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About to buy

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Rstaton, Mar 20, 2011.

  1. Rstaton

    Rstaton New Member

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    :D in about 5-7 days I will likely get a 2011 Prius, if there are any left. I can't get it now because I'm out of the country.

    I currently have a Yaris, which gets great highway mileage. But I do a lot of short trips in town (1-4 miles), which really lowers the mpg.

    So, I've had a Prius on my mind for some time.

    But now I have knee pain, which I believe is either caused by the door's armrest, or is exacerbated by the armrest. In either case, I think it's a good idea to change cars asap.

    I sat in a prius briefly yesterday, and I think the knee issue is taken care of, maybe, because of more interior room. Can someone tell me whether their left knee seems to get smashed against the door, especially on longer trips? This is the most important factor for me. I tend to put my left foot back by the seat, pushing my knee up high.

    Otherwise, I have my eye on a Jetta TDI (California clean) which has very similar specs. The major differences are diesel (harder to find gas, and more expensive), and much lower city mpg.

    But then I wonder, are my city trips so short that the prius would get poor mileage anyway? The weather is very mild where I live, so no harsh winters here. I also read that the hot oil gets stored in an insulated canister.:confused:

    TIA. :cheer2:
     
    #1 Rstaton, Mar 20, 2011
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    rent one for a week, i think your trips may be too short. and don't fool with knee pain, make sure you buy the right car. all the best!
     
    #2 bisco, Mar 20, 2011
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  3. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Most fuel-efficient cars shows what CR got in their tests.

    Fuel Sipper Smackdown 2 — Edmunds.com (unfortunately the formatting is really messed up now, making it hard to read).

    Short trips will yield poor mileage in any car. How short are we talking about in terms of distance and time? City driving, highway, both or something in between?

    VWs have had a historically inferior (sometimes poor) reliability record compared to Toyotas. As for diesel being more expensive, yep, see AAA Fuel Gauge Report for current pricing. You can see it's more than premium.
     
    #3 cwerdna, Mar 20, 2011
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  4. Rstaton

    Rstaton New Member

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    Typically 2 miles, city driving, 10 minutes. Some trips grouped together, but the work trip is 2 miles / 10 min. / 25-35 mph. Or a different route is 3 miles / 50-65mph / still 10 min.
     
    #4 Rstaton, Mar 20, 2011
  5. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I'd keep the Yaris another year and get the Plug in Prius early next year... It would be best for your commute and when you do take roap trips, you'll still benefit from 50mpg.

    As for the knee... My dad and I have 2010's. My dad had a total knee replacement in January. Just this weekend, he took a 3 hour road trip one way out to Lancaster PA and back in the same day and he said he had no trouble...
     
    #5 Paradox, Mar 20, 2011
  6. Rstaton

    Rstaton New Member

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    I can't keep the Yaris any amount of time. My knee is too important. :eek:

    I read that the plugin would be in very limited supply, as a test, and would cost upwards of $30,000. So, waiting for that doesn't seem reasonable.

    I also don't have a place to plug in a plugin! :eek:
     
    #6 Rstaton, Mar 20, 2011
  7. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Bummer on the 1st and 3rd points. We don't know the price of the PHV Prius yet. :(

    I agree w/bisco about renting a Prius for a week. If it doesn't work out, you have the CR list of some other efficient cars to choose from.

    BTW, the Altima Hybrid usually has some pretty big incentives going on (http://local.nissanusa.com/monterey-salinas-area/altima-hybrid.html). Unfortunately, you've missed the $2350 Federal tax credit on the NAH that ended 12/31/10 which would've made it even cheaper.
     
    #7 cwerdna, Mar 20, 2011
  8. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    Rather than changing your car, have you tried changing your foot position?

    Hmm.

    If you have lots of short trips together in a mild climate you'll give the Prius a chance to warm up. But any longer gaps will cool it down. A combination of a mild climate and stop and go city traffic will help your fuel economy as it will help the Prius works its way through start-up. Better to stay at low speeds than go onto the highway since you'll avoid working the car hard.

    Do remember that in a mild climate a cold Prius in the city will still be better than most other cars.

    A Prius PHV won't make sense for you financially or environmentally unless you'd have the ability to charge from solar during the day.

    On the other hand could a LEAF meet your work and personal needs? Are you able to charge a car? What is the total of all of those trips you do for work? What personal miles do you do?
     
    #8 ItsNotAboutTheMoney, Mar 20, 2011
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  9. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    I doubt it given the below. :(
     
    #9 cwerdna, Mar 20, 2011
  10. tpfun

    tpfun New Member

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    #10 tpfun, Mar 20, 2011
  11. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    #11 cwerdna, Mar 20, 2011
  12. tpfun

    tpfun New Member

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    To the OP,

    Let me get this straight... you wanna spend 25-30K on a new Prius for your knee pain.

    You can get a full sized Camry for the same (probably even less) amount of money with lots more room for everything.
     
    #12 tpfun, Mar 20, 2011
  13. Rstaton

    Rstaton New Member

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    I'm in Germany right now. My sister thinks I place too much importance on MPG. Well, probably most of you here feel like an outcast.
     
    #13 Rstaton, Mar 21, 2011
  14. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),24 Venza Limit,B52-D,G,F,H

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    Me too! About to add a second Prius! Any last don't do this or you will die?
     
    #14 ETP, Mar 21, 2011
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