2004 Prius Worth Twice as Much as 2004 Ford F150 | Hacker News Reader

2004 Prius Worth Twice as Much as 2004 Ford F150

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3 pointsMikeCapone6 comments

While I agree a fuel efficient vehicle is going to hold it's value better, the article neglects to mention that F150 trucks are generally used to haul heavy loads, plow snow, and otherwise be abused in order to get work done. A Prius on the other hand will probably never be put through the same abuse an F150 will endure so it will be in much better shape -- thus giving it a much higher resell value.

Agreed. The article fails to normalize working trucks vs. passenger vehicles as you note. One way to correct for this would be to compare four year-old fuel-inefficient cars to the Prius.

Another aspect ignored by the article is the Domestic vs. Import issue. No matter what Jay Leno says, there is a perception that domestic vehicles fall apart more quickly than imports. You could correct for this by comparing imported fuel-inefficient trucks to the Prius.

All in all, I found that the article pandered to my pre-existing prejudices. When I stepped back and thought about it, the article said nothing more than Green tastes better than Heavy.

I always think of it like this when I get truck hate... You have your prius, me, my ford. The task at hand is to move 2500 pounds of cinder blocks 10 miles down the road to a building site.

Which is now more fuel efficient? F150 or Prius? It all comes down the right vehicle for the job. Thats why its great to have a choice.

I do have such a choice: I own a small, fuel-efficient car and I rented a pickup the last time I needed to move anything like that. I mean, duh, if you are a landscape contractor or a home renovator or you operate a farm, buy a truck. I don't think anyone is arguing with that.

But recognize that you are now the exception to the rule. Do you really think that half or more of the F-150s on the road are "working trucks"?

Obligatory !HN comment: Despite having nothing to do with hacking or startups, this could be intellectually provocative, but it just isn't. A far more HN-appropriate post about vehicles is Gladwell's post about automobile safety:

http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html

Still lots of debate in the HN comments about Gladwell's methodology, but the underlying proposition is a lot more interesting to contemplate.

Toyotas hold value over Fords anyways. Fords drop in value like a rock the second you drive off the lot.(thats why I prefer imports, they hold their value, get good gas mileage, and actually last)

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