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Old Prius owner about to get a new car - advice welcome

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by thebat, Apr 7, 2017.

  1. thebat

    thebat Junior Member

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    I wasn't sure if Newbie forum was the best place to put this, as I am a longtime Prius owner, but frankly I feel a bit more like a newbie with regard to buying. Got my 2002 Gen 1 Prius waaaay back in November '01. It treated me so well and just hit its 200,000 mile birthday. But alas, just 1000 miles after that, the inverter has gone kaput. The dealer quoted me a total of $5400 (needs some other things in addition), and even though I know I can find a salvaged inverter on eBay and cut that bill considerably, I have pretty much come to the conclusion that it might be time to bite the bullet and get a new (at least to me) car.

    My highest priorities are gas mileage and reliability, and from that perspective it seems like sticking in the Prius family is the way to go. I plan to drive whatever I buy until it stops working, so the immediate depreciation of a new car is less of a concern to me (since I don't plan to re-sell whatever I get), but I have nothing against buying used. There's very little on the bells-and-whistles / options front that I care about. I'll be upgrading from a cassette deck, so all the standard stuff seems pretty darn fancy to me. :)

    My problem comes with the fact that now there are a LOT more choices in the Prius world than back when the choice was which of four colors you want to get. I would love some thoughts on any of the following:

    1. Are there significant advantages between the Gen 4 Prius and the Gen 3 that would tip the scale toward buying new rather than used?

    2. I'm not wild about the split back window in my Dad's 2014 Prius. Does the Gen 4 improve on that (I know it's still split, but does visibility improve)? If I moved toward the hatchback/wagon models instead what would be my tradeoffs?

    3. Prius Prime looks awesome, but I have two dogs that ride around in the back seat. Anyone with a Prime have thoughts on how that works with the "4 seat" model?

    4. If looking used, is there an advantage to going with a plug-in Prius over a standard? I haven't heard much about them and am having a hard time determining if they're worth it.

    5. The 2017 Prius Two Eco that my nearby dealer has shows a 4-5 mpg advantage over the standard Prius Two. Does anyone have experience with whether that's accurate? Biggest drawback to me seems to be the lack of a spare tire (the one my dealer has on the lot is actually cheaper than the standard he has because the standard has a bunch of fancy options). Any thing I'm overlooking?

    I'm trying to get pumped up about getting a new car, but still getting over being sad that my old faithful Prius will no longer be with me.
     
    #1 thebat, Apr 7, 2017
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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    1) absolutely. gen 4 is far superior, not even close. it's the car you want for the long term.

    2) i don't think so, but take a test drive.

    3) no dogs, but they would each get a comfy seat with cup holder, and a place to store their stuff.:p

    4) couple things: sometimes the plug in is cheaper. much better car with a few extra options, but you do lose the under hatch storage and spare tyre.

    5) the eco is a bit of a gamer, but probably gets a few extra mpg's. one problem in my opinion is the tyres they use, and the pressures they run them at. you do lose the rear wiper, but gain lithium ion over the regular two.

    6) there's a lot to learn about ten 4. look over some of the stickies. and keep in mind, the prime plus (base model plug in) is close to the price of the base model non plug in, after tax credits.

    7) all the best with your decision!
     
    #2 bisco, Apr 7, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2017
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  3. thebat

    thebat Junior Member

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    Can you elaborate a little on what improvements came with the Gen 4? The salesman at my dealer is very nice, but not much of a Prius-head.

    In case some info about my driving habits is helpful - I live in Atlanta. I live about 1.5 miles from where I work, and about 15-20 miles (through downtown) from many of my family and friends and frequent hangouts. So mostly surface street and highway traffic driving on a daily basis. But we also take not infrequent road trips (there's a reason I put 200,000 miles on my last car).
     
    #3 thebat, Apr 7, 2017
  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    The Prius Two & Two Eco do not have an factory options. IF you get a Gen 4, be sure to get a 2017 because they have the TSS-P safety features standard. The Two has the older battery technology compared to the other trims. The Eco lacks the spare tire & rear wiper. In my experience. the split rear window on the Gen 4 is pretty much the same as when my son had a Gen 2.

    I have has smaller crated dogs in my Gen 4 (Mini American Shepherd & Papillons) IMHO, dogs are much safer in crates tethered in place. That is how my son transports his Papillon show dogs in his 2015 Prius v.

    The Prius Prime is the new plugin Prius. Look at the brochures from Toyota's site to get a good feel for the new models.

    For what it is worth, @bwilson4web who had a Gen 1 & then Gen 2 Prius now has a Prius Prime. He should be able to fill you in on details compared to the Gen 1 Prius.
     
    #4 Prodigyplace, Apr 7, 2017
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the list of improvements is long, and covered in detail in the stickies. here are a few off the top of my head:

    1) mpg's are improved through aerodynamics and thermal efficiency, as well as drive train and battery improvements.

    2) gen 4 is smoother and quieter than gen 1, 2 and 3 due to improved suspension and sound deadening.

    3) gen 4 has a faster warm up time due to improved coolant warm up through exhaust recirculation.

    4) better handling due to independent wishbone suspension.

    5) gen 4 has a larger, more robust, potentially less expensive 12 volt under the hood, instead of the hatch area.

    6) improved a/c compressor.

    7) improved crash safety.

    8) active grille shutters.
     
    #5 bisco, Apr 7, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2017
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  6. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Ever think about a PIP? (Gen-1 PHEV?)

    Gen 1 PIP Resale Value Is Egregious | PriusChat

    Pips were crazy expensive a few years ago, and if you can get a clean 1-owner model it's probably the best used Prius buy on the planet right now, since because they were soooooo expensive, they were usually fairly well taken care of.
    They were so close to being a regular G3 Prius that they're now pretty much the same price even though the base Pip was fairly well up-optioned.

    If you really want a G4......I'd try for the Prime and tax kickbacks which will put it in the same price range as a regular G4.
    The depreciation curve for PHEVs is flattening out, and on the right coast, which for the purposes of this conversation is the RIGHT coast, you can get Primes within your search arc (or what SHOULD be your search arc) for MSRP minus a few thou.

    Good Luck!

    One last thing.
    There is a buy/sell/trade section in this forum.
    Somebody might be interested in tackling your G1 as a tinker project.
    The dealer will give you NOTHING for it.
    Oh......they'll pretend to but you might be better off selling it and working out a straight deal on the G4.

    Let us know....
     
    #6 ETC(SS), Apr 7, 2017
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  7. ♡myPeeus

    ♡myPeeus Junior Member

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    #7 ♡myPeeus, Apr 8, 2017
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  8. thebat

    thebat Junior Member

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    Since I know you were all waiting with bated breath ;):

    I decided to go with the Prime. Of course, I won't get it till June or July, but I had to wait even longer for that for my original Prius, so that's no big surprise. Couldn't find anyone to give me a discount off MSRP, but that's not really a surprise either around here (apparently there are a total of 5 Primes anywhere in the southeast, so it's not like they have to offer me lots of incentives to order one).

    Very excited for a new Prius adventure!
     
    #8 thebat, Apr 17, 2017
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  9. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    All the best!!!

    We'll be here when you take that looooong awaited first drive.

    Good Luck!
     
    #9 ETC(SS), Apr 17, 2017
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