Should I Switch to Prius?

[proteus62]

Hi,

The main driver for considering the car is the mpg. After reading numerous internet postings I am not sure that it would be worthwhile for me to trade in my conventional car for a Prius. From what I understand a lot of city drivers get around 36 mpg. My current car is a Corolla and I get 31 mpg city, 36 mpg highway. 95% of my driving is city with an 8 mile commute, 5 miles with only 1 stop sign and no lights, 3 miles with 6 lights and more frequent stopping.

I can see the rationale for a hybrid if I can get 50% better mileage (so in this case about 46 mpg). At 36 mpg my savings assuming gas at $3.25 is about only $180 per year as I average 11,000 miles annually.

Based on this and the considerable cost of buying a new car I am thinking of waiting for a 2nd or 3rd generation hybrid or an all electric car.

[Rotorhead]

Sounds like you have a great car for your situation. I'd keep driving it and wait for the next generation hybrid or electirc. I think we will see some great new technology in the next 3-5 years. Happy motoring.

Rotorhead

[Jack66]

Knowing where you live can make a difference. If your commute is only 8 miles I would suggest a bicycle. You can also use the bicycle to run short errands if they are close to your workplace. Insurance and gas costs for a bicycle might make you happy. If you are in a hot area the bicycle isn't practical because you get too sweaty for work. Availability of sidewalks and traffic on the road where you might have to ride is another consideration. Also, there are a few motorized options for bikes to include electric assist. There was a post from a guy in Canada where he discusses his bicycle ride to work with the help of a commercially available electric bike motor.

You might think about a scooter or a Xebra (sp?) like Daniel has. The Xebra seems a little goofy but that shouldn't detract from its obvious usefulness for your commuting situation. I'm sure Daniel would tell you whatever you'd like to know about his experience with the Xebra.

On the Prius MPG, the 36 MPG sounds really low but not impossible. The Prius needs to warm up no matter what the ambient temperature is outside so the MPG is lower on short trips. The worst gas mileage I've had was a week where I only drove a few miles to the commuter parking lot and back home every day and it was a disappointing 39 MPG in the Virginia winter. Having said that, I could drive to the commuter lot for a few months or more on the same tank of gas.

Good luck.

[john1701a]

36 MPG is unlikely. That's what I get at 70 MPH with 2 kayaks on the roof. With bikes on back instead, the MPG climbs into the low 40's. Nothing but errand running (short trips with a cold engine) result in low 40's for me too.

Also, don't forget that Prius also delivers a much cleaner emission rating.

.

[morpheusx]

I usually drive about 350 miles each week. My old car broke down (which got 32 MPG) Ironically both my old car and my Prius have about the same total range about 500 miles. So a full tank usually lasts me 10 days. Anyway the difference was usually about 16 gallons at fill up in the 32 MPG car vs. the usual 9 gallons at Fillup in the Prius. At the current national average of $3.299 gallon that is about a $52 fillup vs a $30. And for those weeks where I drive more or go on vacation it makes a big difference that only seems to multiply. I hope this helps.

[patsparks]

I drive almost exclusively in the metropolitan and city traffic and I am getting 55 to 56 MPG and I'm a rev head. The Prius is a far more comfortable car than a Corolla, which is pretty good because Corollas are a great car. There is far more room and a much quieter drive in a Prius.

I liken driving a Prius to driving a video game that takes you places, it is that much fun.

Whether you buy a Prius on not is up to you.

[CMonster]

My commute is 8 miles, with the middle 6 being interstate with no stops and about a mile on either side with traffic lights. I consistently get 48 mpg.

Still, if the Corolla is in good shape, I'd stick with it for a couple more years and hope for some exciting new cars to become available.

[holy_crap]

Hello Proteus,

36 MPG seems too low, the source of your information maybe biased. I have had my Prius for a little over two weeks and I average 48 MPG, I would probably get better if I was the only driver. My wife drove the car for 4 days, she has a lead foot so she only got 43 MPG, she also gets 18 MPG on her Honda Oddysey, when I got the car back I was able to bring it back up to 48 MPG average before my next fill up.

The reason I said that your source may be biased is because of the comments I get, some people tell me that you only get 48 MPG if you stay below 35 MPH (Wrong) My daily commute is 26 miles roundtrip, about 65% highway. Actually, I have been able to get on numerous occasions 60 MPG at 60 MPH.

You should probably check to see if either Toyota or another car rental company rents the Prius and try it for a week on your commute. You may also want to check the milage logs from people in this forum to see what they average, next you may even ask someone that actually drives a Prius in your community how they feel about the car, then you can make an educated decision about buying a Prius or not.

[F8L]

Maybe you could rent a Prius for a few days to get an idea of the MPG you may see on your commute? They only drawback to this is that it takes some time to learn how to drive the car for maximum efficiency.

[qbee42]

For eight miles I would consider a bicycle or electric. That is such a short distance that any improvement in mileage is insufficient for justifying the purchase of a new gas or diesel powered car. If you are replacing your car anyway, by all means consider a Prius. The Prius will get better mileage than your existing car, and will be cheaper to own over the life of the vehicle.

Tom