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Prius C - does it add-up for you?

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by kocho, Mar 18, 2012.

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  1. Mister MMT

    Mister MMT Active Member

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    you say your wife is getting a Prius or a Prius C? Is that correct? Is that a 2012 Prius or a used one?

    I daubt a 4400 $ price difference can be recovered by fuel savings over a ten years period, given it's going to be a third car that may not make that many miles/year. If for example, you would save 200 $/year, you would need 20 years.
     
    #21 Mister MMT, Mar 19, 2012
  2. kocho

    kocho Member

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    It's going to be a 3rd car but we are 3 people, each driving their own way every day and sometimes even on the weekends -;)

    The car that will see less driving will be our old Camry as our daughter will not be driving too much (school and back and the occasional visit to friends on the weekends).

    As for model year, it will most likely be a 2012 since everyone is asking too much for the used Prii from 2011 and 2010, which we are considering mainly. But we are keeping our eyes open for a good used one - they do pop-up from time to time but fly off the shelves as soon as they are posted if they are any good.

    Whatever we get will likely see a daily commute of under 10 miles each way (so 2 cold starts each day) plus some of whatever errands we do on the weekends. If it does good on mileage, then I might use it in the mornings to drive kids to school before my wife gets going for work - that would add another 10 miles or so each morning.

    We'll probably put 10-15K miles a year. That's why I was looking to see how the costs would stack-up to about 100K miles (after that - it's a bonus).

    I put about 20K on the Insight in just under a year but I made probably 6,000 of these over long trips of hundreds of miles each (the rest is local highway and city traffic). My wife drives less...

    I'm really curious to see what kind of real life mileage folks get on a consistent basis out of these things. Today I drove slowly my normal 5 miles one-way afternoon commute: 40_ mpg on the way out (cold car) and 60+mpg on the way back with Insight. But traffic was unusually light and the traffic lights cooperated being mostly green (still 5pm DC/MD city traffic, so some stop and some go but around 30mph between stops)... I hope the Prius C can do significantly better than 50 average in the city with careful driving but no less than 50 with "normal" driving for it to make sense $-wise.
     
    #22 kocho, Mar 19, 2012
  3. Mister MMT

    Mister MMT Active Member

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    A used 2010 Prius Liftback may be the best deal, if you can get a good one. Or wait until you get a used Prius C.
     
    #23 Mister MMT, Mar 19, 2012
  4. awestover89

    awestover89 New Member

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    For me it would add up, but it is just for my specific scenario. I currently drive a 18mpg SUV with a busted driver's seat and broken radio. Trade in value is $2500 according to CarMax, hoping for higher from the dealer.

    So, figure going with the Prius C 3 since it is a bit more expensive, and I am unsure between the 2 and 3, say the cost out the door is 22395. Subtract my trade-in and I am paying $19,895. After driving 100,000 miles, the total cost would be $19,895 + (100000/50 * 4.25) = $28,395.

    If I go with the C2 instead that drops to like $27K. Using same numbers, a new Yaris would cost me a total of $27,981, a Corolla about $29,181, a Ford Fiesta about $27K, and when you look at all the features on the C3, it's a large number of additional features for the same lifetime ownership cost. Keep the car longer than 100K miles? Gas prices rise beyond $4.25 during those 100K miles? Both of these situations the better MPG of the Prius make it a better investment. Of course, at the same time, if gas prices drop than the difference would be much less noticeable, but that is a gamble for each individual to make.

    If I just keep my current car, it would cost me $23,611.11 in gas alone to drive 100K more miles. Not to mention the extra cost to get the seat fixed and a new radio installed, and any other maintenance costs that are bound to come up.

    For me, assuming average gas price of $4.25 a gallon and calculating for 100,000 miles, the Prius C winds up being the cheapest new car I could get, and is actually cheaper than keeping my current car.

    I did not do the math for the Insight, but when I saw it in person it just felt too small and cramped, so even if I saved a few hundred dollars over the life of the car, the Prius C would still add up
     
    #24 awestover89, Apr 6, 2012
  5. Erikon

    Erikon Active Member

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    If you're coming from a regular gas guzzler, the answer may be easier, but for current gen III Prius owners it definetly wouldn't add up! You've already got the best hybrid in its class, with all the room and features that made it so successful for a decade plus the redesign's upgrades! Why give all that up and take the financial hit to buy the C just because it's "sportier" and might give you a couple of MPGs more around town? A fake shifter? Puhleeze! Wait for the plugin version at least!:D
     
    #25 Erikon, Apr 7, 2012
  6. vinnie97

    vinnie97 Whatever Works

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    ^Too late for me. :eek: I gave up the Gen III because of a deal-breaker manufacturing defect (engine misfire causing knock on cold start) for which a TSB has been issued but that is so intermittent, you are lucky to find a dealer who will apply the fix. More immediate peace of mind is preferred over the loss of money in trading "up" to a c.
     
    #26 vinnie97, Apr 7, 2012
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