Why do you hate the Prius?

[Raza]

If over the 5 years, you don't save a damn thing, then what's the point?

I'd wager that the Prius is nicer and more practical than a Corolla.

[SVT666]

That's the point I'm trying to make; people make those comparisons all the time, it's how life works. They may have owned a late-model Explorer and are looking to downsize into something cheaper to run. To say the Prius wouldn't be cheaper to run, is wrong.

It's not fair to compare the Prius to something like an Explorer because the Prius isn't an SUV.

[SVT666]

I'd wager that the Prius is nicer and more practical than a Corolla.

Hey.  Shut the fuck up.

[2o6]

It's not fair to compare the Prius to something like an Explorer because the Prius isn't an SUV.

It is fair if you own an Explorer or similar and you're looking to get rid of it.

I'd wager that the Prius is nicer and more practical than a Corolla.

It is, the Prius is actually quite practical. Good legroom, and it's a hatchback. Interior is nicer than the Corolla, and the wallowy handling is a penalty for the pretty smooth ride.

[Raza]

Hey.  Shut the fuck up.

How does it feel, knowing that you just got owned between bites of gnocchi?   

[SVT666]

How does it feel, knowing that you just got owned between bites of gnocchi?   

I don't get it.

[S204STi]

If the Prius were built with a TDI in front of that motor, I'd be curious.  As it is, I don't like it 1)the batteries involve a highly polluting chain of production, which we can't regulate since it's in a different country, 2)it's a car purpose-built to showcase a specific tech. 

I'm far more interested in say the Sonota hybrid which while it looks stupid is at least a relatively normal car otherwise, and far nicer.

[MrH]

You don't save anything by buying a Corolla, either! When two cars cost the same, why is cost a downside only for one?

False.  Time value of money is not being considered.

[Colonel Cadillac]

For example, If I owned a Volt, if I charged it every night, I could theoretically almost never use gas again. My daily commute is less than 40 miles, and I have access to electricity. Do I care about saving the enviornment? No. But my gas bill would be microscopic, and the increase in my electric bill would be comparatively much smaller than paying for several full tanks of gas. And my car is tiny; imagine those who are downsizing out of large cars that they really didn't need, paying sometimes $800 or more in gas a month.

$800 in gas each month?!! Maybe if you fill up your Range Rover multiple times a week...

[2o6]

$800 in gas each month?!! Maybe if you fill up your Range Rover multiple times a week...

People do this.

[S204STi]

Better yet, a hatch using a TD in series, and reasonable handling.  VW and Subaru should get on that.

[sportyaccordy]

False, because you'll get back part of that extra cost when you sell the cars. The extra cost to a higher-priced car doesn't just vanish when you drive off the lot. If you sell after five years, and each car is worth 50 percent of its original value, then you break even right then -- $3,000 from the gas and $3,000 from the resale. And you've had a roomier, nicer car in the meantime for zero extra money.

Ummm......

Lets do an example

Corolla is what 21K vs a Prius which is 29K similarly equipped... lets say you get 0% financing on both. So you are 10K in the hole to start (after taxes and all that shit)

You insure both cars the same... Prius costs more to insure because it costs more period, and you have to get full coverage on a financed vehicle. Lets call that another $200/yr or $1000 over the cost of the car. Now youre $11K in the hole.

You have to put gas in the cars... thats where the Prius shines right? Fuel Economy.gov says you will save $750/year on gas in the Prius. So after that you are only $7300 in the hole.

After 5 years lets say theyre worth half their new prices. 10.5K vs 14.5K. So with those savings you still end up $3300 in the hole for buying a Prius over a Corolla! The math has never worked out on the financial side. If one thinks car ownership boils down wholly to gas mileage, they deserved to get ripped off for making such goofy financial decisions (unless they really do drive 30-40K miles/year)

And for those 5 years you have a car that is slower + worse handling than a Corolla. Maybe it doesn't matter to you or 2o6 but thats not the same as it not mattering to everybody. Not to mention the environmental impact of the battery etc....

What if for some odd reason, they just like the car?

Man you are dense

Nobody said people shouldn't buy cars they don't like... most people here have far more car than they "need" despite our "math" only leading to Versas

But I am not going to argue that my buying a 650 over a Vespa + Zipcar membership was a rational decision, or say my 650 is objectively superior for everyone because of my subjective preference towards it

Nobody even said the Prius is a bad car... it like any car has shortcomings in certain areas that may or may not matter to certain people. The thread is called why do you hate the Prius, not why is the Prius a bad car

[2o6]

But if you're coming from a large SUV, 50MPG and a possibly smaller payment seems like a win-win.

[SVT666]

$800 in gas each month?!! Maybe if you fill up your Range Rover multiple times a week...

My wife and I drive a lot.  My wife especially.  She puts on much higher than average mileage on her car and last year we spent about $7200 on fuel driving 25,000 miles in a Ford Explorer (18 mpg hwy) and 18,000 miles in an SVT Focus (25 mpg hwy).  That's $600 a month and our fuel is 30% more expensive than yours.

EDIT:  This year, those 25,000 miles will be in the Infiniti.

[sportyaccordy]

But if you're coming from a large SUV, 50MPG and a possibly smaller payment seems like a win-win.

The most popular selling cars in the US are Corollas and Camrys. For Joe Sixpack odds are the Prius does not make sense. And a smaller payment is not always a good thing.

[MrH]

Guys, guys...$10k difference out of the gate doesn't translate to a $10k difference years from now.  Time-value of that cash is pretty considerable over the life of a car.  If you take a loan, it's less so I guess.  Do I really need to do a cash flow for this scenario?

[2o6]

Guys, guys...$10k difference out of the gate doesn't translate to a $10k difference years from now.  Time-value of that cash is pretty considerable over the life of a car.  If you take a loan, it's less so I guess.  Do I really need to do a cash flow for this scenario?

You're overthinking it. The average consumer doesn't think this hard about it.

[SVT666]

You're overthinking it. The average consumer doesn't think this hard about it.

That's the problem isn't it?

[2o6]

That's the problem isn't it?

Yes it is, but it is what it is.

[Raza]

I don't get it.

I was eating lunch.   

[MrH]

You're overthinking it. The average consumer doesn't think this hard about it.

No, I'm not overthinking it at all.  Overthinking it is when you make something needlessly complicated without getting a better result out of it.  And that's the problem.  The average consume is a moron.

[2o6]

No, overthinking it is when you make something needlessly complicated without getting a better result out of it.  And that's the problem.  The average consume is a moron.

If they weren't morons, car sales would tank.

[Laconian]

Priuses are incredibly roomy, almost minivan-like, for rear passengers. My mom loves hers because it gets the EPA advertised MPG figures, can be reconfigured to easily fit all her clunky real estate shit in the hatch, can fit tall people in every seat, and it has high end technological gadgets like a backup camera and heated seats. She logs like 17k suburban miles on her car a year so the breakeven point is coming up quick.

[2o6]

Priuses are incredibly roomy, almost minivan-like, for rear passengers. My mom loves hers because it gets the EPA advertised MPG figures, can be reconfigured to easily fit all her clunky real estate shit in the hatch, can fit tall people in every seat, and it has high end technological gadgets like a backup camera and heated seats. She logs like 17k suburban miles on her car a year so the breakeven point is coming up quick.

She should have kept the Tribute and ran it into the ground. Then bought a used Corolla.

[Laconian]

Nothing says "success" like a 17 year old Corolla with 250k miles and missing bits of interior trim.

That's how my dad rolls.

[hotrodalex]

No, I'm not overthinking it at all.  Overthinking it is when you make something needlessly complicated without getting a better result out of it.  And that's the problem.  The average consume is a moron.

Seems needlessly complicated to me. Is it really worth it to do an extensive financial analysis for a car? Do some basic math, realize that fuel economy won't necessarily save you money, say screw it and just buy whichever car you like the best.

If the average consumer is happy with their purchase, they are not morons.

[280Z Turbo]

It's not fair to compare the Prius to something like an Explorer because the Prius isn't an SUV.

When a Prius does the same thing for the average person, it does make sense to compare the two.

Many people who used to drive trucks and SUVs have decided to switch to the Prius.

[SVT666]

When a Prius does the same thing for the average person, it does make sense to compare the two.

Many people who used to drive trucks and SUVs have decided to switch to the Prius.

They didn't need an SUV to begin with so it's still a useless comparison.

[280Z Turbo]

They didn't need an SUV to begin with so it's still a useless comparison.

Exactly. People want a Prius in the same way they wanted Jeeps, Exploders, and Blazers in the 90's.

I'm just glad that instead of wasting fuel on shitty trucks, people want to sip fuel with a hybrid. I believe that there's a finite amount of oil in the ground.

[SVT666]

Exactly. People want a Prius in the same way they wanted Jeeps, Exploders, and Blazers in the 90's.

I'm just glad that instead of wasting fuel on shitty trucks, people want to sip fuel with a hybrid. I believe that there's a finite amount of oil in the ground.

And yet we keep finding more and we currently have enough to last us for well over a thousand years.