I traded in my Model S for a Prius Prime

[COS Blue]

what I do not understand is that people got to come on and argue about hybrids on a Tesla forum. Tesla has never made one and never will. Add irrelevant argument to stupid argument.

I agree with most of your argument . But arguing about hybrids on a Tesla forum is perfectly relevant. Prius Prime is a viable competitor to a Tesla. Even a Prius Hybrid is a viable competitor. There are those of us who bought our Teslas chiefly because of its lighter impact to the environment, so comparing Tesla to other cars with light environmental footprints is worthwhile. Tesla will never make an ICE either but people compare Teslas to BMWs and Mercedes and whatever else on this forum all the time.

Other than that, your contribution to the stupid argument is well taken!

 

[aerodyne]

There is a lot to be said in favor of Toyota PHEVs ... and some important negatives that have been mentioned in this thread.

I was mostly very happy with my Prime during the year I owned it while waiting for our Tesla but I'll admit to one, shallow aspect that gnawed at me: I *really* did not like how the car looked from the rear. The experience taught me to avoid any further episodes of buying a car sight unseen. It was too late for the Tesla but I lucked out there.

I'll bet you see more Prius rear ends now than you did before...

 

[Wilber]

Thanks for your post. Sure, different strokes for different folks. I have been driving Teslas since 2014. I recall some kind of informal survey on the Tesla forum in 2014 or 2015. The question was "What car did you used to drive?" AND the single most common response was "Prius"! So, not such a big surprise that now a few Tesla drivers might just go back to Prius......

 

[rjpjnk]

This is because Prius was the breakthrough car that paved the way for all current electric vehicles.
It is worth mention anywhere EVs are discussed.

 

[aerodyne]

Be careful parking in the city. Lost my
converter that way.

Same here. Told the daughter not to park on the street, bit it was " too much of a hassle"

After 3 months, snagged the last exhaust assy in the US. 3 grand less labor...

 

[GMan324]

- Tesla depreciation is abhorrent. Tesla MS and MX lose $10-20k/year for the first few years.

That didn’t age well.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

And, of course, with a Prius you can still dump GHG's at NO COST TO YOU!

What a deal--leave a planetary-scale disaster for future generations to deal with, while basking in that Prius glow, all because panel gaps and a better customer service experience were far more important than leaving a usable planet for others.

 

[rjpjnk]

The problem I had with my 2021 Prius Prime was that the battery was just too small to be useful. I was only getting about 20 miles of range out of it most days. It believe could be a great car if the battery were larger. In any event, it was this car that first opened my eyes to EVs. It was such a pleasure to drive in EV mode that I never wanted the ICE to start. I decided to sell it and buy a Model Y instead, but I still like that car. It was, after all, half the price and had some features I miss in the MY like BSM, Cross traffic alert, better wipers, better climate control, HUD, and AM. But there is a lot more to love in the Model Y for sure.

 

[ucmndd]

And, of course, with a Prius you can still dump GHG's at NO COST TO YOU!

What a deal--leave a planetary-scale disaster for future generations to deal with, while basking in that Prius glow, all because panel gaps and a better customer service experience were far more important than leaving a usable planet for others.

Your toxic smug emissions just set our climate goals back 18 months.

 

[whisperingshad]

The problem I had with my 2021 Prius Prime was that the battery was just too small to be useful. I was only getting about 20 miles of range out of it most days. It believe could be a great car if the battery were larger. In any event, it was this car that first opened my eyes to EVs. It was such a pleasure to drive in EV mode that I never wanted the ICE to start. I decided to sell it and buy a Model Y instead, but I still like that car. It was, after all, half the price and had some features I miss in the MY like BSM, Cross traffic alert, better wipers, better climate control, HUD, and AM. But there is a lot more to love in the Model Y for sure.

Love my 18(now the Mrs), works AMAZING if you dont commute far for work....Works GREAT even if you commute

 

[IkeJ]

Hi all, figured I’d provide my unsolicited rationale on what some will think is a controversial decision. I’ve owned 4 Teslas and truly appreciate Tesla’s tech and drive—it’s really unmatched. However, I dumped my ‘16 Model S (facelift) in favor of a Prius Prime. Here are my reasons:

- Prius Prime is actually a nice car. Build quality, driving dynamics, and practicality is impressive for the price.
- Speaking of price, Prius Primes are dirt cheap right now (tremendous incentives) and they qualify for the $4500 tax credit. You can get a prime for ~$20k.
- Tesla depreciation is abhorrent. Tesla MS and MX lose $10-20k/year for the first few years.
- Quality and reliability on early MS and MX are abysmal
- Tesla customer service is embarrassing, period
- *Trigger warning* For many, the Prius Prime is more efficient, cheaper to operate, and has a smaller life-cycle carbon footprint.
- Toyota has Apple and Android CarPlay; sorry Tesla, its just better
- Insurance on Tesla is getting more and more out of control; Tesla repair times and costs are still unacceptable

All that said, I downgraded in styling, safety, and driving dynamics. The Prius looks like an inbred fish. That’s actually worse than the MX “beluga whale” or the frog-like appearance of both the M3 and MY. The MS is just plain gorgeous, so I can’t hit that. Nobody notices a Prius Prime, and I don’t mind that. The Prius drives ok. The first few generations drive like vacuums cleaners, but the Prius Prime drives more like an EV.

I will go back to Tesla when they mature and get their act together. Wife still loves her MY, but the quality difference between the MY and Prius is astounding. As much as Tesla has improved, they are still no match for a $20k Toyota.

off soapbox

Agreed. Traded MY Performance and went back to Lexus RX450h but LOVE Prius Prime.