The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: Honest Abe on October 08, 2012, 04:44:20 PM
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I know many of you drive used economy cars and drive them into the ground..and I commend you. This is certainly the most eco-friendly and cost-effective way to go. You win, hands down.
Having said that, I've also heard (on other sites) that a Prius is a waste of money due to the fact that it costs $6000 more than a comparable sedan with a conventional engine.... below is my counter argument.
Energy costs are a tax on productivity
It doesn't matter if you get 10 or 60 MPG... every dollar you spend on gas is money out the window. The only value to gas consumption is that it propels your little box to and from work and wherever else you need to go. But other than that it holds no value to you - just pure consumption.
While hybrid cars are a premium over conventional cars, they hold their value better
Why? Because that big gnarly battery under the back seat is an asset. Yes, it's a depreciating asset, like any car component, but the rare earth metals used in it's production and eventually sold to be recycled become more valuable each year, offsetting the depreciation.
So while my model year 2010 car may cost more upfront than a model year 2010 comparable sedan, that money is spent on an asset, whereas the -20mpg the conventional engine burns with every tank goes towards pure consumption.
Any thoughts?
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Just that the Prius actually costs a good bit less than many comparable sedans.
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Screw the justifications. The Prius is just a fun car to drive, and it's an excellent safety vehicle for a teen driver.
Our used Prius (2006 model bought in 2008) cost $21.5K because we were shopping for a car when gas prices were soaring. It cost more than the total price of our last three used cars before that, but we enjoy driving it so much that we bought a second one.
I think the batteries in both Priuses will last for at least 15 years. In 10-20 years we'll be ready to shop for whatever's replacing today's Leafs & Volts.
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For reference: Toyota Prius – Ass Kicker, or Trouble Maker? (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/20/toyota-prius-ass-kicker-or-trouble-maker/)
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I know many of you drive used economy cars and drive them into the ground..and I commend you. This is certainly the most eco-friendly and cost-effective way to go. You win, hands down.
Having said that, I've also heard (on other sites) that a Prius is a waste of money due to the fact that it costs $6000 more than a comparable sedan with a conventional engine.... below is my counter argument.
Energy costs are a tax on productivity
It doesn't matter if you get 10 or 60 MPG... every dollar you spend on gas is money out the window. The only value to gas consumption is that it propels your little box to and from work and wherever else you need to go. But other than that it holds no value to you - just pure consumption.
While hybrid cars are a premium over conventional cars, they hold their value better
Why? Because that big gnarly battery under the back seat is an asset. Yes, it's a depreciating asset, like any car component, but the rare earth metals used in it's production and eventually sold to be recycled become more valuable each year, offsetting the depreciation.
So while my model year 2010 car may cost more upfront than a model year 2010 comparable sedan, that money is spent on an asset, whereas the -20mpg the conventional engine burns with every tank goes towards pure consumption.
Any thoughts?
I agree that the prius holds its value better in high demand areas. However, I don't think the rare earth metals used in the battery pack increase value linearly to keep up with the depreciation. If you paid $6K more for the battery pack, in 10 years, how much could you sell the depleted battery pack for?
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For reference: Toyota Prius – Ass Kicker, or Trouble Maker? (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/20/toyota-prius-ass-kicker-or-trouble-maker/)
To get the most up-to-date facts, I interviewed Paul Guzyk, one of the owners of Boulder Hybrid Conversions, an independent company which services the Prius. They also convert the cars to full-fledged Electric Vehicles that you can charge in your own garage and then drive up to 40 miles on electricity alone, before the existing gas engine needs to kick in.
I keep hoping that companies like Guzyk's would send a team out here during the winter for North Shore surfing local EV conversions...
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Came for awesome picture of a Prius with a fake mustache attached to the grill...left disappointed.
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Came for awesome picture of a Prius with a fake mustache attached to the grill...left disappointed.
Here (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=309+Cape+Aron+Drive,+Corpus+Christi,+TX&layer=c&sll=27.724700,-97.354999&cbp=13,196.7,,3,6.59&cbll=27.725002,-97.355166&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=309+Cape+Aron+Dr,+Corpus+Christi,+Texas+78412&t=h&panoid=G1xSWdyZI_PK6VEET0UXcg&ll=27.724886,-97.355239&spn=0.005385,0.010568&z=14&source=embed)
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Came for awesome picture of a Prius with a fake mustache attached to the grill...left disappointed.
Here (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=309+Cape+Aron+Drive,+Corpus+Christi,+TX&layer=c&sll=27.724700,-97.354999&cbp=13,196.7,,3,6.59&cbll=27.725002,-97.355166&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=309+Cape+Aron+Dr,+Corpus+Christi,+Texas+78412&t=h&panoid=G1xSWdyZI_PK6VEET0UXcg&ll=27.724886,-97.355239&spn=0.005385,0.010568&z=14&source=embed)
Yessss!! thank you!
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Having said that, I've also heard (on other sites) that a Prius is a waste of money due to the fact that it costs $6000 more than a comparable sedan with a conventional engine.... below is my counter argument.
Just looking at Toyota's website the base model 2013 Prius is only $2700 more than the 2013 Corolla. Does this gap grow as the cars age or is the "hybrid tax" really just overblown?
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Came for awesome picture of a Prius with a fake mustache attached to the grill...left disappointed.
Here (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=309+Cape+Aron+Drive,+Corpus+Christi,+TX&layer=c&sll=27.724700,-97.354999&cbp=13,196.7,,3,6.59&cbll=27.725002,-97.355166&hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=309+Cape+Aron+Dr,+Corpus+Christi,+Texas+78412&t=h&panoid=G1xSWdyZI_PK6VEET0UXcg&ll=27.724886,-97.355239&spn=0.005385,0.010568&z=14&source=embed)
Yessss!! thank you!
How did you do that?!?!?! Did your Prius actually have a mustache when the google street-view people came by, or can you Americans upload your own pics to streetview??
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And about the Prius, we are considering buying a used one, once we get my husband's vehicle sold. He bought it for work, but doesn't need it anymore, and can now downsize!
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I have to think that I got an awesome deal on my "used" 2011 Prius with 8 miles on it. We moved from downtown Chicago (with no cars) to a much more rural part of the country and instead of buying 2 cars, we figured we'd get the Pri. I've had the car for 3 months and just yesterday it took about 10 seconds to remember how to open the gas tank. My wife drives it mostly as im a mile from work and we fill up probably every 3-4 weeks if we don't go camping.
So yeah, I'd say the Prius deserves a mustache of its own.
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I agree that high mpg is the way to go. Check out ecomodder.com for so tips on any car. Drive a 1 L. manual Metro myself but the DW next car will be a Prius.
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Fuel efficiency is great. Just be conscientious & beware a visit from the paradoxical Mr. Jevons:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/JevonsParadoxA.png)