07 Prius or 08 Prius?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sarge @ Nov 23 2006, 01:45 PM) [snapback]353495[/snapback]</div>

I leased a 2001 before getting the 2004 in 2003. I am leasing it now, too, and the lease will be done next year. My Prius has now 25000 miles, and I'll probably buy it at the end of the lease ($8700 LERV). I may turn around and sell it to get enough for a down payment on something else, but I haven't decided this yet.

I have four kids. Up until the fourth one, Prius was our main family car. I fit three car seats across the back seat, and granted, while it was tight, all my three kids fit. When you start a family, even up to two kids, the Prius should be fine for you.

We ended up leasing a 2006 Odyssey because of the fourth kid, and I sold my 2000 Subaru OBS and now the Prius is my main transportation. When all my kids move out of their car seats, I'll see what is available on the market in terms of family haulers, especially with hybrid synergy drive.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ken1784 @ Nov 23 2006, 10:19 PM) [snapback]353601[/snapback]</div>

My thinking is that by 2009 technology enthusiasts and people with environmental concerns will have moved past hybrids onto full electric. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a bumper sticker that says: "My car is a non-smoker" ? Hybrids will still be needed for long distance trips, but for city driving electric will someday rule.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sarge @ Nov 23 2006, 08:45 AM) [snapback]353495[/snapback]</div>

Because the "extra risk" may be one chance in ten thousand that there will be a problem, and it will be fixed under warranty. And the "cost" of waiting for the next model year is you lose a year of driving a fabulous car.

In fact, if your present car is not a Honda or a Toyota, the chance of having a problem with your present car in the extra year you wait for the Prius, is far greater than the chance of having a problem with the Prius.

People are totally irrational in their assessment of risk.

Have you ever driven an extra 5 or 10 miles because a store farther away had exactly what you wanted, while the closer store had something just slightly different? You took a RISK of being killed in an accident because of driving those extra miles. But I bet you never factored that risk into your thinking.

Do you ponder the risk of an accident every time you drive anywhere, and calculate whether the trip is worth the risk? No, you don't. Nobody does.

Every car has the risk of breaking down. With a Toyota that risk is vanishingly small. There are a thousand reasons for not buying a car, or for not buying a new one, or for not buying one now. But the "risk" of the first model year, with a Toyota, is not a legitimate reason.

Some years back there were several airplane hijackings in Europe, and Americans in mass cancelled their European vacations in favor of driving trips in the U.S.A., even though driving is far more dangerous. Even with all the hijackings, driving at home was far more dangerous than flying abroad. But people are too plain stupid to assess real risk level or to act in a rational manner. (Which is probably why they keep voting for Democrats and Republicans. And why they close their eyes to real scientific evidence, e.g. evolution and global warming.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sarge @ Nov 23 2006, 08:45 AM) [snapback]353495[/snapback]</div>

My 2005 Prius is also my first new car (in about 48 years of driving). I've hardly ever bought a used car with less than 50k miles on it. Normally I keep them going until 200k miles or more. I've always thought that say even $1000 (which is higher than my average) a year in keeping an old car going is a lot cheaper than over $2000 a year in payments on a new car.

I'd be surprised if I didn't get a good deal more miles out of my Prius. It's already got over 35k miles in about 15 months. I've purchased the extended warranty (6 years, 100k) from Troy Dietrich through PC's connection. I'm putting on miles more, as I am now down to one car.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Nov 24 2006, 07:20 PM) [snapback]353809[/snapback]</div>

I paid full retail $24,400. for my 2004 Prius. I got a $200. discount (a web certificate error). I got $2000. tax credit. I sold it for $20,500. (with 22,500 miles on it). My conservative gas saving were at least $1,900. over 3 years. All repair except for alignments and oil changes were covered by the dealer.

I basically drove my New Prius for 3 years for free.

I am sure glad I did not wait any longer. I enjoyed those 3 years. Now I am really enjoying the 2007 Touring Model. It drives and handles better. The seats are more comfortable. I have all the opinions and am adding all the add ons I want.

I will enjoy this car even more than the last. And I will look forward to the next model maybe a Plug in or what ever new features they add by then.

If I could sell my 2002 Suburban the depreciation would be between $35.000 and $38,000. Not counting the extra gas cost. Sure I needed the larger vehicle for business but I have not had to put very many miles on the Suburban in a long time.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Nov 24 2006, 07:50 PM) [snapback]353801[/snapback]</div>

Daniel,

I respect your opinions and you present very solid arguments. In fact I agree with everything you say... my point in saying "why take the risk" is more for those people who change cars "just because a new design came out"... and they are likely not upgrading because of need or other logical reasoning but rather just because they "want the latest thing". Of course it is a free country and they are entirely free to do so if they choose - just the common wisdom is that new redesigns tend to have more quirks than models that have been out for a model year or two, so it is an additional risk, even if it is small. Like I said, to each their own...

Speaking of irrationality, I could not agree with you more. Even before I got the Prius, I would shake my head when I see gas station linesups around the corner with people waiting (idling) for 15 minutes or more just to save $0.05 or $0.10/Litre.... don't they realize how much gas and time they are wasting to save a like $1.50? :huh: :lol:

 

if you are waiting for a newly restyled Prius, you will have to wait until the 2009 model year.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanCar @ Nov 17 2006, 09:22 PM) [snapback]351279[/snapback]</div>

GM says it may take several years to bring plug-in Saturn Vue to market. Hopefully plug-in Prius will be first.
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/la-auto...f-plug-in-hybr/
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...NEWS99/61129025
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/gm-c...DF472BA8689C%7D