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Seeking opinions on me buying a new Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Mawcawfee, Dec 19, 2007.

  1. Mawcawfee

    Mawcawfee Prius-less (for now)

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    My daily-driver Prizm is almost 10 years old now and not as safe as newer cars. I like the idea of buying a Prius. I've driven them enough to know I like how it drives and handles. I've seen the spy shots of the upcoming '09 refresh with the projector headlights and the Camry's little wart nose. I think I prefer the tried and true looks of the '08.

    I *might* put 10K miles per year on a Prius. It's likely to sit in my garage for up to a week at a time. I would make a habit of disabling SKS. I don't mind keeping a battery tender connected to the 12V battery during colder months, since I already do it on a classic car. I don't mind installing and using an EBH. I don't mind replacing the Goodyear Integrities immediately.

    When I do drive the car, it will mostly be for one of two things:
    1) Sub 10-mile trips into town for errands and groceries.
    2) 125-mile round trips to/from my business office, once or twice per week.

    I've heard and considered all the arguments about saving money by buying a cheaper econobox, upcoming Corolla included. But I don't like the idea of needlessly wasting fuel, vehicle price difference aside. I hate going to the gas station. I'm not worried about the Prius' size, since I like smaller cars. I like the functionality of the Prius' hatchback. I have no budget for vehicle price.

    Other new cars I've test driven based on excellent crash test performance: Subaru Legacy, Honda Civic (EX and HCH), Nissan Versa, Toyota Camry (LE 4-cyl and TCH), Honda Accord EX 4-cyl, Chevrolet Malibu LT2 4-cyl. Of this bunch, I like the Legacy and Malibu equally well. DW drives an '04 Forester.

    Why shouldn't I buy a Prius? :)
     
  2. moxiequz

    moxiequz Weirdo Social Outcast

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    Well, that's not really a fair question to ask seeing as we're all a bunch of rabid anti-hybrid gas-guzzler lovers here.... :rolleyes:

    I think that:

    1. if the Prius is a comfortable car for you (by that I mean physical comfort) especially on extended trips and....
    2. if you can afford it (i.e. plunk down cash for the best price you can get on the package of your choice) and ....
    3. if you think it will meet your needs and the needs of your current and/or future family...

    go for it!

    That's my completely unbiased opinion. :)

    There's always the option of buying a used Prius. They hold their value well but now that more and more of them are becoming available on the second hand market you should be able to get a good price for one that's a few years old. Maybe even go for one with higher mileage on it if you can get a deeper discount. Concord Toyota had a base model Gen II Prius with 90K for $10,000 at the time I was shopping for mine. If you have time to shop around you can get a really great deal.

    And since you're going to be taking the car on an extended drive every week consider also not just the fuel savings but the emissions you'll be putting out. A Corolla or Civic can come within spitting distance of the Prius' mileage but the Prius is still one the cleanest operating cars available today.
     
  3. Mawcawfee

    Mawcawfee Prius-less (for now)

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    It's a nudge-nudge, tongue-in-cheek question. :)

    I just re-read my post. My statement "I have no budget for vehicle price" does not read quite right. Money is no object for purchasing this vehicle. I am only considering new.

    Your points are all very good. Thanks.
     
  4. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    In a word "YES"
    You should buy a Prius, unless you can afford two or more, in which case, you should buy as many as you can afford and give them out to friends as holiday gifts.

    You will get at least 35 MPH on you short trips to town, and 50 on your longer trips.

    Of course you are not worried about the size, becuase there is plenty of room in this roomy Mid Sized car.

    If there is a WART on the hood of the 2009 like the current model Camry has, that is too bad. The Camry hood looks like it has a pimple in the middle.

    Current Prius has a real tiny one, but it is camoflauged quite well under the little Toyota T in a circle thingy.
     
  5. clintd555

    clintd555 New Member

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    I think you answered your own questions! YES you should buy the Prius. You're well educated on how to handle long stays in the garage. Since cost isn't an issue, go for a brand new one. If cost is an issue, a used Prius or even a Honda Fit or Toyota Matrix (both have hatchbacks) will suit you.

    If you do not like going to the gas station then it's easy - Get the Prius. :)
     
  6. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    The Prius sounds right for you. The one down side, based on your post, is about not liking going to the gas station. While some folks have succeeded in hitting the magical 500-miles-per-tank mark, the gas tank, especially in cold weather, holds much less gas than it's supposed to, and consequently 350 miles on a tank is more realistic, for most people, than 500. Add to that the severe consequences of running out of gas, and a prudent person will fill up much sooner, for maybe 300 miles on a tank.

    I consider that no problem. I mention it because it's the only negative to an otherwise perfect match, based on your post.

    I think you should get the Prius.

    Please note that you would not need to disable SKS or use a battery tender when you leave the Prius parked for a week. I once left for a month and forgot to disable SKS, and encountered no problems. While I would not advise leaving SKS on for a month, my experience clearly shows that a week is no problem.
     
  7. Ichabod

    Ichabod Artist In Residence

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    To add to Daniel's comment about not liking the gas station:

    You may even get to like going to the gas station. I hate to be a smug SOB, but I just LOVE pulling into a gas station, fueling and leaving while people who were there first sit and wait for their huge tanks to fill! :D
     
  8. subarutoo

    subarutoo New Member

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    Asking "Should I buy?" here is kind of a forgone conclusion. Short answer: YES!

    If you're worried about mileage, I've never gotten less then 48 on any tank in 50,000 miles over almost 2 years. My lifetime average has dropped to about 51.5, mostly due to our bitter California winter. Living in sunny california, weather-driving isn't an issue for me, and I still have the original Goodyears that everybody whines about. I have had ZERO dealer or quality issues, and do all the easy maintenance myself. I bought mine simply for gas savings, and to keep from adding more miles on my beloved Subaru. Now the Subaru mostly sits. I sometimes consider driving the Suby to save putting miles on the Prius! At 450 a week it really adds up, but then so does the gas savings.

    Like the shoe ad says: JUST DO IT!
     
  9. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    You shouldn't buy Prius if you are not planning to spend a lot time driving, talking, chatting online, making videos (ahem) about Prius. Most likely, you can and will not stop. :D
     
  10. HighBreed

    HighBreed Member

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    You shouldn't buy a Prius if:

    1. you think it 'd be a mistake.
    2. you have reason to believe you'd be unhappy
    3. you are still in doubt.
    4. you are not convinced you have put in due diligence doing your homework. (I think you already have)
    5. you have not pulled prices from carsdirect.com and faxed 5 dealers in your area to get their fleet department quotes to beat that price.

    Good luck.:D
     
  11. douglas001001

    douglas001001 smug doug

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    I'm surprised the EV advise hasn't come in yet?

    If money isn't a question, why not get a zenn for the in town trips and a yaris (or prius) for the long ones?

    A fully loaded prius would be about the price of a zenn + nicely equipped pzev yaris.

    Or buy a prius and do the PHEV conversion when the hymotion pack comes out. Might be worth buying a used Prius and use the savings to pay for the conversion since you'd be voiding the warranty on a new one with conversion.
     
  12. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I much prefer Darell's game: He pulls into a gas station in his Rav4EV, gets out, makes like he's looking for the gas cap, then smacks his forehead and says loudly: "Oh! I forgot! This car doesn't use any gas." Then he gets in and drives away.
     
  13. miscrms

    miscrms Plug Envious Member

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    Sounds like you've done your homework, and are willing to do whats needed to deal with the non-idealities of your situation. Short trips (particularly in winter) will hurt mileage but much of that can be overcome with a block heater and grill blocking. Given that there is no reason you shouldn't be getting 45-50mpg or even better if you're also willing to adjust your driving style. I don't think 1 week idle would require a battery tender, although shutting off sks is probably worth the minimal hassle.

    At 10k mi per year you'll probably save about 200 gal of gas over your other choices, or $600-$700 per year. If its strictly an economic argument for you that may not be compelling. If you value the other benefits that go along with using less gas, that should probably tip the scales for you.

    It really comes down to what you want. If you feel like you are giving something up by driving the Prius, and are not sure its worth what you perceive the benefits to be then maybe its not for you. You might consider renting one for a few days to really see how you feel about it. Many of us thought we were making a sacrifice, only to find that we actually like driving it better than we do our other cars (a WRX wagon and LR Discovery in my case). If you still have doubts about the sacrifice/benefit after that, I would look at a Hybrid Camry. You still get some fuel reduction benefit over the other cars you mention, but by most counts are giving up next to nothing in terms of space/comfort etc.

    Best of luck in your decision, (and hope you'll be joining us )

    Rob
     
  14. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Well, of course you should buy Prius, mawcawfee. What a silly question! :rolleyes: The hatchback is very useful, the mileage and emissions are pretty good, and the reliability is great. Mind you, if I could afford it, a Lotus Exige would be very tempting.
     
  15. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Not me. I thought I was buying the best car available. I still think I did. Of course, that was before the Xebra came out.

    Really? Wouldn't tempt me a bit! All that noise and stink of gasoline? Now, put an all-electric drive train in it, and I want one. (I.e. a Tesla Roadster.)
     
  16. TheAnnoyingOne

    TheAnnoyingOne New Member

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    Much said about why you should; much is available why you should not.

    Please rent and drive a Prius for at least a week then you can make an informed decision based on your own experience.

    You really want to avoid buyer remorse posts (an example follows):