Fools and Money

Tend to be parted. People are paying more than the list price on used Toyota Prius'. That's right, more for it used, than for a new one. Dumb. [Link]

An unused Prius requires about $26,672 to take home. The used version, with fewer than 10,000 miles, goes for around $27,945. That's right, nearly $1,300 more. More incredible: a 2007 model with more than 22,000 miles will only save you $276 compared to the price of a shiny new 2008. We're not sure you can even call that depreciation.

Cars depreciate in value. They go down in value, not up. They wear out. I'm all for buying a used car, but don't pay more than retail.
Part of this is because the Prius is trendy. Other hybrids have not sold as well because they look the same as their non hybrid models. For some, it seems it is more important to be seen as ecologically minded than just actually being ecologically minded.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a slam against anyone I know with a Prius, just those who would pay more for a used car for appearance's sake.