Cliff notes needed

[Cruzn]

Good morning! I have recently gotten rid of a Nissan Titan and went to a Hona Element for my recreational vehicle. I'm considering the Prius and Yaris for gas miser commuting. It would take me forever to read all the info this website contains. I really just need the Cliff Notes on the Prius. The Prius is about 7-10 thousand dollars more to buy but would get about 16 more miles to the gallon in the city. Saving planet Earth aside, is the Prius a better investment in the long run? Are there high long run costs / concerns inherent to the current Prius technology that should make me wait for the next generation?

I've ridden in both cars and would be comfortable in either.


If someone could help me I'd really appriciate it!

[Proco]

The excellent thread Tony started on Prius Myths and their Rebuttals is a good place to start.

[Neicy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cruzn @ Sep 27 2007, 08:12 AM) [snapback]518399[/snapback]</div>

The Prius is about 7-10 thousand dollars more to buy but would get about 16 more miles to the gallon in the city. Saving planet Earth aside, is the Prius a better investment in the long run? Are there high long run costs / concerns inherent to the current Prius technology that should make me wait for the next generation?

If someone could help me I'd really appriciate it!
[/b]

Welcome to Priuschat. Let me say first that, in reality, you will get WAY more than 16 more mpg IMHO. There are no high run costs or concerns - if anything less, since the car's Synergy Drive is much simpler mechanically than a regular transmission. The car will hold it's value much better as people can attest when comparing the used vs new price. We currently have a '03 Classic and a '07 Gen II with basically oil changes and tire rotations as the only expenses (if you don't count the close encounter with a brick wall). My best tank so far has been 60.0 mpg, and am currently on a 56.3 mpg tank. I say don't wait for the '09 - every day you wait you are paying for gas you don't need to buy. Do take the time, though, to read through some of the posts. There is still a lot of incorrect information circulating too. Do a search of the site for what you need to know, and I'm sure before the day is over you will get plenty of responses. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[JimboK]

Welcome to PC!

Deciding whether a Prius is a better investment than a Yaris begins with a couple of somewhat flawed premises: 1) they are comparable vehicles, and 2) buying a car is an investment.

Of the two, total ownership costs would almost certainly be lower for the Yaris. But it's apples-to-oranges. When you consider the complete package -- size, functionality, performance, features, and reliability -- there really is nothing to compare the Prius to. Among Toyota models, Matrix (with its hatchback) probably comes the closest.

A car is not an investment. "Investment" implies an expectation (or at least a hope) of eventually recovering the cost and more. But I bet you know that.

[efusco]

Look at the user guide at http://john1701a.com
John has a ton of info that he works hard to condense to a user friendly manual for beginners.

[HeyKB]

"Saving planet earth aside..."

Well, if we have to exclude the remarkably low emissions of the Prius and focus on investment, buy the Yaris.

But if you want to help save planet earth and encourage Toyota and competitors to build greener cars, buy the Prius.

For many people, including most of this community, it's worth the few thousand bucks. And the bonus is $25 fillups every 450 miles, give or take, for a typical owner.

[douglas001001]

The Yaris has fuel cutoff during deceleration (DFCO). I remember reading a thread that tells how to use it in a Yaris on the forums at www.cleanmpg.com.

[Danny Hamilton]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cruzn @ Sep 27 2007, 07:12 AM) [snapback]518399[/snapback]</div>

Saving planet Earth aside, is the Prius a better investment in the long run?
[/b]

You haven't offered enough information to answer this question.

A few of the things that are missing:

How long do you intend to keep the car?
How many miles do you expect to drive per year?
How much of that driving will be rural, urban, hwy, city, open road, stop and go, hills/mountains?
What are the typical seasonal temperatures where you'll be driving?
Do you typically keep up with all the manufacturer recommended maintenance?
Do you do all, some, or none of the maintenance yourself?
What are your local insurance costs on each car?
What are gas prices in your area currently?
How much do you expect gas prices to change during the time you own the car?
Will you trade it in, sell it privately, or send it to the junk yard when you're done?
Do any of the features of either of the cars carry any intrinsic value for you beyond the basic ability of the car to get you from one destination to another? (For example, is it worth a few dollars to have access to automatic A/C controls? How about a second 12V outlet? etc.)
What extreme conditions will you regularly drive in? (Icy? Snowy? Dirt roads? Gravel Roads? etc.)

I'm sure there is other information that is necessary to answer your question as to whether the Prius is a better "investment", but this would be a good start.

The "Cliff Notes" on the Prius is that it is a well conceived, well designed, well built, reliable, fun to drive, fuel efficient, packed with features, source for transportation available at a reasonable cost. Beyond that I'd need to know what information you are looking for to narrow down the huge amount of information about the car to just that subset that interests you.

Any of the automotive website (cars.com?) have a list of features, and options. What more are you looking for?

[nerfer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cruzn @ Sep 27 2007, 07:12 AM) [snapback]518399[/snapback]</div>

Good morning! I have recently gotten rid of a Nissan Titan and went to a Hona Element for my recreational vehicle. I'm considering the Prius and Yaris for gas miser commuting.
:
If someone could help me I'd really appriciate it!
[/b]

First, congratulations on losing the Titan!

I'm hoping you pose this question on a site that has Yaris drivers as well. Obviously the clear majority of us are really happy with our purchase, so we'll recommend the Prius to anybody asking.

If your question is simply how can you lose as little money as possible, first you buy a used car. If you still want a new car however, the Yaris will probably be overall cheaper, as apparently most people get upper 30's to mid 40's mpg, and most Prius drivers get upper 40's, but upper 50's is quite possible with some attention to driving conditions (and most people on PriusChat do pay attention). As mentioned, the actual mileage in a Prius depends quite a bit on your climate (I get low 50's in the summer, low 40's in the winter, 49.9 lifetime average), commute length (mine is short, otherwise you could add 3-5mpg to my numbers), and driving conditions - stop & go, high-speed, lead-foot etc.

Keep in mind the Yaris will require brake pads and some other maintenance items the Prius is easy on, due to the engine being off so much and regenerative braking. It also depends on how long you expect to keep the car. I expect gas prices to double in the next 5 years. Regardless of your views on peak oil, that's been the trend since 2002 (I track that along with my mpg at each fill-up).

[Cruzn]

Thanks to all for your quick replies. I live in Jacksonville FL. The climate is way too hot from May to October but mild in the winter. I think I'll drive the Element about 5-7K per year and the "Car" about 10K mile per year. After the purchase, I'd like to get 12 years out of the "Car" without major cash outlays. I'm sure the Yaris will make it with proper service. I guess after reading these responses I'll need to find out the repair / service cost of Hybrid technology over 12 years. Thanks for the links to more info to save my time!