Fuel economy vs ?

Krausternet,

please use the search button - these questions have been answered many times on this forum. I personally believe Prius will be less maintenance costs than Civic.

Best,
- Alex

 

i think they'll be about the same, virtually non existant.

 

Agreed with bisco. Operating costs are low on both vehicles. There is nothing special you have to do when owning a Prius. The Civic can't get great mpg on the freeway but the city mpg takes a big hit. The Prius gets better mpg in every scenario. If you like the features better on the Prius and want to do your best for you community and nation then buy the Prius. Just be sure to test drive both to ensure the comfort level and ergonomics work for you. Some people with back problems don't like the Prius seats.

Ohh and the utility of the hatchback/kamback design is much better than the Civic. We have a 2001 Civic 4dr so I'm pretty familiar with them.

 

If you buy your Prius new, I believe it comes with free maintenance for the first two years or 25K miles. All that is usually required is an oil and filter change along with tire rotation at 5K intervals. The engine and cabin air filters are easy to change yourself. I am on my second Prius and have found them to be extremely low maintenance cars, in addition to getting excellent gas mileage. I have owned my '06 over five years and driven 54K miles with nothing in the way of a tuneup and no problems at all. The OEM tires on first Prius(Goodyear Integritys) lasted over 60K miles, and I expect to do the same with the '06. Some posters here have reported far less treadlife. Like you, I have a light foot. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Unfortunately, Consumer Reports seems to have no fuel economy test results (with their tests, not the EPA numbers) on the Astro.

You can see how the Prius compares to the Civic (on their tests) at Best & worst cars review, fuel-efficient vehicles and Most fuel-efficient cars.

2012 Honda Civic LX: Scores too low for Consumer Reports to recommend.

You can take a look at the maint. history of Priuses at Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity - Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

They don't need a "tune up" at 60K miles. The plugs last a lot longer than that. Yep, brakes last a lot longer on Priuses due to regen. 3rd gen Prius has no drive belts and Priuses use timing chains, not timing belts. Also take a look at http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...ery-reliable-vancouver-yellow-cab-update.html.

 

Also there is the new Prius v wagon coming out now, you might really like that size too. Tell you what, wish I could get 19-20 MPG in my mini-van like you do, I only get 16. But I only do 6000 miles per year.

 

Neither cars require tuneups. Both require regular oil changes and that's about it.

The most recent brake reports have been 40% original pad left at 150K miles and 60% left at 120K miles. With a light braking foot, you will use regen almost all the way except a panic stop or below 7mph (2nd gen) and some other low mph number in the genIII. So I would expect similar or better results for you.

Shocks... Neither car will need them unless you live offroad in which case both will need them. There are upgrades for both as well if you want a different "feel".

Tires, you dont have to use LRR tires on a Prius, but it will net you the best mileage. And you can use LRR on the civic to get you marginally better as well. Again it is a wash.

The Hondas we have have considerably more repairs than any of the Toyotas yet still less compared to any domestic car anyone I know owns (we don't).

Keep in mind that a Prius has no "transmission" in the traditional sense. So not only does it shift smoother and feel better than any other car, there are no gears to grind or wear out. Likewise there is no torque converter at all, another non-existent item that can't break.

You drive 12K a year which is average, but how do you drive those 12k? 2 mile trips to the store multiple times a day? A single 20minute commute a day? 6 cross country trips a year and otherwise stay put? The Prius reigns supreme no matter what, however keep in mind there is a warmup penalty. The engine runs at about 0.6gal/hr consumption versus the more normal 0.2gal/hr-0.3gal/hr once warmed up. The Prius is a low emission vehicle first. The high fuel economy is just a bonus. So if you never "warmup the car" then you will always be in high consumption mode, and may net 30-40mpg. Keep in mind this is still better than a cold engined anything else. But you don't notice it as much because they are not showing you where the drop comes from like the Prius does.

 

We've driven our Prius for 95K miles now, and except for the one factory recall item (which hadn't been a problem for us, yet), it's never seen a mechanic.

Every 5K miles it gets an oil change. Every 10K it gets tires rotated.

The Prius is a Toyota. Toyotas are generally known for longevity and low maintenance costs.