Should I replace my Accord with a Prius

cdavid · 12-20-2005, 09:37 PM

I've been eying a Prius for the last year, but I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6, leather, but no Nav. I drive mostly highway to work and back, about 25 miles each way.

The Honda is a nice car, and I average about 26mpg. My wife says to forget the Prius, but I keep eying that package 8 which the dealer will sell at MSRP, and is awaiting my $1000 non refundable deposit. They are reputable and we recently got a Sienna from them. I used to be an engineer, and love tech items, but I'm also very practical and find it hard to abandon a perfectly good, reasonably efficient, and paid for vehicle.

Then there's the color decision--but that's being ahead of myself.

Jack 06 · 12-20-2005, 09:57 PM

You know you're really asking for it don't you? This thread will be three miles long!

I'll start by asking what I think are "dealbreaker" questions:

1. why is your wife opposed? (e.g., practical concern, such as $ or 'just got a Sienna'---as opposed to "emotional"---just not interesting to her)

2. how bad is your itch? I'm guessing it's BIG, or you wouldn't be here. "used to be an engineer": retired? At a stage of life where you're rewarding yourself a bit?
If so, most everyone's advice (as mine) will be: go f'rit!

the fish · 12-20-2005, 10:00 PM

I will be replacing a 98 Accord EXVL with an 06 pkg 5 in Jan/Feb. I looked at the new Accord and the Acura TL - neither gave me any spark like the Prius. After owning two Accords in 11 years, I am ready for a change.

Accords are great cars but so is the Prius. You can't go wrong.

GreenMachine · 12-20-2005, 10:07 PM

Yes!

The $3,100 tax credit tips the balance.

seasidetraveler · 12-20-2005, 10:14 PM

And I don't know about where you live, but the county where I live, the Honda's are the #1 stolen and vandalized vehicle!!

The Prius is a great choice- and you will still get better mpg's.

Color? I am now partial to Seaside Pearl... But they do look pretty snazy in red... perhaps my next Prius will be Red- she will be called "my lady in red"

agill · 12-20-2005, 10:16 PM

I am also replacing my Accord with a Prius as well. My Accord is kind of old now, but still gives me great mileage and runs great. But I decided to go in for a new car, and while on the market, decided that Prius is the way to go.
Not only will i save money on gas, save the earth, I will also be driving a car with breakthrough technology that is miles ahead of other cars in the same league.

cdavid · 12-20-2005, 10:32 PM

Oh no, not retired, just doing something different. (Tail-end baby boomer)

After driving the new Sienna Limited, voice nav, hid lights, etc. (its a very nice vehicle) I wanted to spoil myself with a Prius I'd been eyballing for some time. I've read nearly every post on this and other boards, but one always tries to factor in the emotion into the posts.

My wife is practical, and the Honda is nearly new, so she believes its simply unnecessary. I calculated the fuel savings to help sway the decision, but the Accord has reasonable milage, reducing the savings to only 6 hundred dollars or so each year.

I drove an 05 Prius last weekend (was supposed to give the check that day) but got cold feet (too loud?, too plain interior?, too Tercel like (according to a co-worker) etc). I know the o6 package 8 will be nicer and more like the features of the 06 Sienna.

If I was replacing a vehicle that was near the end of its service life, the decision would be easy.

Are there any of you who replaced a reasonably new and efficient vehicle that had many amenities, power, and comfort with the Prius?

Did you later know it was the correct decision or do you frequently rejustify it to yourself and others in terms of cost, reliability, durability, performance, etc?

seasidetraveler · 12-20-2005, 10:39 PM

I had a 2005 vehicle, and it had some nice features, but the Prius just has those unique things that spoil you- I just LOVE the SKS- I never have to mess with the key- it's so neat...
It just has a way of making you feel special. I definately can justify the purchase with my fuel savings, and so far at 23k miles, I have had 0 problems to report...

My only regret is that I didn't know anything about the Prius when I bought it- If I did, I probably would have gone for a different package- trust me- anyone thinking of the Prius, get a package with HID headlights... I am SO tired of people flashing me because my lights are so bright! Even when I am behind someone, they continually flash their lights, and finally I just flash them back!

Nav. would be nice, but not so sure that I NEED it.

Jack 06 · 12-20-2005, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cdavid@Dec 20 2005, 08:32 PM

I wanted to spoil myself with a Prius

reducing the savings to only 6 hundred dollars or so each year.

too Tercel like (according to a co-worker) etc).

Are there any of you who replaced a reasonably new and efficient vehicle that had many amenities, power, and comfort with the Prius?

[snapback]176583[/snapback]

1. To take the last first, I can't speak directly to it, but I've been astounded the last several days to read posts by people who traded in a Lexus or Infiniti! They (the cars) may have been older, but still... I hope some of those people see this thread and respond.

2. $600 buys lots of good restaurant suppers and concert tickets.

3. Tercel-like? Ridiculous. Maybe not Lexus-like, but closer to that end than the Tercel/Echo end! The chintziest things in the car, IMO, are the black plastic dash and inside door treatments. The dash layout gadget complement and layout, steering wheel controls and MFD compensate for that by far. No econobox will ever come close.

4. As for the practicality of ditching so new an Accord, ordinarily that's a reasonable consideration. But as Green Machine says, you can rationalize that almost away by the sheer fact of the Prius being the last of the red-hot bargains for a few months. If you qualify (no AMT, but over $3K tax liability) for the break, that'll cover a lot of "lost value", hmmm?

rogerSC · 12-20-2005, 11:33 PM

I'm going to play devil's advocate here, I'd wait at least couple of years on replacing the paid-for Accord. You have a nice car there, gas is not exactly eating you alive (that may change over the next couple of years, hard to tell). Selling it now, you're going to lose some money that the tax credit won't cover. The other thing is that you might find that you like the hybrid Camry better than the Prius for example. And other hybrid vehicles will be coming along...maybe a diesel hybrid will look really cool in a few years. I think that the choice of keeping the Accord is the right one to make at this time from the financial point of view.

At any rate, the choice for me was easy, my car was over 14 years old, and falling apart. So I had to replace the thing anyways. You're not in that position...if I were you I'd most likely hold onto the Accord, and see what happens in the marketplace.

Most likely.

-Roger

12-20-2005, 10:39 PM	#8
seasidetraveler Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: So~Cal Posts: 614 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I had a 2005 vehicle, and it had some nice features, but the Prius just has those unique things that spoil you- I just LOVE the SKS- I never have to mess with the key- it's so neat... It just has a way of making you feel special. I definately can justify the purchase with my fuel savings, and so far at 23k miles, I have had 0 problems to report... My only regret is that I didn't know anything about the Prius when I bought it- If I did, I probably would have gone for a different package- trust me- anyone thinking of the Prius, get a package with HID headlights... I am SO tired of people flashing me because my lights are so bright! Even when I am behind someone, they continually flash their lights, and finally I just flash them back! Nav. would be nice, but not so sure that I NEED it. __________________ enjoy the ride

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12-20-2005, 09:37 PM	#1
cdavid Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 141 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I've been eying a Prius for the last year, but I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6, leather, but no Nav. I drive mostly highway to work and back, about 25 miles each way. The Honda is a nice car, and I average about 26mpg. My wife says to forget the Prius, but I keep eying that package 8 which the dealer will sell at MSRP, and is awaiting my $1000 non refundable deposit. They are reputable and we recently got a Sienna from them. I used to be an engineer, and love tech items, but I'm also very practical and find it hard to abandon a perfectly good, reasonably efficient, and paid for vehicle. Then there's the color decision--but that's being ahead of myself. __________________ 2006 Classic Silver #8

12-20-2005, 09:57 PM	#2
Jack 06 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Winters, CA: Prius capital of US. 30 miles W of Sacramento Posts: 2,567 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	You know you're really asking for it don't you? This thread will be three miles long! I'll start by asking what I think are "dealbreaker" questions: 1. why is your wife opposed? (e.g., practical concern, such as $ or 'just got a Sienna'---as opposed to "emotional"---just not interesting to her) 2. how bad is your itch? I'm guessing it's BIG, or you wouldn't be here. "used to be an engineer": retired? At a stage of life where you're rewarding yourself a bit? If so, most everyone's advice (as mine) will be: go f'rit!

12-20-2005, 10:00 PM	#3
the fish Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 175 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I will be replacing a 98 Accord EXVL with an 06 pkg 5 in Jan/Feb. I looked at the new Accord and the Acura TL - neither gave me any spark like the Prius. After owning two Accords in 11 years, I am ready for a change. Accords are great cars but so is the Prius. You can't go wrong.

12-20-2005, 10:07 PM	#4
GreenMachine Senior Prius Poster Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Vermont Posts: 732 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Yes! The $3,100 tax credit tips the balance.

12-20-2005, 10:14 PM	#5
seasidetraveler Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: So~Cal Posts: 614 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	And I don't know about where you live, but the county where I live, the Honda's are the #1 stolen and vandalized vehicle!! The Prius is a great choice- and you will still get better mpg's. Color? I am now partial to Seaside Pearl... But they do look pretty snazy in red... perhaps my next Prius will be Red- she will be called "my lady in red"

12-20-2005, 10:16 PM	#6
agill Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Lebanon (New Hampshire) Posts: 62 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I am also replacing my Accord with a Prius as well. My Accord is kind of old now, but still gives me great mileage and runs great. But I decided to go in for a new car, and while on the market, decided that Prius is the way to go. Not only will i save money on gas, save the earth, I will also be driving a car with breakthrough technology that is miles ahead of other cars in the same league.

12-20-2005, 10:32 PM	#7
cdavid Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 141 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Oh no, not retired, just doing something different. (Tail-end baby boomer) After driving the new Sienna Limited, voice nav, hid lights, etc. (its a very nice vehicle) I wanted to spoil myself with a Prius I'd been eyballing for some time. I've read nearly every post on this and other boards, but one always tries to factor in the emotion into the posts. My wife is practical, and the Honda is nearly new, so she believes its simply unnecessary. I calculated the fuel savings to help sway the decision, but the Accord has reasonable milage, reducing the savings to only 6 hundred dollars or so each year. I drove an 05 Prius last weekend (was supposed to give the check that day) but got cold feet (too loud?, too plain interior?, too Tercel like (according to a co-worker) etc). I know the o6 package 8 will be nicer and more like the features of the 06 Sienna. If I was replacing a vehicle that was near the end of its service life, the decision would be easy. Are there any of you who replaced a reasonably new and efficient vehicle that had many amenities, power, and comfort with the Prius? Did you later know it was the correct decision or do you frequently rejustify it to yourself and others in terms of cost, reliability, durability, performance, etc?

12-20-2005, 11:33 PM	#10
rogerSC Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 156 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I'm going to play devil's advocate here, I'd wait at least couple of years on replacing the paid-for Accord. You have a nice car there, gas is not exactly eating you alive (that may change over the next couple of years, hard to tell). Selling it now, you're going to lose some money that the tax credit won't cover. The other thing is that you might find that you like the hybrid Camry better than the Prius for example. And other hybrid vehicles will be coming along...maybe a diesel hybrid will look really cool in a few years. I think that the choice of keeping the Accord is the right one to make at this time from the financial point of view. At any rate, the choice for me was easy, my car was over 14 years old, and falling apart. So I had to replace the thing anyways. You're not in that position...if I were you I'd most likely hold onto the Accord, and see what happens in the marketplace. Most likely. -Roger