Total Cost of Ownership

brandon · 05-08-2006, 11:01 PM

Okay, so a "friend of a friend" of mine made an outragous claim tonight. He said the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a new Prius is higher than that of a new Chevy Suburban (you read that right - I can only assume he was drunk at the time). I, of course, called BS on the statement, but apparently in his mind the burden of proof is on the Prius owner.

So, I'm setting out to document, on paper, a comparison of the theoretical TCO of a Prius versus that of a Chevy Suburban. Any input or suggestions?

kingofgix · 05-08-2006, 11:37 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ May 8 2006, 11:01 PM) [snapback]251927[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Okay, so a "friend of a friend" of mine made an outragous claim tonight. He said the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a new Prius is higher than that of a new Chevy Suburban (you read that right - I can only assume he was drunk at the time). I, of course, called BS on the statement, but apparently in his mind the burden of proof is on the Prius owner.

So, I'm setting out to document, on paper, a comparison of the theoretical TCO of a Prius versus that of a Chevy Suburban. Any input or suggestions?
[/b]

Go to www.edmonds.com and "compare" the two vehicles. One the comparison table, click on "True cost to own"

I got:

Prius: total cost to own = $36,939, and $0.49 per mile
Suburban (base 1500, 2 WD model) = $60,921 and $0.81 per mile

Not even close. Their comparisons take into account initial cost, depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, repairs etc. And it is useful to note that Edmonds is NOT a particularly Prius or hybrid friendly website. Hoefully, for your friends sake he was drunk. The other choice is he is a blithering idiot.

brandon · 05-08-2006, 11:40 PM

Excellent idea. Thanks, kingofqix.

LaniLobes · 05-08-2006, 11:42 PM

I saw something similar that suggested that if you include the cost of recycling the batteries then the SUV has a lower total cost.

My only issue with this is that the battery recycling is expensive down because of the small number of batteries being recycled. As the age of the vehicles grow and the sher number you would expect that this cost would drop significantly.

Lani

tmorrowus · 05-09-2006, 02:01 AM

Toyota warranties the batteries for 10 years so unless you keep your car longer than that the cost for new batteries is absolutely zero. I think the batteries in my Prius are likely to last as long as the useful life of the car, 15 years or more.

Tom_06 · 05-09-2006, 06:05 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LaniLobes @ May 8 2006, 11:42 PM) [snapback]251950[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I saw something similar that suggested that if you include the cost of recycling the batteries then the SUV has a lower total cost.

My only issue with this is that the battery recycling is expensive down because of the small number of batteries being recycled. As the age of the vehicles grow and the sher number you would expect that this cost would drop significantly.

Lani
[/b]

HuH?? The lead-acid battery is tiny compared to a regular car and the NiMH battery isn't nearly as hazardous to handle for recycling (future Li-ion may be another story). Plus the cost to you is positive - Toyota pays a bounty of around $100 for returned batteries so the cost has already been included in your purchase.

- Tom

mike0422 · 05-09-2006, 08:05 AM

Are you taking into account the perks of federal tax breaks? Depending on the state or county, there are also other money saving perks, i.e. free parking, HOV use (saving time), no local taxes (personal property), etc.

daniel · 05-09-2006, 08:27 AM

Since the cost to buy a Prius is lower than that of an SUV, and the cost of gas is less for the Prius, and routine maintenance is likely to be similar, your friend must be assuming (or his source is assuming) that the Prius will cost more to repair.

This can be debunked with a look at Consumer Reports. Specifically expected reliability for Toyota vs Suburban.

As for the batteries, I believe Toyota pays $200 for returned, old HV batteries. And the Prius battery is recyclable.

And as for recycling the car when it is worn out, Toyota designed the Prius to be highly recyclable.

There was something on the internet (posted here on PC recently) that made the assertion your friend cited. Clearly bogus.

kingofgix · 05-09-2006, 11:58 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LaniLobes @ May 8 2006, 11:42 PM) [snapback]251950[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I saw something similar that suggested that if you include the cost of recycling the batteries then the SUV has a lower total cost.

[/b]

Implying that the cost of recycling the batteries from 1 Prius would be something on the order of $25,000. Yeah, right.

oly_57mpg · 05-09-2006, 12:04 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kingofgix @ May 9 2006, 11:58 AM) [snapback]252151[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Implying that the cost of recycling the batteries from 1 Prius would be something on the order of $25,000. Yeah, right.
[/b]

Remember, that could have been coming from the mouth of a SUV owner. It's hard to face the facts when you are wrong. Especially if it's a Suburban... hahahaha....

05-08-2006, 11:01 PM	#1
brandon Proud member of the "Lunatic Fringe" Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Manhattan, KS Posts: 769 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Okay, so a "friend of a friend" of mine made an outragous claim tonight. He said the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a new Prius is higher than that of a new Chevy Suburban (you read that right - I can only assume he was drunk at the time). I, of course, called BS on the statement, but apparently in his mind the burden of proof is on the Prius owner. So, I'm setting out to document, on paper, a comparison of the theoretical TCO of a Prius versus that of a Chevy Suburban. Any input or suggestions? __________________ Brandon 2005 Driftwood Pearl Prius, BC (Package #6), Delivered 10/21/2004

05-09-2006, 08:27 AM	#8
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 9,124 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Since the cost to buy a Prius is lower than that of an SUV, and the cost of gas is less for the Prius, and routine maintenance is likely to be similar, your friend must be assuming (or his source is assuming) that the Prius will cost more to repair. This can be debunked with a look at Consumer Reports. Specifically expected reliability for Toyota vs Suburban. As for the batteries, I believe Toyota pays $200 for returned, old HV batteries. And the Prius battery is recyclable. And as for recycling the car when it is worn out, Toyota designed the Prius to be highly recyclable. There was something on the internet (posted here on PC recently) that made the assertion your friend cited. Clearly bogus. __________________ Daniel ---------------------- Primary car: Zap Xebra SD: 100% electric car. 1.9 cents per mile, using electrons generated from water power. (The Prius is my gas guzzler, used when I have to travel farther than 35 miles in a day.) "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." -- Emma Goldman "Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think long and hard before starting a war." -- Otto von Bismarck

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05-08-2006, 11:40 PM	#3
brandon Proud member of the "Lunatic Fringe" Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Manhattan, KS Posts: 769 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Excellent idea. Thanks, kingofqix.

05-08-2006, 11:42 PM	#4
LaniLobes Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 20 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I saw something similar that suggested that if you include the cost of recycling the batteries then the SUV has a lower total cost. My only issue with this is that the battery recycling is expensive down because of the small number of batteries being recycled. As the age of the vehicles grow and the sher number you would expect that this cost would drop significantly. Lani

05-09-2006, 02:01 AM	#5
tmorrowus Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 425 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Toyota warranties the batteries for 10 years so unless you keep your car longer than that the cost for new batteries is absolutely zero. I think the batteries in my Prius are likely to last as long as the useful life of the car, 15 years or more.

05-09-2006, 08:05 AM	#7
mike0422 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northern VA Posts: 83 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Are you taking into account the perks of federal tax breaks? Depending on the state or county, there are also other money saving perks, i.e. free parking, HOV use (saving time), no local taxes (personal property), etc.