Buying a Prius Just Because

It's certainly not fair that Prius buyers must "justify" their purchase of the economical car, but others don't have to because that is not the reason they bought it. This is my second Prius and I bought it primarily for it's safety features and it's styling. The MPGs are a nice bonus.

 

I always say, you should buy a Hybrid...Prius or otherwise, because you want a Hybrid.
I would also admit that I put far less than the average amount of miles per year on my vehicle, and I still enjoy the gas savings.

I'd also say, that part of my justification when I made the jump from my Honda Fit to The Prius is that for a well equipped Honda Fit vs. The Prius, the price difference really wasn't that great a gap. In other words the Hybrid Premium was really pretty minimal.

However, the bottom, bottom line, is what is going to make you happy?

I think the Salesman has an opinion, maybe based more on available inventory- than reality.
And I can tell you, even if you drive less than 25K per year, the fuel efficiency of The Prius is still great. You still get the benefit of great fuel economy.

I came from a Honda Fit, considered a fuel efficient vehicle...and it IS a great vehicle. BUT...
I was filling up the tank at about 270-300 miles.
With The Prius?
The same roughly 10 gallon fill up comes at anywhere from a low of 420 miles to 500+....
And that is very, very nice.
I think you can enjoy that, whether that comes within a 25k or less miles per year or a 25K plus more miles per year scenario.
Not to mention the quiet, IMO civilized ride.

 

I am that 30,000 mile a year driver, but I bought it not for cost savings but more because there will be a day when our children need petroleum for its many other uses and they will curse us for just burning it all up.

I am squandering the earth's resources at the slowest rate possible.

 

Compared to the Prius, the Fit has less leg room, a rougher ride, missing a right arm rest, uncomfortable seats and is loud. All of that made up for the price difference, imho. Then there's the mileage thing.

 

I love the looks of my Prius, which was a substantial part of my decision.

 

For me it's not a question of using up petroleum that our children will need. I think that there is more than enough oil to supply us for many years. My concern is that the planet is being poisoned by our collective CO2 production. The less we pollute the better, period. Why isn't that in the front of people's minds? I don't get it!

 

Until very recently, I lived 3 miles from my office. Despite semi-regular road trips (in Texas!) my everyday commute kept me under 9,000 miles/year. I've been driving some form of Prius since July 2005.

I tell people I bought the car for the technology. I jokingly say I made the decision based on how many buttons were present on the steering wheel. (They took some away between Gen2 and Gen3, but thankfully added some back in Gen4.)

I try to keep my cars for a long time. The '05 was very reliable. There were issues, but almost all covered by recalls or warranty at no charge. Got a Gen3 only because of a not-at-fault accident that totalled my Gen2, and I leased it in anticipation of the Gen4. Now I drive a 2016. Each generation has improved the efficiency and handling from what came before. I think the tech in Gen3 was stagnant at best, if not a bit of a regression for the most common features like the MID and Nav (if equipped). Gen4's tech is better all around, and under the hood (and seat), too, not just superficially in the cabin.

The car is extremely practical. I looked at the Volt, Fusion, C-MAX, and even ahead at the Tesla 3, Bolt, and Prius Prime. The combination of range, versatility, and cargo/passenger capacity in the Prius simply cannot be beat for its size. MPGs are a feel-good bonus, too. I didn't want to waste fuel in a larger vehicle, but I'm also not fretting about the marginal losses from my 17" wheels versus the base 15s. If I can average at or above 50mpg in my normal routine, it's good enough for me.

Yes, there's a premium to be paid when comparing to other basic vehicles. Then again I'm surrounded by people that pay 33% more for a pickup truck with less technology and then they rarely ever haul anything. For some reason, that never has to be justified. To me, the premium is a happy tax. I want to be happy in the vehicle I drive and remain so for 10+ years... If only I can keep the other crazies from prematurely shortening my car's lifespan.

 

It's a decision based on more than >25k. If you were to buy a SUV for the "enjoyment" (which I don't understand personally) of getting off the beaten track - for maybe 5% of you driving, I'm sure the Salesman wouldn't voice an opinion on that. He'd just happily take your money.

I drive 15,000 kilometres - about 10,000 miles. I made a spreadsheet with all the cars I had shortlisted which included Prius, and worked out costs of ownership over 5 years incl crystal ball of trade-in value at 5yrs old. The Prius was ball-park cost wise against a similar size and featured, but cheaper hatchback over 5 yrs, at least with Australian fuel prices.

 

As far as I can tell, the so-often-hyped "extra expense" doesn't really live up to the hype. A few years ago when Consumer Reports put out five-year Total Cost of Ownership figures, there was a member of the Prius family taking the best spot in every category that a member of the Prius family inhabits. (Perhaps I misremember this, but it was discussed on PriusChat at the time.) I am pretty sure CR did not assume 25K/year for their comparisons. Entirely aside from the fuel savings, the reliability of the Prius makes it a crazy cheap car to maintain (another recent report was discussed today that concurs).

Now, one thing to keep in mind is more related to cash flow than to actual cost. While the total cost of ownership for a Prius tends to be lower than for many other cars, it can also be 'lumpy'. That is, the Prius will not nibble you to death with frequent lower-cost repairs, but once or twice in your ownership it may present a bigger bill. Averaged out, you are still ahead (the various TCO reports confirm this) but you want to be sure you have available savings or credit for the rare 'lump'. If you buy a new one and just bank the money you would be spending on some higher-TCO car, you are likely to be well prepared when any Prius 'lump' expense comes around.

The only situation you'd want to approach carefully would be if your resources are limited (first car purchase, college car, etc.) and you're buying an older used one, which could begin presenting 'lump' expenses sooner than you've been able to save for them.

-Chap

 

When I first bought a Prius I was a 30k annual driver. Now I only drive about 8k annually. When I traded it in I got another Prius because I loved the car so much. It was the most reliable car I have ever owned.

 

for me, it's the reasons you mentioned, plus environmental benefits and geopolitical stabilization. i drive 10k per year, and dropping. absolutely nothing to do with financial gain.

who buys a car for the economic benefit, a cabby?

 

One other factor is how far do you drive. I presently drive a small diesel which uses fuel similarly to a Prius Gen 3 +/- But I found that when downsizing to that car, I was more inclined to use it due to the rather lower running costs compared with my previous car which used over double the fuel.

To take it to the ridiculous opposite - a friend, at my age, sold his car and said that he would only use TAXIs and Public Transport. He had ZERO capital outlay, but his operating costs were considerably higher. The net result was that he tended to not go out as often, thinking twice every time. He also got more fit - walking to the railway station.

 

Well, I would also admit, I really, really liked my Honda Fit.
I paid for a center console.-So I had an right arm rest.
The room was fine to me.
I liked the seats.

It was a kick to drive, like a go-kart.
For it's size, it had an amazing cargo hauling capacity and flexibility.

The way Honda designed the interior was masterful. The large front window, gave an illusion of roominess and space. The only thing I can kind of compare it to, was a 1970's Pacer. The visibility and light from the front windshield was that open and impressive.

This was a previous Generation Honda Fit, so I don't know if this new Gen is as good.
And I REALLY, REALLY like my Prius.

But to anyone in the market for a compact hatch? Non-Hybrid, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Honda Fit.

Ultimately, I took my own advice, and I bought a Hybrid, because I wanted a Hybrid.

 

my daughter lives in manhattan, and hasn't had a car in 10 years. she has no problem with walking, uber and public trans to get around. she walks 16 blocks to work at the empire state building. sorry for the digression.

 

Oh, that would be me! Exact reasons why I bought it. Needed it... no way! Wanted it... ohhhh yeah!!

 

I haven't had a chance to try my gen 3 in the snow yet (I do live in Texas after all), but I doubt that it or the gen 4 will be able to match the performance of the AWD Subaru. That said, there have been some posts on here with the gen 4 saying with the right tires on there it does just fine. Also, I think they have added a traction control defeat switch now, which should help some too.
Also, I agree that I feel like Prius owners have to explain and defend why they bought their car more than others. I catch myself doing it sometimes. Unfortunate, it is really a good and practical car and it shouldn't be so unfathomable that someone might just want one.

 

I first got a Prius in 2011 when we lived in upstate NY, near Canada in the snowbelt with 200 inches of snow per winter. It was great except for the limited ground clearance. My daughter now has the 2011 Prius. I now have an 8 month old 2015 in Southern California. We do not drive much but I decided on another Prius because I liked the car. It is a very reliable, peaceful, well engineered automobile that does the job so well.

It is not for everyone. The salesmen can not know what your daughter will enjoy - only she can. So far my daughter is enjoying her ride.

 

Yes, it's on the panel to the left of the steering wheel.