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Buying a Prius as a family car to replace an old Mercedes estate?
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10-10-2012 10:18am#1I'm considering changing the family car and buying a Toyota Prius II, 2007 or so, as a replacement for an '91 Mercedes 230TE (huge big 7 seater E class estate, 2.3l petrol auto). There's nothing wrong with the Mercedes, in fact it almost the prefect school run car, except it drinks petrol, is expensive to tax, and is lacking in safety features. Its possible replacement must be automatic, reliable, and cheap to run, and NOT DIESEL as it'll only do 7k mikes per year on short suburban runs. Hence, the choice of a Prius.
The Mercedes does 20MPG (suburban school runs etc), being conservative I understand that a Prius II does about 50MPG.
Based on driving 150 miles per week and petrol at €1.70/l I calculate I'll spend €23 per week in a Prius as against €58 in the Merc, €35 per week saved. It'll also cost €600 per year less to tax. Annual "savings" of €2400 :eek: Servicing/tyres/repairs/insurance I can't see much difference, I could be unlucky with a big bill from either.
A 2007 Prius will cost me about €9000, after 4 years it'll be worth approx €4000 all going well. So I "spend" €5000 in depreciation over 4 years, the Merc is costing me nothing at this stage.
So.....over 4 years-- Save €9600 in fuel/tax
- Spend €5000 in depreciation
- Overall gain over 4 years of €4600 (plus whatever I sell the Mercedes for)
I also gain the added safety features of a modern car, important with 3 kids to move around. However, I lose the extra space/seats of the Mercedes, but thats looking like an expensive luxury at the moment, the extra 2 seats are very rarely used.
I do like the Mercedes though and would miss it
but I have another old Merc to help me get over the pain 
Am I missing anything here or does it seem much more sensible to move to a Prius?5
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I'm a merc driver/fan and work in Toyota dealer - I could never bring myself to get rid of a merc and buy a Prius! Having said that, Prius is totally bullet proof, gives no trouble at all and is incredibly cheap to run. Sounds ideal for your requirements, but it's not a merc....
Sumo0 -
How big are your kids, do they all require booster seats and can you fit 3 booster seats in the back of a Prius?I'm considering changing the family car and buying a Toyota Prius II, 2007 or so, as a replacement for an '91 Mercedes 230TE (huge big 7 seater E class estate, 2.3l petrol auto). There's nothing wrong with the Mercedes, in fact it almost the prefect school run car, except it drinks petrol, is expensive to tax, and is lacking in safety features. Its possible replacement must be automatic, reliable, and cheap to run, and NOT DIESEL as it'll only do 7k mikes per year on short suburban runs. Hence, the choice of a Prius.
The Mercedes does 20MPG (suburban school runs etc), being conservative I understand that a Prius II does about 50MPG.
Based on driving 150 miles per week and petrol at €1.70/l I calculate I'll spend €23 per week in a Prius as against €58 in the Merc, €35 per week saved. It'll also cost €600 per year less to tax. Annual "savings" of €2400 :eek: Servicing/tyres/repairs/insurance I can't see much difference, I could be unlucky with a big bill from either.
A 2007 Prius will cost me about €9000, after 4 years it'll be worth approx €4000 all going well. So I "spend" €5000 in depreciation over 4 years, the Merc is costing me nothing at this stage.
So.....over 4 years-- Save €9600 in fuel/tax
- Spend €5000 in depreciation
- Overall gain over 4 years of €4600 (plus whatever I sell the Mercedes for)
I also gain the added safety features of a modern car, important with 3 kids to move around. However, I lose the extra space/seats of the Mercedes, but thats looking like an expensive luxury at the moment, the extra 2 seats are very rarely used.
I do like the Mercedes though and would miss it but I have another old Merc to help me get over the pain
Am I missing anything here or does it seem much more sensible to move to a Prius?0 -
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Thanks RJ, sometimes you have to go with the money!RoverJames wrote: »Makes total financial sense to move to the prius
Seeing as my wife couldn't care less what she drives as long as it doesn't break down I'm glad to hear you consider them bulletproof, always good to get it from those at the coalface.I'm a merc driver/fan and work in Toyota dealer - I could never bring myself to get rid of a merc and buy a Prius! Having said that, Prius is totally bullet proof, gives no trouble at all and is incredibly cheap to run. Sounds ideal for your requirements, but it's not a merc....
Sumo
I need 2 booster seats and a full child seat, so off to test that scenario this afternoon hopefully. I've fit them in the back of a Yaris so should be OK. I'll buy new seats if needed.How big are your kids, do they all require booster seats and can you fit 3 booster seats in the back of a Prius?
The Mercedes is in particularly good shape, no rust, damage or faults, but big petrol engined cars don't sell quickly these days.Sounds like a good idea to me, you should also get handy money for your Mercedes too if it's in reasonable condition.0 -
Wheres My ForkandKnife wrote: »Hard to argue with the logic.Just one thing though.The motor tax on a 07 prius is €384p.a. and is €160 on an 08.I dont think there is a huge difference in buying price between the two years.
There is a lot of speculation about tax changing in the upcoming budget.I know its an unequal system and dont want to get into a debate with anyone about it but whatever changes are made I think its highly unlikely that they will completely reverse the situation and make an 07 car cheaper to tax than an 08.Cant see any real upside for buying the 07.
Even if they completely even out the system the chances are that you will have taxed the car for a year already.
If you other merc is 30 yrs old or approaching it you'll be in line for the €52 tax rate on it so you'll have the best of both worlds.
Best of luck with it.
2 more years before the other Merc hits 30, no doubt they'll change the rules just before it qualifies for classic tax. As for tax on an 07 versus an 08, I might well wait until the changes are made before picking a car. Forecasting car tax rates in Ireland is a mugs game 0 -
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2 more years before the other Merc hits 30, no doubt they'll change the rules just before it qualifies for classic tax. As for tax on an 07 versus an 08, I might well wait until the changes are made before picking a car. Forecasting car tax rates in Ireland is a mugs game
It all depends wheter you want to wait or not but if you buy the car this month or next month and it has no tax you will pay 12 months tax and any changes won't affect you till the end of next year.
Personally upcoming budgets are the last reason I would wait to buy a car.If I did that I'd never buy a car:)0 -
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I changed a e200 2001 to a Prius nearly 2 years ago. Financially it's working out. I have spent €2400 on fuel on that time on fuel in the Prius at an average of nearly 60mpg. The merc averaged 27mpg, so I would have had to spend €5300 if I still have the merc. Cheaper to tax bit not significant and cheaper to ensure again only a couple of €100.
The Prius will struggle for width across the back seat. Leg room is better than the merc believe or not but bum room not so good really only suited to 4 adults.
Here is the data on fuelly to back up the above. I record every fuel up.
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/650ginge/prius
Thanks for that, seems to make excellent financial sense, which is proving very difficult to argue with. The improved safety for passengers is also making more and more sense. I tried our child seats today in one, 2 boosters and a full seat, and it was a bit tight but I think still OK. I agree though that legroom is better that the Merc, and the boot space was better than I had expected. Given that 90% of its journeys would be less than 3 miles I think the kids can cope with the slightly narrower rear seat. 3 seats are a push in any car so I'm not hugely surprised that its a tight fit.
Long motorway journeys with 5 of us in one might be a bit more tedious than the Mercedes but that's only about 4 times a year, I could hire a minibus each time and still be better off
Its looking fairly certain we'll change to a Prius as long as my wife likes it. However, just to throw a spanner in the works I've now been asked to consider a Toyota Corolla Verso! 0 -
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I'm a merc driver/fan and work in Toyota dealer - I could never bring myself to get rid of a merc and buy a Prius! Having said that, Prius is totally bullet proof, gives no trouble at all and is incredibly cheap to run. Sounds ideal for your requirements, but it's not a merc....
Sumo
So you've never had a Prius come back for warranty work?
The earlier ones were a balls, and not very efficient either. They look crap (IMHO), perform poorly and the re-sale value is sketchy to say the least.0 -
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So you've never had a Prius come back for warranty work?
The earlier ones were a balls, and not very efficient either. They look crap (IMHO), perform poorly and the re-sale value is sketchy to say the least.
Earlier ones? This chap is talking 07/08 which are bullet proof. The perfect car hasn't been built yet, but we've done very little warranty on any Prius of any year. Jap imports generally end up having to replace hybrid batteries, that's the only major-ish thing...
Yep they're ugly and they're horrid inside, but that wasn't the point of this thread..
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OP are you too far from a LPG filling station to consider a conversion on the merc.I'm considering changing the family car and buying a Toyota Prius II, 2007 or so, as a replacement for an '91 Mercedes 230TE (huge big 7 seater E class estate, 2.3l petrol auto). There's nothing wrong with the Mercedes, in fact it almost the prefect school run car, except it drinks petrol, is expensive to tax, and is lacking in safety features. Its possible replacement must be automatic, reliable, and cheap to run, and NOT DIESEL as it'll only do 7k mikes per year on short suburban runs. Hence, the choice of a Prius.
The Mercedes does 20MPG (suburban school runs etc), being conservative I understand that a Prius II does about 50MPG.
Based on driving 150 miles per week and petrol at €1.70/l I calculate I'll spend €23 per week in a Prius as against €58 in the Merc, €35 per week saved. It'll also cost €600 per year less to tax. Annual "savings" of €2400 :eek: Servicing/tyres/repairs/insurance I can't see much difference, I could be unlucky with a big bill from either.
A 2007 Prius will cost me about €9000, after 4 years it'll be worth approx €4000 all going well. So I "spend" €5000 in depreciation over 4 years, the Merc is costing me nothing at this stage.
So.....over 4 years-- Save €9600 in fuel/tax
- Spend €5000 in depreciation
- Overall gain over 4 years of €4600 (plus whatever I sell the Mercedes for)
I also gain the added safety features of a modern car, important with 3 kids to move around. However, I lose the extra space/seats of the Mercedes, but thats looking like an expensive luxury at the moment, the extra 2 seats are very rarely used.
I do like the Mercedes though and would miss it but I have another old Merc to help me get over the pain
Am I missing anything here or does it seem much more sensible to move to a Prius?
The optimistic assumption being that fuel costs are halved with a payback in less than a year at your weekly mileage.
Less money outlay (or debt) for not quite the economy of the Prius I know...but still you get to save the merc (and being the butt of Duncan Stewart jokes)0 -
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It makes financial sense to move to the Prius.
However, it makes as much financial sense to move to a nicer car that will do decent MPG and may not even have to cost you as much. €5,000 - €6,000 will get you a decent 2005+ Mondeo, Vectra, Octavia diesel that should churn out 30-45mpg depending on usage. Estate versions are generally less sought after and can be cheaper and might actually suit you better, rather than putting up with the relatively small and definitely ugly Prius while still saving you a ton on tax. 0 -
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OP are you too far from a LPG filling station to consider a conversion on the merc.
The optimistic assumption being that fuel costs are halved with a payback in less than a year at your weekly mileage.
Less money outlay (or debt) for not quite the economy of the Prius I know...but still you get to save the merc (and being the butt of Duncan Stewart jokes)
Nearest LPG station is in Finglas as far as I can tell, and that appears to be the only one in Dublin! So, too far away and too risky to rely on a single source.
I can live with Duncan comparisons, won't hear them anyway if I pad my ears with the €50 a week I'd save 0 -
It makes financial sense to move to the Prius.
However, it makes as much financial sense to move to a nicer car that will do decent MPG and may not even have to cost you as much. €5,000 - €6,000 will get you a decent 2005+ Mondeo, Vectra, Octavia diesel that should churn out 30-45mpg depending on usage. Estate versions are generally less sought after and can be cheaper and might actually suit you better, rather than putting up with the relatively small and definitely ugly Prius while still saving you a ton on tax.
I'll be considering other options alright, but diesel is not one of them, the short journey type we use the car for doesn't suit diesel.0 -
Nearest LPG station is in Finglas as far as I can tell, and that appears to be the only one in Dublin! So, too far away and too risky to rely on a single source.
I can live with Duncan comparisons, won't hear them anyway if I pad my ears with the €50 a week I'd save
This should of course be €20 per week, doesn't sound that much really does it? Maybe the Merc is worth €20 extra per week (an extra €50 per week on petrol, €30 of which I'd be spending on depreciation on the Prius anyway).0 -
Thanks for that, seems to make excellent financial sense, which is proving very difficult to argue with. The improved safety for passengers is also making more and more sense. I tried our child seats today in one, 2 boosters and a full seat, and it was a bit tight but I think still OK. I agree though that legroom is better that the Merc, and the boot space was better than I had expected. Given that 90% of its journeys would be less than 3 miles I think the kids can cope with the slightly narrower rear seat. 3 seats are a push in any car so I'm not hugely surprised that its a tight fit.
Long motorway journeys with 5 of us in one might be a bit more tedious than the Mercedes but that's only about 4 times a year, I could hire a minibus each time and still be better off Its looking fairly certain we'll change to a Prius as long as my wife likes it. However, just to throw a spanner in the works I've now been asked to consider a Toyota Corolla Verso!
Have you considered a Civic Hybrid?0 -
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Would be a dual fuel setup ie petrol and LPG
Nearest LPG station is in Finglas as far as I can tell, and that appears to be the only one in Dublin! So, too far away and too risky to rely on a single source.
I can live with Duncan comparisons, won't hear them anyway if I pad my ears with the €50 a week I'd save
I have my own car being converted at the moment the lads at LPG.ie. The demonstration car I was shown had a virtually seamless changeover between fuels. petrol automatically comes on whenLPG runs out.
https://maps.google.pl/maps/ms?vps=2&hl=pl&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=214379981455406153958.0004c8b7d951e7988c000#bmb=1
This is a map some guy on boards is creating it shows the spot in Finglas and another Coldwinters selling it for 80cents
Don't know anything about the one in Tallaght though. There is an LPG industry map on the net too but is not updated which is why the above was created.
Best of luck with whatever you go for though0 -
A 2 nd gen Prius drives much nicer than a w124, I have both ,
Most of the people who put down the Prius ,have never driven one.
They require almost no maintenance so there are big savings here too
If I'm going away for a weekend or a long drive I have no problem taking the Prius ,
In realit 55 mpg is normal and will drop to 48. Mpg in winter
The Prius also has a super strong crash structure compared to older mercs
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A 2 nd gen Prius drives much nicer than a w124, I have both ,
Most of the people who put down the Prius ,have never driven one.
They require almost no maintenance so there are big savings here too
If I'm going away for a weekend or a long drive I have no problem taking the Prius ,
In realit 55 mpg is normal and will drop to 48. Mpg in winter
The Prius also has a super strong crash structure compared to older mercs
Thanks Bigus, nice to hear from someone who has both. In reality the extra safety is as important as the savings, I'm just still struggling to make the psychological leap from lovely old Merc to efficient modern Prius!0
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