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Passat Diesel Owner - Should I Buy a Prius

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Fuzzy Dunlop, Jul 15, 2013.

  1. Fuzzy Dunlop

    Fuzzy Dunlop New Member

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    I currently own a diesel Passat and am considering the purchase of a Prius + (the seven seat version) as it seems to have comparable luggage space to the Passat saloon - assuming it's in five seat mode.

    I've read quite a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of diesels vs. hybrids. Much of this seems to boil down to hybrids win in stop-start urban driving, diesels win on motorways/freeways/autobahns.

    However, I live in a city called Milton Keynes which is based on a grid road system with roundabouts at the intersections which are spaced around 1/2 to 1 mile apart. The grid roads are mostly dual carriageways with a speed limit of 70mph. This means that drivers tend to accelerate out of the roundabouts up to around 60-70mph and then almost immediately begin decelerating for the next roundabout. Driving like this tends to give you an average speed per journey of around 30mph - not bad for a large urban area. I tend to get around 35-38mpg in Milton Keynes in the Passat.

    What I'm wondering is how a Prius would fare in Milton Keynes from the point of view of petrol consumption since Milton Keynes seems to be a weird combination of urban and extra-urban driving.

    Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

    Best Regards,

    Julian.
     
  2. -1-

    -1- Don

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    :)Can't answer your question regarding specific fuel consumption. I've had three VW diesels to include a current 2006 NewBeetle. Currently at 50,000 miles and trouble free. Fuel mileage on the 2006 is about 30% less than the previous 1999 NewBeetle (40mpg or less). Don't anticipate another diesel vehicle unless dramatic increase in MPG. My 2012 Prius Plug In is a welcomed change and the fuel mileage (regular unleaded) is fantastic. The higher than premium gas cost of diesel is also a large consideration.
     
  3. ursle

    ursle Gas miser

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    So you want hybrid mileage but hot rod power, get a telsa
     
  4. Fuzzy Dunlop

    Fuzzy Dunlop New Member

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    By a strange coincidence I had a ride in a Prius taxi in Milton Keynes yesterday evening. I asked the owner what mileage he got with it. He checked and the computer said that he'd average 52mpg (UK) that day.
     
  5. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    I was going to say the OP was in the UK, as there is no 7 seat v in the US. I cannot imagine that buying any new car for the potential savings it may cost makes sense unless you need a new car any way.

    I enjoy my 5 seat v, but I use it for cargo, so it is a two seater most of the time.
     
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  6. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Yeah, keep the diesel, unless you are having problems with it and need to replace the vehicle anyway.

    SCH-I535
     
  7. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Coming out of driving VW TDIs for years, I can tell you that maintenance is much less, fuel economy is much better and acceleration is about the same on the Prii.
     
  8. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    It depends. The Prius isn't a sports car, but it is fun in a different way. It'll do 0-60 in 10, it over takes well and probably sweeter than dropping down 2 gears on a manual and flooring it. It's much more relaxed in its performance compared to the 'floor it to get the turbo to kick in' style of a diesel. Sitting in traffic is where it excels in both fuel economy and silent running. When I ran mine as a taxi I got about 50 mpg average over 12 months and that was 10 hours a day in heavy traffic. I have now changed jobs and commute 25 miles or so each way with heavy stop start traffic at each end, I drive normally and will fly past trucks if needed and still get 60 mpg with each. If I didn't have the bad traffic at each end I'd get much much more. The best run I did from Harrogate to York on a quiet traffic day was 89 mpg UK. Not bad for a petrol automatic, though I'd die of boredom if I drove like that every day!

    Maybe ask your local Toyota dealer if you can borrow one for a day or weekend? That way you can see if it matches your style of driving. One word of advise though; be light on the accelerator. There is rarely ever a need to go more than 3/4 of the way down to 'flooring it' unlike many diesels where you have to wind up the turbo to get them to shift. Just drive the car steady and it'll sort out the mix of engine and electric. If you try and keep the engine from kicking in it will give artificially high mpgs at first but will run the battery down quicker and thus affect longer term economy.

    Have you considered the new Auris Estate/Station Wagon hybrid which is due to come out?


    Examples of my economy on the standard Prius (the Prius+ will be slightly worse and the Auris probably a little better)

    80-85 mph on the motorway to London - about 55 mpg UK

    60 mph on a steady A road - about 60-65 mpg UK
    40-50 mph stuck in a queue behind a HGV - about 70-75 mpg UK

    30 mph around town - so variable as to never give an accurate figure but did average 50 mpg over 12 months and 30,000 miles of taxi driving (and that's hard driving).

    Oh and be aware that US gallons are smaller (3.7 litres compared to 4.54 for a UK gallon) so 50 mpg UK is 41 mpg US. So if you see them getting excited about 50 mpg, its about 60 to us. :)
     
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  9. Fuzzy Dunlop

    Fuzzy Dunlop New Member

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    Many thanks GrumpyCabbie. That's really useful info. I guess the sensible decision from a financial perspective is to keep the Passat - it's seven years old, still quite low mileage and is at the good end of the depreciation curve. When I bought it six years ago I told myself that it would be last conventionally powered car which I would buy. Having been in (tho not driven) a Prius it seems like a much more advanced machine than most cars. It makes cars like my Passat seem archaic. Gearboxes? Why would you have them unless you really needed them.

    I guess I'll hang onto the Passat for a bit and then but something like a Prius or another hybrid or electric car sometime in the next couple of years.
     
  10. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Yeah the Prius definitely appeals to the inner geek :)

    People mistake the transmission (better word than gearbox) with a cvt and immediately think of those dreadful Dafs from the 1970s. It might be called eCVT but it nothing like a normal cvt transmission. Give it a drive but take time to get the hang of it. It is slightly different to get used to at first but believe me it is a smooth drive once you're used to it and the power delivery you'll be smitten. I've driven all sorts of cars and the Prius is the nearest I've driven to a Mercedes S600 V12 for smoothness and power delivery, though obviously the Merc is better and quicker :)

    Imagine crawling along in heavy traffic at 3 mph with your window down and the barely perceivable whisper of the climate control fan and nothing else. A contrast to the dug dug dug dug clatter of a diesel - even a quiet diesel is like a tractor compared to the Prius (even when its engine is running).

    You'll not go back. The positives of the hybrid do outweigh the negatives (higher cost, not able to tow etc)