The year is 2018. Humanity is at war with the wide range of new cars available to buy. Overwhelmed and outnumbered, mankind is being attacked with finance packages and part-exchange deals. With wallets running dry and credit exhausted, the motorist’s saviour emerges from the smoke to save the day. The bold (but bland) second-hand Toyota Prius!
2018 is bringing many amazing new cars such as new models of the Audi A3, Ford Focus and the VW Golf. But before you rush to the dealership for a shiny new motor, consider this: an old Toyota Prius is the best car you can buy in 2018. Sounds absolutely absurd, right? As mad as it sounds, let’s find out why this statement has a lot of truth to it.
1. It’s old, but gold
The Toyota Prius was made to last. If you look at the third gen Prius (2009-2015) you can quickly see why people are still buying them second hand today. Even the most basic model is packed with cool features such as keyless entry, heated wing mirrors, seven airbags, a heads up display, climate control, 3 different driving modes and more.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more cash then you can unlock some extra frills such as heated leather seats, parking assist, sat nav and cruise control. Not to forget the solar roof that powers the ventilation system while your car is parked, getting rid of the “hot car on a summer’s day” problem. Combine this with the huge boot (446 litre capacity) and spacious interior and it’s easy to see the appeal. Even 8 years after it’s design, it still holds a decent competition with modern car packages.
2. It’s kind to the environment and your wallet in more ways than you think.
Other than the obvious fact that the miles per gallon is extraordinary on the Prius and the CO2 emissions are close to nil, buying a used car instantly helps out mother Earth. Buying a brand new car is the equivalent of burning 1,000 gallons of petrol before you’ve even left the showroom thanks to the energy it takes to manufacture them, so by buying a used car, you’re recycling in a huge way.
So if you do happen to be into saving the planet, buying a used Prius does a whole lot more good than buying a new Smart car. Not to mention the money you’ll be saving by buying a used car that’s exempt from road tax and has great mpg.
3. It’s incredibly reliable
One of the worries of buying a second hand motor is the mileage. It’s a common concern that a car that’s done 150k, 100k or even 50k miles may not have much life left in it. This couldn’t be any more of a fallacy than it is with the Prius. Toyota’s already-existing reputation for producing cars that just don’t die is well deserved and holds true with this car as well.
Tests done to compare high mileage Priuses to low mileage ones found that there was virtually no difference in mpg scores and the 0-60 times. It’s been proven time and time again that a Prius with 200,000 miles on the clock feels just the same as one that’s driven 1,000 miles. Also, a lot of people had concerns that the hybrid battery would deteriorate, just like that 7 year old laptop we all have that now lasts less than 20 minutes on its own. But, again, this is not the case as it just seems to last forever.
4. If famous celebrities drive them, it’s good enough for us
If at this point you still think that the Prius is just an uncool, ugly hybrid that’s not much more than a piece junk, then this may change your opinion. It can’t be that bad if successful people such as Matt Damon, Tom Hanks and Cameron Diaz opted for a Prius over a Ferrari. After all, when your bank account looks like a phone number you can afford almost any car you want, and yet they choose to buy a Toyota Prius! Clearly there’s something great about this automobile that people have caught on to. The list goes on, with other big names like Orlando Bloom, Will Ferrell, Sarah Jessica Parker, Miley Cyrus, Owen Wilson, Bradley Cooper and Harrison Ford all owning and driving a Prius at some point. So hey, if it’s good enough for the millionaires, it’s good enough for us, right?
5. It’s ugly chic
Sure, it’s very easy to criticise the Prius for it’s (what many agree to be) unsightly appearance. But it’s not just ugly, it’s ugly chic. Not many people see a Prius drive by and think “wow, what a beautifully designed car”, but it still gets respect. This is because everyone knows you’re above caring about trivial things like a car’s looks or how fast it does 0-60, you care about more important things like a smooth ride, reliability and of course, saving the planet (and money). It shows that you’re mature, forward-thinking and perhaps somewhat enlightened. Imagine catching the smug look of someone driving a brand new Porsche 911, only for that smug look to be beaten by your own smirking face, because you know that their car consumes twice as much fuel, cost three times as much, and is four times more likely to break down. Driving in a Prius isn’t something to be ashamed of, it’s cool.
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[…] expect, and the car lasts almost forever. On top of that, as we’ve said before in a Prius related article, many famous people such as Matt Damon, Will Ferrell and Cameron Diaz have owned […]
Couldn’t agree more!