Price Differences between 2, 3 and 4

I endend up getting the four with solar package, and I'm glad that I did so. The 10 way power seat is nice, and I actually like the softex better than leather (I had leather in my previous car). The HDD nav is much better than my high end Garmin unit and love the split nav screen capability. Also having the solar package is nice, in that the interior stays cool, even in warm days, which I believe will help protect the interior better and keep the battery cooler as well. It is expensive, but I intend to keep the car for at least 8 years, so I wanted to have more features. As for driving, all models drive the same (2, 3, and 4). So far, the car is fantastic and I'm averaging 53 miles per gallon over 2700 miles.

SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 ? 2

 

I'm sure the 10-way power seat (8 + lumbar) in the Four and Five costs a pretty penny more than the simple mechanical one. It adjusts in a way the mechanical one cannot replicate. You may or may not 'need' it.

Four also has upgraded sound system to include power amplifier under the passenger seat and two more speakers, plus auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink. I forget what else it has.

I don't get the idea of wiping or scrubbing fabric to get it clean. I certainly don't do that to clean my clothes. So, I end up covering fabric seats which is a pain. Somehow the idea of wiping leather or Softex seats to clean makes a lot more sense to me.

One reason they developed Softex is that it weighs a lot less than genuine leather.

 

I bought 2013 Prius 4 with sunroof for $30,000 (plus tax and fees) last week.

For about $9,000 over plain Prius 2, I get: SoftTex (powered driver's seat and heated front), solar moonroof, backup camera, head up display (very handy for navigation), much improved stereo, much nicer entertainment and navigation on higher resolution 7-inch screen, remote A/C, and more.

Some may not care for these, but I can recoup a substantial percentage of the price premium during resell. So the actual premium is less than half.

 

Remember that the Prius is basically a sub-$20K car (think Matrix) with an expensive powertrain (and its great MPGs) - then you start adding packages. While you can easily top $30K for a new IV, you won't get the quietness, isolation, and smoothness of a lower cost base Avalon.

 

I have friends with the 2, 3, 3 with solar, and 4, they all love them and the folks with the 2 are kinda smug 'cause they all bought for really amazing deals.I had intended to go with the 4 (i REALLY wanted the softex) bad experience at dealer forced me to pause and rethink my decision. I ended up getting a used 2011 4 with low miles. It has leather not softex, I love my Hawaiian print seat covers and put them on anyway....for me the only real draw was that softex. I am having fun with the GPS, have not quite gotten comfortable using the backup camera, trust issues I need to get over. Anyway, my point is consider your budget foremost and you will love whichever model you end up with.

Not sure where you are located, but here in Southern Cal you can get a 2 for ~$22,000, 3 for ~$24,500, and a 4 for ~$26,400

 

Cary, I don't think you are missing anything. Many buy more expensive cars simply because they can afford the monthly payment. So, if you're looking at the difference in price and thinking about your 401K, or other needs, you're ahead of the game.

Of course the dealer would like to convince you otherwise.