Potentially switching from Subaru Outback - advice?

Hello folks,
Our family car is a 2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i with eyesight which we purchased new. I am considering switching to a used 2012 Prius 3 for purely financial reasons. Given my exact payment, fees, resale value, etc, if I do the switch, I would save $200+ a month.

GOAL
1. The goal is to save money. There is so much I can do with $200 a month!
2. I want minimal repair costs for a few years. I believe I have that either way.
3. Low maintenance costs. I believe I have that either way.
4. I still "need" features like bluetooth and rear-view camera.
5. I care nothing about power or speed. 0-60mph times are virtually identical between these two cars anyway.
6. I never ever go offroading and I never will.
---I believe a low mileage 2012 Prius 3 is the sweet spot for my goal.

Our family owns two cars. I commute in a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid.

I need advice on these concerns.
1. We have 2 children in carseats, and the Outback is so roomy that we can fit an adult between the two rear carseats. We are a family of 4 but quite often we pack an extra adult in that middle seat, and I imagine that will be impossible in a Prius.
2. I live in Colorado USA where snow is frequent and rarely plowed. My civic with proper snow tires got stuck in the 2-feet blizzard last year, but the outback with snow tires had no problems. Honestly it had nothing to do with 4WD. The Outback's 9 inch ground clearance made all the difference during that blizzard.
3. We are planning a family cross-country road trip next year. The outback has so much space that we can practically pack up the entire house and still have lots of legroom. Although a Prius hatchback is versatile it does not haul as much and I don't think the Prius will be as comfortable on a road trip. If I buy a rooftop carrier it would haul just as much as the outback but erode the money benefit.
4. The Outback has automatic braking as well as dynamic cruise control that blows any Toyota system out of the water. For example the eyesight will automatically maintain 2-second rule distance from the car ahead at any speed all the way down to 0mph. I use this feature on the interstate a lot.
5. Since my other car is a Civic, we will no longer have a large hauler for those occasional needs. Sure I can rent large cars once in a while but that erodes the money benefit.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

Sure I can refinance but I am on 0% financing from Subaru with only 38 months left. So I could refi to lower my monthly but very little upside.

I should have clarified that I'm not just trying to lower my monthly bills, I am also trying to lower my long-term costs as well. whether or not I switch, my numbers and cost savings are based on being done with car payments in 3~4 years.

 

Good points. So the question really comes down to... am I happier with 2 cars i already love or $200 in my pocket every month for 4 years.

Another way I can look at it is... Imagine I have a 2013 Prius 3, and I could trade up to a 2014 Outback for $200 a month over 4 years. Would I do it?

 

The math is simple: I owe $16k on the Subaru, and in Colorado they are easy to sell. I can sell $1k under kelly blue book at $21k. I use the $5k to buy a $14k prius and after tax and fees that works out to a $10k loan. With my credit rating that works out to $270 a month for 38 months. My current subby payment is $430 a month with 38 months left. After fuel savings are factored, net is $200 gain per month for me. I have to painfully eat the ~$600 in interest cost over those 38 months.

 

Seems like the majority opinion is to keep the Outback. Yes that makes a lot of sense to me too.

But I figured I should at least look. I test drove a 2012 Prius 3 today for an in-person assessment. I had driven priuses before but I had somehow forgotten most of it.

Thoughts:

1. Flash flooding in the area so actually the perfect time to test the car's inclement weather chops. It was fine but I did get the very odd traction control feeling when I hit the gas on mud. I can see why people would *feel* that this is not good in inclement weather. However I made it around that corner just fine so I guess it's all fine.
2. Does it haul lots of stuff? Lots of groceries yes but that hatch profile is so low that I would never be able to haul tall stuff like furniture with the hatch closed. And yes I do that once in a while.
3. Is this road trip worthy? I can make it work. I remember doing a long cross-country road trip in a 1985 Toyota Camry. We did fine. Of course I swore I would never ever ride a car again but that wore off eventually.
4. Unexpectedly cramped feeling--particular with those tiny tiny side view mirrors. I guess I am just used to the comparatively giant outback.
5. I just remembered, 5 years ago I rented a 2010 Prius 1 at Denver airport and drove it to Colorado Springs for a few days in January. It actually did fine on thin snow and sheets of ice but obviously I never tested it in a foot of snow.

All of this is moot until my wife takes a look.

 

Going to test drive a 2012 Prius v five. I am not sure why this option never occurred before. I think the v has the interior and cargo space I need.