About the only negative to a hybrid is the cost

[jkash]

Q: Everybody talks about the pros of buying a hybrid car. But what are the cons?
_ Bill Curtin, Buffalo, N.Y.

A: Some people fear that they are more expensive to repair. The experts I've talked with say that's not true, in spite of some of the talk that may be making the circuits.

The one potential disadvantage is cost. You can expect to pay $3,000 to $5,000 extra for a hybrid over the price of a conventional model. But remember, you're also getting two power plants - conventional and electric in a hybrid.

Also, those who own hybrid cars say that to get the best gas mileage, you have to watch how you drive and perhaps even adopt new techniques. For instance, if you have the habit of jack-rabbit starts, or like to be the first to roar away from the stop light, you will not get the best mileage.


Q: Because I drive 40,000 miles annually, a Toyota Prius seems as if it would be a good choice when I replace my Pontiac Vibe. The Vibe is a wonderful vehicle and I average about 33 miles per gallon and have had no major problems or complaints; however, after driving the same vehicle for well over 100,000 miles, I will need a model change for sanity's sake. If I purchase a Prius, how long will the battery pack last and how expensive is it to replace? I expect to drive a car well past 100,000 miles; and if the battery pack will not last that long or is not covered by a warranty, I probably would not buy one.

_ Bob Biller, Fombell, Pa.

A: According to Toyota spokesman Wade Hoyt, the battery pack has a warranty for eight years or 100,000 in 45 states, including Pennsylvania. In California, for instance because of emissions regulations, the battery pack has a warranty for 10 years or 150,000 miles.

"We expect them to last at least that long. They have been tested to a simulated 180,000 miles in the laboratory, and we know of a Prius in taxi service in the Pacific Northwest that has gone over 200,000 miles on the original battery pack," Hoyt said.

These are nickel metal hydride batteries that cannot be thought of in the same way as conventional lead acid auto batteries.

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[Greyskye]

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\"We expect them to last at least that long. They have been tested to a simulated 180,000 miles in the laboratory, and we know of a Prius in taxi service in the Pacific Northwest that has gone over 200,000 miles on the original battery pack,\" Hoyt said.

[/b]

A cow-orker of mine took a business trip up to Vancouver BC late last year. He told me about a ride he took in a pimped-out Prius taxi driven by a what he described as a 60+ year old Russian ex-Mafia guy. This Prius had glow lighting on the floorboards, DVD running to a 15" drop-down video screen and an after market rear-view mirror that had a hidden video screen in the left-most 1/3rd of the mirror; massive sound system that he was pumping Gangsta' rap out of, and the foulest mouth he'd ever heard.

I wonder if this is the taxi they are referring to in the article?

[Darwood]

I'm not really sure they cost more.
Up front yes, but if you factor in operating cost of gas and maintenance (assuming the gas prices don't come back down a lot), I think it's about the same as a comparable non hybrid model. Plus if you factor in a higher resale value (assuming a continued rising demand for the car and a reduced demand for non-hybrids), I think my Prius purchase will actually cost less over the next 5 years as a car purchase for 15K.

[Canuck]

In Victoria, BC two taxi cab companies, Empress and BlueBird, have fleets of Prii cabs. I would suggest that cab companies don't just jump on a hybrid bandwagon to be fashionable but have done considerable cost analysis before making the commitment. Also the city of Nanaimo BC have made bulk purchases of Prii for their city workers requiring such vehicles. They must have taken the initial higher cost into consideration.

[rflagg]

These "premium of $3k" articles must be factoring in the rebates. GM is dumping their cars with $3-5000 rebates on them, while the Prius is selling at MSRP or slightly below these days. Maybe that's what they mean.

-m.

[Old n Bold]

Slightly surprised at the impression that the Prius is a very expensive car. Out of curiosity, I looked up all cars that, when fully loaded with accessories, were within a few hundred bucks of the 2005 BC version I just bought.

I was surprised at this very unscientific survey and did not factor in the ability to bargain down other models. But just using MRSP I found 5 pickups, the BW Beetle, PT Cruiser and a lot of others within a few bucks of my Prius.

Also, it looks like the Prius holds value better on resale. Just saw a guy buy a 2003 with 22,000 miles for $22,000! He didn't want to wait a year and a half for a new one. I also saw 3 bare bones 2004 Prii on a used car lot for an asking price of $22,000.

[NuShrike]

No timing belt to snap. No alternator to mysteriously break down. The hood of the car doesn't even get warm. The front brakes barely get used. Gas costs less over lifetime.

Is the cat integrated with the exhaust manifold and liable to crack every 100K miles? These were the major problems I've had with my Civic.

I predict less maintenance costs with the Prius.

[jayman]

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GM is dumping their cars with $3-5000 rebates on them, while the Prius is selling at MSRP or slightly below these days.[/b]

M:

GM has long played that Rebate Game and it's a Ponzi Scheme. For example, if you finance your GM brand vehicle, you usually don't get the "rebate."

If you cut a check on the spot, this mysterious "rebate" of $2,500-$5,000 is taken off the MSRP.

What a crock of s***.

Kind of interesting that even with their "rebate" and their "zero" percent financing scheme, GM can't seem to give away their pickups, SUV's, and awful tiny cars. Toyota dealers when asked what the Prius "really" costs will simply point to the sticker, and the car rarely stays around.

/jay

[jayman]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Old n Bold\";p=\"73378)</div>

Slightly surprised at the impression that the Prius is a very expensive car. [/b]

Feature for Feature, the Prius compares quite well. Especially the reliability and the offset crash test results.

Now if Toyota could put their HSD in something like the Echo Hatchback here for under $20K Cdn, they'd have a winner.

Since the Prius is already a "winner" from a sales perspective, I doubt that will happen anytime soon. Nice to dream though: HSD truly for the masses.

[Robert Taylor]

Go to the www.toyota.com website.

Check interior dimensions for Camry and Prius.

Then, build an all options Prius.

Build a similiar options Camry.

They cost about the same, have about the same interior diminsions.

Which one uses more fuel?

Where is the cost penalty?