Rich people buying most Priuses, and some stuff on GM

because its not performance I care about, its luxury

 

Put it simple, rich people can afford second car, they can drive their benz or bmw to show they "status" or drive prius when they want to tell other they also "green". I wonder are these rich people who rush to buy it now and willing to pay MSRP++++ to get a prius, how a sane low income willing to do.
Sometimes it is not because of poor people dont want to buy prius, it is just too expensive, even a used prius is more expensive than similar car like civic/corolla/matrix.

 

why do people with nice cars have to drive them for status. I find throughout this thread people are stereotyping anyone in a lexus, bmw, mercedes or any other nice car into a group of people who care only about their look.

You and I dont drive a prius for its status so dont assume other people do that with their cars.

 

I'm a social worker and this is a far out there idea that doesn't have any real life workable logistics to it YET... but I'd like to start up some program with Toyota, Toyota dealerships, or really nice rich people that gets low income families that fit a certain criteria into hybrid vehicles.

Yes I admitted it's a far out their idea. But I see so many struggling families and individuals that are really sticking to programs and working hard having to commute everywhere on bicycles in crappy weather or toting kids around in old breaking down constantly cars without any seat belts. People have even lost the use of their cars because of the cost of gas. Just can't afford to drive the car they own! Which of course means they can't get to work sometimes, start missing meetings etc.

Wouldn't that be a great propaganda machine for Toyota? Big wigs from Japan coming to America "donating" these cars to really appreciative families?! Yeah hybrids still require gas and savings may not be THAT huge BUT it's an idea! haha

 

I think it has less to do with how much money you have to spend and more to do with buying "smart". The Prius is an affordable car that gets great mileage. As people replace their cars, be it every three years or every 10 years, more and more will consider mileage (and maintenance) and see the Prius as a very smart buy.

I'm not rich by any means and I live inland, albeit not as far inland as some. I bought a Prius in 2005 because it was time to replace my 1996 Saturn SC2 coupe. I looked for a car that cost about the same as what I paid for my Saturn in 1996. The lowest package Prius was about the same price as the Saturn. And it got twice the mileage.

 

i have a prius parked next to a lexus, and a lotus, but i live "inland" so what does that make me??? lol

 

The market, as usual, is behind the demand. What's missing is a low-priced hybrid that working people can afford. The Prius is a middle class car, with upper market appeal because of it's futuristic, smart engineering. It is a car of tommorrow--today.

The challenge for the car manufacturers is to make a cheap electric car--or at least a cheap 50 mpg car with low emissions. That small Indian Tata car that gets 50 mpg, for $2500, I saw in the paper today is a step in the right direction. We are entering another era of downsizing. The SUV is already a dinosaur.

 

Huh. I never heard of leasetrader.com before. Doing a search on Toyota Prius - zero hits. Doing a search on Hummer, all models - 106 hits.

As has been said here, I don't think it's people are buying a Prius because they're rich, it's because they're more educated. However, more educated people tend to be richer, so it may seem that richer people drive Prii.

 

I think you are right too. We must also consider that it is trendy and hip to own a Prius now, and that does play in to what the famous and the wealthy buy into.

 

Wealthy people don't care about trendy and hip; if they were, they wouldn't be wealthy.

 

If the observation is correct, its probably even more simple than that.

The wealthy are more likely to buy new cars. Those that are not as fortunate are more likely to keep an older car or buy used.

Most people won't save any money by buying a Prius. The only way someone might save by buying it is if they are already planning on buying a new car and the Prius can be bought in that same price range. For the less fortunate, this isn't usually the case.

 

we aren't wealthy, we're not rich.

we bought a prius because we look at the long run, especially for a significant purchase like a prius. at the time, we could afford the payment by rearranging our other priorities but it meant a small sacrifice to have the car that made most sense in the long run.

we worked very had to pay it off so now we own a 3 year old paid off vehicle that will last us another 10 years. does that make us rich? or just smart with what money we do have?

i could comment on the quality of the older mercedes, but you don't want to open those floodgates... i need to get back to work anyway.

 

agree to an extent, i just think if you can afford a midsize car around 25-30K i dont see why the prius wouldnt be on top of your list???

unless you a baller or a rapper?!?

 

Scarborogh Research did a demorgraphic analysis of hybrid owners.

Some findings:

• Hybrid drivers have higher income, much higher than the average car buyer. In 2004, J.D. Power reported that hybrid owner incomes are $100,000 a year versus $85,000 a year for the average buyer. In a 2007 survey of 118 Prius drivers by Topline Strategy Group, 71 percent of respondents earned more than $100,000 per year. A 2007 study by Scarborough Research— approx. 1,000 hybrid drivers, not just Prius owners, gave answers—showed that 42 percent have an income of greater than 100,000.
• There is also strong evidence that hybrid drivers have higher levels of education. “Hybrid car drivers have a level of education higher than any group of car drivers that I’ve ever seen,” said Walter McManus, of the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute. McManus’s research also showed that hybrid drivers expect fuel prices to grow a lot faster than other people do.
• Twice as likely to claim to go skiing, hiking, or practice yoga than non-hybrid owners.
• They consume more organic food, yogurt, and decaffeinated coffee than the general population.
• The group also indicated above-average tech savvy skills.
• Politically, 14 percent called themselves Republican, 38 percent Democrat, and 34 percent identify as independent.

The full article is here:
Profile of Hybrid Drivers | Hybrid Cars



.

 

^other than my income, i dont fit in any other category listed above^ LOL

 

Let me guess - your'e an affluent, poorly educated, highly caffeinated, non-tech savvy communist? :usa2:


Personally I find the decaffeinated coffee category a bit concerning! What the heck's wrong with a little caffeine!!

 

LOL hahahaha, right on the button, hahahaha, i guess im not one of your "TYPICAL" prius owner/driver, im under 30y.o. as well LOL

 

My stats:
I just got on the waiting list for my first Prius last night after test driving one for the first time. I was told 3-5 months.
Other vehicles 4-runner, Camry
Age 38
Income $135,000 COMBINED family
Education Me - 2 year technical degree Wife - Masters plus 60 in education
Activities No skiing, hiking or yoga. Just pedaling our 2 year old around and walking.
Diet Not many organics. Wife and child like yogurt. I drink very strong, black, caffeinated coffee.
Tech Savy I manage I.T. for a printing company.
Political Affiliations I am largely conservative - Republican