Need some advice.

[Rogust]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeannie @ Jun 27 2006, 08:40 PM) [snapback]277724[/snapback]</div>

At the time I first heard about Hybrids, 2004 maybe?, I did some online research on the available cars - the Prius, the Insight and the Ford Escape. I wasn't impressed with what I learned about the Ford, and the Prius was more expensive than the Insight, but at that point I think the Insight didn't have a side-airbag available, where the Prius did. So I started think maybe some day I'd get a Prius.

I totalled my old car this spring and needed a new car very soon. What I read about the Prius was still impressive, but I still heard that the Prius, like the other Hybrids, was still hard to get. I started looking for an 'econobox' car, but found a dealer who had a used Prius that I was able to test drive. It was so much better in my mind than the other cars I tried that day that I fell in love with it. So I started hunting for an 'available' one.
At the same time I tried to find a Civic Hybrid to test drive, and couldn't find one at all - the only dealer who responded to my queries said the MIGHT get one in about 6 weeks.

A week later I found a 2006 White Prius package 5 at a good price and bought it, and have no regrets.

I'd advise you to try at least test driving the models you're interested in - that might narrow down your field pretty quickly, since you spend so much time driving each day. A car that doesn't feel good to you will be a really bad idea, even if it gets incredibly good gas mileage. I like the Prius 'feel' for me - it may be a horribly uncomfortable car for you.

(And if some test drives aren't enough to narrow your choices, try renting your 'top 2' for a few days and give them an 'extended test drive')

Once you've narrowed down your possible choices to cars that are 'acceptable' to you, then go ahead and do a lot of research! Good luck in your hunting!

(And, of course, we-all here hope you choose a Prius<g>)
[/b]

Thanks for the very helpful information.

[tumbleweed]

With a topic title like that you are going to get a lot of answers, we love to give advice. At 70 MPH on the freeway I get 47 or 48 MPG when it's 60 to 70 degrees and everything goes right, no slowing down speeding up etc.. As Godiva mentioned the insight is out of production and will be hard to find. You might look at the Civic Hybrid if you can find one or even the Civic non-hybrid which you can find.

Then of course there is always the Prius. But be sure the seats fit your anatomy. If they do it's fine; if they don't it can be rather uncomfortable after an hour or so.

[qbee42]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogust @ Jun 27 2006, 07:52 PM) [snapback]277698[/snapback]</div>

Do you really get 45+mpg on the highway???? I heard that the around town mpg was fabulous (50+) and highway mpg only "good" (40-). Any truth to that????
[/b]

I get 48 or 49 mpg on the highway, and 54 to 57 mpg driving the two lane roads around the county.

Tom

[mcbrunnhilde]

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE my Prius!!!!!!!! I find it to be very comfortable on long trips (east coast to west coast in 3 days), although with my long legs I wish the seat went back a couple of inches farther so I can stretch in the car a little more easily without having to get out.

I did a 7,000-mile road trip in October/November last year (mild temperatures) and going 70-80 mph I averaged about 47 MPG, with a low of 41 MPG while climbing to 7,000 feet at 80 mph. I just did a trip from San Diego to Palo Alto (Bay Area) a few weeks ago so it was all freeway, and I got 53.1 MPG on the way there and 58.2 MPG on the way back (that trip was around 63-64 mph, so speed--and probably headwinds--definitely kills mileage!). That included going up and down a 4,000 plus-ft mountain pass, and another pass of about 1,400(?) feet.

My lifetime MPG has hovered right at 50, and that's a combination of freeway and LOTS of short trips. Since my around-town driving does not replicate the EPA test, I do get better mileage on the freeway than I do for "city" driving. When a tank is mostly freeway, it's usually around 55-56 MPG. San Diego is VERY hilly, so there are many people who get better mileage than I do. On the other hand, I don't have to deal with freezing weather, which lowers mileage in ANY car!

The good thing about the Prius is that (I think) Massachusetts is one of the states that follows the California emissions standards, so the hybrid system is warranted for 150,000 miles (and 10 years, but you won't need that!). The Honda Insight, which will get better mileage than the Prius, is only warranted for 100,000 miles. There is a taxi in Vancouver that got about 200,000 miles on his Classic Prius, and Toyota bought it back from him so they could study the battery. Toyota expects the hybrid battery to last the life of the car, and I believe they can back up that assertion since they have more years of experience than anyone else.

Because of your extreme usage, it's *possible* you WILL wear out the battery if you want to keep the car for 5 or 6 years--but I bet you'd wear out the transmission or engine in a conventional car, and it would probably cost about the same to fix either one. Another advantage to the Prius is that the engine has fewer moving parts than a conventional engine--less to go wrong!!! The Honda Civic hybrid is a different type of gas engine, and (I think) is closer to a conventional car than the Prius.

IMO Toyota has more experience with hybrid technology, the Prius has OODLES of room (great for napping on long trips!), and (almost best of all) the air conditioner will cool you without constantly running the engine since it's powered by the battery! If it's hot summer and you need to pull over and stay comfortable, don't turn the car off--the battery will eventually get low enough that the engine will turn on to recharge it. It will hurt your mileage some, but at least you'll be comfortable.

Good luck on making your decision!

[Tadashi]

Yes I get 45+ on the highway. Matter a fact traveling 1900 mi at 70 mph I got 49-50 mpg. When I did the same trip again I got 60-65 mpg at 60 mph.

I do not think you will wear out the battery. They have had taxi that have over 350k miles without any problems. Someone on here talked about them maybe they could post the info again.

[ken1784]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogust @ Jun 28 2006, 09:03 AM) [snapback]277707[/snapback]</div>

Be impartial. My driving needs are rather at an extreme, and if the electric part of the Prius is not used 95% of the time, then maybe I should just wait a year until Toyota unveils its' diesel or something else.
[/b]

Who told you the electric part of the Prius is not used 95% of the time?
It is used all the time.

Ken@Japan

[aaf709]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogust @ Jun 27 2006, 04:52 PM) [snapback]277698[/snapback]</div>

Do you really get 45+mpg on the highway???? I heard that the around town mpg was fabulous (50+) and highway mpg only "good" (40-). Any truth to that????
[/b]

I normally get 44-45 around town and 47-50 on the highway (this time of year, anyway). If I'm on Cruise Control I get 53+.

[Rogust]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ken1784 @ Jun 28 2006, 08:51 PM) [snapback]278340[/snapback]</div>

Who told you the electric part of the Prius is not used 95% of the time?
It is used all the time.

Ken@Japan


[/b]

Thanks for the info. I guess I misunderstood how it works.

[Tideland Prius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rogust @ Jun 27 2006, 04:52 PM) [snapback]277698[/snapback]</div>

Do you really get 45+mpg on the highway???? I heard that the around town mpg was fabulous (50+) and highway mpg only "good" (40-). Any truth to that????
[/b]

It's possible. I got 5.1L/100km on a roadtrip last May at 70mph with 4 people on board + luggage (and shopping on the way back). That's about 46-47mpg.

To be honest, test drive both the Prius and the Civic Hybrid (HCH). They both get similar mileage on the highway (let's be honest, the Prius' strong point is urban and suburban driving, not US highway driving). Test both (on the highway) and see which fits you better.

Seats - comfortable for long haul? lumbar support? does it fit you?
Instrumentation - legible? location? easy to find the information you need?
Audio - does it satisfy you based on the type of audio you normally listen? easy to find the controls? easy to use the controls? sound adjustment?
Cargo (if you need it) - space? flexibility? hidden compartments?
Power - adequate for your driving needs?
Braking - powerful? easy to modulate?

[priusenvy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tadashi @ Jun 28 2006, 05:25 PM) [snapback]278328[/snapback]</div>

I do not think you will wear out the battery. They have had taxi that have over 350k miles without any problems. Someone on here talked about them maybe they could post the info again.
[/b]

It was km, not miles. 414,000 km, or about 240k miles. The taxi driver recently posted in his blog that Toyota is going to take it back to Japan and disassemble it like they did with the 2001, and give him a new one.