Why is Prius so expensive?

[Deckbuild]

The interior except being too plasticky , I find it very advanced..

 

It's quite futuristic to me, especially the LCD showing what's going on, the gear knob quite nice. Not really bother about those plastic after driving a number of B&B cars.

[Babyt]

yeah the interior is very nice but the look is boring.

[Icu]

Better get prep for more hybrid cabbies on the road.... the big rebate is enticing for taxi companies.

[Good-Carbuyer]

Please ensure your daily mileage is above 100km else no worth the dep/year.

+ Accent 1.5M can be more economical

[Good-Carbuyer]

I guess the million people who buy this car view it way way beyond its material looks and touch. Its the only B&B car that qualifies for 20K green rebate coming Jan.

I believe its bias. Can achieve better than 27km/L if hypermiling using other models. Example: I ever done 28.83km/L on local roads with stock Accent 1.5M (no fuel/engine oil additives...)

[Kiadaw]

Doesn't top gear shown quite a while ago, that the best way to save fuel is a small diesel car.

 

Can anyone explain why you would want a Prius?

[Jolie888]

Contrary to all the current thinking, that small cc hybrid cars will become the best sellers, once the law is effected next year, I think otherwise.

 

Firstly, people in the know will steer away from hybrids - only because battery longevity and the technology level is still limited. Honda had publicly announced this recently and the world would need to push forward on battery R&D in order for it to be better accepted as a viable, green alternative.

 

Hybrid car batteries won't last the full 10 years here, especially in our very hot and humid climate, worsened by our start-stop city traffic. Replacing hybrid car batteries can cost anywhere from $5K ... up to $10K - yes the upper bracket was quoted to me for the Lexus CT200H!

 

The destruction and disposal of used battery parts (many non recyclable) would lead to environmental issues of the future.

 

So with all these cost and environmental issues, hybrid cars will be difficult to accept by many!

 

Now, this is where I think the sub-1L engined cars will make a comeback here.

Not just ordinary <1L cars, but those with forced induction. Turbo, super, or twin-charged one's.

Matched with much lighter bodies, these should give very low emission numbers - probably even meeting the max $20,000 rebate criteria!

 

Now a $20,000 rebate would form a much higher %discount for such Cat A cars. The alternative hybrid car would significantly be more expensive to build. When people buy cars, they still do look at the absolute price.

 

We may get to see sub-1L turbocharged VWs (can't recall the model sold in Europe) and SMARTs selling like hot cakes, if brought in after 2012! Who knows?

 

All VW Singapore needs to do is to STOP bringing in DSG models for their <1L models, up their reliability by leaps and bounds ... and they will have a winner and a great product that will corner the market!

 

 

[Jolie888]

Doesn't top gear shown quite a while ago, that the best way to save fuel is a small diesel car.

 

Can anyone explain why you would want a Prius?

Diesel cars emit high particulate matter and nitrous oxide, more so km for km travelled, than petrol driven cars. That is why the LTA and the MoT/Mr. Liu are dead against giving the new emmission rebates to diesel cars (note: this is not the same from the reduced diesel special taxation given earlier in 2012 budget by the MoF/Tharman).

 

[Kiadaw]

Firstly, people in the know will steer away from hybrids - only because battery longevity and the technology level is still limited. Honda had publicly announced this recently and the world would need to push forward on battery R&D in order for it to be better accepted as a viable, green alternative.

 

Hybrid car batteries won't last the full 10 years here, especially in our very hot and humid climate, worsened by our start-stop city traffic. Replacing hybrid car batteries can cost anywhere from $5K ... up to $10K - yes the upper bracket was quoted to me for the Lexus CT200H!

I think Battery perform even worst in the cold. battery life are known to significantly shorten or even just die, in cold temperature. Thats why, in cold weather, you need to keep your camera under cover after taken a picture, & not let it hang around the neck. Same with cell phone.

 

Not sure about hybrid car battery though, but I doubt its a lot different.

[VellfireS]

Better get prep for more hybrid cabbies on the road.... the big rebate is enticing for taxi companies.

and that's when my car resale value will suicide if Comfort bring in more hybrid Camry.. I si liao...

[VellfireS]

It's quite futuristic to me, especially the LCD showing what's going on, the gear knob quite nice. Not really bother about those plastic after driving a number of B&B cars.

haha.. true.. the gear knob is the main thing I liked in the Prius... [thumbsup]

[Deckbuild]

Because I travel to Malaysia often, my wife's a Malaysian, and their diesel not suitable for all this euro 4 or euro 5 diesel cars. On top of that, theres a diesel tax.

[Eng40765]

This is the 7-seater prius +:

 

 

I wonder whether singapore will get all this features besides the FC. Only this will beat the wish.

[I-LOVE-CARS]

I help the bro repost as the video has been taken down

 

[Antlau]

The destruction and disposal of used battery parts (many non recyclable) would lead to environmental issues of the future.

 

it is not just the disposal of the batteries that will cause environmental damage; the making of such hybrid cars (because of the batteries) requires rare metals and the requirement is in itself damaging to the environment.

[Fat_slayer]

COE price will continue to rise and the it will negate the rebates to be granted in 2013. So it may not be worthwhile to wait till next year.

 

My 2 cents.

[W210k]

Yes, agree that hybrid car battery disposal with be the next big environmental issue over the next few decades to come, before they are put to a stop, or when a less-polluting technology is invented. Long term viability of hybrid cars is suspect, IMHO.

The weakest link for hybrid technology today, is battery life. Replacement cost is still very costly (many $K), and will occur at least once, if not more, in a car's 10-year life here.

 

Looking forward, re petrol engines, the Europeans will rule with the new 2013 legislation - that's where I'd expect the likes of Germans, French and Italians to bring in their sub-1L TC models.

 

As for diesel cars, I don't think that they will ever take off here in a big way, despite the lukewarm/tepid tax reductions instituted lately. The MoT will stand firm on PM issues and not turn Singapore into another PM-polluted Bangkok or Jarkarta!

 

Contrary to all the current thinking, that small cc hybrid cars will become the best sellers, once the law is effected next year, I think otherwise.

 

Firstly, people in the know will steer away from hybrids - only because battery longevity and the technology level is still limited. Honda had publicly announced this recently and the world would need to push forward on battery R&D in order for it to be better accepted as a viable, green alternative.

 

Hybrid car batteries won't last the full 10 years here, especially in our very hot and humid climate, worsened by our start-stop city traffic. Replacing hybrid car batteries can cost anywhere from $5K ... up to $10K - yes the upper bracket was quoted to me for the Lexus CT200H!

 

The destruction and disposal of used battery parts (many non recyclable) would lead to environmental issues of the future.

 

So with all these cost and environmental issues, hybrid cars will be difficult to accept by many!

 

Now, this is where I think the sub-1L engined cars will make a comeback here.

Not just ordinary <1L cars, but those with forced induction. Turbo, super, or twin-charged one's.

Matched with much lighter bodies, these should give very low emission numbers - probably even meeting the max $20,000 rebate criteria!

 

Now a $20,000 rebate would form a much higher %discount for such Cat A cars. The alternative hybrid car would significantly be more expensive to build. When people buy cars, they still do look at the absolute price.

 

We may get to see sub-1L turbocharged VWs (can't recall the model sold in Europe) and SMARTs selling like hot cakes, if brought in after 2012! Who knows?

 

All VW Singapore needs to do is to STOP bringing in DSG models for their <1L models, up their reliability by leaps and bounds ... and they will have a winner and a great product that will corner the market!

 

[Snipfer]

prius is just too exp in sg.

In USA, price difference is only around 10k-15k between a entry level car and a prius.

 

I did a calculation years back - between a $50k vios and a $90k prius base on usage of 10 years.

 

1) nobody(no car) will spend $40k on petrol within 10yrs.

2) prius battery lasts aound 5-6 years ($6k), lets say warranty 5 yrs, battery died on the 6th year. $6000 dollars can let you change the vios battery($180) for 33 times or 33 years based on 1 dead battery per year.

3) standard maintenance - oil change, tyres.etc both are roughly the same $$$.

4) road tax - 1.5 vs 1.5 (old prius is 1.5)

 

Although next year will have the bla bla bla green rebate - it is not significant enough to even talk about SAVINGs.

Not unless a prius costs only SGD$10-15k more than a normal car(vios,city).

 

my take on this - other than buying it for environmental friendliness - there is absolutely ZERO gains.

i would rather use that extra $40k to pay for comfort - a camry or a lexus, or even a used merz/audi/bmw.