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Trying Not to Lust After the Prime

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by goinskiing, May 15, 2018.

  1. goinskiing

    goinskiing Active Member

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    Yes, definitely a luxury for sure.
     
  2. ClemsonSteve

    ClemsonSteve Active Member

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    Hear, hear!
     
  3. eustachio

    eustachio Member

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    I love the Prime and would have one in a heartbeat but 4 seats is a deal breaker for us- we need a 5th seat regularly.

    I did a calculation on fueleconomy.gov and though not totally accurate, for our driving we'd only save $50 a year with the Prime.

    If I were to go PHEV right now, given the 5 seats constraint, it would be the Honda Clarity- 47 EV range, although the hybrid mpg pales in comparison to the Prius.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    cars are entertainment for some people. in that respect, financial considerations are somewhat altered.
    i like disneyland, go figure, it's not cheap.:)
     
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  5. goinskiing

    goinskiing Active Member

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    We went to Disneyland in February! I like cars computers and Disneyland. My poor wife.

    In other news I’m at the dealer driving it and just looking at numbers from the dealers mouth to aid in the process.


    iPhone ?
     
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    our friends went hiking in italy, no one told them it was a waste of money.
     
  7. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Come to think of it, buying Prime was probably the biggest impulsive purchase I have ever made. But do I regret it? Not a bit. You live only once. Enjoy!
     
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  8. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Mid-Life Crisis Manager o_Oo_Oo_O
     
  9. goinskiing

    goinskiing Active Member

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    So, sometimes it's helpful to go to the dealer to help put your mind at ease. I test drove one and loved it (no surprise) but the numbers just weren't working out the way I wanted though on first pass, I didn't push either (though I could probably have gotten the target cost if I did to be honest). I may revisit this again next year to see how things land as the equity should be much closer to trade-in and I can be flexible on timing of rebates etc. I've decided I will get one, just need to sit back and be patient for the right local deal.
     
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  10. goinskiing

    goinskiing Active Member

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    I am also due up for a pretty nice raise in the next year or so which should line up a little better financially.
     
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  11. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    That's why I suggested the list - PRO vs CON. If you lay it out in front of you that way, I'd be very surprised if you had enough PROs to overcome the CONs of trading in a near new car. And particularly trading a 2018 down to 2017 which some have suggested.

    Unless there is a significant fiscal gain in running costs, there are some distinct advantages of keeping the PRIUS - it's got a bigger boot (trunk), has better back seat space (50% more!!). And, on a long trip where you're not plugging-in, fuel economy is likely to be at least as good in PRIUS (it's 140kg lighter) - I suspect PRIUS would be better.
     
  12. goinskiing

    goinskiing Active Member

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    Oh for sure, the Prius in my case makes load more sense at this time. I will eventually get the plug in down the road and just keep an eye out for a deal that's within my range.

    It certainly doesn't make sense to get a Prime right now for me, but driving on EV is incredibly addictive.
     
  13. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    That could be correct in USA - the comparisons I made here in Australia with our higher fuel prices, with comparable vehicles (premium models with RADAR Cruise, HUD etc), there was a significant saving in fuel costs over a 3 or 5 year projection.

    But we also need to consider that fuel prices rise over the life of a car (+9% here in last 6 months) - whereas the capital cost remains static.
     
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  14. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Yes, true, I agree, EV mode is addictive - but then so is driving anything which gives you a buzz:eek:, whether it be the roar of an AMG Merc (which, I assure you becomes tiring on a long trip)[*]. Also it's tempting to have a 2 seater convertible on a pleasant winter's day on a good driving road.

    I bought PRIUS 2 yrs ago, generally keep cars till the warranty runs out + a little. I've got SOLAR on my home so electricity is cheap and a PHEV would be my logical car in some ways - but there aren't any here other than high priced AUDI/MERC/BMWs. But IONIQ will be here soon, and I suspect other manufacturers will follow them quickly. So that's where I'm looking to change to in 12-18 months.

    [* In 1973, I drove 1200 miles with a mate in his Valiant Pacer - similar to your Dodge Dart. The PACER came with sports exhaust - by the end of the trip we both were wondering about the wisdom of the sports exhaust - which sounded good when going for a short run up the mountain, but not seemingly endless miles on the highway.]
     
  15. goinskiing

    goinskiing Active Member

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    All good points, I appreciate your input. I am at the point where I will revisit this after my raise (which is within the year) mostly becasue that was a hard line in the sand by my wife.
     
  16. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    ah - the MLCM again :oops::oops:
     
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  17. MichelleStone

    MichelleStone Senior Member

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    I pay 19.5 cents per kilowatt here at home. To fill the battery would cost a bit more than the $3.90 I would get out of the battery. That would get me somewhere around 22 miles on only electric. I'm currently getting north of 60 MPG. Gas is around $3.50 here these days. It's much cheaper to run on gasoline. My time for lifetime altruistic behavior has passed. I am retired on a fixed income. I'll keep my standard Prius for some time. I hope to drive it until it falls apart.
     
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  18. goinskiing

    goinskiing Active Member

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    Ours is 8.67 cents pers kWh so a full battery costs 70 cents.


    iPhone ?
     
  19. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Just for your information, if your electric rate is $0.195/kWh, then "fill-up" PRIME traction battery will cost you $1.2285. That's 6.3 kWh for full charge on Prime. Not your calculated $3.90. That would be a cost for charging 20kWh battery capacity, which PRIME is NOT equipped with. At your gas price of $3.50/gal, it is still cheaper to run PRIME on electric only EV mode at your electricity rate.

    PRIME takes 6.3-6.7kWh to fully charge from zero EV range to full range. so your cost is less than 70 cents. It's like 55 cents.
     
    #59 Salamander_King, May 16, 2018
    Last edited: May 16, 2018
  20. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Yes, with that cheap fuel - in comparison, here fuel is about $5.50-$6 /(US) galleon.
     
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