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I think I dodged a bullet. Thanks, PriusChat!

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by egg_salad, Nov 6, 2015.

  1. egg_salad

    egg_salad Active Member

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    I was pretty intent on buying a Prius. I've test-driven a few, and I rather like the car. Then I started digging deeper into this forum, and it really appears a Prius is not the right car for me.

    Reasons:

    Folks here say that a Prius really doesn't start getting good fuel economy until it is driven 7 miles or so. My commute is 6.5 miles. In the Fuel Economy forum, I'm reading that I should only expect 25mpg or so over my short commute.

    I live in Las Vegas. It gets hot here - over 100F for months on end, and quite often over 110F. Again, folks here are reporting very low mpg in these extreme temperatures.

    In short, it seems like I'm simply not a good candidate for a Prius. You fine folks have saved me a bundle of money in not buying a Prius at all. Thank you for helping me dodge the bullet.
     
  2. 48mpg

    48mpg Member

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    IDK Im in central florida and we get close to 100 daily for most of the year, its 91 today and Im getting 44 with the ac blasting
     
  3. EZW1

    EZW1 Active Member

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    Im not sure i agree with the 7 mile rule. Granted, the hybrid system works most efficiently when it is entirely warmed up (including transaxle with engine), my 2nd gen and Prius v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon) both give me great mileage after the first mile or two. As a matter of fact, I just achieved an all time high of 58.4mpg on my v this past week.
     
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  4. ForestBeekeeper

    ForestBeekeeper Active Member

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    My dealer told me about one of his customers whose daily commute is short like yours. He bought a Plug-In. So daily commutes are done via the battery and the vehicle is great for longer trips on his days off.
     
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i disagree with the premise. perhaps it's the commute, but i had a 7 mile one way commute for 8 years in a gen II, and it always returned me 45-60 mpg 12 months a year. i had 5 miles of 30-40 mph and 2 miles of 55 mph. i cannot offer advice on the effects of a car sitting in las vegas sun all the time.

    do you only drive 32.5 miles/week? 690 miles/year? or is it 13 miles round trip, 1,380 miles per year?
     
    #5 bisco, Nov 6, 2015
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2015
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  6. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    Do yourself a gift and buy a returned lease Leaf, it is an all electric vehicle and sports the amenities of AC and a heater if needed
     
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  7. egg_salad

    egg_salad Active Member

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    I'd buy an electric car, but I have no way to charge it.
     
  8. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    No matter what car you decide to to go with, it won't come close to the same MPG as the Prius. You have to bear in mind that all newer cars have a cold start cycle. I can start my Prius up and make a 5 mile round trip without reducing the average MPG... Which is always 51+ .
     
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Driving 14 miles a day won't save much money. If you only work weekdays, that would only be about 300 miles a month. That's basically 1 fillup with any car out there. If you got yourself a camry with $30 fill ups, that would only be $360 a year in fuel costs. I don't think with that little fuel cost, it would be worth while to get a Prius....especially when a hv battery failure will set you back 10 years of fuel costs.
     
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  10. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Well I'm not going to debate what you think you've learned about Prius.
    If you can talk yourself out of wanting one? Then it's not a good idea to buy one. So I suppose "Bullet Dodged".

    But I would say, 5 out of 7 days, I drive a short commute to and from work, and my mileage is not upper end Prius good. However, on the weekends the Prius affords me the luxury of driving a lot....road trips and around town, and I do reap the benefits of having a hybrid.

    And on a yearly basis? I'm happy with my gas mileage. It averages out.

    But I think it is important to being committed to really wanting a Prius. If you've talked yourself out of it? Then there are many, many other vehicle options in the world.

    Good Luck.
     
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  11. egg_salad

    egg_salad Active Member

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    Yes, commuting is under 4,000 miles/year and weekends and road trips make my annual mileage under 9,000 miles. Prius is for people who drive more than I do. I will probably be better off with a Yaris or something.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. i also only drive 9,000 miles per year, but i didn't buy it to save money.
     
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  13. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    For your commute, the Prius will still produce significantly better fuel economy than traditional gassers, which also suffer poor fuel economy on short trips. Their cabins need the same initial cool-down, but their overall AC systems are less efficient. Their engines suffer the same type of engine warm-up penalty, but are less efficient to begin with. If you spend any significant time sitting at stoplights or creeping in stop-and-go traffic, then the gap widens.

    For just your commute of 3000 miles/year, the fuel savings is in the noise compared to other automobile expenses, and can't offset any depreciation difference compared to a cheaper traditional car. But for your overall driving of 9000 miles/year, it will be enough to meaningful. It will certainly do much better than 25 mpg with that much driving, and budget optimization would need a deeper dive. At that level, skipping a Prius is not 'dodging a bullet', it is more a matter of personal preference.
     
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  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    With low annual mileage, yeah you're better off to get a cheaper, fuel efficient car. I would say Corolla or Civic instead of Yaris or Fit. The fuel economy difference isn't that much and the compacts are nicer on the inside than the subcompacts (unless you want a hatchback). With a redesigned Civic coming out, you might be able to find deals on the 2015 Civic.
     
  15. prev93

    prev93 Member

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    With that short commute,, you are certainly better off without a Prius or any car for that matter. Ride a bike to work and save a whole lot more money!
     
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  16. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Bikes are a wonderful idea in my moderate climate, but I very strongly doubt he is willing to pedal in 100-110F conditions. I certainly am not willing.
     
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Not in Vegas. You want to spend the minimal amount of time in direct sunlight without some sort of protection. (which is why most cars have dark window tint over there).
     
  18. Ozark Man

    Ozark Man Member

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    I traded in a Honda CRV that was paid for and in perfect condition and I know It's probably costing me money in the long run but I just enjoy driving my Prius and being able to drive long trips for about half the cost for gas. It's not all about how much money I save, for me.
     
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  19. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    While a majority here will try to change your mind...this is PriusChat...only you can determine if the Prius is right for you.
     
  20. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    better off financially? yes. but you would be much better off buying a cheap used clunker instead.

    FYI: yaris is a not a pleasant car to drive. i bought it for my daughter as a penalty econobox after she crashed my corolla (a luxury car in comparison to yaris).

    BTW, these are my MPG vs length of drive stats for warm weather, no AC, city/suburbs, low traffic:
    1 mile: 25mpg
    2 miles: 35mpg
    3 miles: 40mpg
    4 miles: 45mpg
    5 miles: 50mpg
    6 miles: 55mpg
    7+miles: 60mpg
     
    #20 Former Member 68813, Nov 7, 2015
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2015
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