2018/2019 Prius or Prius Prime. Hardcore decisions!

would it be worth it for you to fly east to save 5-6k and drive home, or ship the car?

 

No it would not. You would still have to pay California taxes on the car unless you left it out of state more than 6 months before you brought it to California.

 

wouldn't you pay cali taxes if you purchase in state?

 

That’s true only in the sense that the gradual loss of EV range with use won’t immediately prevent a Prius Prime from operating as a hybrid vehicle. If the hybrid battery fails altogether, the car won’t work, whether it’s a Prius or a Prius Prime, since energy from the battery is needed to start the engine and operate the transaxle.

The Prius Prime, at least in California and some other states, does have longer warranty coverage for the hybrid system and battery, however. Compare the “Warranty Coverage at a Glance” pages in the Warranty & Maintenance Guide books for the 2019 Prius Prime (PDF) and 2019 Prius (PDF).

The 2019 Prius has some changes from the 2018 model, discussed in other threads, but there aren’t any major differences between the 2018 and 2019 models of the Prius Prime.

Of the two models, only the Prius Prime is eligible for a Clean Air Vehicle decal, but if that benefit is important to you, be sure to understand how long it would last, and that free travel in toll lanes has ended.

 

My subjective opinion is that the Prime looks miles better than the regular Prius - partially because I like the P1-ish rear glass and I have a thing for carbon fiber. I'm also a big fan of the quad-LED headlights (I like them better than Audi Matrix Lighting).

As for keeping its value: one thing to remember is that due to the tax credit, there's quite a large initial drop in valuation (because used prices largely take into account the tax credit).

In a few weeks, it'll be decent enough weather to take a little road trip. Unfortunately, you're in LA so it's quite a lot longer trip for you. Also consider the Honda Clarity, which has a longer battery range, and a used Volt (the newer ones also have 40-ish mile battery range).

 

Go with the plug, you use less gas.

 

I don't think that's the case; if the battery fails, it will not "revert" to regular Prius behavior. That said, the battery's pretty bullet proof.

Meh..., I never like to be "bribed" into buying a car. I would prefer to get a car on it's merits. The Prime comes with extra "baggage":

1. reduced hatch volume.
2. no spare (At least some regular (US 4th gen) Prius still have a spare, and it is very awkward and/or expense to retrofit.)
3. four seat

If you set your sights as low as 3rd gen, I would recommend 2015 model year in particular, it has several worthwhile mechanical updates. 4th gen, some modes have spare, some do not.

 

In the Warranty & Maintenance Guide books, Toyota writes, “Vehicles equipped with a California Certified Emission Control System that are registered and operated in California or any state that adopts California emission warranty provisions are also covered by the California Emission Control Warranty” (emphasis added).

 

Yes you would. You would also pay them if the car did not reside out of state for more than 6 months plus you would pay the tax in that state. It’s to stop people from buying out of state and paying lower taxes.

 

so, if you buy a car out of state, drive it home and register in cali, no problem

 

Except you pay taxes on the car in both states, thereby negating any money you saved as you have paid sales taxes twice. Get it now?

 

no, you don't pay taxes in the state you buy it from

 

Only if you bring it directly into the state without having it titled in that state you bought it in. Then you have to either drive it from that state somehow (that costs money) or have it shipped (that costs money). No money will be saved by buying one from back east. That’s my point.

 

and you're completely wrong. plenty of people here have saved plenty of money doing it. just look through the prime pricing thread, all the facts and data are available

 

That’s not how it works, though. In general, if you buy goods in one (U.S.) state, take possession of them there, and bring them home to another state, you pay sales tax to the state where the sale is made, at its rate, and if the rate in your home state is higher, you also pay use tax to your home state, at its rate, but you get to take a credit for the sales tax already paid to the other state. Save that receipt!

Double taxation that discriminates against interstate sales is unconstitutional under the dormant Commerce Clause; see, for example, D. H. Holmes Co. v. McNamara, 486 U.S. 24 (1988).

That’s not always true, either. Each state can decide the conditions, if any, under which sales to out-of-state buyers are exempt from its sales and use taxes.

In California, for example, regardless of what state, country, or planet you come from, if you buy a new or used car at a dealer and drive away in it, the dealer has to collect California sales tax. There are alternatives, many covered in section 0611.00, “Sales in Interstate and Foreign Commerce,” of Chapter 6, “Vehicle, Vessel, and Aircraft Dealers” (PDF), of the Audit Manual of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

The savings, if any, would typically be from a dealer’s discount in regions where the Prius Prime may not be selling well, not from differences in tax rates. If the discount is large enough, it could more than make up for the cost of driving or shipping the car.

California residents planning to buy out of state can refer to Vehicles and Vessels: Use Tax (PDF), Publication 52 of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, and to Chapter 4, “Use Tax,” and Chapter 12, “Nonresident Vehicles,” of the California DMV’s Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual. It may also be useful to review similar publications of the state where the sale would occur.

(None of this, by the way, is legal, tax, or accounting advice. Caveat emptor.)

 

sounds right. it's not for everyone. many (most?) just take the best deal they can find in cali and move on with their lives.