Is the Prius worth it? (Posting from Costa Rica)

my uncle in hong kong says cheap cars there have a 100% sales tax and nicer cars like porsche's and ferrari's have 1,000% sales tax!!!

on his last visit I took him to a ferrari/maserati dealership and he was blown away, he was like "whoa, cars are basically free in america, what a country!!!"

get a Peugeot!!! they aren't legal for sale in America and they look awesome in Ronin & Transporter

 

That's a pretty loaded question that can (and hopefully will) be answered by many here. I hope you get lots of replies that have differing viewpoints.

My take: It depends on (1) how much driving you're required to do, (2) how much gasoline is, (3) how long you will keep the car (it should be as long as possible to reap the benefits), and (4) if your Renault is paid for and how much mpg you get from it.

I'm in California, and when I got my Prius last year, gasoline was hovering around $4.00 + per gallon and was about to hit $5/gallon. I figured I could start benefiting from the gas savings after 60 months (based on the amount of daily driving, and the mpg difference from the car I replaced). Now with gas prices around $3/gallon, my breakeven/benefit point is much longer, which I estimate at 100 months.

Hope this helps a little.

 

Did you get a chance to drive the 2009 yet?

 

I'd say the most important factor is how much gas savings you're really, practically going to get. The first thing that comes to mind is that you're going to get hit hard by depreciation since the 2007 is a fairly new car (speaking from a continental US market perspective). If you bought a "cheap" Renault, probability is that it's already going to get pretty decent mileage and the upgrade to a Prius may not be a decision that leaves you economically in the black even long term. This is assuming several things, chiefly that 1. gas isn't like $8/gallon 2. the pre-existing Renault runs fine, is safe (not some crazy post-accident rebuild), and has reasonable long-term reliability prospects.

 

In some countries and areas where Prius are scarce, maintenance and repairs can cause challenges. If you are a self-sufficient mechanic, mush less of an issue. I'm not saying that they break a lot, but where will you get your WS transaxle fluid or a new inverter coolant pump when the tmie comes?

 

The Prius is an excellent car. It is reliable, it has features that normally are found only on much more expensive cars, and it is gentler on the environment than any other car other than an electric car.

However, no car is "worth it" if you cannot afford it. If you compare a new Prius with a used Civic or Corolla, the used car will always be cheaper, over the life of the car. If you can truly afford to spend the money to have a nice, new car, and if that is how you want to spend that money, then yes, the Prius is worth it. But if there are other things you want, and you must choose between a new car and something else that's important to you, then stick with the used car, and wait until your finances allow you to splurge on a new car without the misgivings.

The Prius is an excellent car. But no car is worth going into debt over, or spending money you need for something else.

The above, of course, is just my opinion. Whatever you decide to do, good luck with it. And welcome to Prius Chat.

 

+100000000000000 :rockon:

 

I watched the Toyota roll out video several weeks ago. It seems you don't get all the "toys"" that come with a pkg 4 and 5 in US. Not much use on your roads anyway. A top level 09 would be better than the base 10 I see on Toyota Costa Rica website. The 09's were awsome cars. If you need to get a new one save some cash and get a 09.