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Why is Prius Prime so much cheaper in Canada?

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by Gokhan, May 3, 2023.

  1. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    A Prius Prime SE is only $29k USD in Canada with delivery vs. $33.5k in the US. Besides, Canada gets $3.7k in government subsidies.

    After tax and fees, a Prius Prime SE is $6,000 USD cheaper in Canada than in the US! Crazy! :eek:

    Build your Toyota Prius Prime—Toyota Canada
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    because the current us government is pushing american made to an extent
     
  3. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    So, you are saying that the Inflation-Reduction Act has backfired and is causing more inflation.

    In case of Prius Prime, it is a 16% inflation over the Canadian price.
     
  4. eow

    eow Member

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    We in Canada make up the difference in our income taxes.


    iPhone ?
     
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  5. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    A yen is worth 1 cent Canadian and 0.74 cent US. That's why.
    With the dollar near a 10 year vs nearly all our major trade partners, imports will cost more.
     
  6. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    Maybe slightly more compared to some localities here, but in high-tax states like California, I think we are taxed more in the US. Moreover, the incomes are lower here, as there is minimal government regulation. As a result, most Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck. High-income people are definitely taxed more in the US than in Canada. In California, it is well over 50% for high-income people.

    In Canada, thanks to state-regulated medical industry, healthcare costs are well checked. Here, so much taxpayer money is wasted to inflated private healthcare costs, and the rest is wasted for military spending, with hardly anything left for other things.

    Thanks to wise government spending, you have the Pogey Beach in Canada. ;)

    Watch Pogey Beach (2004)—Free movies | Tubi
     
    #6 Gokhan, May 3, 2023
    Last edited: May 3, 2023
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  7. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    I converted the currencies. It shouldn't matter if you pay in Canadian dollar, yen, or Bitcoin.

    Besides, according to your logic, if the dollar is expected to rise against yen, the imports from Japan should cost less because when Toyota is paid in dollars, it will be worth more in yens in the coming months for them.
     
  8. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    You're right I have the import effect flipped.
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no, i'm saying toyota ev's don't qualify for a tax credit
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    also, are the packages exactly the same?
     
  11. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    How many Toyota dealers in Canada take US dollars? Converting the price to US dollars only means it's cheaper than the US version for those with income in US dollars. The Canadian price can be at the same level of affordability for someone in Canada as the the US price is for someone here.

    The a company is free to set prices free of their actual costs. The 2017 Prius Prime was cheap in the US compared to the rest of the world; at least $2000 less than the price(USD) in Canada.
    Didn't notice any. There are regulatory differences in things like DRLs, but nothing to account for the price difference.
     
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  12. purplePriii

    purplePriii Member

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    There should be plenty. I think Traffic Jam Assist is standard on all Primes in the US versus in Canada it only starts in the XSE at a 5k cad difference. The screen is automatically a 12.3'' in the XSE in Canada but in the US I think it's an extra, etc. There's a few small differences as far as I'm aware. I also don't even know if the Prime in Canada in any trim is supposed to get the 1500W inverters.

    In my province, it's also a 15% sales tax on the car, mind you there's an extra EV rebate. It looks like the lack of US EV rebates is really what makes the difference. Total rebates should be 7.5k cad in EV rebates which brings the total to 40k CAD for an SE in Canada or about 30K USD.
     
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  13. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    I think this is sign that the 2023 Prius Prime is grossly overpriced in the US, and we will see substantial price drops in 2024 and 2025., Expect about a 20% price drop in two years, with Prius Prime SE priced around $26k after factory and dealer rebates. As long as ICE cars are around, PHEVs, EVs, and BEVs won't sell well after the initial excitement is gone.
     
  14. purplePriii

    purplePriii Member

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    I've heard other people say that but I don't really see it happening. All smaller and cheaper cars are being phased out, average car price is going up. PHEVs and EVs in general are very expensive, people don't notice it as much until they lose EV rebates or they lower them. They already lowered them in my province last year. Interest rates on Toyota Canada website is 7.19% and the waitlists haven't stopped. My dealer claim they have 150 reservations for Prius Primes (a lot of 2022 were not delivered so they were added to the reservations) and claim they will only receive 40 this year. Then again, Canadian and US markets are different but the situation doesn't seem much better in the US right now.
     
  15. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Your taxes also pay for medical whereas in retirement if we make just a teeny bit above not working at all we have to take it in the shorts with exorbitant (I.R.M.A.) exorbitant policy payments. ....
    So the price difference probably relates to something else.
    .
     
  16. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    It is marketing strategy. Toyota thinks the Americans will drool over the new Prius Prime while the Canadians will give it a cold shoulder.
     
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Except Toyota Canada expects 80% of Prius sales to be the Prime and in the US, TMNA thinks it'll be only 30%.

    A Prius Prime tops out near $50,000 here. That's expensive! (Last gen topped out around $38k).

    Although I will say, the XSE at $45k is well packaged. For once, Toyota Canada doesn't force the top model for desirable features. (like adding power windows to a power moonroof package for a Corolla back in the day)
     
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  18. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Ah, I didn't look into the advanced safety features. The driver monitoring built into the Traffic Jam Assist can easily be priced at $1000. The TJA is a pretty new feature; Prius might be the first non-luxury model with it. I'm not seeing BSM and cross traffic alert, nor Safe Exit listed for the Canadian model at all.

    The base trim price differences could be explained by the lack of features on the Canadian model that are standard on the American one.

    If production hits levels of the previous model, Toyota might run incentives to make up for the lack of government ones in the US.
     
  19. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    BSM/SE is standard in Canada for Prius Prime. The Canadian website is pretty bad. It doesn't mention RCTA, but it uses the same radars; so, I am sure it has RCTA as well.

    TJA is not free in the US—requires a subscription. I will never subscribe to something like that.

    Poised for performance: 2023 Toyota Prius Prime revealed | Toyota Canada
     
  20. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Toyota doesn't come to your house and remove the cameras and other hardware for the needed driver monitoring system if you cancel the subscription. They aren't going to give it away for free; it costs more than seat heaters. They charged you for it in the price of the car. Also for the additional software in the computer.

    Thus, at least partly, why the US SE has a higher price than the Canadian model.

    Why is TJA subscription? Is it geo-fenced, require accurate maps?