Getting my Prius, just one thought before purchase

we didn't know anything about the doc fee, didn't do our research beforehand. and since we got a prius (high-demand, low quantity car) we got stuck with no employee discount and all the standard fees.

turns out all the dealers around here charge 399... cost of living sucks in this area...

 

wow!! & i was thinking that price was pretty reasonable for a package #7!! u should really think about what you want to pay for the car & is it affordable for u! if the payments are do-able with your current & future expenses.....then go for it! its a fantastic tech car! i got mine 10/14... didnt want the red salsa #5....(wanted the tideland!) but have found it to be one of the best cars i have ever had! this is a beautiful car that is roomy .....it even has the child proof locks. its safe, stable..... i wanted #6...but i couldnt wait...so i took #5 & i'm still happy..... i only have one problem....its a bit hard to look from behind.....but everything else is great......every where i go, heads turn.....i'm doing my part for the environment.......& getting great gas mileage.... as of this moment.....i pay $7.50/week for gasoline..... its the biggest car i have ever had.....& u sit up much higher....than the sports cars.... its fun to drive...... i wish i was able to get the navigation. but i'll just settle for a portable......i have never been so excited about a car in my life...... this is my 6th car & i take extra care for this one.......(hey- i'm in love!) ... & i know how it is with computers........i bought a fantastic powerbook.....with all the bells......but in life.....you have to satisfy yourself......& try to stay out of debt......if u can do that.....then u have the battle won!
good luck & i hope u make the right decision for your family!

 

My $0.02US...

(1) If you're not sure about the Prius, rent one.... you'll love it.

(2) If you're not sure you can afford it, consider the alternatives of
(a) not buying it or
(B) paying for it via a home equity or similar ... I don't advocate mortgaging a car payment over 30 yrs, but drawing equity out of your home if you own one will certainly make the Prius more affordable in the short run.

 

Affordable is a realitive term both in terms of income and of capacity to pay for a purchase. My Prius on order is an 06' pkg 7 and I am not "rich" and like Galaxee I am also still a student and I feel even with my job where i make decent but by no means great money I has able to work out a budget. The budget has been used thus far to save for the new car and to assure that I will have the capacity to pay for the remainder. I would suggest for your financial well being that you work out a budget you are comfortable with and see if the new car purchase and payment will fit within the means you have at your disposal.

Just my thoughts, good luck on your decision.

 

I think you will find a vast arrray of folks owning Prius. I am just a retired Federal worker, and I am buying a Prius in January. There do seem to be a lot of retire folks here. (maybe we just have more time to hang around these forums :lol: ). Not rich by any stretch.

I didn't buy my first new car until I was several years into the work force with a steady job. If your financial situation is solid, and you can afford the car payments, insurance, and related costs; then go for it.

A very smart man (my late father) told me. Owning a car is like having a wife. At least in terms of cost. (I know, a lot of women work these days ). That was a lot of years ago, but he made a very good point. There is more to the 'cost' of owning a car than the initial 'price'.

My new Prius will be the most expensive car I have bought (11 cars and counting I believe). Is it worth it? It is to me. It's what I have been looking for, and is a reasonably good value.

I don't know. What's my point? You have to look carefully at the total cost of owning a new car, and carefully assess your own financial situation. It's easy to be blinded by the glare and allure a shiny new car! That said. It's not easy. With careful consideration, you will do the right thing!

 

qed makes a great point. i'd like to elaborate...

when i bought my first laptop, i had an extra hundred bucks in my budget and i asked the salesman if i should put that towards an internal modem (this was 1998... 28.8 modems were hot stuff!) or a screen upgrade. without a pause, he said upgrade the screen, because that is what you'll be looking at every time you use the computer.

your car is the same situation. every time you drive, it's your car that you'll be working with. so it's important that the car is the right one. it's probably going to cost more to find the right car, but that cost is amortized over the life of the car. to find out how much, just subtract the price of a lesser car, then divide the result by the number of months you'll own the new car.

for example, consider my 98 vw jetta versus my 06 prius:

my 98 vw jetta cost 18,000 dollars at a used car dealer, which is 12,000 more than the prius. i've owned the jetta for four years, or 48 months. assuming i own the prius for the same amount of time, it will cost me 250 more per month. i'll be using half as much gas, so let's call it 175 more per month.

if 175 dollars per month is equal or less in value to you driving the car you have your eye on, then i say the car is affordable. that 175 per month gets me better airbags, traction and stability control, the best emissions in the world, safer in-car use of my cell phone, and more room for my passengers and cargo. it sure is worth it for me.