The 2010 and My Daily Commute

Hello All,

I am a newly registered user to this forum although I've been an active reader for a while now. Currently, I drive a 2003 Mercedes C-Coupe. I really like my car and have had only two repairs. Since the warranty covered the (costly) repairs, I am not looking forward to owning this car when the warranty expires, so I am in the market for a reliable hybrid. I really really like the G3 Prius, but the cheap Insight and even the Fusion Hybrid (because or its price point) have pushed me on the fence. I know the pricing is not yet available for the G3, but I know my nerdy tendencies will push me to get the fully loaded Prius with the tech package (smart cruise control, lane keep and parking assist look awesome!), and that ain't gonna be cheap.

One big factor for me is my commute. By freeway, my commute is 11 miles and by street, my commute is 7 miles. I remember reading a while ago that (for the G2) short trips kill your mpgs and the sweet spot for a commute comes after 15 miles. I wanted to ask everyone how true this is and if you think the quicker engine warm-up for the G3 will improve that distance by much?

Thanks!

Ben

Short trips kill the mileage of ALL cars, not just the Prius. Even with reduced mileage from a short trip, the Prius will still be the hands down mileage winner.

As for the Gen 3, it has a new heat exchanger designed specifically to reduce the amount of time required for warm up. I think it would work well in your situation.

Tom

Just as an example, when I changed from a 30 minute commute to a 10 minute commute, my 2004 Prius average MPG dropped from 46 to 42. With use of ECO mode on the 2010, I'm guessing my short commute MPG will be 50 or more.

I was able to average a lifetime 56.6 mpg with the vast majority of those miles coming on my 12 mile commute on suburban streets (30 - 45 mph). In fact, the few road trips I have in there actually worked to decrease my overall mileage. With a G3, I have no doubt I could get 60+ mpg. The temperature (warm), terrain (flat), traffic conditions (light in the morning) and driving habits will all influence mileage. Mine were all pretty ideal for maximizing mileage.

As the owner of a Honda 21 years and 220,000 miles out of warranty, and a Subaru 9 years and 100,000+ miles out of warranty -- both bought new -- I'll claim that out-of-warranty repairs are generally much cheaper than new car payments and depreciation. Unless there is something particularly wrong with your model (I haven't looked at ratings) or individual car, this alone is not sufficient reason to trade. Even my ancient Ford Lemon POS was cheaper to repair than to replace, until 12 years and 118,000 miles beyond warranty.

But beware that I am biased. The Honda is ready to be replaced (for age and safety reasons, not for mechanical reliability) and the fewer people in the market, the cheaper I can replace it with a 2010 hybrid.

The Exhaust Heat Recovery system can capture 1/3 of the heat otherwise would've lost through the exhaust. That should make it better for short trips. The cabin heats up one minute faster at higher temp so, the engine can shut down faster in 2010 model.

I'd just like to point out to folks that MPG isn't the end all be all.

A 5 minute commute with low MPG will use less gas and contribute less CO2 than a 30 minute commute.

Remember, the first 5 minutes of that 30 minute commute is exactly the same as the 5 minute commute.

No kidding! Look at the auto issue of Consumers Reports. The reliability record of Mercedes is horrible. With Mercedes you get the "luxury" of paying a fortune for the car, then dealing with a lot of problems that cost a fortune to repair.

If you want an inexpensive reliable car similar to the mercedes coupe, consider a Scion TC, my current car. Pretty good milage but nothing like the Prius, of course.

Roy

Ben:

first of all, my commute is 6.9 miles one way. 35-40 mph. when i drove my Pri (i drive my EV now) i could easily average over 50 mpg with proper and reasonable driving techniques.

2nd, as many have said, drive erratically and your mileage will suffer no matter what you drive...unless of course, you are driving an EV, like me. then it doesn t matter.

3rd... this is what i did with my 04 and 06. the 2010 Pri does address the "lesser mileage on short trips" issue. the 2010 will warmup quicker alllowing you to get to good mileage quicker, all the while knowing that at 35 mph, your engine is usually only running about 60-75% of the time.

4th, and EBH and grill blocking will help. using techniques described here in detail will help. changing your air filters, increasing your tire pressures, etc, etc, etc, will also help.

5th if you have any questions on what to do, how to do it and when to do it. just ask. we will help

6th... enjoy your Pri. 96 out of 100 Prius owners said they would not buy any other car, even after having owned their Pri. not even Lexus could match that