Oh, MY point was most certainly to save money, and when I bought my 2004 Prius back in September of that year, it was either that or a Camry. At the time, comparably equipped, they both had nearly the same list price. Of course, I could have haggled down the Camry's price, an option I didn't have with the Prius, but I did get a tax deduction (not a credit, as that came later, darn it) for buying a hybrid, and I'm really not very good at haggling anyway.
Okay, so the two cars were about the same price, and in the four-plus years I've owned the Prius I've saved a total of $3000 in gasoline, compared to what a car getting 30 MPG would use for the same number of miles, and $4800 compared to a 25 MPG car. There's nothing about the routine maintenance that makes a Prius cost more than a Camry, so...
Another consideration that is hard to predict is the resale value of each after 5 years. It will add to the uncertainty regarding the price of gasoline. In addition, if your driving is mostly in town the fuel savings with the Prius will be greater than if they are mainly highway miles.
It may be heresy, but I suggest you consider it about a wash over the 5 year period and focus on which car you would rather have. Let's face it; if we didn't love our cars we would never put up with the trouble and expense. They are both good cars but only you know which one you would really rather have.
Haven't been shopping myself lately but while I agree your Prius price is about right I think you are lowballing the Camry price. Perhaps there is a Camry for $18k but its not equipped comparable to the $26k Prius.
The main reason to buy a Prius is to deprive a leftist liberal greenie from owning a hybrid. I park mine next to a diesel Ford F-250, Porsche
I was hoping someone on this group could correct my pricing estimates since it is very possible I am comparing a lower end Camry with a higher end Prius. I won't be getting a new car until late next year so I have been staying away from the dealers so I don't get the urge to buy before I am ready.
$26 gets you a loaded model. Theoretically, you can get one without all those options for the low $20's, but because they are in high demand, there aren't many of those available. Why order and sell a $22k car when you can sell all you can get of the $26k model? Most have GPS, rear view cameras, leather, etc. (All those prices are US dollars). Don't know about Camry's but I will guess the price range is much bigger.
It's not hard to figure out. Edmunds.com is your friend.
I have a base--and I mean base--model Prius, the one that the dealers don't sell. The one that has to be ordered from the factory. No AUX input to the stereo, and the key must be put into the slot to turn the car on--no leaving it in my pocket.
BASE Prius.
And I find it to be an absolutely wonderful car, full of everything that makes sedan ownership easy to take. I don't need any of the extras that Toyota offers. Well, I would like the AUX in, but I rolled my own for cheaper than moving up a notch. Plus, I know the car I got was fresh out of the factory.
Anyway, according to Edmunds, a base Prius sells for $23,935 around here--about $1200 over sticker. A base Camry w/auto trans (let's keep it as apples to apples as we can here) sells for $19,677.
The Prius has auto climate control, the Camry does not. The Camry has a trunk, the Prius does not (well, not really--a covered hatch isn't really a trunk). While the Prius is by no means a small car, the Camry is a skosh bigger. There are no doubt some other small, niggling little differences (does the Camry have heated outside mirrors like the Prius? Standard remote entry like the Prius? etc.)
Figure out what floats your boat. What do you prefer--some size? Better MPG? Auto climate control? A hatch and fold down seats for occasional hauling?
The Camry is rated at 25mpg combined, the Prius at who knows what combined. My experience says 46mpg combined city/hwy is a good number.
The price difference is ~$4300. Do with that what you will. Spend it on "Hey, look at me, I have a Prius!" or spend it on gas for the Camry, or spend it on a vacation.
Food for thought: an outstandingly clean 2 year old base Camry automatic, certified used from a dealer (includes factory warranty), sells for $16,373 around here. So you could save an additional $3300 by going that route.
Hmmmmm, $7500 in your pocket for going used Camry which would last a lifetime. That's a couple Hawaii vacations.
Oh--back out the difference in resale prices. No doubt the Camry will sell for less, percentage wise, on the used market than the Prius. Not a tremendous amount, though. So maybe in the end that $4300 savings on the Camry goes to, oh, $2300 savings.
But if you keep a car and run it into the ground, resale value is not an issue.
I agree, but it's nice to have the car that does that without a fuss and without your having to think or worry about it. Toyota does that very well.
I have a 94 Lexus that fit me like an old shoe. Every time I got into it and started it up, it fired up right away and never grumbled. It put a smile onto my face knowing I could go about my day without a worry.
I have a 2004 Camry that has just over 153k miles. If I was still driving a ford or chevy, I would not be owning the car with that many miles. I plan on getting this a bit over 200k miles before I sell it.
I ride my cars hard and put them away wet, so to speak. After waranty, which takes me about a year, I change the oil after at least 12k miles and sometimes I go to 15k and have not had a problem.
I had the breaks, tires and struts checked when I got the oil changed last week. I will be putting new tires on it and getting an alignment. The brake are still the original brakes and still are only about half worn.
The car is getting a little bouncy but I will forgo getting new struts since it will cost in the neighborhood of $1,500.00.
You guessed wrong. I don't like the way (old) Diesels smell. I don't like the way 2-strokes smell. So the Prius garage is shared with a 2009 Husaberg. My 2-stroke 1995 KTM sleeps in another garage with the lawn mower and string trimmer.
My 2008 F-250 Powerstroke exhaust smells like a big propane heater. Zero soot on the exhaust after 2500 miles. Impressive.
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