Hypothetical Upgrade to PiP 2013 from Regular 2010

The PiP looks like a great car for you given your commute. Word on the street is that the next model change is for 2015, so doubtful any major changes until then. If you can hold out one more year (and a few months), you may get the next generation PiP with some real cool new stuff/upgraded tech.

 

With a 2010, might make sense to hold off for the 4th generation Prius. If you're ready to take the plunge now, consider purchasing a used 2012 or 2013 if you can find a good deal. Most are less than a year old and should have relatively low mileage.

 

you wouldn't need much space to replace the storage area. what is it, two cubic feet?

 

i would think something attached to a hitch in the back could give you similar space with very little drag.

 

Personally I don't believe the financials make sense for you. Ya, you would benefit on your daily commute but the weekly long trip wouldn't benefit much at all. The longer someone can keep a car for as their main driver the better financially.

 

You didn't state the motivation for the upgrade. What is worth it? Cost? Fuel economy? Long distance trips? IMO, I think the PiP is a lousy long distance vehicle in comparison to a regular Prius.

1. Shorter single charge range.
It's not a big deal if you are considering a 180 mile trip. It was a big deal for me going to San Diego. It was one more trip to the gas station because the tank was just 20 miles short of what I need. My high speed driving pulled down fuel economy to 47 mpg which means 400 mile tanks. If your foot has more lead than mine, I've heard of people going to low 40's mpg. That would bring per tank to what, 350 miles?
2. No spare tire.
I'm not going to trust a can of goop going down a dark lonely highway in the middle of night where gas stations and civilization can be 30+ miles away. I borrowed a Corolla spare. We still fit everything in but it took up valuable trunk space.
3. PiP is heavier than the regular thus slower acceleration.
I can't verify this as I've never driven a regular Prius. But given they both have the same powertrain and the PiP is 100+ lbs heavier and then add on your vacation gear for your trip and the car is exceptionally slow.

To be clear, I'm not saying a PiP is a lousy long trip vehicle. It worked perfectly for my trip. It works better than my Civic in comfort and cargo space. It works better than my Sonata at fuel costs so the PiP is my goto road trip vehicle. But if a regular Prius was in my garage, no question, I would choose the regular for a long trip and the PiP for the daily commute. It seems your motivation is for long trips.

 

What about the fact that PiP delivers better MPG on long trips, even without plugging in?

 

good point on the spare, you'll need to strap that to the back as well. john's right about the mpg's. i haven't measure strictly highway, but overall, i'm doing about 10% better in pure hv.

 

That would be a positive but I left it out because 2% better fuel economy according to EPA is negligible. My 1000 mile trip cost me ~$84. That's <$2 savings. Maybe if the trip involved sustained 100 continuous EV miles operation due to hills as one user claimed, it would be significant?

 

My real-world experiences show much more of an improvement.

This was the result of today's driving, without having plugged in:



I never saw efficiency anywhere near that good with my 2010.

 

So that was you! Holding up traffic on I-94!

All kidding aside ... How did you manage that without plug-charging the battery?

 

I'd avoid the roof rack.
The drop in mpg is a function of your speed and how much cargo you have
If space is a primary motivator then what you and wife really need to look at is the Prius V (or if it exists - a plug in version).

Even with the additional competition ..... I'll be surprised if
the 4th gen improve anything more than incrementally with respect to MPGs

 

Yeah, harder to justify going to the PiP mostly in financial terms. For me, the main goal and decision to go with the PiP was to decrease gasoline consumed.

Looking at your driving pattern, if you are mostly interested in decreasing gas use, the Volt is less ideal because of all the stuff you have and because the PiP could do all or most of the 15 miles on EV. The PiP has the advantage on the 180 mile round trips (unless you can charge at both ends). The Leaf is out because the range is not there. Some of the newer PEVs might be an option too, but the PiP has the edge because of better mpg on the 180 mile trips. I think in your case, the PiP will reduce your gasoline use the most.

 

Nice! The best I've done is 60 mpg without a charge. But that was with morning traffic with speeds around <55 mph.

 

My opinion keep what you have. You have barley overcome the depreciation on the 3 year old car only to endure that burden once again. The PIP is a fine car but compared to other EV/Hybrid cars it just does not have the EV range to make it worth the while. These PIP's sink like lead weights with Depreciation. In 1 1/2 years (2015 Model year released Q4 2014) the next gen Prius will be released including a new PIP. My guess is when that car is released with competitive range and power the 2013 PIP will be worth even less.

My humble suggestion is keep what you have it is a great car. When the Gen 4 releases reevaluate your car ownership.

 

So what is a 2013 pip with 10k miles worth right now?

Also, there are no hard facts at all about when the pip might be updated. We don't know for sure that it will be on the same schedule as the regular prius.

 

The car loses 7 Grand when you drive it off the lot. After a few years depreciation slows down.

Car buying is emotional and rarely practical. Tax credits may offset some of that depreciation which also accelerates the depreciation on the PIP

Here is the URL

2013 Toyota Prius Cost of Ownership