Toyota Prius

Shaggz

A strong 7
For shits and giggles, I contacted a couple of Toyota dealers today to get pricing on a new Prius. I can't say I was shocked, but was real surprised to hear that there is a 6-8 week lead time to get one.
 

Kirt

JORBA: Chimney Rock, Team MTBNJ.COM
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
The lead time does not shock me at all. If anything i figured it would be longer. What was the cost?
 

NJ-XC-Justin

KY-DH-Freddy
There are plenty of fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly (relatively speaking) cars available that aren't adored by people who want to flaunt their environment-mindedness, and therefore these cars have zero wait and even attractive rebates. Mileage is one of many attributes that makes a car have less impact on the Earth. The Toyota Corolla actually has has impact than the Prius when you consider manufacture, distribution and disposal in addition to mileage (and gets 35 MPG to boot). This is partly because they're more efficient in making the Corolla and partly because a hybrid's batteries aren't exactly biodegradable. Conversely the mass-produced vehicle with the greatest impact on the environment isn't the Suburban or a Bentley, and while both get less than 10 MPG, it's the VW Tourag that weighs most greatly on the Earth.

I love seeing Priuses because of what they represent but if you're interested in a car that leaves less of a footptint, there's many choices. Check out the Civic, Yaris, Altima hybrid, Corolla, Fit and Focus. And the biggest news around: Nissan will unveil an all-electric car for 2010.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Yaris?

I looked at the Prius when I bought my Yaris. For less than half the price I think it's a better value. 40 MPG. Not to mention, it comes in a manual 5-speed. It's lighter than the Prius and feels quicker/more fun to drive:D You can play with mine at one of the races.

-Jim.
 

mwlikesbikes

Well-Known Member
I agree with you Justin. The hybrids are overrated in my opinion. They're the fashion statement du jour of the celebrity circle. The biggest jokes are the big suv hybrids. I beleive the Chevy Tahoe one gets only about 5 to 7 mpg better than the gas model of the same truck. All that for only like $10k more! You can pick up a nice pre-owned Corrola or Sentra for half the price of a Prius.
 

walter

Fourth Party
My wifes lease is up in October and we have already started looking for new cars. She considered the a hybrid, but did tons of research and found that the extra money you pay for the hybrid doesnt really benefit you in the long run. She's looking at the 4 cylinder Malibu's, Altima, Accord and something else.

For me, I really wanted a four door Wrangler or an Xterra for my next car, but looks like Im going to be getting a Saturn Astra or some other small, fun car.

Simpsons quote time: " Should I be made fun of simply because I could not afford a large automobile?"

50 clams to fill my 4 cylinder Saturn Vue the other day, I feel for you folks with small weiners that need to drive big, fancy cars and trucks:D
 

RacinStart

New Member
I am waiting for a Suzuki Swift to come out here. 1.5L 2400lbs car can do over 40 MPGs. And it looks better then those hybrid jumbo mumbo.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
:D You can play with mine at one of the races.
Do I look like Shaniqua?

I have an Accord, and while it gets OK gas mileage, I put on over 25K per year, and have to fill the tank once every 5 days. My car is used for more than just commuting, and while the Accord is not flashy, it is a better fit for my job and family life, as opposed to a Corolla, Yaris or Swift class car. I am considering the Prius because I could be frugal, and still make a "fashion statement".
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
is the prius a huge step forward? yes.
is it very eco-friendly (in terms of fuel usage)- yes.
is it the new cool thing to have? absolutely.

is it, from a financial standpoint, worth it to own one? eh...not so much. from the stats i've read, it takes approximately three years to see the fuel-repay benefits on the prius. it may be less with today's $4 / gallon prices (and by all estimates, upwards of $5 by summers end) but it still takes awhile. also, if you consider how quickly technology chages, well, that fancy, fuel efficient prius will probably be out to pasture in three years (which, coincidently, is the average term on a lease). interesting, huh?

if i were looking at cars right now, i would wouldn't even consider anything with more than 6 cylinders. if i commuted to work everyday, i wouldn't have anything with more than four. and, i wouldn't OWN anything. based on what i've seen coming out of DET and what i've heard from some of the folks i know, there is going to be a massive shift. whether it occurs in the next three years, or next five, that i don't know. but it's hanging out there. the economy simply cannot sustain a $5 or $6 price per gallon when the average salary hasn't risen to meet it.

and, fyi, here is a blub on yahoo today about hybrids. i guess the price of gas has in fact made them a bit more attractive from a metrics standpoint but you're still a year or two from recouping the upfront out of pocket costs.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/amorylovins/43/rethinking-the-cost-of-hybrid-cars.html
 

NJ-XC-Justin

KY-DH-Freddy
if i commuted to work everyday, i wouldn't have anything with more than four. and, i wouldn't OWN anything.

I agree, up to the OWN anything comment which I just don't get. If you need a car, buy one. Leasing is an outright scam. You spend $5k more over 3 years for a $25k car and $8k more over 3 years for a $40k car. It's a total scam that people are somehow completely at ease with buying into.
 

Maurice

New Member
I'm hesitant on hybrids:

- still burns gas
- resale value?

Purely for commuting purposes, consider a motorcycle. Riding in the rain or cold isn't too bad, and it's safer than you think. My VFR 750 gets 50+ MPG.

Truth is, though, I haven't ridden the VFR in at least 6 months. I pedal the 20 miles to work... I get approximately 30 miles per burrito.

Cheers,

Maurice
 

gtluke

The Moped
if you want fantastic fuel economy, get a diesel volkswagon. 45+ mpg and nothing fancy to break down on you. plug you can get a wagon and fit your bike in it.
the last gen corolla got i think 41mpg but they just redid it, and in japanese car terms that means they added 20% the size and 20% the weight. so you'll have to buy a yaris now that the corolla is the size of last gen's camry and the camry is now the size of the space shuttle.
i daily a 1991 galant that gets 19mpg but its worth it to me to spend the extra on gas (93 at that too). i actually enjoy my time behind the wheel instead of being annoyed or dreading my commute. thats worth a few bucks to me.
if i drive into the city or far away, i drive my 01 hyunda accent. bought it used 3 years ago for $3500, i put 40,000 miles on it (girlfriend commutes in it) and spent MAYBE $300 in repairs (has 106k on it now)
i just put new brake pads in it last week and they were $6 (six dollars) haha

plus i don't want to drive a car (prius) that screams I'M BAD AT MATH AND STILL UPSET THAT KERRY LOST
 

Glancing Aft

Active Member
Just as a heads up the next generation prius is coming out next spring. It will be slightly larger in dimensions while achieving better gas milleage. Hopefully it wont be so god awful ugly too. Word is that there will be a plug-in version eventually too....

I agree with gtluke. Go with a VW diesel. The new VW Jetta wagon is out (or shortly coming out) I've seen it at some auto shows and liked what I saw. Also Consume Reports has been giving VW better quality rankings of late.

My advise, is just bike to work!
 

TonyC

Active Member
I agree, up to the OWN anything comment which I just don't get. If you need a car, buy one. Leasing is an outright scam. You spend $5k more over 3 years for a $25k car and $8k more over 3 years for a $40k car. It's a total scam that people are somehow completely at ease with buying into.

It all depends. If you buy and plan on keeping it for many many years after you pay it off it's worth it. But, how many people actually keep one of their cars like our parents did back in the day.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

If you buy a "new" car (say 28k) for payments of $530ish/60mths(taxes/loan%) -vs- leasing same vehicle $350ish/36mths. (also, don't put on more than 12-15k miles per year)

After 36 months you made (19k) worth of loan payments. You paid (6k) more then if you leased. How much is the vehicle now worth for trade in vs how much you have left on the loan. Probably around the same if not upside down on the loan.
If you have leased the residual buyout is always more then what the vehicle is worth so you turn it in at end of lease. So basically leasing is more appealing for short term buyers that put on normal miles and want a new car every few years.
I'd say go with the lease right??
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
my dad owned a car dealership for years. he loved leases, they were great for business. therefore, i won't ever lease.

the problem with leases is you will have a car payment for the rest of your life if you feel the need to have a new car all the time... plus, you're usually paying to fix the thing, so you are paying to fix someone else's car, which could be construed as a poor financial decision.

save up a huge down payment if you have the ability to - that's the only way to go when purchasing - that way you will avoid being upside down on your car. if you have a large enough down payment, you'll never be upside down.

i'm not too impressed with the hybrids. it seems like the mileage isn't all that much better when compared to a corolla... plus, if you're going for a 'green' car (if there is such a thing), i would figure there is a lot of chemical waste and energy used to make those huge batteries, and when they burn out, what about the waste disposal of them?

i guess cars are a mess when disposed of... but a hybrid is a car, plus a huge battery... its like extra waste in the long run for a gas car.
 
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