Just called a dealer in South Dakota. Had 4 2007 Prius, only one left, package #1, 35,000 miles $24,995 firm! Yikes!
I bought my 2004 used with 60,000 km in October 2006 and paid $25,000 CDN. I saved about $12-14,000 over a new one. Don't complain if you can get a new one for less than I paid for a 3 year old vehicle. Cars in Canada are severely higher priced than in the USA. Considering our CDN dollar is above par with the US dollar doesn't seem to help much. Not yet anyway.
Bought mine (2008) new for $24,500. Say,where did you get a stubby ant? I do not care for the shark fin or the oem.
ABSOLUTELY! "Free market and all that, right?" Yeah . . . in comparison to what? :glare: Quotas for what will be built, when it will be built, how it will be built, and the associated years long waiting lists to be granted permission to buy one? That system didn't work in the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, etc, etc. Rejoice? ABSOLUTELY!
Everything is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. If you believe the price is too high then keep looking until you find one for what you want to pay. For example, in the US we call $4 gas expensive. In Europe its called a bargain. Perhaps it will become natural that a Prius will appreciate in value.
Yes, I second that, EXACTLY right. It's the opportunity to make profit that spurs innovation. Seen any cool hybrids from any Communist state, surely North Korea or Cuba must have one. How about the socialist paradise of Sweden, no, I guess not. Communist China is developing some but it's the capitalist buisness men doing it. A great car is not a Democrat / Republican, Liberal / Conservative thing, it's a capitalist thing. If you take away the incentive to be great, then nobody tries, 100's of examples of this.
Quite honestly the price hike in used is great for anyone who already owns a prius. Not great for people looking to buy. If you do your research a 2004 Prius retains about 75% of its value. No other car I know of does that. It is possible if gas were to get to $5/gal you might get close to retail on these old cars. It's guns and butter economics. Demand high, supply low = higher prices.
I stopped by my local Toyota dealer. They have no Pri on the lot, not new, not used, no rental, no nothing.