The Toyota Prius can be cost-effective

The Toyota Prius is still the best selling vehicle in Japan, where green car sales rule auto sales. So, is the Prius just about social statements, or does the Prius actually make cost-effectiveness sense for urban drivers, such as are the norm in Japan.

A cost-effective urban car?

Prius still tops Japanese auto sales

While government subsidies for green cars have expired in Japan, tax incentives for such vehicles still exist. Nonetheless, Toyota Prius sales declined 14.2 percent in September to 27,249 units sold. Still, the Prius is the top selling vehicle in Japan.

Considering that picking a green car is far more popular in Japan than in the US, do Prius sales suggest that in urban congestion, the Prius is a cost-effective choice when the entire package is considered?

The second best selling car in Japan is the Honda Fit. Fit sales were down 15.2 percent, or 14,622 units sold, an even bigger sales drop than the Prius.

Why is the Prius so much more successful than the Fit and other ‘green’ choices in Japan?

Certainly, people can buy cheaper cars, but that’s not apples to apples. A scooter, for instance, is cheaper to buy and and own that any car, but a scooter isn’t a car. Likewise, a cheap car doesn’t offer the same total experience as a Prius.

Ultimately, Japanese Prius sales seem to suggest that the Prius, at least in urban congestion, is about much more than just social statements. For many Japanese drivers, the Prius seems to be a cost-effective choice.

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