replacement to power window. When I traded it in on my Prius, I got $6,000. So my car "degraded to 0" in 5 years. If it takes my Prius 10-12 years to "degrade to 0", I will be quite happy. But given the reputation of Toyota, simply replacing the batteries should give me another 10 years of relatively trouble free motoring.

 

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The person to convince is his "g/f" = girlfriend. One upgrade at a time!

I hope you get what you hope to sell it for. The ZX2 does have good mileage and would be helping put it into the hands of someone who needs a gas-sipping mono-powered car. Not exactly "trickle-down" but a mild multiplier effect applies here.