Thinking about a Prius

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

Elmo P. Shagnasty <elmop.DeleteThis@nastydesigns.com> wrote:

> well, those Prius car payments will buy A BUNCH of gas for the Corolla.
>
> Plus, the Corolla should run forever. A friend of mine has a 95 with
> around 250K-300K miles on it, and frankly it looks new.

Prior to buying my 2004 Prius in September, 2004, I was driving a 1995
Geo Prizm, which is a rebranded Corolla. At the time I traded it in,
the Prizm had about 210K miles on it and was getting about 25MPG
overall. I could have kept it longer, but I wanted a larger car.

The 82K miles I've driven on the Prius would have cost me nearly $3700
more for gas on the Prizm.

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

In article <aUqij.3474$HL1.205@newsfe21.lga>,
"nobody but us chickens" <tetodd2008.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:

> I've been looking at the Prius online & downloaded the brochure for it.
> Need to save up a bit more for a down payment in order to get a better
> monthly payment. I also know that my car won't get that much as a trade in,
> I've already looked up that year. Ugh, car payments again! Right now I have
> a 99 Corolla, while it's not that bad on gas what I've read on the Prius
> sounds
> great. I've seen a couple in person but haven't even sat in one yet , want
> to wait
> until I can afford to because I know once I get in I'll want it then. Also
> can't decide if I want to wait until my car bites the dust which could be
> years yet or go for it as soon as I can swing it.
> I guess my question though are just how different would the operation &
> driving
> be from the car I have now. From online pics the dash looks like it's a LOT
> more
> complicated. I'd ask one of the local dealers but I don't want to be
> pressured at
> this point into getting it now. The nearest dealer also sells a car that
> isn't a Toyota & I wonder how they can be experts on so many different ones.
> The next nearest is in another county, where I bought the Corolla is
> strictly Toyota.
> Thanks

I NBUSC, I was in your position until last Thursday when I finally
bought my Prius! Like you, I was waiting until my old car was old enough
and I had more of a down payment.

To answer your question, driving a Prius is no different in most
respects from driving any other car. You get in, start the car, and go.
Same old same old. There are some subtle differences in using my Prius.
For example, when I was given the keys to mine for the first time by the
dealer and I tried to start it, the car was so quiet, I didn't realize
it was running so I went back in the dealership to ask for help. I am
also getting used to the idea of not having to grab the keys out of my
pocket each time I walk up to my Prius because it has the smart key
system, so no key is required.

Other than that, its the same as any other car.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop.DeleteThis@nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
news:elmop-F4C279.12042613012008@nntp1.usenetserver.com...
> In article <aUqij.3474$HL1.205@newsfe21.lga>,
> "nobody but us chickens" <tetodd2008.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Right now I have
>> a 99 Corolla, while it's not that bad on gas what I've read on the Prius
>> sounds
>> great.
>
> well, those Prius car payments will buy A BUNCH of gas for the Corolla.
>
> Plus, the Corolla should run forever. A friend of mine has a 95 with
> around 250K-300K miles on it, and frankly it looks new.
>
>
>> I guess my question though are just how different would the operation &
>> driving
>> be from the car I have now.
>
> None. Toyota went to GREAT lengths to make sure that the Prius acts and
> drives just like a car.
>
> You won't notice the difference. No, it's not more complicated at all.
> The dash may be different, but that doesn't mean it's worse or more
> complicated.
>
Guess I'm just getting tired of the Corolla, I've had it over 9 years & it's
got about 95,000 miles on it. Nothing really wrong with it (knock wood)
except that I've had to replace the fan blower motor 3 times. I like the
thought of a hatchback, years ago I had a Corolla FX which was a hatchback &
it really came in handy. Girl at work bought a new car over the weekend so
that makes me want one even more. I'll just try to save as much as possible
towards a down payment & hope a deal comes along.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

OK, I'm sure somebody has already done the math. What would the difference
between buying a 2008 Corolla with, let's say, 30 mpg for $14,000 or a Prius
that gets, let's say, 45 mpg but costs $24,000? Would it ever be more cost
effective to buy the Prius? Please tell me yes and in a short time because
I really like the Prius.
Rosscoe

"nobody but us chickens" <tetodd2008.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:aUqij.3474$HL1.205@newsfe21.lga...
> I've been looking at the Prius online & downloaded the brochure for it.
> Need to save up a bit more for a down payment in order to get a better
> monthly payment. I also know that my car won't get that much as a trade
> in,
> I've already looked up that year. Ugh, car payments again! Right now I
> have
> a 99 Corolla, while it's not that bad on gas what I've read on the Prius
> sounds
> great. I've seen a couple in person but haven't even sat in one yet , want
> to wait
> until I can afford to because I know once I get in I'll want it then. Also
> can't decide if I want to wait until my car bites the dust which could be
> years yet or go for it as soon as I can swing it.
> I guess my question though are just how different would the operation &
> driving
> be from the car I have now. From online pics the dash looks like it's a
> LOT more
> complicated. I'd ask one of the local dealers but I don't want to be
> pressured at
> this point into getting it now. The nearest dealer also sells a car that
> isn't a Toyota & I wonder how they can be experts on so many different
> ones. The next nearest is in another county, where I bought the Corolla is
> strictly Toyota.
> Thanks
>
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

Just Me <justme DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote:

> OK, I'm sure somebody has already done the math. What would the difference
> between buying a 2008 Corolla with, let's say, 30 mpg for $14,000 or a Prius
> that gets, let's say, 45 mpg but costs $24,000? Would it ever be more cost
> effective to buy the Prius? Please tell me yes and in a short time because
> I really like the Prius.

It isn't that easy as the Prius comes with:

- automatic transmission
- cruise control
- temperature controlled heater/AC
- alloy wheels
- functional spoiler
- air-dams and wheel air blocks
- 6 disk CD player
- electric doors
- smart key system
- interior space (hotel Prius)
- in some areas: free parking, HOV lane access, state tax benefits
- plug-in optional (3d party)

Bob Wilson
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

Elmo P. Shagnasty <elmop.TakeThisOut@nastydesigns.com> wrote:

> > OK, I'm sure somebody has already done the math. What would the
> > difference between buying a 2008 Corolla with, let's say, 30 mpg for
> > $14,000 or a Prius that gets, let's say, 45 mpg but costs $24,000?
>
> If you're looking at the $14K Corolla, then don't look at the $24K
> Prius. Look at the $21K base model, just like the Corolla is base.
>
> Apples to apples.

Yes, and then one also has to factor in how much the car will be driven.
The more miles driven annually, the more sense the Prius makes.

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

Elmo P. Shagnasty <elmop RemoveThis @nastydesigns.com> wrote:

> In article <1NGdncBZMu563hDanZ2dnUVZ_gOdnZ2d RemoveThis @comcast.com>,
> "Just Me" <justme RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > OK, I'm sure somebody has already done the math. What would the difference
> > between buying a 2008 Corolla with, let's say, 30 mpg for $14,000 or a Prius
> > that gets, let's say, 45 mpg but costs $24,000?
>
> If you're looking at the $14K Corolla, then don't look at the $24K
> Prius. Look at the $21K base model, just like the Corolla is base.
>
> Apples to apples.

A used Prius ofters a lot of life with a significant reduction in
purchase price. In 2005, I bought a 2003 with 49k miles for $17.3 when
new Prius were still having a $4k 'dealer profit' added to the purchase
price.

GOOD LUCK!

Bob Wilson
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

In article <1NGdncBZMu563hDanZ2dnUVZ_gOdnZ2d DeleteThis @comcast.com>,
"Just Me" <justme DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote:

> OK, I'm sure somebody has already done the math. What would the difference
> between buying a 2008 Corolla with, let's say, 30 mpg for $14,000 or a Prius
> that gets, let's say, 45 mpg but costs $24,000? Would it ever be more cost
> effective to buy the Prius? Please tell me yes and in a short time because
> I really like the Prius.

It depends a lot on the price of gas and how much you drive, as well as
your driving habits (highway, urban, or combination). In my area, gas
costs around $3/gallon now. I bought my 2008 Prius less than a week ago.
I am going on the assumption that the price of gas will steadily
increase over the life of my Prius. Gas now is around 60 cents more per
gallon than it was a year ago. One year ago, gas was also around 60
cents more per gallon than it was the previous year. I am no expert, but
it seems to me that the price of gas is going up roughly sixty cents a
year, so in two years from now, gas will be well over $4.00 on average
in the USA.

Consumer Reports answered your question last year (I think). CR said the
cut off point is around $4.50/gallon for when the Prius becomes cost
effective. Also, having just shopped the Prius, I can tell you that you
can get one for less than $24,000. The car I am driving has package #2
and it cost me $22,000 although the taxes and tags brought it up to
$24,170. If you buy a base Pruis, its still as economical as the other
Prius models and you can save at least $2,000, which is certainly still
more than a Corolla.

I figure that my Prius will last me at least ten years, but probably
longer. Out of that ten years, at least seven of those years will be
during a period where the price of gas exceeds that $4.50/gallon cut off
point. The future price of gas is a big reason why I bought my Prius;
however, the main reason was that its environmentally friendly.
Regardless of the gas price and cost-effectiveness, the Prius (and other
hybrids) spew less pollution than regular fueled vehicles, which is
important to me, and should be to anyone else who has grown addicted to
breathing.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius 

If you want to minimize the total cost of ownership then buying any new
car is not the thing to do. The most economical thing is to buy a used
recent Civic, Corolla, or Kia. And if at all possible save up the whole
price of the car instead of borrowing.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking about a Prius