Trying to decide: Is Prius just too expensive?

This may seem really obvious but did you consider the tax credit(s) in the equation? You didn't list what state you're from (I'm assuming you're from the US so correct me if I'm wrong). The perks from the States very pretty wildly. Here in Colorado the state offers a $3434 tax credit for the 2005 Prius. The state is also considering the single occupant HOV lane perk as well. Check out what your state has to offer (again, if this actually applies). The pay back is really hard to calculate because the price of oil is uncertain. I'd say that the trend is definitely up and will probably spike from time to time because world demand and production are close together right now. The car's not quirky to drive. It drives the same as any other car that I've driven. The "gear shifter" takes about 5 minutes to get used to and I've been driving sticks for the last 10 years. I agree with #5, the seats aren't the best but they're comfortable as long as you're not really tall. I think it really comes down to your impressions when you drive the car. If you haven't already, take a prius for a test drive. Get out on the highway and see what it has to offer. I've never driven a Camry so I can't make a comparison.

 

All of these things are valid concerns...

Look, before I start addressing each one, if you're seriously going to be pinching pennies and thinking that you've got to live up to some expected savings... buyers remorse that lasts for 6 years as you always think about the "premium" you spent on this car, then I'm not sure it's for you... go buy the Camry if money is that important to you.

1) Like i said before, if money is #1 concern for you above all else, then maybe you shouldn't get this car.

2) The car is quirky, but all of the features you mention are significant convenience features that I certainly can't imagine living without now. SKS is one of those. It's extremely handy. When I was researching my car, I dismissed SKS at first as a useless feature, but when i got it, i really appreciated it. It saves a lot of fumbling around, and in turn saves (a little) time every day.

3) The Prius's regenerative braking takes off a significant amount of load from the brakes during normal braking, so the physical brakes don't need to be worked so hard. The concern about drum brakes, that they fade when they heat up, is lessened by the fact that the brakes aren't used as often on a conventional car, so heat is less of a problem.

4) You don't "have" to. Most of us haven't, and I don't think that anything is wrong with the handling... from what I've read though, the stiffening plate improves handling, but that doesn't mean the handling necessarily sucked before.

5) yeah, the seats are lacking.

6) The road noise from the Prius is no worse that what you expect from a car of it's class... people who add sound deadening material are shooting for the "luxury car" level of silence while driving...

 

Yes, the Smart key feature is sweet. I thought it was a bit over the top myself at first but now I love it.

 

In general I agree with everyone's comments but I just to have to chime in with this...

Do you honestly expect gas to ever really descrease? Yes, it will drop a little in the short term, but let's face it, over time gas will continue to increase in price.

--GD

 

When I bought my car, I came to the realization that all of the penny-pinching math that "debunks" the Prius and hybrid cars is a horribly incomplete argument.

I decided that for me, there are intangibles that go way beyond amount of money spent at the pump, or the premium on the sticker price. Emissions is a big one...

Is it better to fork over $3000 extra on a car to the dealer and the carmaker upfront, or to fork over the $3000 later to the oil companies and whoever they get their oil from?

I decided it's money better spent supporting new technology than supporting the albatross that is oil dependency.

 

If there's nothing else to commend a Prius to you besides projected MPG in relation to projected gas costs, don't buy it. You could die of frustration with either variable.

 

Laughing Man's posts pretty much say everything, except that the seats are fine for many people (which doesn't mean they'll be fine for you...). However, I'd like to add three things:

1. If your dealer is actually charging you nearly $30k for a fully loaded Prius - apparently the MSRP is $28,290 (http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=626) - you might want to find a more honest dealer. When the dealer in Colorado Springs tried to gouge us, we went elsewhere. The additional wait was well worth the money we saved.

2. I mean this in the nicest possible way - insert cheerful smiley here - but if you seriously believe that gasoline prices have even a 1 percent chance of averaging $2.50 a gallon over the next seven years, then you are too insane to be driving. Instead, spend your money on a cyanide pill or a nice length of piano wire. (Insert second cheerful smiley here, so you do not mistakenly think I'm really suggesting this. )

3. If in your opinion the Prius is too expensive for you, then it is too expensive for you, and nothing anybody says here should affect your opinion. Hopefully you will - independently of anything any of us says - realize that you made the right choice, and enjoy your Prius for more than seven years.

 

This sounds like an EPA-mpg trick-numbers here. Is that 26K post-fees/taxes out the door? The Prius fully-loaded is 28K out the door.

Get used to it; there's other luxury cars picking up this feature also. It's going to be a fairly standard feature in the near future much like power-locks.

This is people nitpicking the soft suspension when there's still no numbers ascribing to any real improvement of the bar except "I feel". In fact, which car out there doesn't have a chass-stiffening bar aftermarket option?

Again, which car in this price range does't benefit from additional aftermarket customization? It's not like the Prius is that noisy in the stock state.

If you find a better car, buy it.

And an even more famous quote, what new vehicle out there saves you money over its lifetime, and you can break-even? Sure not any luxury/German/leather/V6+/frou frou/4x4 ness.

 

The point of the tax credit is to make up for the added expense to have the hybrid parts....
If you can forget the fact that one is a hybrid and the other is not, then just compare the cars?
With that being said.... is one more fun to drive than the other?.. or does the hybrid issue only just make you uncomfortable?....

I too have not tried a camry.. but I did like the roomy feeling in the prius... and I really like all the high tech issues about the prius.. not only is it "cool" to all your friends... its actually fun and quite interesting to drive and watch and analyse all the electronics.
Looking on the outside.. to me a camry is just another car..... nothing at all stands out... other than the fact that it does indeed get very good mileage for a non hybrid... nothing else appeals to me.

Its really to each his own...... like others have said.. they are both good cars... but the prius is not for everybody... but its awesome for others...
You have to decide for yourself... but I'm with the other fella.. don't have buyers remorse... get what you really want!...

 

Agree with windstrings

Also, a hybrid is the next step in automobile evolution. Personally, I would like to see more various hybrids on the road and less gas-only vehicles. Eventually (hopefully) - gas-only will be phased out.

If it's about the money - you are buying it for the wrong reasons.

 

My wife has seen me so excited about my new revelation of the prius and all it is etc.. that she to is already "suggesting" getting one next year!... She drives a 2001 Chrysler Cirrus now... nice car as long as it runs.. but mileage is not that great and I really regret buying it now because its not going to be fun to work on when it gets old.... And with chrysler that could be in the not too distant future.
I too would like two hybrids in my driveway....

 

did you drive the Prius yet? If yes, did you like it? Why did you choose to even look at the Prius? What intrigued you? Do you see $$$ going to your wallet when you think of Prius?? If so, Camry would be a better option. And also, why is your Prius $30000???

 

You know what? Stop picking apart the Prius. It is comfortable,quiet,and efficient. I know it's a hard decision, but try not to over-analyze the whole thing. The Camry is a great car too. Don't buy the Prius for gas savings. The math won't come out right. Do it because you feel using less fuel is the right decision. (more for principal than savings for me anyway). Good luck!!

 

Something that you need to take in consideration when reading this site is that a lot fo us are absolutely obsessed with the Prius. We'll do practically anything to improve the car in the smallest way. For example, you mentioned adding an extra layer of sound proffing to the car - this is something that no normal person would do, in fact, it's not even somethign the normal person has complained about.

Some of us are here because we want to be part of the innnovation train. We want "to go before". Others are here simply to get that high MPG. The rest of are here to save the environment in our small little way.

If you're not on one of these boats, you probably won't be exstatic about your Prius. You'll be happy with it because it's a great solid car, but you'd probably be happier with a Camry or Lexus.

Finally, here's my car buying advice: at all costs, avoid buying a new car. New cars are not good investments. They depreciate quickly and you're throwing away your money. Purchase a car off of a 1-year lease. For a comparable price as a Prius, you can get a BMW, Volvo, or Lexus off of a lease.

The exception to this rule is when a comparable product doesn't exist in the marketplace (Prius). Nobody has anything like the Prius. The technology is unmatched and the quality is superior. Other car manufacturers have hybrids, but they don't have the bluetooth, the SKS, the voice system, etc.

 

I agree with much of what's already been stated.

I'll chime in on a few points. Numbering is not related to your initial post.

1. Forget basing any decision on gas savings. It's a lost arguement when comparing similiar vehicles. If you were deciding like me between getting another Jeep (at 16mpg) or a Prius (at 50mpg), then it's a different story. But to compare a fairly fuel effiecent vehicle with it, you'll never see the savings.

2. Setting #1 aside, if you are comparing fuel efficiency of vehicles (not for savings, but as a comparison), then it's not really right to compare the Camry and the Prius. You might as well throw in the Ford Escape Hybrid too. The Prius is a hatch back. The Camry is a Sedan. Both are very different. In my opinion, the hatchback feature was worth the difference, plus I liked that fact that it's helping the environment (something I never would have considered before).

3. Have you considered the Honda Civic Hybrid. Honda (similiar to Toyota) is also known for reliability. I was at a car show yesterday and the 06 is pretty nice and for $23k includes NAV.

4. Before making any decision, make sure you test drive everything you are considering.

5. Considering ongoing maintenance costs. Brakes last longer in the Prius. And since the engine is used less, it should do quite good as well. And the Hybrid components are already under warranty for at least 100k miles (150k in CA and some other states).

And, my final advice - Don't get anything you can't comfortably afford. If your're thinking that the $3k you save will get you that new HD TV you wanted, that's one thing. If you're thinking it will allow you to heat your home this winter, then I'd say you shouldn't spend it

Oh.. and for the $30k you mention for the Prius - I got a Pkg 6 with Leather and the extended warranty (ok, it was slightly over $30k, but under $31). I'd highly recommend leather.

 

Every new car is too expensive. If you want to save money, buy a two-year-old Corolla.

My first new car cost me two million dollars; if only I had taken the money and bought Microsoft stock...

 

No kidding! And my Prius is already costing me over $40,000 as compared to the Google stock I should have bought.

 

my new prius is wonderful.......& for me its very quiet.....so i dont know y anyone would add sound-proofing..... i dont hear any shakes, rattles or rolls........i dont see any need to buy a stiffening plate... it seems very sturdy 2 me-- even in the windy weather here in fla.... the car is definitely about technology!! i have been researching hybrids for quite a while b4 i took the big plunge......i looked at the insight, & the civic.... and even tho both have the hybrid technology-- the interior of the honda has the 90's effect whereas the prius is beyond the millenium....its sleek & beautiful......and definitely has it goin on! i love it that i'm not so dependent on gas.....and perhaps with my part (& a few others) we are helping in the emissions control department....

the camry is a great car also.......however i just noticed that the hybrid camry has been pushed back to 2007 now......its really like comparing apples to oranges.....even tho they are both toyota.....they are NOT the same.....i think the camry hybrid will be built similarly like the accord.... mostly for power......u have to get a car for what u want it for... if u need power.....then the camry will probably be suited more for ur needs.....but if u desire a sleek, technologically advanced, roomy shuttle with great fuel economy.....then look to the prius....... and what has been said b4.......most of the new cars are in the same range as the prius in price......if price is so important......u really dont have to get the most expensive options.......its all good, here.......for me, besides the instant savings at the pump.. (no matter where gas prices are!)..i look at the safety aspects.....also the maintenance... for the prius it seems to be so much less than the regular car.......i love this car so much that i would buy it even if there were no tax breaks........ i didnt wait for the 2006 tax credit....for me the prius is what it is.........it simply works for the better of all.......but then thats my take B)

 

My thinking was that if I was going to spend 20,000+ on a car anyway, I might as well get one that gets 50 mpg. Since I liked the Prius apart from gas mileage, it was an easy decision. But if overall savings are your main consideration, then you should probably buy a used car or maybe an Echo (or equivalent).