Okay, don't be mad...

Wow, that's an incredibly clean '07. I'm also a 16 year old Prius driver , i love it, because the majority of Prius drivers i see in Australia are older, and a Prius isn't really a stereotypical young persons car...

 

Starting out with a Prius has its advantages and disadvantages. Because you and That_Prius_Car started out driving Priuses, you two are really going to get a shock in the not too distant future.

One of these days you'll buy or, more likely, rent a regular car that gets 14 to 19 mpg or so. You'll find that you need to fill up way more often and, each time you do, you'll shell out $60 to $75 dollars to fill the 20 gallon tank. Then you're hair will stand on end and you'll run back to your good old reliable Prius. Paying huge amounts per fillup is something that you really can not appreciate until (e.g.) you drive a Suburban on a 850 mile (each way) family vacation.

Yep, you two guys have been spoiled by the Prius and are ruined for life.

 

We just got back from FL in our motorhome, try 7.5 mpg and filling a 75 gal tank! Talk about sticker shock... Most fill-ups are done at between 1/4 and 1/2 tank of fuel remaining and average around $120-$140 per fill-up! (We topped off twice during the round trip.) I'll be so happy to get back in my Prius and not see a gas station for the next couple weeks!

 

From an environmental standpoint, since a newer car is always a recyclable item, meaning it will be driven by someone again, I don't see how it is really environmentally wasteful.

What it is is financially destructive. Trading a Gen II for a new Gen III and then trading the Gen III on a used Gen II must have cost a fortune in depreciation. THATS wasteful. Thats why in life you have to be sure you really want to do something before you do it, getting out of situations is usually much more costly than getting into situations.

I love cars, and I understand that I want to drive a new car every 3-5 years and that is going to cost me money, but you only live life once right and you should do what you want to do, provided you can afford it. However, I would never trade my 2010 Lexus in on something in 2010 or 2011. You might as well set your money on fire...

You'll feel differently about that when you get older. I was like that too when I was your age, and I still take great care of my cars, wash them at least once a week, park carefully, get blemishes repaired immediately, but I am no longer "obsessive" or "compulsive" about it. When you have things to focus on...you career, your family, your home...scrubbing an engine with a toothbrush looses its appeal

 

Hi TPC,

As mentioned in many other threads, operationally, I definately think the Gen III Cockpit is a BIG step backwards. Your decision makes sense to me from that point of view....

 

The decision to loose thousands of dollars makes sense to you because of the interior design?

What makes sense is you deciding to keep your Gen II and not upgrade to a Gen III because you have made an assessment its not the right car for you BEFORE making a purchase. Trading a Gen II for a Gen III, then immediately trading the Gen III and loosing a ton on depreciation to buy the same car you had before...a Gen II makes no sense at all. May as well have set your money on fire.

 

I think his first Gen II was wrecked, not traded.

 

good for you betty! it's nice to see young people with a worldly perspective!

 

Heh, you had sticker shock driving from Georgia to Florida and back. Last time I checked, Florida was right next to Georgia. I can see why you don't drive your motorhome out to the Colorado to see the Rockies.

We just did a trip from CO through NM, AZ, CA, NV, Ut and back to CO, a total of 2,550 miles, in a moderately-loaded Prius (two laptops, two bags of golf clubs, luggage and a half case of wine). Including mostly 80 mph highway stints and several days of short in-town trips in Phoenix, Rainbow (CA) and Las Vegas, we only used a bit more than 59 gallons of gas.

You gotta love the Prius.

 

Lol, my Prius was named 'Betty' after the TV show character Ugly Betty by a friend, it's named Betty as it's ugly, yet strangely likeable. It also cares for the environment, like Ugly Betty cares for everyone around her.

 

Still though, the decision to buy a 2010 and then immediately trade it in is financially stupid, no way around that. He took the maximum depreciation hit he could possibly take. The smarter thing to do would have been to stick with the purchase through until he had gotten some utility out of the depreciation. I mean...the cars are pretty similar and the set of needs that prompted the trade were purely cosmetics and vanity.

Should have taken more time to decide what he really wanted before he bought the 2010 in the first place.

 

I'm glad to see younger Prius drivers out there as well. Hopefully when they need a rental car hybrids or EV will be available.

 

Yes, I agree. Not my best "wording" ever in a post. But the OP brought this up in response. And came to many of the conclusions you are siting.

The almost immediate trade of a brand new purchased vehicle in on a new used vehicle is wasteful on a lot of argueable levels. Enviromental is probably not argueably one of them. I stand corrected.

Bottom line? I hope "That Prius Kid" can be happy now. Learn to enjoy the vehicle on all levels...not just as something kept in the garage and Zaino'ed until it becomes like one of those plastic corpses kept on exhibit.

Since this all started with a run in with a Deer. I guess you could blame the whole thing on Bambi.

 

Thats right, cars are meant to be enjoyed and driven not stuck in a garage and polished. It really hurts to get that first rock chip or whatever, I know but its just a car and the reason you pay for a car you like and want is so that you can drive it and enjoy it. If you drive a car every day...its not going to be perfect but if you take good care of it you'll be the only one who knows its not.

Thats something you'll realize as you get older too

 

whoops, sorry! i'll have to call you dolce!

 

luckily in Australia pretty much every rental car company tries to promote its 'green' image by having a few Gen II Prius'.