HELP!! AM I GOING CRAZY!!

[dzeiter]

So Al Gore has turned my view of the universe on its head! I've changed to curly light bulbs, started recycling and bought energy star appliances! Now I'm contemplating a Prius.
I currently own an Acura TSX - only 2 1/2 years old, low mileage, I love driving it. Now to the question - to trade this car in for a new fully loaded 2007 Prius, wait for the new generation to become available, or stop being crazy and hold on to this car????

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated!!

[cireecnop1]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(crazydoc @ Feb 25 2007, 06:28 AM) [snapback]396161[/snapback]</div>

So Al Gore has turned my view of the universe on its head! I've changed to curly light bulbs, started recycling and bought energy star appliances! Now I'm contemplating a Prius.
I currently own an Acura TSX - only 2 1/2 years old, low mileage, I love driving it. Now to the question - to trade this car in for a new fully loaded 2007 Prius, wait for the new generation to become available, or stop being crazy and hold on to this car????

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated!!
[/b]

Same thing here! Except that the car that I ditched wasn't a TSX, it was an 07 Nissan Versa only 6 months old! It had great mileage but bad emissions. I am happy with my Prius its the best car on the road. and in 2 or whatever years I will definately buy the next gen Prius. Once you go green you never go back.

[brick]

You should really drive one, maybe even rent one for a couple of days, to see if you like it. The TSX is built to be sporty, the Prius is built to be efficient. You will lose the 200hp, tight suspension, power seats, leather. You will gain quite a bit of fuel efficiency, interior room (I've ridden in the back of a TSX and the Prius is roomier, plus you can cram all kinds of stuff through that hatch), improved emissions. Depending on how crazy you are (I am certifiable) there's quite a bit of fun to be had while you get to know the powertrain and learn to make the most of it from the driver's seat. Some want that, some don't...ymmv. I like what Al Gore has done but I didn't buy the car because he told me to. You should make sure that it meets your needs.

[dzeiter]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brick @ Feb 25 2007, 09:25 AM) [snapback]396169[/snapback]</div>

You should really drive one, maybe even rent one for a couple of days, to see if you like it. The TSX is built to be sporty, the Prius is built to be efficient. You will lose the 200hp, tight suspension, power seats, leather. You will gain quite a bit of fuel efficiency, interior room (I've ridden in the back of a TSX and the Prius is roomier, plus you can cram all kinds of stuff through that hatch), improved emissions. Depending on how crazy you are (I am certifiable) there's quite a bit of fun to be had while you get to know the powertrain and learn to make the most of it from the driver's seat. Some want that, some don't...ymmv. I like what Al Gore has done but I didn't buy the car because he told me to. You should make sure that it meets your needs.
[/b]

Thank you for your rational thoughts! As a fellow resident of Connecticut, you understand that I have the added practical stimulous of an electric bill that has gone through the roof in a very short period of time. I have a sense that energy costs of all types are going to increase dramatically (probably rightly so) over the next few years, causing even the most callous person to trend to the 'green' approach. Add to the a political priority to decrease our dependency on foreign oil and the decision whether to go Prius becomes complicated. We'll see how the test drive goes.

[efusco]

There is rarely/never a good reason to trade in a barely used car (esp. if it's paid off) for a new one. Although you'll have lower emissions it's a pretty bad financial decision.

I'd suggest holding on to the current car and see what comes out in the next 3 years. Chevy's Volt has potential, Toyota has hinted at, then pulled back from suggesting the next Prius will have a plug-in option available. But, I think it's clear that the future is bright for green efficient vehicles.

I'm not one to try to talk people out of the Prius...I love mine, but unless you've intended to get a new car at this point anyway it just doesn't make much good financial sense.

[AnOldHouse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(crazydoc @ Feb 25 2007, 10:32 AM) [snapback]396188[/snapback]</div>

Thank you for your rational thoughts! As a fellow resident of Connecticut, you understand that I have the added practical stimulous of an electric bill that has gone through the roof in a very short period of time. I have a sense that energy costs of all types are going to increase dramatically (probably rightly so) over the next few years, causing even the most callous person to trend to the 'green' approach. Add to the a political priority to decrease our dependency on foreign oil and the decision whether to go Prius becomes complicated. We'll see how the test drive goes.
[/b]

As another CT resident, don't forget that there is currently no sales tax on a hybrid! On a $25,000 car, that is a $1,500 savings. Also, if you're going to buy now, do take delivery prior to March 31 in order to get the $1,575 federal tax credit. If you wait until after then, it gets cut in half (again). Both of these are valid only if you purchase rather than lease.

There are also Toyota financing incentives in place, at least through the end of February.

There are finally plenty of Prius on the dealer lots so you should be able to pick the package and color combination you want, including having your dealer swap inventory for your choice as I did.

Evan is correct regarding trading a low-milage car being a poor financial decision. I only did so with the 2005 because I was able to walk away from it nearly scott free. If you don't drive that many miles, your environmental impact with the Prius would not be that significant. Since I drive over 25K a year due to my commute to Hartford, the environmental impact by using the Prius is far greater.

But if finances are not an issue, savor your insanity.

[SSimon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(crazydoc @ Feb 25 2007, 09:28 AM) [snapback]396161[/snapback]</div>

So Al Gore has turned my view of the universe on its head! I've changed to curly light bulbs, started recycling and bought energy star appliances! Now I'm contemplating a Prius.
I currently own an Acura TSX - only 2 1/2 years old, low mileage, I love driving it. Now to the question - to trade this car in for a new fully loaded 2007 Prius, wait for the new generation to become available, or stop being crazy and hold on to this car????

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated!!
[/b]

Since your purchase will be driven by the fact that you are concerned w/ the environment; when contemplating a new car purchase, you should take to mind what will be happening with your prior car. In other words, is someone going to be buying it, or is it going to be placed in the recycling system and trashed. I say this as it takes a tremendous amount of energy and resources to build a car. In answer of this question, I waited until my car went dead before I purchased my Prius. I knew no one would drive the hunk of junk.

Also, if you can afford it and if the mileage on a charge is conducive to your driving patterns, an EV is a better choice for the environment. Darrelldd, on this board, will be the first to espouse this. You'll find that, unfortunately, there are very few options available to you here.

I have a one year old Prius and get over 50 miles a gallon in the summer and around 40-45 in the winter. And, I love the car. You'll find a whole lot of threads on all of the positive features and the less desirable features (such as the adjustment period required to get used to the rear window view). All told, the positives significantly outweigh the negatives. Though the car has a maximum weight capacity of a little over 800 pounds, you'd be surprised at how many very large items you can jam into the car. I think someone got a dishwasher in theirs. There's a thread on this too!

Best of luck w/ your decision!

Oh, and we already have one very crazy doc on this forum and he always stirs the nest. Hope you're not too crazy!

[Oxo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(crazydoc @ Feb 25 2007, 08:28 AM) [snapback]396161[/snapback]</div>

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated!!
[/b]

Remember that the manufacture of a new car itself contributes more to global warming. The more $$$s you spend, the more you contribute to global warming. It's the consumers of the world that have caused global warming.

[TonyPSchaefer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Feb 25 2007, 10:13 AM) [snapback]396203[/snapback]</div>

There is rarely/never a good reason to trade in a barely used car (esp. if it's paid off) for a new one. Although you'll have lower emissions it's a pretty bad financial decision.

I'd suggest holding on to the current car and see what comes out in the next 3 years. Chevy's Volt has potential, Toyota has hinted at, then pulled back from suggesting the next Prius will have a plug-in option available. But, I think it's clear that the future is bright for green efficient vehicles.

I'm not one to try to talk people out of the Prius...I love mine, but unless you've intended to get a new car at this point anyway it just doesn't make much good financial sense. [/b]

I enjoy quoting Evan. Usually it just saves me the time of typing it all over again.

When I read the original post, my first that was what Evan said. Then I skimmed the thread to see if anyone had alraedy expressed it.

[dzeiter]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Feb 25 2007, 01:50 PM) [snapback]396277[/snapback]</div>

I enjoy quoting Evan. Usually it just saves me the time of typing it all over again.

When I read the original post, my first that was what Evan said. Then I skimmed the thread to see if anyone had alraedy expressed it.
[/b]

Thanks again all. I just got back from a test drive and although the car is great - it just not enough for me to trade in my old car. I agree that waiting for a few years is wise - I'll see what the next generation Prius adds to the mix and see how the technology advances over the next few years.

I new that the purchase wouldn't be a good financial decision; however, I did appreciate the counter arguments concerning what will happen to the other vehicle (and the consumption factor).

NEXT TIME A GREEN VEHICLE FOR CERTAIN!!