Someone explain to me the logic behind buying a Toyota Prius over a Toyota Yaris

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
A 2006 Yaris costs $10950 MSRP and the 2006 Prius costs $21725 MSRP. Highway MPG are 39 and 51 respectfully.


Lets say we drive 20000 miles every year and the gas price is a consistent $3.00 (gas price fluxuations do not make a difference)

Fuel costs for the Prius annualy would be $1176 while the fuel costs for the Yaris would be $1538. You would be saving $362 a year on gas if you purchase the Prius. But the Prius costs $10775 more than the Yaris. What added value are you gettng with this $10775? It would take you 29 years to make up that difference in gas savings alone.

This doesnt take into consideration depreciation, maintenance costs, and insurance.

That Yaris could be replaced with a Chevy Aveo, or a Honda Fit, hell even a used Toyota Echo.

I think the Hyrbid idea was fantastic, although it's more of a marketing scheme at the moment.

Dude, the Yaris costs more than that. You have to get some upgrades that'll cost a few thousand.

Dude, those prices are MSRP prices without any options or packaging. That includes the Prius too. You wanna price the Prius with a package option and price the Yaris with a package option and see what happens?

No, that price is nothing more than a marketing tool. If you go to build a Yaris online, you HAVE to add on "options" that'll cost at least 700 dollars.

And you don't think that the same thing applies to the Prius? :roll:
The Yaris, with options, might run you about $14K OTD (including TTL). If you think you can get a Prius OTD for less than $30K, good luck with that.

It doesn't apply to the Prius. You can buy the Prius with just the base model price, and not add any options. You can't do that with the Yaris. Just try to build one online and you'll see what I'm talking about.

ie, go here.

The zip code you entered is invalid or is not served by a dealer currently participating in the buyatoyota.com program. If you reached this message in error please re-enter your zip code, otherwise please use the Toyota.com Dealer Locator to find the nearest dealer to you.

If you just go to Toyota.com, and select build and price your Toyota, there will be a place to enter your zipcode. I got that same error message, and doing this worked for me.

 

[mugs]

You guys are talking about options, no options, base models, etc... are the base models even comparable? What options do you need to add to the Yaris to make it comparable to a Prius?

 

[cavemanmoron]

waah

in 1985 you could buy a VW Turbo diesel Rabbit 5 speed,
that on the highway would get 50 mpg.

in 1965 you could buy a 2 door Valiant, 225 cid 6, standard shift, and get 25+ highway.
{There were other cars that got good gas mileage,
but those are both cars my Dad owned, and I recall them well}

in 2005 {yeah last year}how far have we "progressed"?




Heck in the early 1950's Crosley made a small car that was good on gas,
but, it was SMALL. LOL.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

At this point Hybrids are strictly for environmentally concious people with lots of money. They make no economic sense what so ever

 

[BNO]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: chuckywang
Once again, you cannot buy a Yaris for $10900. It'll cost you at least $11500.

2007 Yaris

2006 Prius

Both with options, notice any change in that price difference?

My point is that options are mandatory on a Yaris, but not mandatory on a Prius.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I think you're wrong. I built a Yaris on Toyota's website, and I had to choose a package with the cheapest being $740. I built a Prius on Toyota's website, and I also had to choose a package with the cheapest being $650. What's the bottom line, not including delivery fees?

Cheapest MSRP Yaris: $11,690
Cheapest MSRP Prius: $22,375
Difference: $10,685

You don't have to choose a package when building a Prius, but you HAVE to choose a package (the cheapest being $740) when building a Yaris.

Therefore, when comparing the absolute lowest prices for both a Prius and Yaris, the difference is $10,035 ($21,725-$11.690).

Is it different at the dealership than it is online, or are you saying that I should be able to build a Prius online without choosing a package? If it's the latter, why don't you go to Toyota's website, build a Prius without choosing a package (which I don't think can be done), and then copy and paste the summary on here. Here's what I get when choosing the mandatory "Option Combination #A":


Here's the Prius you've configured.
Be sure to print out this summary and present it when you meet with the dealer. But remember, the vehicle price in this summary is only approximate - the actual price will be set by the dealer.

Model:

4-Door Gas/Electric Hybrid (1224) $21,725

Delivery, Handling and Processing Fee:** $580

Options: $650
50-State Emissions, Package #1 Includes: Driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags [3].

Accessories: $0

Total MSRP:*** $22,955


By comparison here's the Yaris:

Here's the Yaris you've configured.
Be sure to print out this summary and present it when you meet with the dealer. But remember, the vehicle price in this summary is only approximate - the actual price will be set by the dealer.

Model:

3-Door Liftback 5-Speed Manual (1421) $10,950

Delivery, Handling and Processing Fee:** $580

Options: $740
All-Weather Guard Package Includes: Larger Washer Tank w/ Level Warning, Heavy-Duty Heater, Heavy-Duty Starter, Rear Heater Duct & Daytime Running Lights (DRL), 50 States Emission, Convenience Package Includes: AM/FM CD Player w/MP3/WMA Playback Capability & Auxiliary Audio Jack, 15-in. Steel Wheels w/Full Wheel Covers, Rear Window Wiper & Rear Defroster

Accessories: $0

Total MSRP:*** $12,270


$22,955 minus $12,270 equals that same resounding $10,685!

Toyota builds cars by region so the difference depends on where you price it. Here in the New York region you can get a Prius with no options added although I have never, ever seen one. The Yaris has to have at least one package added. The problem here is that you guys are comparing a car that has no power windows, locks or keyless entry, no ABS, no cruise control, a four speaker stereo, can't really seat five, has very limited storage space and no back up camera to a car that comes very well equipped from the factory. It's a joke to compare them, they attract two completely different sets of customers. When you factor in the quality of the ride, materials, standard features and the $3100 tax credit, let alone the difference in gas mileage and resale value, the decision is very obvious for those who can afford either car. That said, I wish they would build more of both models since there are none on the ground.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: cavemanmoron
waah

in 1985 you could buy a VW Turbo diesel Rabbit 5 speed,
that on the highway would get 50 mpg.

in 1965 you could buy a 2 door Valiant, 225 cid 6, standard shift, and get 25+ highway.
{There were other cars that got good gas mileage,
but those are both cars my Dad owned, and I recall them well}

in 2005 {yeah last year}how far have we "progressed"?




Heck in the early 1950's Crosley made a small car that was good on gas,
but, it was SMALL. LOL.

and everyone behind u would get lung cancer

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: desy
The cabin space of a Prius is supposed to be equivilant to a Camry so thats the comparison they would like you to make.

Wouldn't the hatch add some unuseable volume to the Prius? In practice, it's somewhere between a Corolla and a Camry

You can fold the rear seats down in it and the entire back of the car becomes a usable trunk.

But then you have no back seats...

Clearly you're not implying that an extra cubic foot of slanted hatch space is equivalent to an extra cubic foot of boxy trunk/cabin space

 

[0roo0roo]

i dunno, in the reviews i read they generally did quote the interior space being the same as the camry.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: cavemanmoron
waah

in 1985 you could buy a VW Turbo diesel Rabbit 5 speed,
that on the highway would get 50 mpg.

in 1965 you could buy a 2 door Valiant, 225 cid 6, standard shift, and get 25+ highway.
{There were other cars that got good gas mileage,
but those are both cars my Dad owned, and I recall them well}

in 2005 {yeah last year}how far have we "progressed"?




Heck in the early 1950's Crosley made a small car that was good on gas,
but, it was SMALL. LOL.

and everyone behind u would get lung cancer

Negative. The new TDIs are nice.

 

[Kanalua]

Prius come with extra "smug"

 

[xrax]

it would make more sense to compare a Prius to a Corolla since they are both in the same class. Yaris is a class below those.

 

[thomsbrain]

this has been beaten into the ground so many times, and yes hybrids don't make sense financially unless you strictly want something to commute in, you have a long commute, and you buy a Honda Insight instead of one of the lesser hybrids.

but your particular comparison isn't really valid because no one will cross-shop those vehicles. the prius is much larger and more luxurious. it can be used as a family car, whereas the yaris is strictly a commuting appliance or "first car" kind of car. toyota has said the prius was meant to be compared to the camry, although there is now a camry hybrid, so the prius is really just left to the image-conscious.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Is it different at the dealership than it is online, or are you saying that I should be able to build a Prius online without choosing a package? If it's the latter, why don't you go to Toyota's website, build a Prius without choosing a package (which I don't think can be done), and then copy and paste the summary on here. Here's what I get when choosing the mandatory "Option Combination #A":


Here's the Prius you've configured.
Be sure to print out this summary and present it when you meet with the dealer. But remember, the vehicle price in this summary is only approximate - the actual price will be set by the dealer.

Model:

4-Door Gas/Electric Hybrid (1224) $21,725

Delivery, Handling and Processing Fee:** $580

Options: $650
50-State Emissions, Package #1 Includes: Driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags [3].

Accessories: $0

Total MSRP:*** $22,955


By comparison here's the Yaris:

Here's the Yaris you've configured.
Be sure to print out this summary and present it when you meet with the dealer. But remember, the vehicle price in this summary is only approximate - the actual price will be set by the dealer.

Model:

3-Door Liftback 5-Speed Manual (1421) $10,950

Delivery, Handling and Processing Fee:** $580

Options: $740
All-Weather Guard Package Includes: Larger Washer Tank w/ Level Warning, Heavy-Duty Heater, Heavy-Duty Starter, Rear Heater Duct & Daytime Running Lights (DRL), 50 States Emission, Convenience Package Includes: AM/FM CD Player w/MP3/WMA Playback Capability & Auxiliary Audio Jack, 15-in. Steel Wheels w/Full Wheel Covers, Rear Window Wiper & Rear Defroster

Accessories: $0

Total MSRP:*** $12,270


$22,955 minus $12,270 equals that same resounding $10,685!

Apparently, you must choose a package for the zip code you entered when configuring a Prius. It was not so with my zip code (61801). Weird.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: xrax
it would make more sense to compare a Prius to a Corolla since they are both in the same class. Yaris is a class below those.

Here's an article comparing the cost of hybrids compared to their gas-engine counterparts. They take into account the tax credit and the five-year cost of ownership. They compare the Prius to the Corolla LE, and the Prius comes out being $565 less expensive. All of the other hybrid comparisons show the hybrid costing anywhere from $300 to $3700 more. Obviously some of the hybrids have more horsepower and include a lot more options than their gas-engine counterparts. For example, the Lexus RX 400h comes with leather seats, navigation system, a moon roof, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking aid, and cruise control, which are all options on the RX 330. This article mentions this but does not adjust the sticker price of the gas-engine counterpart to make a more-valid comparison. I just thought I would mention this in case anyone was shocked at the large price difference.

Here's another article. Consumer Reports did a study on what fuel economy they actually got, as opposed to the EPA fuel economy. The study averages city and highway driving, and the Prius only got 44 mpg. However, other vehicles are far below their EPA fuel economy as well, so I don't think it's a knock against the Prius; I think it's more of a knock against EPA ratings.

In this article it says that they got 35mpg in the city and 50mpg on the highway with their Prius. If anyone on here owns a Prius, could you please chime in on what gas mileage you actually get in both the city and on the highway? I'll be looking for a good commuting vehicle in another year or two (depending on how long my current vehicle lasts), so I'm curious as to what kind of gas mileage I would actually get with a Prius.

 

[foghorn67]

Can you even find a Prius at MSRP? Not around SoCal. Yaris, I'm sure you can. Waiting list and markup FTL.

 

[krunchykrome]

The main point I was trying to make was that it makes no economic sense to purchase a Prius. And I thought it was absurd to purchase a Prius based on the notion that you would be saving tremendous gas, because you really aren't.

 

[Mardeth]

Ill tell you why:

-Better mileage
-More room/bigger in general
-Less co2/eco
-Better quality
-More stuff as standard
-Hybrid badge
-Safer
-No depreciation, even prices going up

 

[torpid]

Someone explain to me the logic behind buying a yaris over a prius now. I just did some research, and the KBB on a 2004 prius is higher than the MSRP on a 2007 prius.

A well equipped 2004 echo goes for $12,000 and a well-equipped 2007 yaris goes for $16,000.

What kind of idiot is going to buy a yaris when they have a car that literally does not depriciate in value? Or, another way to think is... you may actually MAKE money if you trade in your prius every few years since you might be able to get the tax credit again...?

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
The main point I was trying to make was that it makes no economic sense to purchase a Prius. And I thought it was absurd to purchase a Prius based on the notion that you would be saving tremendous gas, because you really aren't.

If the point is to spend the least amount of money on a vehicle while taking into consideration the amount of money spent on gas, then purchasing a vehicle like the Yaris would be the way to go. However, it's not in the same league as the Prius. So, comparing the Prius to a similarly-equipped Corolla shows that if you get the tax break and drive it for five years, the Prius will save you roughly $500. Now, if you drive the Prius to 150,000 miles, it should save even more money, assuming that it's reliable enough after that many miles. Or if you sell it after five years, the resale value should be much higher than the Corolla, also saving you more money.

 

[lokiju]

Damn Global Warming!!

:sarcasm;

 

[Pegun]

Hyundai FTW!!! Sorry somebody had to say it.

 

[JeepinEd]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: xrax
it would make more sense to compare a Prius to a Corolla since they are both in the same class. Yaris is a class below those.

Here's an article comparing the cost of hybrids compared to their gas-engine counterparts. They take into account the tax credit and the five-year cost of ownership. They compare the Prius to the Corolla LE, and the Prius comes out being $565 less expensive. All of the other hybrid comparisons show the hybrid costing anywhere from $300 to $3700 more. Obviously some of the hybrids have more horsepower and include a lot more options than their gas-engine counterparts. For example, the Lexus RX 400h comes with leather seats, navigation system, a moon roof, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking aid, and cruise control, which are all options on the RX 330. This article mentions this but does not adjust the sticker price of the gas-engine counterpart to make a more-valid comparison. I just thought I would mention this in case anyone was shocked at the large price difference.

Here's another article. Consumer Reports did a study on what fuel economy they actually got, as opposed to the EPA fuel economy. The study averages city and highway driving, and the Prius only got 44 mpg. However, other vehicles are far below their EPA fuel economy as well, so I don't think it's a knock against the Prius; I think it's more of a knock against EPA ratings.

In this article it says that they got 35mpg in the city and 50mpg on the highway with their Prius. If anyone on here owns a Prius, could you please chime in on what gas mileage you actually get in both the city and on the highway? I'll be looking for a good commuting vehicle in another year or two (depending on how long my current vehicle lasts), so I'm curious as to what kind of gas mileage I would actually get with a Prius.

I average 48 MPG in the summer and 45 MPG in the winter. This is with an original 2001 Prius. I understand the newer ones get better MPG. My commute is abut 140 miles/day and goes from an elevation of 3500 feet to sea level and is pretty much all freeway. Although they say the Prius is supposed to get better gas mileage in city traffic, my MPG usually goes down in the city.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: JeepinEd

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: xrax
it would make more sense to compare a Prius to a Corolla since they are both in the same class. Yaris is a class below those.

Here's an article comparing the cost of hybrids compared to their gas-engine counterparts. They take into account the tax credit and the five-year cost of ownership. They compare the Prius to the Corolla LE, and the Prius comes out being $565 less expensive. All of the other hybrid comparisons show the hybrid costing anywhere from $300 to $3700 more. Obviously some of the hybrids have more horsepower and include a lot more options than their gas-engine counterparts. For example, the Lexus RX 400h comes with leather seats, navigation system, a moon roof, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking aid, and cruise control, which are all options on the RX 330. This article mentions this but does not adjust the sticker price of the gas-engine counterpart to make a more-valid comparison. I just thought I would mention this in case anyone was shocked at the large price difference.

Here's another article. Consumer Reports did a study on what fuel economy they actually got, as opposed to the EPA fuel economy. The study averages city and highway driving, and the Prius only got 44 mpg. However, other vehicles are far below their EPA fuel economy as well, so I don't think it's a knock against the Prius; I think it's more of a knock against EPA ratings.

In this article it says that they got 35mpg in the city and 50mpg on the highway with their Prius. If anyone on here owns a Prius, could you please chime in on what gas mileage you actually get in both the city and on the highway? I'll be looking for a good commuting vehicle in another year or two (depending on how long my current vehicle lasts), so I'm curious as to what kind of gas mileage I would actually get with a Prius.

I average 48 MPG in the summer and 45 MPG in the winter. This is with an original 2001 Prius. I understand the newer ones get better MPG. My commute is abut 140 miles/day and goes from an elevation of 3500 feet to sea level and is pretty much all freeway. Although they say the Prius is supposed to get better gas mileage in city traffic, my MPG usually goes down in the city.

Thanks for the info! Right now I only drive about 100 miles/week, but once I graduate and move, I'll probably have 100+mile commute each day, so gas mileage is really important to me. Dependability is also really important to me. If you don't mind sharing, how many miles do you have on your Prius, and roughly how much have you had to pay for repair cost (outside of normal maintenance)? I've considered just getting a used Civic for commuting, since they get decent gas mileage and typically last to 150,000+ miles with few problems.

 

[sygyzy]

What idiot actually believes that any Prius owner buys it completely because of cost savings? Oh yeah, the OP.

 

[JeepinEd]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: JeepinEd

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: xrax
it would make more sense to compare a Prius to a Corolla since they are both in the same class. Yaris is a class below those.

Here's an article comparing the cost of hybrids compared to their gas-engine counterparts. They take into account the tax credit and the five-year cost of ownership. They compare the Prius to the Corolla LE, and the Prius comes out being $565 less expensive. All of the other hybrid comparisons show the hybrid costing anywhere from $300 to $3700 more. Obviously some of the hybrids have more horsepower and include a lot more options than their gas-engine counterparts. For example, the Lexus RX 400h comes with leather seats, navigation system, a moon roof, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking aid, and cruise control, which are all options on the RX 330. This article mentions this but does not adjust the sticker price of the gas-engine counterpart to make a more-valid comparison. I just thought I would mention this in case anyone was shocked at the large price difference.

Here's another article. Consumer Reports did a study on what fuel economy they actually got, as opposed to the EPA fuel economy. The study averages city and highway driving, and the Prius only got 44 mpg. However, other vehicles are far below their EPA fuel economy as well, so I don't think it's a knock against the Prius; I think it's more of a knock against EPA ratings.

In this article it says that they got 35mpg in the city and 50mpg on the highway with their Prius. If anyone on here owns a Prius, could you please chime in on what gas mileage you actually get in both the city and on the highway? I'll be looking for a good commuting vehicle in another year or two (depending on how long my current vehicle lasts), so I'm curious as to what kind of gas mileage I would actually get with a Prius.

I average 48 MPG in the summer and 45 MPG in the winter. This is with an original 2001 Prius. I understand the newer ones get better MPG. My commute is abut 140 miles/day and goes from an elevation of 3500 feet to sea level and is pretty much all freeway. Although they say the Prius is supposed to get better gas mileage in city traffic, my MPG usually goes down in the city.

Thanks for the info! Right now I only drive about 100 miles/week, but once I graduate and move, I'll probably have 100+mile commute each day, so gas mileage is really important to me. Dependability is also really important to me. If you don't mind sharing, how many miles do you have on your Prius, and roughly how much have you had to pay for repair cost (outside of normal maintenance)? I've considered just getting a used Civic for commuting, since they get decent gas mileage and typically last to 150,000+ miles with few problems.

I currently have about 170K miles on it. I do my own oil changes using Synthetic oil, so I spend about $50, including air filter. As far as the hybrid system, the only maintenance I've done on it is to have the coolant flushed (this is seperate from the radiator coolant). I've only done it once and it cost me about $150.00. As I noted in an earlier post, I'm still driving with the original brake pads, thanks to the regenerative braking, and have about 40% left on them.

Reliability has been very good. I had to have the rack & pinion fixed under warranty because it was rattling.

Due to the low rolling resistance tires, the car does get tossed around in areas with high crosswinds.

As has been stated before, you can get close to the same gas mileage with a much cheaper car. I purchased it because I like the technology and the ability to use the carpool lane is a big +. You'll have to decide on your own whether or not it's worth it for you.