Prius Premium Paying Buyers: Are these people are out of their minds???

[runningshoes]

"You know, the same mental populace that started to panic and abandon their homes when Orson Welles broadcast his radio play,
"The War of the Worlds".

new jersey?

[1999 White C5 Coupe]

Originally Posted by 91 s-10baja

Here's an item that floated to the surface this week in the media:

Gotta-have-it-now buyers pay premium for used Prius

"A used 2004 or 2005 Toyota Prius can sell for US$1,000 to US$3,000 over the sticker price of a new one.
The new car lists for US$20,975 to US$26,640.
Prices are higher for used cars when buyers want them right away rather than going on a waiting list for a new one.
Though it varies by area, Toyota says the wait for a new Prius averages about two months.
In the past, cars that sold for more used than new usually have been sporty models in short supply, such as Mini Cooper,
Nissan 350Z or Mazda Miata, not a tame hybrid sedan rated at 43 mpg in combined city and highway driving.
Still, there's a limit on how much buyers will pay. A Los Angeles area Toyota dealer recently knocked US$5,000 off the US$34,999
it was asking for a used Prius because it wasn't selling.
Soaring gas costs are spurring a backlash. "People try to shift their auto purchases to conserve energy."
"At US$4,000 or US$5,000 over sticker, you're really paying to be the first on your block to have one," he says."

Are these people out of their f***ing minds?

A Toyota Echo gets better highway mileage at half the cost.

Maintenance on these very, very complicated vehicles is going to be phenomenal as they age.

Batteries are worth C$7000 and electric motors run into C$5000.

Maintenance apart, Consumers Reports estimates that it will take 12 years to save enough fuel to pay the price difference between a
Prius and a Corolla.

Most people have experienced the painful experience of a "check engine" light that could only be solved with expensive repairs.

Hybrids are multiple times more complicated than that and at the end of the day, their fuel economy numbers are nothing to write home about.

Not compared with Europe, where there are at least 17 production cars available that will at least DOUBLE the economy of the best hybrids.

On top of all of this, crash rescue teams have been advised to approach rescue from a hybrid with great caution, because there are some
very high voltages involved.

So if you crash a hybrid, you may die before rescue can take place.

So I ask again why the hell would anyone WANT one of these devices?

Except that part of America that always panics.

You know, the same mental populace that started to panic and abandon their homes when Orson Welles broadcast his radio play,
"The War of the Worlds".

PGB
http://www.baileycar.com/baileyblog.html

There are numerous statements in this post that I do not believe are based on facts.

[TimR]

Originally Posted by ghughes

YESSS - they also might be shocked at the MPG when they use the defroster - saw some prig driving around with a custome license plate - 70 MPG-

I'll bet they never check their ACTUAL mileage....several mags have said the same thing, when the defrost or a/c is on, mileage drops to 30...thats pretty crappy...and I wonder how all those batteries and other various ingrediants will do once they hit the landfills...

later
Tim

[Tiger]

They arecrazy. More money than sense. But, rest assured, it'll get worse.

Saw a blurb (about some actor of course) on TV about paying $50k for the new Camry based Lexus RX330 Hybrid. I honestly came away with the impression that actors MUST be the dumbest people on earth.

[logansowner]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

Gee, I would not pay sticker price for that thing. I hear they are very difficult to get rid of once you've had enough of it. No hippie wants its. They prefer used Jettas

BS, did you read the post, they are selling for more than sticker, they obviously aren't having a hard time getting rid of them...

Of course I would not pay sticker for a new one, they are ugly as hell, I just wanty a high MPG vehicle that doesn't look stupid too. But obviously there are more than enough enviro freaks and celebrities who will buy them.

[mrfunji]

I am convinced that small car hybrids, like the Prius (or atleast ones that claim 60 mpgs), are wayyyyy overhyped. I had a Prius for competitive testing about three months ago for a few days. Apparently the Prius doesn't have enough juice to run the Hybrid system AND the rear defroster. So, if you are silently cruising around town on electricity around 10 mph and you turn on your defroster, the gas engine kicks on. Actually, anytime the rear defroster is turned on the gas engine kicks in (assuming it's not already on.)

Moral of the story: Rear window visibility costs ~ 10 mpg.

However, as a credit to Toyota, the Prius did exactly what they wanted it to: reinforce their image as a leader in efficiency and fuel economy, even though it's not necessarily true (i.e. GM's 3500 getting better fuel economy on 87 octance than the Camry's V6 on premium...)

[mgescuro]

Here's a question...

Why is Toyota getting all the press out of this? And all the glory??
Ford has one.
And Honda has THREE!!!

[citric acid]

The Prius is all about conspicuous lack of consumption, the bizarro Hummer if you will. It gets insane price premiums because people not only want to save money on gas, they want everyone on their street to know they're saving money on gas. A Jetta or Accord Hybrid doesn't give the same image, and most econoboxes give the image of someone whose outrageously cheap as opposed to environmentally concious.

That said, I imagine that if this had a Chevy badge on the hood instead of the Toyota T, this board would be rallying and giving high fives to each other. Also, for some people, especially those who live in city environments, the Prius makes a lot of sense. It's roomy, distinctive, and fairly well equipped, three attributes not present in, say, an Echo (since it was mentioned in this topic). I know people who want one and I fully support their decision, provided they don't do the price premium thing.

[Intimidatorz34]

I dont know if it was on the national news or just a local news station around here, but they had a report stating at the cost of a Prius, and the current taxes, and tax breaks combined with the cost of gas saved it would still take 7 years ( Im assuming 12-15k miles per year of driving) to break even if they were to buy a corolla.

As for me, the GTP only runs on 93+, which is 20 cents more than 87....at roughly 20 mpg Im only paying 1000 more on gas over 100k miles. Big deal, so I guess the only reason these people are buying hybrids is to make themselves 'feel good'. And Im willing to bet they dont work on their own vehicles either, good luck getting them fixed.

[xtremegrandam]

Originally Posted by Infiniti Z350

Because of the price?

Price and the true savings you are actualy getting.Locally I have seen the prius marked up like the new mustang GT.She also doesnt drive that much so I think in her case a hybrid is a waste of money(at least I think so). I would probably benefit more from a hybrid,But I want a car thats fun to drive.

[xioix]

Originally Posted by Intimidatorz34

I dont know if it was on the national news or just a local news station around here, but they had a report stating at the cost of a Prius, and the current taxes, and tax breaks combined with the cost of gas saved it would still take 7 years ( Im assuming 12-15k miles per year of driving) to break even if they were to buy a corolla.

As for me, the GTP only runs on 93+, which is 20 cents more than 87....at roughly 20 mpg Im only paying 1000 more on gas over 100k miles. Big deal, so I guess the only reason these people are buying hybrids is to make themselves 'feel good'. And Im willing to bet they dont work on their own vehicles either, good luck getting them fixed.

if you compare the price of a prius and the low end corolla or camry with out all the standard equipment that the prius has, then yes ther price gap is quite big, but when you compare the cars with the same equipment the price is almost gone, and the prius is a mid size car while the corolla is a compact

[xioix]

Originally Posted by 1999 White C5 Coupe

There are numerous statements in this post that I do not believe are based on facts.

alot of those are BS

it looks to be what some guy thinks the cost and problems could be

[jbernie]

Originally Posted by xioix

if you compare the price of a prius and the low end corolla or camry with out all the standard equipment that the prius has, then yes ther price gap is quite big, but when you compare the cars with the same equipment the price is almost gone, and the prius is a mid size car while the corolla is a compact

But if you compare a very basic Prius to a very basic Corolla you are way better off in the corolla..simply because you arent paying for all the tech loaded on the prius as standard.

My father in law is looking at a hybrid for his next vehicle... other than the feel good factor... i can't see how he can justify the benifits of paying $x000 more for any of the hybrids, Escape, Accord or Prius.

Go buy a well rebated GM vehicle with the 3800 v6 (mainly GrandPrix or Impala), get around 25mpg, and see how much gas you can buy with the price difference to a Prius and then see how many years it will take you get to the price of the Prius.

Of course, now if gas goes and hits $3 or $4 per gallon (country avg) and the public transit system of the USA is still non existant... it could make for interesting times. Watch the resale value soar even more.

James

[citric acid]

Originally Posted by jbernie

But if you compare a very basic Prius to a very basic Corolla you are way better off in the corolla..simply because you arent paying for all the tech loaded on the prius as standard.

My father in law is looking at a hybrid for his next vehicle... other than the feel good factor... i can't see how he can justify the benifits of paying $x000 more for any of the hybrids, Escape, Accord or Prius.

Go buy a well rebated GM vehicle with the 3800 v6 (mainly GrandPrix or Impala), get around 25mpg, and see how much gas you can buy with the price difference to a Prius and then see how many years it will take you get to the price of the Prius.

Of course, now if gas goes and hits $3 or $4 per gallon (country avg) and the public transit system of the USA is still non existant... it could make for interesting times. Watch the resale value soar even more.

James

But the very basic Prius has a lot more equipment than a very basic Corolla, making the comparison invalid. To properly compare the models, they have to be equipped exactly the same.

[FoMoCo Fan]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

Here's a question...

Why is Toyota getting all the press out of this? And all the glory??
Ford has one.
And Honda has THREE!!!

Simple, and it's not bias. The Prius is a stand alone model, not a hybrid version of an existing car. I know Honda's Insight is a stand alone model, but a 2 seater isn't going to get anyone excited. The Prius is now a fashion statement and a political statement. The local paper today ran an article about how 10 percent of the local Unitarian Universalist Church owns Priuses, or other hybrids. And they had a photoshoot with all of them with their hybrids on the back of the front page today.