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Trading in my Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Hoddie, Nov 13, 2017.

  1. Hoddie

    Hoddie Member

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    ...finally had to accept that the Prius isn't big enough to cart around our 7-month old triplets. Well, it is, but sadly the three-seated stroller we recently purchased doesn't fit in the car unless the rear seats are folded down, and for obvious reasons that's a deal-breaker. Until now we've managed with a single-seat and a double-seat stroller, but my wife returns to work in December and I needed a three-seat stroller so I could deal with the girls alone.

    We've spent the last couple of months checking out various possible alternatives, and decided on the Toyota Hilux, just about the polar opposite of the Prius in every way.

    Saying goodbye to adaptive cruise control, the HUD, digital speedometers, reasonably good audio, excellent fuel economy, comfortable driving position and oodles of other (admittedly mostly useless) gadgets. Saying hello to much larger fuel bills :(

    But needs must. And it's only temporary, I'm sure I'll be back in a Prius inside three years, as soon as the stroller is no longer needed and can be consigned to Ebay. I've driven a Prius for, well, forever and the car is almost like one of the family. I've been all over Europe in my trusty Barcelona Red 2005 model, and almost as far in my Emotional Red(!) 2016 upgrade.

    I maintain that the Prius has coped admirably well lugging around three babies, two strollers and all the other crap necessary to deal with triplets, with plenty room to spare in the boot for shopping. Almost all cars on the European market cannot stow the triplet stroller we bought (or any triplet stroller on the market to be fair), so it's not really a failure of the model.

    On the bright side, after initially offering only €18,000 trade-in value, I eventually talked the dealer up to €22,600 plus some free accessories which I think is pretty good considering I only paid a little over €27,000 for the Prius 18-months ago. Works out about €250/month depreciation. Not bad considering it was nearly written off following a crash shortly after purchase, and the dent on the front left wing after a bloody cyclist fell off his bike into me. Hell, for all I know I've been robbed blind, but I'm happy enough with the deal.

    I hope you're all still here in approx. 3 years. Maybe by then the Prius will have evolved further still. I might even treat myself to a plug-in!
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    we'll miss you hoddie! glad you got a decent deal, all the best with your triplets and the new hilux! (y)
     
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  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    We'll miss you.
    I guess a Prius+ was not large enough either?
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Hilux, is a crew-cab pickup?
     
  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    I believe some are regular cab too. I assume the OP got a crew cab and probably a cap on the back to protect those strollers.
     
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  6. ILuvMyPriusToo

    ILuvMyPriusToo Senior Member

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    Sounds like he needed a Prius+++.

    See you in a few years (y)(y)(y)
     
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  7. Hoddie

    Hoddie Member

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    Aye, the Pruis+ was no good, cargo space was almost non-existent. We could have added a roof rack and box to our Prius but we'd have needed the largest one on the market, negating some (most?) of the fuel efficiency gained from the hybrid. And that's not to mention having to lift the 35kg stroller from to head height and back a couple of times a day. No, the Prius wasn't designed with three babies in mind. And for good reason, this slice of the market is so thin it might as well not exist.
     
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  8. Hoddie

    Hoddie Member

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    Can't edit the post above because priuschat is acting a bit funky, but I forgot to say our Hilux is indeed a crew cab. We purchased the 'hard top' which adds a high roof and windows to the cargo bed. You can get the Hilux in 3 cab different sizes - single, crew and one in between which comes with fold down seats but where the space is primarily used for storage.
     
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  9. Priifan

    Priifan Member

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    Agreed, the Prius can be too small even for two little ones in those huge carseats that now are common. Not sure what the kids will do when Number Two arrives. For over a decade I have dreamed of a Prius mini van with three rows of seats or some other nifty larger model from Japan. Not all Americans want a huge van like those popular here. I owned three large vans as a younger Mom, and all three were a royal pain to drive....just too big for us. Two lovely Toyota Previas and one Honda Odyssey. And the gas mileage stinks.
    A huge congrats on the triplets! Y'all definitely have won the lottery of life as they are the measure of your wealth in my book. May they grow up healthy and happy! I used to help neighbors with twins, and the parents regularly lost their minds. So I can't imagine what it will be like with triplets. Hope you have a BIG family around to help. There is a new hit show "This Is Us" on NBC about triplets, and it is a real screamer. Yours won't be anything like these, but it could be worth a good laugh when your senses of humor return.
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Radian child seats are very narrow, pretty sure we had 3 in the back for the grand kids, with our 2010. It was snug though.

    I hear you. Strange though, could it be things are different now? I don't remember hassles with our own kids, at least when they were little. It did occur to me once that I hadn't had a decent night's sleep, in a decade or two, lol.

    Then came the teen years...
     
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  11. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    I'd sell one of the kids :whistle:
     
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  12. Priifan

    Priifan Member

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    Hahaha! The joys of parenting!

    Will look into the narrower carseats for little ones because the newer seats tend to be monsters. And I still dream of all the togetherness Prius Van could provide for those who prefer higher mileage than normal vans offer.
     
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  13. JeffHastings

    JeffHastings Member

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    At least you traded because you needed to although I wonder why there isn't an option bigger than Prius but smaller than Hilux in Belgium from Toyota. I went to an Avalon Hybrid (U.S. market) because I wanted a larger quasi-luxury car. Maybe next time I'll go back down to a Prius after that notion has run its course. Good luck!
     
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  14. Hoddie

    Hoddie Member

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    Well, today was my last day with the Prius. Handed the keys over at about 4 o'clock. The dealer could tell I wasn't happy to be 'trading up' (they know about the triplets) but helpfully informed me it was too late to change my mind. "What about? The triplets or the car," is what I would have said had my wife not been present...

    On a positive note, I've been really impressed with how the Prius has handled the snow in recent days which was always a nagging concern of mine as my last one (2007 Prius) didn't deal with it all that well.

    Ah well. Time to find a Hilux forum :(
     
  15. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    We won’t chase you off.
     
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  16. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    You can try posting here.

    Other Cars | PriusChat
     
  17. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Post on any thread @Hoddie. We'll all be pleased to learn how you get on. :)