Please recommend a Prius for my girlfriend and me (our first car)

The c sounds like a good choice for your situation, but something to keep in mind is that if you do mostly short trips you may not get the EPA rated mpg. The problem with short trips is that the car doesn't run efficiently until it is fully warmed up, and if it cools off between trips..... The problem is more severe in colder climates, but still. The same is true for any conventional gas-engined car and most hybrids. The difference is that you are more aware of it with hybrids because they have better mpg displays!!

Also, the c is a new model so it's hard to tell how it will do fuel-wise. Given Toyota's (and particularly Prius's) track record, it is likely to be very reliable.

I was going to suggest considering a Nissan Leaf for your usual usage and the renting something for your trips (your area must be a hotbed for ZipCar, etc, no). But it sounds as tough you don't have access to a garage or some place to charge an EV, and if your daily activities involve 2-3 hours on the highway it might not have enough range??

 

Yup!! A Volt or an EV would not, of course.

Watching the average mpg rise as you drive is amazing. In the winter around here my Prius starts out at 15mpg after the first few tenths of a mile, it hits 40mpg after a few miles, and continues to rise gradually over the next few hours on a highway trip. But if I go only 7 miles it may still be <50mpg.

Many people ameliorate the problem by using an engine block heater (EBH) to warm up the engine in the morning, and by partly blocking the grille in cold weather. It's important to watch the coolant temp closely in the latter case, and many folks use a ScanGauge 2 to do that (and monitor other things).

I wouldn't worry about putting mileage on the Prius. They last.

 

The Prius strikes me as the perfect urban car -- it has plenty of room to do most of what you want to do while still providing comfort and safety.

I would also look at the Golf TDI. You really need to crunch the numbers -- the resale value is the key to most cars.

Maintenance on modern small cars is so minor that it is almost non existent. Check the tires and change the oil/ filters

I was also surprised how inexpensive you can get the extended warranties on the Prius -- if you plan on keeping this for 7 years and 100 - 125k. I would never normally get one but for $1300.00 it starts to make sense in that 7th year and 100k plus.


For me when you get cars much smaller than the Prius depending on where you intend to drive them you have to think about safety.


On our company cars we sometimes rent for longer trips -- you can get full sized cars from Enterprise on the weekends for just over $100.00 - so if you are going to do 700 miles in a weekend it pays to do it -- especially if you are doing it often.


Good luck

 

I agree the C or a used GenII is a good option. Like stated above, don't expect EPA mpg, in any car, with a bunch of short trips and SF hills.

 

I would a Avoid theGolf TDi in your situation. They exhibit poor city mpg and have a worse reliability record. If you drove mostly freeway I would say check them out but a great urban car they do not make.

 

If you got a Prius c, it would likely be better to get a rental for really long trips. If you got a Prius, no worries, take it any where on this continent.

Tough call on which one to get. I never think about getting a first cut of new car, that's just me. And no one has driven the c yet, so we don't know how it is. But, it's supposed to be punchy and setup for younger crowds. c is definitely something to consider.

Being is SF, hybrid is a great way to go. So many cars, so much time sitting in traffic, you need an engine that can just chill much of the time.

Like said, used 2nd gen Prius, like 06 - 09 a choice also. Or go new.

 

No one is quite sure, but we suspect the Prius c is reusing some Gen 2 power train. If so, while it is 'new', the power train has 6 years of evolution.
Toyota NZ engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I would expect near 40 MPG in your commute, then near 50 on longer trips.

 

I'm across the Bay from ya on flat ground. With 3.5 mile trips, my '11 can get about 43 MPG city average. I don't think any conventional car that can get withing 10 MPG of that, not even Smart car.

When car is first started, the gas engine will cycle on to warm itself up a bit. After less than 1 mile, rolling to first stop, gas engine will shut off during time stopped.

This is why people are thinking about plug-in Prius. If you have it charged and go maybe 13 miles under about 60 MPH, you will burn zero gas.

 

F8L - while i would agree that the German brands will prove to be less reliable as a group over the Japanese -- we have Golf TDI in my family and it has been a good car for that user. They are great in a city situation with the stop and go traffic and are fantastic in hilly terrain.

The fuel situation can still be an issue in some areas.

 

30mpg does not beat 53mpg no matter how you slice it. Diesel is also about $.30-$.40 more per gallon in this area. The most efficient model is the manual and who wants to drive a manual on the streets of SF?

I spend plenty of time at ClubTDi.com so I'm pretty familiar with the TDi stuff and while they make great highway cars, they in no way compare to the Prius in the city.

 

OP:

You mention the length of the road-trips but don't mention how many miles you drive in SF. Even with the mileage-killing city driving you might not be driving enough miles to make up for the difference in cost. Remember that on those longer trips your mileage in a conventional subcompact would be closer to the c.

If you're driving only a few miles a day on average in The City then, given your mention of financial constraints, I would suggest buying a cheaper conventional car, using the savings to improve your financial position and then reconsidering at a later date.

Out of curiosity, why do you now need a car? Cars are expensive, especially if you're buying new and if you don't have a regular need for one it's cheaper to rent or use a service like ZipCar.

 

I suggest adding a used Prius for $15k to the alternatives. Prius is wonderfully reliable.
A new car is a luxury, not a necessity.

As for car size -- I do not value larger cars, but most Americans do. Residents of SF may have a more European mindset. If you are looking for street parking then DEFINITELY strive to get a smaller car.

 

I wanted to add that owning a car in SF is an exercise in frustration if you value pretty paint and body panels free of dings. People drive the crap and don't car about your car so owning a slightly disheveled Prius is not a bad idea in the city. You'll stress less over a used car than a brand new pristine one. I freak out every time I have to park in the city and I watch people try to parallel park between cars while bashing the front and rear bumpers of the cars in their way. Ugg......

 

There is a vast difference in reliability between cars built before 1990 and after 1990. Years ago, it was easier to justify buying a brand new car and making payments, because cars were just worn out after 5 years/100K miles. Now, we see cars going hundreds of thousands of miles on regular maintenance (fluids, tires, brakes) and minor repairs (water pumps, wheel bearings).

Look around for a used 4 cylinder Toyota built in '04-'05 and pay 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of a new III or c: Corolla, Camry, RAV4, Prius. With the older Prius, keep in mind that CARB warranty applies on the battery to 10 years, 150K miles. I have no qualms at all about buying a car with over 100,000 miles, as long as it feels good on a test drive. Every car I own, except for the '05 Prius, has that much. The RAV has 160K and drives like new. If you look at an older Prius, keep in mind that you have one of the best Prius shops in the world right around the corner, for reasonably priced regular maintenance and major repairs: Luscious Garage.

Oh, if you look at used, don't bother with certified pre-owned. It is a few thousand dollars wasted. Look for a 1-owner car via craigslist etc.

Because money is a little tight, it is tempting to get something new, just to avoid having to pay the unexpected cost of a major breakdown, or to be sure that the car will be reliable. Don't make your first car a brand-new one, unless you can pay cash. A car payment is a massive bummer. Leasing is even worse. Insurance costs are higher for new compared to used. From a purely economic standpoint, a new car is a loss all the way around.

 

Heard that. I just called the gal that bought my 09 (with her husband) over a year ago. They found me on CL. She's like, hey Brett, it's so good to hear from you, oh the car is great, love it, geez was like new, blah, blah.

Yeah, I'm bragging, but I was just as happy to find them to pay a good private party price than trade it in for 2 to 3k less. They didn't want to buy certified either.

Look for the neatnick owner/seller with all maintenance receipts provided to you, no BS, knows the car, 1 owner, garage kept is nice.

 

Good point. I wouldn't put a brand new car out on SF streets, eeek.

 

I don't like my gas engine running while stopped in traffic, no matter how much more 'fun' said car is to drive. I would buy an old conventional car if had to, but I'd never buy a new old-fashioned car.