Potential Buyer with real world Questions

[jchilton]

Originally Posted by Antnee20x

What does "hyper-miles" mean?

But for amusement, the last story I heard was that the batteries run about $8,000 and last only a few years. They go without warning and leave you stranded and Toyota wants is hiding information that they are faulty designs.

Hyper-miling refers to fairly anal-retentive driving techniques used to optimize the car's efficiency and squeeze every last possible mpg out of it. Some techniques (taking it easy on the brakes) are pretty reasonable, while some (drafting behind semis) are ridiculous and probably mostly apocryphal.

That is a pretty amusing battery story, though. I think if folks are going to make up stories about Prius batteries, they should go the extra mile and make them extra absurd:

I heard that the batteries cost more than the price of a new Prius, they last two years on average, and they have a tendency to explode and shower hot battery acid on the occupants when the temperature inside the car reaches 80 degrees. This is why you should never turn the car off during the summer, and always leave the a/c running. Also, they make the batteries out of baby seals and the tears of children.

[justlurkin]

Originally Posted by Antnee20x

But for amusement, the last story I heard was that the batteries run about $8,000 and last only a few years. They go without warning and leave you stranded and Toyota wants is hiding information that they are faulty designs.

Yup, when you hear crap like that, you know right away that person knows NOTHING about hybrid cars.

All new-from-the-factory hybrids currently sold in the U.S. carries an 8-year / 100,000-mile warranty on their batteries, and in the eight states with California-standard emissions laws (CA, CT, MA, ME, NY, NJ, RI, VT), the warranty on the battery is automatically extended to 10 years / 150,000 miles. If the battery fails through no fault of your own (i.e. you did not abuse the car by crashing it or tamper with the hybrid system), replacement cost is free. And such failures have been extremely rare.

Since we are in New York, our battery warranty is 10 years / 150,000 miles.

Toyota wouldn't back the car with that kind of warranty if they aren't confident it would last at least that long.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by jchilton

Hyper-miling refers to fairly anal-retentive driving techniques used to optimize the car's efficiency and squeeze every last possible mpg out of it. Some techniques (taking it easy on the brakes) are pretty reasonable, while some (drafting behind semis) are ridiculous and probably mostly apocryphal..

That definition would apply to "extreme hypermilers". An ordinary hypermiler is anyone who consistantly exceeds the combined EPA rating of thier car. There are many more "hypermilers" out there than "extreme hypermilers".