Toyota Prius

[jeffreyd]

Looking at buying a new car for my 100 mile rt commute. 95% of the drive is freeway driving and have been considering the prius. does anyone have one and what do you think of them pros and cons. thanks for your help, jeff

[McGurk]

Prius's are made for city driving. Your highway commute will see a minimal difference as long as you are moving at highway speeds. At speed you'll get similar highway MPG compared to a Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Mazda 2, or Toyota Yaris, but you're spending more money to do it with a Prius. If it was 50/50 or even 25/75 it might make sense, but not at 5/95 as long as you are moving. Traffic jams are a different case, slow speed and start/stop driving are where hybrids shine.

Also look into the Chevy Volt, Ford Fusion hybrid, and Honda CRZ or Civic hybrid if you are serious about a hybrid. The Fusion has gotten rave reviews from a few publications.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I agree, the Prius has no benefit for highway driving.

The thing that drives me nuts about the volt is there is no backup if there is a problem with the batteries or electric motor. There is no link between the gas engine and the drive train. If there is an electrical problem (its a GM don't kid yourself into thinking there won't be) your stranded. At least with a hybrid there is always a backup plan.

[rundrave]

I bought my wife a new 2008 prius a couple years ago, we have about 36k of trouble free miles with it. That little car has impressed me. I like it just for how much room it has on the inside, it was very surprising and with the back seat folded down it makes traveling easy with our 2 dogs. But even with 4 adults(and no dogs ) there is still plenty of leg room and still lots of room for cargo in the hatch. I am 6'3 and sit comfortable front or back.

As for the highway mileage I have to disagree with the first 2 comments even Airjer (Sorry )

We frequently drive to the cities and back for a weekend on less than a tank of gas(12 gallons) and consistantly average about 50-51 mpg. Sure in the right city driving conditions you may or may not get slightly higher but we dont do enough stop and go driving to really test that theory.

I will tell you that the AC has no effect on the mileage but there is a slight drop in the winter time with the heater, but im not sure if thats more to the heater running or the winter blend of fuels. I would say were averaging about 44mpg now that its colder and we let it warm up etc, some tanks are higher than others etc. I will also note that wind will play a big factor in your mileage as well and you will see some decrease in mileage but nothing significant.

Its really fun when you figure out how to drive them, its almost like a game to see how high we can get it, and we have no trouble accelerating to freeway speeds etc.

Also let me also state that you cant go out and purchase a car like this new or used and say you are saving money on gas. I bought the car because she liked the car and strictly that. I paid 20k for the prius, and could have bought a brand new corrolla for $15k and spent less money in the end. it drives me nuts when people ask us how much we save on gas....we didnt save anything, we just have a car that gets good gas mileage!

[CJH]

The thing that drives me nuts about the volt is there is no backup if there is a problem with the batteries or electric motor. There is no link between the gas engine and the drive train.

Don't think that is accurate. All the greenies were recently in an uproar because it is tied into the tranny to help at hwy speeds, contrary to what was originally announced.

The new Cruze or Ford Fiesta will both get you close to 40 miles on the hwy as well and are better all around vehicles. The Prius would not be my first choice for predominantly hwy mileage, in the city its pretty good.

[jeffreyd]

the thing that i keep going back to is i do not want nor have the desire to have to plug in a car to charge it. if the prius or any other vehicle that has a elec/gas system can get me 40 miles to the gallon, it is far better than driving my 3/4 ton ram hemi back and forth each day. granted it is mostly highway driving but there will be several times that it will be stop and go also the fact that my wife can drive it in town if i use her car for some reason. the reason i have not looked hard at the ford is the cost, when i can get a loaded prius for 23760 here and the base for the ford is 27k, it just does not money sense to me. i believe in buying us made however i cannot in this day and age justify the added expense for a vehicle because it is made here. i have been looking at the civic and there is a new honda cr-z hybrid that is out (saw one this am) and will look into it too. not in a big hurry but want to make a choice in the next few months. thanks for everyones thoughts.

[McGurk]

... far better than driving my 3/4 ton ram hemi back and forth each day. ...

Well, you could darn near purchase anything available for sale that doesn't have a truck bed and do better than that!

Ford Fiesta is another option.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Don't think that is accurate. All the greenies were recently in an uproar because it is tied into the tranny to help at hwy speeds, contrary to what was originally announced.

The gasoline engine is only to power the generator. The generator supplies the power to the electric drive motors. There is no mechanical link between the engine and the drive wheels.

[brrrr]

Airjer said:

Quote:

The gasoline engine is only to power the generator. The generator supplies the power to the electric drive motors. There is no mechanical link between the engine and the drive wheels.

from wiki: (I have also read this in multiple other publications)

However after the initial pure EV battery capacity is depleted and the Volt is operating in series hybrid mode, the Volt's control system will select the most optimally efficient drive mode to improve performance and boost high-speed efficiency. As such, at certain loads and speeds (30 to 70 mph) the internal combustion engine may at times be engaged mechanically via a clutch to an output split planetary gearset and therefore assist the traction motor to propel the Volt.Therefore the Volt can operate as an electric vehicle, series hybrid or parallel hybrid depending on the battery state of charge and operating conditions.

However I believe Airjer is right that if you got no electric power on a volt you probably wont be able to move from a stop.

I personally woudn't want one if they were giving them out for free, IMO.

[jeffreyd]

I had read somewhere also that if you run out of gas on the volt, you are dead in the water. Not sure on the prius but i would suspect if you could keep a slow speed to get to a station it would run on battery power.

[brrrr]

The prius seems to fit a nichce audience and is practivcal to a few, I've been in a few and they seem ok. Not a vehicle for me (personally speaking) I would prefer a conventional drivetrain vehicle, there are many that get quite decent mileage. Once you get into the high 20's for gas mileage and even into the low 30's the cost of fuel savings by trying to improve milage starts to become less of an issue. You said you have a 100 mile commute a day, that will definelty be one of the few cases where one could see return on investment for fuel effiency in the normal monthy budget, but for most swithing from a truck to a car is going to be a major cost saver (20-50 bucks a month for the average driver) with dwindling cost sovings after that unless you rack up the miles.

I used to (just a couple years ago) drive alot 50-60k a year and often did the math, on using higer mpg vehicles and often there were many sacrifices for interior size and comfort for only saving 10-15bucks per week on a smaller car. n my case it ususally wasnt woth the difference.

[Macgyver55]

I had read somewhere also that if you run out of gas on the volt, you are dead in the water.

No different than any gas powered car.

But I did read this on another HSOforum:

If you run out of gas you will get the warning message: ENGINE NOT AVAILABLE ADD FUEL

You can continue to drive at reduced power until the battery is depleted with the message indicating reduce propulsion.

Once you refuel the engine will perform a self test and attempt to start the next time the vehicle is turned on.

So if true, the distance you could go without fuel would depend on the state of charge when you run out.

[CJH]

from wiki: (I have also read this in multiple other publications)

However after the initial pure EV battery capacity is depleted and the Volt is operating in series hybrid mode, the Volt's control system will select the most optimally efficient drive mode to improve performance and boost high-speed efficiency. As such, at certain loads and speeds (30 to 70 mph) the internal combustion engine may at times be engaged mechanically via a clutch to an output split planetary gearset and therefore assist the traction motor to propel the Volt.Therefore the Volt can operate as an electric vehicle, series hybrid or parallel hybrid depending on the battery state of charge and operating conditions.

However I believe Airjer is right that if you got no electric power on a volt you probably wont be able to move from a stop.

I personally woudn't want one if they were giving them out for free, IMO.

Thanks, that's what I thought.

If you don't have any electrical power in any of the hybrids, how are you going to move from a stop? For example, in the Prius, one of the electrical engines is the starter.

[CJH]

I had read somewhere also that if you run out of gas on the volt, you are dead in the water. Not sure on the prius but i would suspect if you could keep a slow speed to get to a station it would run on battery power.

The Volt has much larger batteries and range, so if you ran out of gas you would want to be in the Volt vs the Prius. That's the whole point, it doesn't use gas until the batteries get to around 50%.

[jeffreyd]

but for the base price of the volt i can buy nearly 2 loaded prius. i dont think it matters if you run out of gas in any thing it is going to s uck. with that said, i am not sold that 41k base if worth the cost. i figure it costs me about 500 in gas in my truck and 100 upkeep a month and that is high. I dont see the numbers making sense over the life of the car.

[uffdapete]

Just a comment about the Yaris. Just rented one for 4 days. Let me preface my comments by saying I love Toyotas. Owned 9 of them over the past 32 years and rented a few more and loved everyone. No offense to anyone who owns one but the Yaris was very disappointing. Very cheaply made, 27-35 mpg over 1400 miles of primarily hwy/interstate driving 55-75 mph & got stuck in 3-4" of snow. The wheel wells are made of thin plastic and one cracked due to snow buildup. On the positive it is very maneuverable, with a short turning radius and there is surprising passenger room in the front and back. This one Toyota I will not own.

Prius's are made for city driving. Your highway commute will see a minimal difference as long as you are moving at highway speeds. At speed you'll get similar highway MPG compared to a Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Mazda 2, or Toyota Yaris, but you're spending more money to do it with a Prius. If it was 50/50 or even 25/75 it might make sense, but not at 5/95 as long as you are moving. Traffic jams are a different case, slow speed and start/stop driving are where hybrids shine.

Also look into the Chevy Volt, Ford Fusion hybrid, and Honda CRZ or Civic hybrid if you are serious about a hybrid. The Fusion has gotten rave reviews from a few publications.

[trolloni]

a friend of mine has a volkswagon that gets 47 miles per gallon its a diesel with an automatic, his dad has the same car with a stick he gets 51 per gallon .

[FinsandFeathers]

I will start with that I am employed by a Toyota World Corp Co... That being said, no body here is comparing apples to apples. Yes the Prius is a great car and the Volt seems to be making a charge....sorry, couldnt pass up the punn!... What people need to realize and BUDGET for is battery replacement and dispossal fee's!!! @ $7200 !!! Read what you want but thats real figures!! I just bought a VW desiel for the milage, last check - 56 - and no worries about the batteries!!!

[MinnesnowtaWild]

My girlfriend has a Prius and it is a great car. I will also agree with the fact that they get awesome gas mileage even on the highway. We usually average about 45+ mpg and that is probably 75 highway/25 city.

Definitely a great car.

[Macgyver55]

On the other hand my wifes uncle, who lives in California had one for about 18 months and he couldnt wait to get rid of it! The best he was getting was 41 mpg and after riding in it I agreed with his opinion of it not being very comfortable.

45 mpg is not all that awesome when you consider what a set of batteries will cost down the road. That cost has to be factored in if you are going to compare apples to apples.

[jeffreyd]

if talking about the batteries, what is the life expectancy for them? Clearly i would hope that they would last more than 5 yrs. I looked at the toyota warranty info but it does not really discuss this very much. thanks for the input guys this is why i asked here. jeff (also no snow in AZ so not worried about that part of the problem)

[CJH]

but for the base price of the volt i can buy nearly 2 loaded prius. i dont think it matters if you run out of gas in any thing it is going to s uck. with that said, i am not sold that 41k base if worth the cost. i figure it costs me about 500 in gas in my truck and 100 upkeep a month and that is high. I dont see the numbers making sense over the life of the car.

I agree with you, the first gen isn't worth the $$ for most people. Once the capabilities expand and the price comes down, then we'll see. I was just setting the record straight as to the run out of gas question, which is the advantage of a plug in hybrid vs a normal hybrid.

BTW, I believe the current Prius battery is covered to 100k miles.

[jeffreyd]

8yrs 100k but they are testing them and say they can go up ward of 180k. they dont consider time as much as they do miles. i am kicking it around, thinking before the new year as i would like to get the rebates for this year. not sure tho. thanks for all the input

[dougger222]

If you want fuel mileage just buy a VW diesel. Overall it will get much better fuel mileage than the prius.

Ever watch Top Gear? They did a test on the Prius and found the M3 around the track got better fuel mileage.

[jeffreyd]

i would love to have one but cannot justify the price for only a couple miles per gal. plus here in phx, diesel is about 30 cents higher than mid grade gas.