Toyota to drop price of prius?

Don't worry.
The article says:
Toyota Motor Corp. may lower the price of its Prius gasoline-electric hybrid car in Japan as the brand image of the nation’s best-selling model changes, Nomura Research Institute Ltd. said. <snip!>

I'm sure that it might trickle over to the USofA eventually, but there are going to be other forces at work on that. Demand will probably rise with the price of gas, and if the US Dollar continues its free-fall against other currencies, then Priuses will stay nice and expensive over here and you will be glad that you bought now.

All depends on how you look at things!!

Enjoy your car!!!

 

Considering they just raised prices on the 2011, I don't see that happening here anytime soon. I think we will see smaller, cheaper hybrids from Toyota soon to compete with other manufacturers.

 

There was a similar thread a few days ago.

I'd be suprised. Very suprised if the price dropped at all. Maybe they are considering in Japan...but elsewhere?

The Prius as it exists today, from Prius Two-to Prius Five...is a pretty significant swing in cost. I've always felt a Prius Two..Three...are actually very good values...but when you upgrade to Four or Five..you get the benefits you get..but you are paying significantly for them.

My speculation, read "guess" is worldwide? The Cheaper Prius will eventually be The Prius c...but I don't see the price of a the regular hatchback Prius going down.

Relative Chimerical "threats" like the Honda Insight aside, and even with the introduction of The Volt and The Leaf, for mainstream Hybrids? Prius still has little competition.

 

With the current price trajectory of oil I would not think Toyota needs to lower the price.
Summer price in the USA should see $4 a gallon even without any bad 'world events.

 

I'm hoping for $5/gallon....honestly...only good can come from it.

 

I respect your sentiment, but a windfall for one segment of the populace will usually come at a cost for another.

Yeah, I can see a few benefits for very high gas prices, but I can also see some biiiig down sides too.

Personally, I can't say I lie awake at night worrying about it one way or the other, since my job title isn't "Oil Price Czar."

 

With Prius C added to the family, Prius will be more affordable.

 

I just hope they stay close as possible to the concept design; I would love to drive a hybrid that looked like that!

 

If oil prices continue to rise how would that drive down the cost of a prius?

In my area they have no Prius rebates so the price is going up if anything.

Craig

 

Yea, I like Prius C look too but I hope the hidden rear door handles get into the production model.

I really hope it gets cordless 60 MPG. Then people can choose between the Prius C or the Volt (60 MPGe) compact cars. Volt will require you to plug it in, else it gets 37 MPG. The price between the two will stand out as well. Volt will also have two fuels to pay.

 

The price of the Prius will go up due to higher demand but the cost of ownership will go down when compared to a non-hybrid midsize.

 

If the only thing you care about is alternative fuel development then sure.

If you care about the economy, or the well being of lower and middle class Americans...I wouldn't hope for $5/gallon gas.

 

Well said.

 

Well, there's another reason for hoping for $5/gallon, less traffic on the freeway. I can certainly afford it.

Given that Toyota raised the MSRP on the Prius twice, any drop in Prius would be negligible and unlikely.

 

With the drop in price, is Toyota gonna cut more corners??

 

Perhaps you could make a significant contribution to my fuel oil bill (to heat my house).

 

What would be better is a slow steady raise in the price of gas with the government taxing it more. Nothing quick like a price shock but 5 cents a month till it was $5.

That would cause usage to drop without any horrible effects on the economy. More businesses and people would buy smaller vehicles, more people would use mass transit. The systems could PLAN for the changes, not suddenly having everyone trying to ride a bus or buy a Prius in one month.

If the government raised the gas tax slowly IT would get more of the money from the price of gas, not the oil companies or foreign interests.
Right now all of the price increase goes to line the pockets of the oil companies.

PS - It is not going to happen the way I like so I own Canadian oil stocks (non-oil sands), I am expecting for them to have a windfall.

 

Well.....the government is going to tax gasoline more. They're going to have to.
In the short term, more taxes on gas might lower demand, and even lower the price-per-barrel (for a short while), but it's still going to hurt the economy and it will eventually drive up the profits for the oil producrs. Economics of scale. a 10-cent per gallon delta in the profit margin will be under the radar for most folks if the pump price is already $5-6 a gallon.

 

you also have to realize that a "price cut" by a manufacturer may be only $400, and they will toot their horn all over the Internet.
I bought mine 6 months to a year earlier than I planned because a $2000 discount now will become a $2000 primium over MSRP if gas goes to $4+ per gallon (this sort of thing happend in 2006, too).