What Toyota doesn't want you to know

Yeah, that is a terrible situation. I don't think anyone should ever pay such rediculous prices and avoid any dealerships willing to screw people like that.

 

Really, anyone who gets annoyed about spending another $3K after 8 years/100K miles had no business buying a new car. Every new car comes with a premium of a few to several thousand dollars. The total cost of ownership is much smaller if you buy a recent used car with >30 MPG, such as a Civic.

 

The premium I'm referring to is the difference between what you paid for your Prius and what you would have paid to purchase a comparibly equipped conventional car or between hybrid and conventional versions of the same make/model. It was widely publicized by Consumer Reports and the like. I'm only saying there's more to calculating the cost of a car than the MPG.

 

I don't believe there was a comparable car in the same price range when I purchased my Prius. Consumer Reports and the like tossed around the prhase "Hybrid Premium" but it did not apply to the Prius. It could be applied to the Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, Malibu Hybrid, Civic Hybrid, etc. but not to the Prius. Futhermore, since the hybrid versions generally had lower emissions I still see the hybrid premium argument as a false one because a lot of people didn't care so much about the cost of fuel as much as they did lower emissions or pushing a new and promising technology. In a way it is kind of a joke because you never see people asking a Corvette or 4x4 truck owner what their payback period is on their Z06 or Z71 option. There are some people out there who bought the hybrid for reasons beyond saving money on fuel. I'm one of them.

 

I disagree. CR did refer to a 'hybrid premium' for the Prius in their articles. But so what? It means hybrid technology costs more. Isn't that a given? What would a Prius with a gas engine cost?

Absolutely, and I am one of them as well - TWICE. I never said my Prius wasn't worth what I paid for it. I believe the conversation was about the cost of operating a Prius as compared to a conventional car when including the cost of a $3K replacement battery.

 

This is a strawman argument when it comes to the Prius. The Prius was and is comparably priced when compared to an equivalently sized and appointed normal car. CR and other organizations would substitute a smaller, cheaper, less capable vehicle and then say "Look! This vehicle is several thousand dollars cheaper than the Prius." Well sure. A Yugo costs less than a BMW.

Besides, as F8L points out, the Prius without HSD is not a Prius. It can't function without the hybrid system. If we put Lycoming engines on a 767, wouldn't it be cheaper? There's your jet premium.

Tom

 

Yep, you're right! The difference between a Prius and a Civic is the same as the difference between a Yugo and a BMW.

But would you argue that the BMW costs less to operate? That's all I'm saying.

 

Your comparison, not mine. All I did was point out the foolishness of apples to oranges comparisons, but if you think those two pairs are equivalent, who am I to argue?

I don't understand how this comment fits into the discussion of hybrid premiums? In this case there is obviously a "BMW premium" for the purchase price. I would also expect maintenance to be more expensive for the BMW, just because of its premium branding. On the other hand, the BMW should outlast the Yugo, so life cycle costs might be lower. It's a tough question, but I still don't see how it pertains to this discussion.

Tom

 

That's what you appear to be suggesting in your previous post as the Prius/Civic comparison was made by CR.

This conversation started when it was suggested that, because your gas savings will eventually offset the cost of a $3K replacement battery, your overall operating costs are still lower in a Prius. My point was simply that there is more to calculating operating costs than the price of gas. Whether people believe they paid a premium for a hybrid or not, that was all I was trying to say.

I happen to believe I paid more for the hybrid technology to which I attribute most of my gas savings.

Geesh. I have a hard time understanding why people get so angry about this stuff. Just because I plopped down $30K for a new car doesn't mean I can't look at my purchase objectively any longer. I once suggested on another forum that the flatware basket in my high-end dishwasher was inconveniently placed and another woman who had recently purchased the same dishwasher called me lazy for not wanting to reach into the back of the dishwasher to deposit a fork in the basket.

 

Well, lucky for you that you didn't buy a BMW, then - from everyone I know that has one, every time you take it in for maintenance, it's $1200. And I've heard this from people who bought new, within the first couple of years.

 

I guess you can file me down as one of those "nasty responders". But I don't think this whole thread has been "What Toyota doesn't want you to know" as much as it has been what the OP didn't want to hear.

To the OP, you had an 8 year old vehicle, with mileage beyond the expiration of the warranty. I "guess" I'm glad you were able to badger Toyota into giving you a good deal on replacement but do I think you deserved it? Nope.

You got 8 years of service, then when met with a bill for replacement of the battery you were perfectly ready to blame Toyota for some let down, or wrong doing, with an accusatory thread within Prius Chat.

Sorry, but you got 8 years of service and over a 100,000 miles. Battery life varies, it's not an exact science. There are variables. Plus whether it's 100,000 miles or 150,000 miles warranties usually have a begining and an end...your's evidently ended at 100,000.1. Great that you were an early adopter, great that you have been a proponent of the Hybrid technology and The Prius, but should that mean you get extra warranty? Or should expect "Perks"? I don't think so. Plus the pendelum of attitude is poor form IMO. You are all ready to hang Toyota out to dry when you "Think" they aren't treating you fairly because they aren't discounting your replacement battery...but then once they do come back and cut the price in 1/2 then suddenly they are a wonderful company again. Phht...sorry that just makes me a little sick.

Toyota never lied to you, or misrepresented anything. Especially as a early adopter, battery life in the real world was a relative unknown. Even today with generation 3, there are expectations concerning battery life, but Toyota and individual Prius owners should know that the battery is warrantied for the period it is warrantied and once past that point it IS possible if unlikely that the battery could fail and owners might have to make a decision about replacement.

Anyway enjoy your new battery, and now that you strong armed Toyota into giving you a discount you did not really deserve, nice to have you back on the Prius bandwagon. Just waiting for the next failure your car experiences for the "What Toyota Doesn't Want You To Know" Part Deux.

 

This is true. Try to look at it that way. For $3000, you'll have a car that will take you another 100,000 miles.