Planning on buying a 08' Prius?

[Driver103]

My mom is planning on buying a new car, we were wondering on Honda Civic, and Toyota Prius both Hybrid of course. We have an 04' Honda CRV. So she said that she doesn't want another Honda anymore... So i've been searching around the internet for infos on the 08' Prius. And i understand that there's three types of Prius, and then u need to select a package out of 6 for the two types of the Prius. So we need to find out which is the best package to pick for us. We don't really want anything fancy, don't really care about the GPS navigation system.uh... to this person answering first.....i thought Toyota's a Japannese brand....wait... actually sorry, i misunderstood that person...

[StupidFlanders]

go foreign...american cars suck

[JKT]

Sooo...What are you asking?

[bassam]

i would not even look at hybrids the new diesel Volkswagen polo bluemotion gets 74 mpg and they are not so cheesy it might be a european car though but popular mecanics magazine recomends it over the prius also look at then Chevy aveo gets 40 mpg and it is only about $15,000more cars to look at are Toyota rav4, yris, highlander, Buick's, dodge nitro, drango, Mercedes and Audi's (lower end models are very good cars and they aren't that expensive)

[StupidFlanders]

The prius without the extra's is still loaded and can be bougfht for around 23-24000.00. There are only 1 type of Prius with different options. Just ask for base model and you will get everything you need. Good thing you are getting Prius as Honda is not true hybrid and gets no where the gas Prius does. The Honda has more or less an electric boost engine that saves gas by using the torque to get going. It can only ride on both G and E at same time and Prius gets 48 MPG on highway and 52 in city.

[DavidCross]

I've never seen anyone do a cost-benefit analysis for a v4 vs v6 vs diesel engine, so why do one for a hybrid drivetrain? Most cost analysis articles neglect trade-in value which the Prius does very well in maintaining. (in some areas, used Prius are still selling for near new prices for availability and rising gasoline prices!). Don't forget to include federal and any state tax incentives in your calculation (Consumer Reports forgot, and had to issue a retraction that hybrids are cheaper to own/operate than their gasoline cousins). Edmunds.com still doesn't take into account the true depreciation value (as seen by manually looking for a Prius trade-in value) when calculating their TCO, but they still say that hybrids will pay for themselves even when using their lower than actual trade-in amounts: http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/08/22/bc.autos.hybrids.reut/index.htmlHybrids do cost less in the long term than their conventional counterparts. (Intellichoice used a 5 year ownership comparison in 2006) See http://www.intellichoice.com/press/Hybrid-Survey-2006 and http://www.intellichoice.com/carBuying101/HypeOverHybridsWhile Consumer Reports in 2006 only found the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid would pay off within the same 5 year frame. The Honda Accord Hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Lexus RX400h, and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid were also studied.(I'll note that there was a mathematical error in the initial publication of Consumer Reports' hybrid vehicle cost analysis, which a retraction was published later... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11637968/ )Since this publication, many more hybrid models have become available, so I can't use this to say about hybrids "in general." However, in the US, the Toyota hybrids have sold so many that they no longer qualify for the US Federal hybrid vehicle income tax credit, but Honda and others still have theirs.Check out the April issue of Consumer Reports if you want reliability information. Both the Honda Civic and Toyota Prius make their best bets for new cars and for used cars.http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/top-picks-for-2007-4-07/overview/0704_top-picks-2007.htmhttp://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/used-cars/used-cars-best-and-worst-406/index.htmThere is more to vehicle ownership besides initial purchase cost and the amount of gasoline used - there is also the costs to maintain and insure it, and also depreciation costs.However, the societal costs for emissions are not usually included. The hybrids tend to be at worst an ULEV, with many (like the Prius and HCH II) an AT-PZEV. Some are only sold in CA-emissions states. (Compare that to the often suggested VW TDIs, which cannot be sold new in CA-emission states because of their poor emissions.) In the US, hybrid models (like the Prius and HCH II) tend to be the best in fuel economy in their respective classes, using the same testing procedure to compare all cars (hybrid/gasoline/diesel/flex-fuel/etc.), and that is for BOTH highway and city driving: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best/bestworstNF.shtmlThe Prius and Honda Civic are also in Kelley Blue Book's 2007 Best Resale Value Awards: http://www.kbb.com/kbb/ReviewsAndRatings/BestResaleValueAwards.aspx (though if you're not in the US resale values may differ...)The Prius is also in edmunds' used cars best bets list as well, and their lowest true cost to own list.http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/bestbet/articles/index.htmlhttp://www.edmunds.com/reviews/tco/2007/index.htmlMaintenance is about the same as a regular car - use your favorite mechanic or DIY. Typically just oil/filter changes and tire rotations.Toyota scheduled maintenance guides:http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com/http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/3/wo/Home.Owners.MaintenanceMenu-mAJJwzTxmt23o9nuRKQCm0/3.11Honda scheduled maintenance guides:https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=honda (free registration)http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/YourHonda/HondaService/MaintCalcDefault.asp?L=Eas for cost differences, make sure that you are comparing similarly sized and equipped vehicles. If you were looking at the Camry Hybrid, it is best paired against the top of the line trim Camry XLE model, for example. For the Prius, the closest comparison is the Camry Hybrid, or the Camry XLE, to match size and options. The US state of Colorado has already done such calculations for state income tax credit purposes, and presented the incremental price difference between the hybrid and closest non-hybrid model, here: http://www.revenue.state.co.us/fyi/html/income09.htmlThe incremental price difference is:2008 Toyota base Prius is US$23702008 Toyota touring Prius is US$36542008 Honda Civic Hybrid II is US$3675Both the Prius and HCH are great cars. But, only you can decide which will work out best for you. Take both for a test drive, and see which one you like better, which you like the seating better, and/or like the available options better... Do you prefer a sedan (Honda Civic Hybrid), or do you like a hatchback (Toyota Prius)? Is a compact OK with you (Honda Civic Hybrid), or would you prefer a larger midsized vehicle (Toyota Prius)? If you want a manual transmission, then you'll have to look for a used HCH. Do you want to show off that you have a hybrid or not? The Prius is only available as a hybrid and its distinctive aerodynamic design gives it away, while the HCH blends in and looks like most every other Civic on the road...anyhow, as for Prius types and options, assuming that you're in the US (you don't state)... http://www.toyota.com/prius/ If you are buying new from the dealer, there are only two types of Prius, the base model and the Touring edition. The Touring edition has a larger spoiler, larger wheels, stiffer suspension, and standard fog lights, along with some different interior/exterior color choices. (Base model should be fine for most, esp. since the Touring edition was new within the 2007 model year.) There are 6 option packages for the base model Prius, and 4 option packages for the Touring edition: http://www.toyota.com/prius/options.html However, most Toyota regions order fewer option packages than that, so you should use the "Build and Price your Prius" link (and fill in your ZIP code) to see what is really available to you in your area. I would probably suggest at least a package #2 HG, as that has the added Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), which is a good safety feature. Anything else is entirely up to your tastes and pocketbook.

[realdolby]

Don't get a prius. Those cars are overrated.

[realdolby]

my most famous answer to this question has been, "do all the research, read all the Consumer Reports, read all the car magazines' reports, then test drive them all and buy the one you like."........ 'most everyone operates that way, and it seems to work pretty well............ any car may have quirks you can live with OR can't stand. you've got to sit in 'em to find out if the controls are where you like them or the arm rests fit your body and the mirrors let you see out comfortably and safely............................................ .... i'm a techy and an "early adopter" by reputation, and i've been facinated by all kinds of hybrid designs for cars for maybe 20 years or more. ......... i didn't like the '03 [generation 1] prius because of its short front hood look. i liked the Gen2 '04 lots better, plus the larger size and lots of features that appealed to me, and i bought one in april of '04. back then, there was a 4-6-month waiting time for delivery. horrible! it's much better now......................... i looked at the civic back then, and rejected it because the back seats didn't fold down for extra-long item storage AND it was pretty much a "regular civic with some electric boost." ....... i wanted a hybrid that was DESIGNED to use hybrid technology from the ground up and from the insides out............................. the '04 did that, and the subsequent years' models have proven that they got it right and didn't need to make lots of changes to the design. My wife is seriously considering trading her '98 low-mileage Camry XLE [loaded] against a new Camry hybrid, in order to go from about 22 mpg to maybe 35 for around town average driving........ if you check my home page at http://www.plusaf.com , you'll get several links to the yahoo group i created for prius owners who want to hook small trailers onto the car, as well as links to http://www.priuschat.com , where i used to ask tons of questions and read lots of stuff from real owners, and then on to http://www.greenhybrid.com , where you can see real-world gas mileage stats from literally hundreds and hundreds of owners of just about every kind of hybrid that's on the road today [including MY stats for my car, both WITH and WITHOUT the trailer in tow...] .......... ................ ................. virtuially every car maker can make a lemon now and then, so don't believe anyone who says one brand or make is always the best OR the worst. Toyota built a great reputation [and sales volume] on quality AND good gas mileage, and i'm one of their VERY satisfied customers [let alone my wife, who loves her Camry...]...... .......... .......... yet i've made complaints to toyota, too............. if you find an options package that suits your needs and does NOT include the NAVigation system, don't order up to the Nav level. Unless they've drastically improved the user interface, it's been horrible compared to a simple DVR or cable box menu...... very little "user logic and friendliness" in it, and mine cost over $200 for an "upgrade DVD" for the mapping information....... the new DVD had most of the same mapping errors that the old one did, after more than a year's opportunity to fix 'em, and as often as not, the voice directions sometimes don't say more than "your guidance starts now" and "you've reached your destination." WAY to spotty and unpredictable.................... and my wife LOVES her Garmin portable. she's bought Garmins for relatives and recommended them to friends, and i've recommended them, too.........INSTEAD of the lousy NAV system in the prius.............. ................. but remember, toyota makes CARS, not navigation systems, so decide which you're buying... .........but after you buy the prius, ask the dealer or sales person, "where's the USB port or RAM-chip upgrade for the NAV mapping plug in?" ......... just to annoy them.............................................. . ps, it corners like a bandit, tows a trailer up long hills at very adequate speeds, and doesn't break, either........... .......... oh, pps...... this is the first hatchback i've owned, and i LOVE to put the back seats down, drop the passenger seat and carry hundreds of pounds of 8-foot lumber home from the Home Depot or Lowes..... don't try that in your Civic....

[Retard]

To answer your question, yeah I LOVE my Prius and I and every Prius owner I've talked to have found the best price advantage is to get package #2. That's the most bang for the buck, unless you need the navigation thing.