Prius Gone Up In Price - Again!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Just checking the Toyota website and noticed that the base Prius has gone up in price again and now costs £21,055, up from £20,500.

Is this just because of currency fluctuations - is the £ slowly becoming worth less (not worthless) or are Toyota confident of their product?

To put it into context the base price was £18,500 when I bought mine 2 years ago (almost to the day). £2,500 in two years. Am I missing something? There seems to be a growing gap between the Avensis and the Prius, almost to the point that the fuel savings are becoming negligible.

[Jan&tone]

Just checking the Toyota website and noticed that the base Prius has gone up in price again and now costs £21,055, up from £20,500.

Is this just because of currency fluctuations - is the £ slowly becoming worth less (not worthless) or are Toyota confident of their product?

To put it into context the base price was £18,500 when I bought mine 2 years ago (almost to the day). £2,500 in two years. Am I missing something? There seems to be a growing gap between the Avensis and the Prius, almost to the point that the fuel savings are becoming negligible.

Hi Grumpy... Two reasons, the pound is becoming worth less (AND worthless!) and manufacturing costs are going up around the world... Staff costs and the cost of the raw materials too unfortunately. You also have governments increasing taxes! Remember that VAT two years ago was 15 percent (down from 17.5) and now it's 20pct! - i reckon that would add around a grand before anything else!

As for the gap between the Avensis and Prius... A hybrid Avensis or replacement around the corner perhaps?

Did you check the base price, before tax and delivery etc? Or just the otr price?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Just the OTR price. I also noticed that the IQ still costs a couple quid under £10k - just like it did when it was released 2 years ago. Hmmm. That's built in Japan and would be subject to the same currency fluctuations but hasn't gone up. I recon Toyota are pricing the Prius at what they can get away with, probably using a London centric model as usual (£8 daily ccz saving) but I'm beginning to struggle with the sums at £21k when you can get a 6 month old Avensis estate for £13k. Perhaps my colleagues were right to avoid the Prius?!?

The reason I'm looking is that I'm near the 60k warranty period and the car now needs its 2nd steering column! A warranty item for sure, BUT it costs £1,300 + vat + fitting for the part. Almost a £2k bill for a steering column that is lasting 30k miles of taxi use. That is unheard of in taxi circles. OK, the later models have a 100k mile warranty but I want to run a car to 200k like my colleagues manage with their Mondeo's and Avensis's (and limited success with Vectra's :!Removed!: ).

I'm feeling my Prius bubble is quickly deflating

[blue verso 56]

Glad I just purchased my Prius before the price increase .They have also removed any additional offers from the Prius range on the Toyota website

What is it with Toyota and steering racks ? I have owned a few Avensis in my time and steering racks were a common problem and I needed 3 on one car before it was 3 years old and after the recent recall fiasco and admitting they took there eye of the ball with regards quality of there products I am surprised this is still accruing

[Flaninacupboard]

Maybe they decided to do a price increase before the 2012 model is introduced, so they can say "new features (like the colour screen) added at no extra cost!" and also to make the price differential from the base model to the PHV less, to stop critical comparisons.

[Jan&tone]

Maybe they want the ct200 to sell, pricing the Prius similarly or just below may well do that...

[timberwolf]

According to the prices posted for the T3 that was approximately a 10.8% increase in the first year and more modest 2.7% increase in the second year assuming my maths is correct.

I wonder why it jumped so much in the year after the new model was released, maybe the Prius Gen 3 was priced too low when they first introduced the new model? - see you got a bargain Grumpy - I remember how Toyota GB introduced the Gen 3 nearly at the same price as the outgoing Gen 2 - despite it going up significantly more in other markets!

[stompe]

Hi Guys

Perhaps we are paying for the Earthquake!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

What is it with Toyota and steering racks ? I have owned a few Avensis in my time and steering racks were a common problem and I needed 3 on one car before it was 3 years old and after the recent recall fiasco and admitting they took there eye of the ball with regards quality of there products I am surprised this is still accruing

And the worry is, according to the mechanic they haven't redesigned the part so I guess it's going to fail again soon! I noticed the price increase with the Prius because I was going to trade my old girl in and buy a new one with a 100k warranty. Anyhow, I'll get the new column in and see how it goes - if it fails again I will be handing the car back under the hp agreement. I like the fuel savings and the talking point of having the Prius but if steering columns are £2k a pop every 30k miles then I'm gonna have to look elsewhere! The first replacement could have been bad luck, but needing a 2nd at 58k miles is poor! :ffs: I notice partsking is absent on this discussion

[Jan&tone]

Lol, think Kingo is on hols in Portugal....

[Red diesel]

Maybe they decided to do a price increase before the 2012 model is introduced, so they can say "new features (like the colour screen) added at no extra cost!" and also to make the price differential from the base model to the PHV less, to stop critical comparisons.

Years ago when Ford replaced the Sierra with the Mondeo - they pulled a similar stroke to what you describe - at around the end of 1992 - with the replacement Mondeo just months away at the time - Ford increased Sierra list prices by 2 to 3 percent. Sounded ridiculous seeing as the car was coming towards the end of production so what was the point. Quite simply doing this meant that when the Mondeo came out Ford could turn around to customers and say - Mondeos are being offered at the same price as the equivelent model Sierra lol.

Red diesel

[Flaninacupboard]

Worrying if the rack is that unreliable, but mine is just about to hit 40k with no problems. What are the problem signs?

[kithmo]

What is it with Toyota and steering racks ? I have owned a few Avensis in my time and steering racks were a common problem and I needed 3 on one car before it was 3 years old and after the recent recall fiasco and admitting they took there eye of the ball with regards quality of there products I am surprised this is still accruing

And the worry is, according to the mechanic they haven't redesigned the part so I guess it's going to fail again soon! I noticed the price increase with the Prius because I was going to trade my old girl in and buy a new one with a 100k warranty. Anyhow, I'll get the new column in and see how it goes - if it fails again I will be handing the car back under the hp agreement. I like the fuel savings and the talking point of having the Prius but if steering columns are £2k a pop every 30k miles then I'm gonna have to look elsewhere! The first replacement could have been bad luck, but needing a 2nd at 58k miles is poor! :ffs: I notice partsking is absent on this discussion

GC, do you use full lock a lot ?

The reason I ask is, I know that with electric power steering, holding the wheel on full lock against the stops, can overload the motor, which may lead to early failure. On this basis, I never use full lock, if I reach the stop with the wheel I back it off a little.

IIRC the motor is part of the column on the Prius.

Of course if it's not the motor at fault with yours then this won't apply, but I thought it was worth a mention.

[Parts-King]

I'm back!

Price positioning as it is know is VERY common in the motor trade. Manufacturers are always altering the price point of cars to make models look more attractive (and sometimes less) depending on availability. Last year a lot of major manufacturers with high volume were altering their prices monthly!! The main reason for price rises is the cost of metals which have risen massivly over the last few years, the value of the Yen makes exports more expensive http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13939727

Also some of the Hybrid componants for electric motors have gone through the roof!

Grumpy:

I think your mechanic has taken a very simple view of the Pruis steering recall. The parts HAVE been modified, and the repair procedure is on a bulletin that is 123 pages long so to say there is no change in the poppyc0ck TBH

Kingo

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Grumpy:

I think your mechanic has taken a very simple view of the Pruis steering recall. The parts HAVE been modified, and the repair procedure is on a bulletin that is 123 pages long so to say there is no change in the poppyc0ck TBH

Kingo

I'm seeing them about it soon so will check that they've noted the extensive repair procedure.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Worrying if the rack is that unreliable, but mine is just about to hit 40k with no problems. What are the problem signs?

A rattle in the steering when cold which started about 40k miles and then progressed onto rattling all the time. When it was replaced the car felt like new - lovely tight steering and no rattles. It then has started to rattle again so I intend getting it in before 60k miles.

No I don't hold the car on lock - never have on any of my cars. Do I need to do 3 point turns? Sure, but never hold on lock. Learnt my lesson on that years ago when traditional power steering first came out. Think it was a Mondeo.

[MSHasan]

Worrying if the rack is that unreliable, but mine is just about to hit 40k with no problems. What are the problem signs?

A rattle in the steering when cold which started about 40k miles and then progressed onto rattling all the time. When it was replaced the car felt like new - lovely tight steering and no rattles. It then has started to rattle again so I intend getting it in before 60k miles.

No I don't hold the car on lock - never have on any of my cars. Do I need to do 3 point turns? Sure, but never hold on lock. Learnt my lesson on that years ago when traditional power steering first came out. Think it was a Mondeo.

GC, Just FYI - I think there's somebody going round and specifically negative marking your posts - What a *****! I've +1'd all of them so now they're back to zero.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Cheers mate

[Red diesel]

Grumpy Cabbie

If you weren't going for the Prius next time what else would you be looking at buying (just out of curiousity).

Secondly - if it were my car... Id be looking into the possibility that your 2nd steering rack for whatever reason wasn't a modified example. Hence why the mechanic doing the job reckoned it wasn't modified. If its not modified (the steering rack thats in your car at present) then its possible that the new type rack may well actually work in that the problem is fixed. So a new prius may not have the same issue, its also worth noting that if you go diesel you will have DPFs and lots of other things to worry about.

Would it be any good i wonder to push for good will with Toyota againsed the new car on account of the rack issue. I know of people whove had issues with cars subsequently doing sweet deals with the manufacturer to upgrade to newer models using the issues they had with the car being replaced as bagaining tool.

Red diesel

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I don't think I could afford to run anything else now I'm used to paying 40-50% less in fuel than my colleauges. Or I was.

Regarding dpf problems, I think it depends on the manufacturer AND the model of car and even the engine. One guy has got the new Passat diesel automatic and he's been very pleased with it, gets just over 40mpg in town! and the inside of his exhaust is super clean - as in completely clean with no soot. But I do like the talking point my car creates with the customers and it is soo quiet - which is nice when you're stuck in traffic. Balance that with the high cost new and suspect long term reliability - so far. I worry I'm going to be in for a big bill sometime in the next 12 months which will eat up the fuel savings.

The sums in favour of the Prius are slowly being eroded - unfortunately!

[Red diesel]

I don't think I could afford to run anything else now I'm used to paying 40-50% less in fuel than my colleauges. Or I was.

Regarding dpf problems, I think it depends on the manufacturer AND the model of car and even the engine. One guy has got the new Passat diesel automatic and he's been very pleased with it, gets just over 40mpg in town! and the inside of his exhaust is super clean - as in completely clean with no soot. But I do like the talking point my car creates with the customers and it is soo quiet - which is nice when you're stuck in traffic. Balance that with the high cost new and suspect long term reliability - so far. I worry I'm going to be in for a big bill sometime in the next 12 months which will eat up the fuel savings.

The sums in favour of the Prius are slowly being eroded - unfortunately!

So are their manufacturers who are having success with DPFs for taxi work then (ie the cars aren't giving DPF trouble during taxi work). Thats the big issue with DPFs - they aren't usually too bad if your on the Motorways/open road a lot of the time appearently. Its when you have people doing mostly town driving you get a lot of the issues. Incidentally i believe that with their latest Euro 6 trucks Scania have a system whereby when the DPF is getting blocked a warning message comes up and you press a button in the cab and the regeneration process is kicked off. I guess Scania can't exactly tell customers like Asda - err sorry lads but you can't use the trucks for urban driving. Wonder will the car manufacturers do something similar.

Red diesel

[dwilson]

Worrying if the rack is that unreliable, but mine is just about to hit 40k with no problems. What are the problem signs?

The first Toyota I bought was a new Carina E in 1993 (I think) and that had to have a new steering rack which was picked up at its first 10000 mile service. I hadn't noticed anything but it was all done under warranty. The rest of the car seemed bullet proof.

David

[Grumpy Cabbie]

So are their manufacturers who are having success with DPFs for taxi work then (ie the cars aren't giving DPF trouble during taxi work). Thats the big issue with DPFs - they aren't usually too bad if your on the Motorways/open road a lot of the time appearently. Its when you have people doing mostly town driving you get a lot of the issues.

Depends on the manufacturer, model and engine type/output. Some give no trouble at all such as on Mercedes, otherwise I think it depends on the system. The urea injection systems seem more stable than the rich running fuel versions but they're only just working their way down to the more humble models so it's still early days. Some models are still utterley dreadful and a couple of my colleagues have had new cars taken back and full refunds given because they just wouldn't work in town!

Still not a fan of diesel but it's getting there.

[johalareewi]

The sums in favour of the Prius are slowly being eroded - unfortunately!

Could you go for the T4 with the improved steering column?

I know the tyres are more expensive though.

Will be interesting to see what happens to my T3. Just coming up to 40K.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I go through front tyres every 20k miles! At £70 inc vat and fitting a corner, the nasty looking 15 inch rims are for me :) They also help absorb curbs! B)

Anyhow, I'm complaining about £21k for a base Prius - I dread to think what the t4 goes for!