11 ms·

I am one of those in the article. A few years ago I needed a new car, running the math it wasn't a fantastic deal and I could get a much nicer car (performanc

by icefox 15y ago

I am one of those in the article. A few years ago I needed a new car, running the math it wasn't a fantastic deal and I could get a much nicer car (performance, looks, style, sound, features) for the same total price. I also said "maybe the next one with be a hybrid/electric".

pkulak 15y ago
My math said the opposite, actually. Factoring in the $50 (minimum) a month saved in gas, and my payment was about the same for a Prius or a Corolla/Civic. Plus, fluctuations in the price of gas effect me far less and in the end, my car is still worth more than a non-hybrid car, if I were to sell it. A car is an investment. A lousy one, but you still can't think of it only based total price vs features. You have to consider depreciation and operating costs more than upfront price.
- rorrr 15y ago
  Did you factor in the battery replacement?
- icefox 15y ago
  Back in 2008 when I bought my car the used Prius's were going for almost the price of a new one. This seemed like a short term fad of near zero depreciation and unwise to bet that it would stay that way. The Prius was really the only game in town at the time, gas prices were high, but it was clear that there would be plenty of new hybrids in the coming years. After hunting around for less than the price as a Prius (used or new) I got a barely used 6 speed manual G35 with all of the bells and whistles (15K miles, very clean engine, good find). The fact that it only gets ~22MPG in the peek of expensive gas might have been part of the reason I got it for so cheap. There is no debate that a G35 beats the pants of of a Civic or Corolla any day. Doing the math of $500 savings in gas a year I still have a few more years before it would have been cheaper to buy a Prius based upon the price difference. I have had no garage work on my G35 other than the standard oil change etc. To make things simple I will assume that the Prius would have been just as good. (How often do you have to change the battery?) I just looked up on kbb A brand new 2008 Prius would only be worth ~$400 more than my used G35 if I sold it today. So the math no matter how I look at it worked out for me and I got a nicer car to drive the past few years. But the real lesson I have seen over and over which is that any time someone runs the math they have different variables. If I were to buy a car today the used Prius's have actually dropped in price so that estimate is completely different that a few years ago, gas is now cheaper, I probably couldn't find that G35 again, and now there are other hybrids to compare against.
  - pkulak 15y ago
    Well, you're comparing new to used. Used is _always_ a better financial decision when you're buying a car (unless, I suppose, gas spikes and you want a hybrid, haha). But even with that working against you, the Prius would be worth more now and you would have saved thousands in gas.

by icefox 15y ago

pkulak 15y ago

My math said the opposite, actually. Factoring in the $50 (minimum) a month saved in gas, and my payment was about the same for a Prius or a Corolla/Civic. Plus, fluctuations in the price of gas effect me far less and in the end, my car is still worth more than a non-hybrid car, if I were to sell it. A car is an investment. A lousy one, but you still can't think of it only based total price vs features. You have to consider depreciation and operating costs more than upfront price.

rorrr 15y ago
Did you factor in the battery replacement?
icefox 15y ago
Back in 2008 when I bought my car the used Prius's were going for almost the price of a new one. This seemed like a short term fad of near zero depreciation and unwise to bet that it would stay that way. The Prius was really the only game in town at the time, gas prices were high, but it was clear that there would be plenty of new hybrids in the coming years. After hunting around for less than the price as a Prius (used or new) I got a barely used 6 speed manual G35 with all of the bells and whistles (15K miles, very clean engine, good find). The fact that it only gets ~22MPG in the peek of expensive gas might have been part of the reason I got it for so cheap. There is no debate that a G35 beats the pants of of a Civic or Corolla any day. Doing the math of $500 savings in gas a year I still have a few more years before it would have been cheaper to buy a Prius based upon the price difference. I have had no garage work on my G35 other than the standard oil change etc. To make things simple I will assume that the Prius would have been just as good. (How often do you have to change the battery?) I just looked up on kbb A brand new 2008 Prius would only be worth ~$400 more than my used G35 if I sold it today. So the math no matter how I look at it worked out for me and I got a nicer car to drive the past few years. But the real lesson I have seen over and over which is that any time someone runs the math they have different variables. If I were to buy a car today the used Prius's have actually dropped in price so that estimate is completely different that a few years ago, gas is now cheaper, I probably couldn't find that G35 again, and now there are other hybrids to compare against.
- pkulak 15y ago
  Well, you're comparing new to used. Used is _always_ a better financial decision when you're buying a car (unless, I suppose, gas spikes and you want a hybrid, haha). But even with that working against you, the Prius would be worth more now and you would have saved thousands in gas.