Should I buy a new Toyota Prius ?

Probably not. You’d have to look at how much the prius costs and what another vehicle costs before you can decide if saving $708 in fuel costs is worth it.

You should bear in mind that gas isn’t the only expense in owning a car. Are there special extra costs to the prius? For example, maybe it does save $708 a year in gasoline, but after two or four years you have to buy new batteries for $24,000? Those are just examples, I don’t know how much the battery replacement costs, but you might want to check it out. Also, check out how much parts and labor for repairs typically cost for a prius, it may be higher because the prius is a complex technology.

Toyota Prius is expensive and in high demand

the Honda Civic hybrid handles better and is easier to find.
it comes with abs an side curtain air bags.

the Toyota Camry hybrid is roomy & quiet and gets 34mpg

test drive them all and see how they feel.

the rav4 with the v6 engine is powerful but can run $30K
if the you get hit from behind on that spare tire the damage is astronomical. the honda crv has removed the tire solving this problem.

I know some try to knock the prius, like the $24,000 for the batteries, try possibly $3000 after 150-200,000 miles. However, it also has the highest reliability in its class and owners generally love them. now as far as hauling furniture the rav-4 is going to haul more furniture and the opening on the prius is just not that large. The surfboard is no problem. You can put a rear hitch and rack on a prius, but can’t pull a trailer. I guess your decision is convenience vs economy just like the rest of us coping with high gas prices.

I would get the RAV4 instead. You have more room to move things, for starters.

$708 is OK savings but some dealers are still changing over sticker for a Prius, while they are not for a RAV4. So that Prius might end up costing more, thus eliminating some of the potential fuel cost savings. The federal Hybrid tax credit for Prius just ran up, so you wouldn’t qualify for that either.

Plus if you are buying instead of leasing there is battery replacement cost to consider. I think in general it runs about $4,000 – $5,000. That’s a lot of money that you definitely wouldn’t have to spend if you got the RAV4.

Also Prius had some reliability issues a while back (stalling), so RAV4 looks to be a more reliable choice.

On top of saving $700 per year on gas alone, the Prius also has lower maintenance costs because it relies less on the internal combustion engine. I believe it also has lower insurance costs. It also will have a much higher resale value.

Consider the fact that oil is currently over $100 per barrel, oil production is reaching its peak, and global warming is becoming a bigger and bigger concern. Gas prices have nowhere to go but up, so that $700 yearly gas savings may increase significantly, and will make the Prius in very high demand if you decide to sell it in the future.

You can get some sort of rack to carry your surfboard on your Prius, and if you need to transport furniture just rent a truck. With the Prius not only are you saving money, but you’re also reducing our dependence on foreign oil and having a much smaller environmental impact.

Keep in mind that the 2009 next gen Prius is supposed to get 80 mpg in the city, so if you can wait until the end of the year to buy a car, that might be a smart move.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/6070119.001/1