2006 HCH's going for around $1000 OFF MSRP!

I was just browsing the Honda CIvic forums again and there were several people buying the new 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid for around $1000 BELOW MSRP. This means you can probably get a fully loaded HCH with Nav for $22,300. Not bad at all considering this newly redesigned car is in it's first year!

My question is, why isn't Toyota increasing their production so that the Prius can become less of a high demand vehicle? I don't know about you guys, but being that the Prius has been a huge success since it's release MANY years ago, you'd think Toyota would have stepped up production by now. It makes me wonder if they're taking advantage of its success at this point. Meanwhile their competition is selling their new redesigned model below MSRP on it's first year! <_<

I have to admit that I was shocked to see fully loaded Prius's going for around $32k. For that amount of money you could get a fully loaded Volvo S40. Now given your MPG wouldn't be as nearly as good as a hybrid, it just seems as though Toyota's milking the cow more than what it's worth because Volvo is in a totally different class than a Toyota.

I personally wouldn't pay $30k for a hybrid, but the 20's to mid 20's are more in my ballpark. It gets to a point where you couldn't re-coupe the fuel savings unless gas prices hit the $4 and $5 mark and you own the car for like 15 years! That is unless of course you were buying the car to make a statement. But when I buy cars I think of comfort, safety, fuel, dependability and total cost. If you match these points up to say a Volvo vs a Toyota...well you get my point. The Toyota will probably only win in the fuel and dependability catagory. (I'm not Toyota bashing either... I really like Toyotas so don't get me wrong. I'm just wondering about their motives with the Prius.)

I'm just hoping that when I test drive the Prius, I'll see that the quality is as good as the cost. I hope so anyway...

 

Depends on how much you value your time. If it takes 30 mins to mow your yard with your electric push mower and you value your time at $100 per hour, you'll quickly make up the savings.. probably within the first mowing season. Even if you valued your time at $50 per hour, you'll make up the savings very quickly.

If you pay a landscaping company to mow your lawn, you'll also make up the savings pretty quick because instead of paying them to mow, they only need to trim the yard and hedges less frequently.

The mower does pay for itself for most people who buy it. In fact, that's the deciding factor for most who buy it... after they sit down and do the math, it's a no brainer. It's not a statement, it's not just about the environment... some people (unfortunately) who own these mowers couldn't careless about the environment. They buy it because it saves them time which transates into money, more time with the family or just physically unable to do it.

Guess I'm trying to relate the same to the Prius... on paper I believe I can break even with the Prius in about 8 years. I plan on keeping it over 10 years so I haven't ruled out the Prius just yet! It's still on my hot list.