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Why do people think the Prius should be cheap?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by PriusRos, Jul 26, 2009.

  1. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    So I was telling someone that I was buying a new Prius with a solar-cell roof, etc. When she asked me how much it costs and I told her, she said "Thirty thousand for a PRIUS?!" (This is a young woman who had recently paid about $28K for a used Nissan sports car). I asked her what other new car can one get for $30K with leather, solar sunroof, backup camera, and navigation system, which does 50-60 miles per gallon and she couldn't come up with an answer to that.

    Why do people think that the Prius is an "economy" car (and thus the tiresome cost comparisons with the Corolla and so on)?
     
  2. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    You can't expect the whole world to be up to speed on these things. The first gen. *was* an economy car and that is a niche Toyota is well known for.

    You could gently mention some of the other angles that your audience may not know of, say,

    *It is the most luxurious economy car I could find.

    *This is the top of the line model, it has *everything*

    *It is the greenest comfortable four door sedan I could find,

    *It is the safest car available in that price range. (This works particularly well if you have piles of kids hanging off your legs.)

    Memorize a few throwaway lines and you're all set.
     
  3. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Because it's a Toyota and not a Lexus. But what people don't know is that a full boat 2010 has many of the same features found in high end Lexus.
     
  4. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    Actually, I didn't want to let on but this person is actually my daughter. She has ridden in my 2006 (although only a few times) so isn't totally unfamiliar with the Prius so I was a little put out that she had the "Prius should be cheap" attitude. I think you're right, though. People equate Toyota with economy and don't realize that some of the features of the top-of-the-line Prius match those of some luxury cars. As an aside, my daughter had at one time owned a Mercedes C Class. It was a horrible car -- it drove like a truck -- and she ended up sellling it at quite a loss and driving my Infiniti I-30 with 120K miles on it for a couple of years before buying the Nissan.
     
  5. Old Bald Guy

    Old Bald Guy Old Bald Guy

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    Some people I work with have this idea that a Prius is a compact car ... and compacts are supposed to be cheap. I tell them that it is a 5 passenger classed as a mid sized car and NOT a compact.

    My boss said he liked the idea of what a Prius was BUT he wanted a car "big enough" to take on a road trip and be able to run at the speed limit. Here in Texas, that means being able to cruise at 80 ... which my 2008 and 2010 both handle with ease ... for hours at a time. He has come around after I have talked of taking several freeway trips ... and still getting over 50MPG.

    Some people just like to bash the Prius and have no good reason for doing it. They don't want to hear how comfortable it is or how good the ride is or what the features are ... especially when they are only getting 15 to 25 mpg with whatever they are driving. It's an old trick from public speaking and debate ... if you fail to build yourself up, then cut the other guy down.
     
  6. fgp

    fgp Active Member

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    check the price on a focus hybrid. starts at $27,000. fully equipped around $32,000. btw im not knocking the ford because it really seems to be very well built and great execution of design.
     
  7. jay_man2

    jay_man2 jay_man_also

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    You meant Fusion Hybrid, no?
     
  8. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    My answer, in 2004 was something like this: "I have $25,000 to spend on a car. It's my money and it'll be my car. But if you prefer, I can spend it on the car you want me to buy. Which car provides a better value for my money?"

    The answer, of course, is that there wasn't one. In 2004, bluetooth wasn't even in the lexicon, smart key was only in high-end luxury, not to mention voice NAV, 6-disc, etc. Top it off with 50+mpg and the Prius is in a class of its own.

    There were dozens of cars I COULD have bought for $25,000. But I didn't want one of those. I wanted a Prius. When the person asking was known to have purchased a high-end vehicle themselves, I would ask what their rationale was for their purchase. They don't have one. The Prius is the only car I've ever purchased where I was consistently pressed to validate my purchase. Until, that is, gas hit $4.00/gallon.
     
  9. fgp

    fgp Active Member

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    oooooops!duh! as usual im a year ahead of myself. thanks for the correction:eek:
     
  10. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    With the Gen2, from the outside, it looks like a small, economy-type of car. And many do not care for the shape of the car. To them, it looks like an egg or jelly bean, etc...

    Before someone recommeded a Prius to me, I walked right past it. I thought it was small, expensive for its size, out of my price range really.

    Hybrid was just a word to me. Didn't mean much until I test drove one, then it pretty much felt like a priviledge to test drive an advanced technology car.

    Here's what to tell them ....

    The Prius is the most fuel efficient car sold today in North America.
     
  11. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    You have a point there. I remember getting a little peeved when I think it was Jay Leno made some joke about the Prius chugging along the freeway at 50 mph because people who don't know any better will buy into that myth.

    This is one of the reasons I don't care too much for the Prius TV commercials. The car looks tiny (and cartoonish) and only tiny little munchkins will fit in it. Probably a lot of people equate it to something like a Smart Car -- which definitely shouldn't cost $30K!
     
  12. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    After Tesla's Roadster.
     
  13. ALS

    ALS Active Member

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    The 2010 is a real bargain. Try to even come close with any other car to what you get on a new Prius. Even a base II looks loaded compared to any other car in the same price range.

    Then on top of that 50 mpg real world gas mileage. :p
     
  14. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    I have only had one person give me hell for the car and the moron drives a big jacked up ford f something monstrosity. He asked me why I would drive something like that and I said I am tired of paying $80 a week for gas....aren't you? He just got a confused look and I drove off.
     
  15. eddiehaskell

    eddiehaskell Member

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    I'd say:

    - non traditional look which is considered ugly by many (as price goes up cars usually look better)
    - great fuel economy which many associate with econo cars
    - below average acceleration and handling
    - pretty average interior materials
    - At $30k it's about $5k higher than what many think a Toyota car should cost

    After talking about the Prius, I hear a lot of "why not just the Corolla/Civic...they're $5-10k cheaper, faster and prettier." :rolleyes:
     
  16. nola_Prius

    nola_Prius New Member

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    Anyone who talks about fast cars and includes Civics and Corollas in there is poorly confused. Those are NOT "fast cars."
    Fast cars are Corvettes, and Ferraris, and Lamborghinis, etc...
    Basically anything with at least a V-8... or a V-12 for that matter... or at least 300 hp stock.

    I can't wait for people to start giving me crap and questioning why I bought a Prius. I'm getting it to get nearly 3 times the mileage I got with the car I just sold. I'm getting it because I like the idea of solar ventilation and because Toyota makes good cars.

    I despise arrogant and insecure jackasses in jacked up and unnecessarily loud trucks that ride around while trying to prove something or give off some "tough guy" image. I laugh at them and then feel better about myself for not being like them.

    Those with the Corvettes, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis... I respect them. Anyone who needs to pump $10k, $20k, or even more to make their car "fast" has problems.
    (Yes, I understand the value and pleasure of customizing cars... but I also realize what "fast" is in the grand scheme of things.)

    Once upon a time, I was attracted to "The Fast and Furious" type cars. Now I just feel happy that I grew out of that phase. ;)
    I chuckle now every time I see a car that makes more noise than me when I'm the one who is going faster.

    Bottom of the line is that the Gen III Prius is the most fuel efficient production car today. That status and functionality is going to come at a cost. Not that I need to mention all the other cool stuff that it comes with. I am getting it first and foremost because of the fuel efficiency... and for THAT alone, starting off at $22k is very, very reasonable in my eyes.
     
  17. eddiehaskell

    eddiehaskell Member

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    After looking up the interior dimensions (head/shoulder/hip/leg room), I'm wondering why the Prius is classified as a mid size and the Corolla a compact? All of those dimensions look exactly the same. Is there something I'm missing?
     
  18. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Little off topic, but

    I don't think many people comprehend what it is like to average 50 MPG in a car.

    I understood that number before buying the Prius because I would track fuel economy on my motorcycles which ranged from about 50 MPG average on a 600cc Yamaha YZF600R bike to 36 MPG average with a 1000cc repli-racer, R1 (ridden moderately).

    -----------
    Unfortunately, car marketing jumped on advertising Hwy MPG only.

    That's what I see in all the ads for conventional cars -

    36 MPG hwy
    32 MPG hwy

    So, customer see's - 36 MPG hwy for a Civic, 50 MPG for a Prius ...

    not too much difference, they get a regular Civic DX and save $4k

    But the Civic may average only 30 MPG.
     
  19. nola_Prius

    nola_Prius New Member

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    And those Civic ratings, like most cars, are probably rated pretty high... without A/C on, probably no stereo too, and driven almost unbearably softly. As it seems on the Prius, the 51 mpg rating seems to actually be rated LOW... from the numbers I've been seeing people report here.
     
  20. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    They had to. When the EPA dropped the mileage ratings on all vehicles, most of the manufacturers saw their precious fleet of "30+ combined mpg" go away. There was one in particular that was always advertising "more than a dozen cars with combined 30 mpg or higher." So they changed their focus in order to stay above that 30mpg mark.