I think that PRIUS is a great car however it is not worth all this money not even for making a statement.<br>Let me explain why:<br><br>The notion that this car is worth $40K is wrong.<br>It is worth exactly $17K - that is the price in Japan so it is already overpriced in US for $3.5K - right?<br><br>After our warranty expires all these unfriendly TOYOTA dealers will charge you 2-3 times more for LABOR than they charge now (somebody has to pay for all these trainings etc ).<br><br>In 9-10 years from now your car worth then $6K-$7K will require battery pack exchange / valued at $6K then /.<br><br>For all that money I do not think that making the statement of being environmentally friendly is worth all that money.<br><br>I will hold with my purchase for a while or at least to the point when TOYOTA drops the price or my TERCEL gives up.<br><br>Let me know if I am wrong.<br><br>Robert

"It is worth exactly $17K - that is the price in Japan so it is already overpriced in US for $3.5K - right?"<br><br><br>Surely you know more than that about the PRIUS don't you?<br><br>Since when are the Japanese and US/Can Prius the same car? A newby might get away with a question like that but certainly you are a little better informed than that aren't you?<br><br>Start with a comparison between the batteries, or maybe the engine. If you still think they are the same car!

It is a similar auto but the auto market is different in Asia then here from what I've been told. Here a lot of people buy exotic autos worth a fortune or SUVs that tires blow and /or flips on impulse.<br><br>If he doesn't want the car so be it. The person who is waiting behind him would love to get a car earlier.

I'd just like to point out that the car in North America is souped up version of the Japanese cars.<br><br>You make some valid points. For me, however, the coolness factor and the eco-friendliness is worth it. Otherwise I'd probably a BMW 300 series or a VW Jetta or something like that (which in truth both are superior cars in most other respects).<br><br>As for the battery issues, I'm only going to keep mine 3-4 years, since I'll be leasing it through work. It's definitely a serious issue.

Your premise seems to be that the Prius costs more than comparable cars, and people buy it to 'make a statement'.<br><br>To many of us, there are NO comparable cars so we don't know how to compare costs. I know I want it because I like toys, does that count as a 'statement'?<br><br>Anyway, what would be a fair price for YOU to 'make a statement'? Just curious.

"Your premise seems to be that the Prius costs more than comparable cars, and people buy it to 'make a statement'.<br><br>To many of us, there are NO comparable cars so we don't know how to compare costs. I know I want it because I like toys, does that count as a 'statement'?"<br><br>I think his premise is valid. Indeed, for me that WAS part of it. Sure the cheap gas usage is great, but quite frankly you can get a much better performing car in a lot of respects for the same amount of money. In truth, the Prius is an early adopter's car, and I'm an early adopter, this time making a small statement about what I think is terrible waste of fossil fuels in North America.

Robert (jasio2) said he did not think the Prius was worth the money just to make a statement.<br><br>I think any car you buy beyond a basic econo-box is making some kind of statement. Typically in the U.S. its either "I want to be bigger than everyone else", "I want to be faster than everyone else", or "I want potential partners to realize that I'm loaded and thus worth it".<br><br>If you don't want to spend money on a statement, there are several cars available for less than $10,000 that are likely to last for 10 or more years. If you spend more than that, at least be aware of what statement you're making. Car dealers make a lot of extra money by steering customers to the car that makes the statment they subconciousiously want to make.<br><br>As to the statement that the Prius is worth exactly $17K because that's what its price is in Japan, the worth of a Prius is different for each owner. As long as a person values it higher than the price, they will be willing to buy it (but of course the will also consider other offers and pick the best in their own judgement). Since it would cost someone in the U.S. considerably more than $17K to buy the car in Japan, ship it to the U.S., pay the import duty, and get it modified to meet all U.S. laws, the Japanese price isn't even a valid consideration.<br><br>Robert Snyder

&gt;&gt;...at least be aware of what statement you're making<br><br>Well said! I guess my statements are:<br>1, I have young children (so the Insight is out of the question).<br>2, I want to teach them to become responsible citizens, and my teaching aids are two things that interest them the most: cars and video screens.