You could find LOTS of slightly used VW diesels that would do almost as well.

What is your driving style? These things have proven to get about average economy car milage if you are a leadfoot. My boss has an Insight and gets about 54mpg but it is all highway and he drives it very conservatively. As far as all this new fangled technology, my brothers old 91 CRX HF would routinely get close to 60 on long freeway trips, (40's around town) and thats a 14 year old car that he drove pretty hard. It was slow though.

I would only go used Prius if you feel that it is the ONE car for you if prices are inflated, but it does not sound like it is. If not there are plenty of economical cars that would be cheaper and perhaps more to your liking. My friends VW diesel bug would routinely get 40's in mixed drivingand she loved it. I bet you could find one for less than $15k easy if you like that one too. Same with Civic or Corolla or Sentra.

 

I have a friend who bought a Toyota Matrix. It has good mpg stats. Larry David drives a Prius so why not!?!?

 

Just curious.... for people that stated Diesel. Has anyone done computation of gas/diesel price compare to say VW GLI/Toyota Echo? It seems that you will never recover the price difference on the VW GLI.

You probably are saying that they are of different car class. But that is the point I am trying to make when I hear people talk about the Prius vs VW Diesels or Civics/Corollas (Hybrid Civics, I can understand as it is just a Civics lineup... but the Prius does not have a non-Hybrid option to compare apples to apples).

If you compare similar equipped cars and interior size, the current Prius should be compared to a Camry LE. Toyota themselves indicated that the Prius is in the same class size as a Camry. The cost of a similar equipped Prius/Camry is very close (take into account of basic maintenance too. Remember, the Prius only needs to replace motor oil/filter for the first 100k and air filter, nothing else.). And from that perspective, the Prius is not a bad deal when the Camry LE gets only 24/34 EPA mpg (say 29 averages mpg).

When doing stats comparison, one can really tilt the stats to one side. As with the comparison between VW GLI and Toyota Echo (without taking into account the differences), it is not a fair comparison, but without knowing that... the results indicates that Diesel is not efficient. And we all know that is not true.

Just pointing out what I see discussed here and magazine writings, thats all.

 

I guess I do not get it, the Prius looks like a$$ to me. There are much better looking hybrid cars out there. Just my humble opinion.

 

The Toyota Yaris is a great little car. My mom has had one for six years now, and when I get back to Ireland I much prefer it to my dad's Ford Focus.
I averaged 56mpg last time I drove it (of course, that's Imperial gallons, not US gallons).

 

You still get 2K back from the fed for hybrid cars right?

BTW Cali and AZ is looking to let hybrid cars in the carpool lane.

 

Even better starting 2006. First 60k sold for each hybrid model will get tax credit. Then anything after 60k units will be phased out.

I think the Prius will get about $3000 tax credit. But if you hit into AMT, kiss that tax credit goodbye.

 

Tax credit NOT the same as cash back. $3K tax credit ~$1K cash in hand.

Also with the tax rules I'm sure it'll get phased out for many people.

I'm glad to see the government is finding more ways to give money away.

 

I think you have that wrong.. a credit is cash in hand, a deduction just reduces your taxable income so the savings is based upon your tax rate. And the earlier poster is right.. if you hit the AMT it is a different story with usually just taxes to pay.

 

And, I was looking on Honda America's website, the price difference between an EX Civic and a Hybrid Civic is about $1000 for the base models, and the amenities are pretty much the same for the two, the hybrid even gets an Auto Climate control not offered on the EX. Seems to me the Hybrid is the better buy now.