2008/9 2nd Gen versus 2010 3rd Generation Prius- What to buy?

love my 08! toyota's don't depreciate that rapidly, see shat a used 10 will cost you. and there are some decent deals out there on new ones. maybe a new 09 if you can find one? sorry, havn't driven the 10 yet but am considering, although trying to hold out 2 years for the plug in. good luck, whatever you wind up choosing, i'm sure you're gonna love it!

 

Will you have a more secure place to park it? The lovely neighborhood teenagers would probably find a new whatever more tempting than a used whatever.

 

I have a 2008 and a 2010 both base models. I get 8 MPG better in the 2010 and find that the ride and handling are better than the 2008. The seats are better also. The big negative is the number of rattles in the dash. I say go for the new one. You should be able to get a $1500 to $1700 discount.

 

I've not driven a second generation (OK, I drove one "once"), but I do love my 2010 Prius (was driving a 1989 Integra). There are some definite measurable advantages of the 2010 (more power, better gas mileage, better brakes) and not easily measureable advantages (no bladder in the gas tank, thus you will know, accurately, how much gas is in the tank, for example).

Depreciation is only for the fools who plan on selling their cars. I drive them until they are effectively spent. My 1989 Integra LS (with air conditioning) with 230,000+ miles wouldn't sell for more than $750. If it was a lower trim RS, it wouldn't sell for more than $750. If it had every option known to mankind, it wouldn't sell for more than $750.

You get the idea.

Depreciation is a sloping curve that shallows out after several years.

 

Consider buying an old beater car until you can move to a different neighborhood. Might save you a lot of grief, getting a new (or newer) car trashed has to be painful.