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50K miles a year, is the Prius right for me?

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Butaketsu, Oct 6, 2018.

  1. Butaketsu

    Butaketsu Junior Member

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    Soooo, I been entertaining the thought of a Prius for years now and now that i'm coming close to parking my Infiniti Q50S as I close in on my mileage allowance for my lease, I'm thinking of just trading it in for a Prius instead and then buying another for the wife to replace her car. But, after reading a lot of threads in this sub-forum, I'm confused as I see people mention battery cycling issues???

    Here's some specific info on my region and commute:
    - Southern California
    - Commute: Inland Empire to San Diego
    - Drive time: 3 hours a day minimum
    - Miles/Day: 200 (320 if my wife takes my car to school)
    - Climate: 28*F - 120*F
    - Parking: Garaged, possibly not garaged.


    I just want a reliable daily, the Infiniti 3.0TT is great for what it is, 28-32MPG, 20gal tank, with an avg range of 310 miles on half a tank, but it is not a solid car for longevity as the VR30 motor is a basket of issues from it's debut in 2016 and still to this day despite a facelift in the generation.

    I have logged every fuel up with Drivvo and have every fuel receipt since day one. I hyper mile A LOT or just set my cruise to 75mph then keep my foot just barely on the pedal when going down the long swooping hills. Although, i'm not going to sugar coat it, I can't help but drive quite fast when given the chance a couple times a month when I can get to 60mph around 4 seconds.

    As for the wife, everything is almost the same with the following differences:
    - Drive time: 3 hours a day minimum
    - Miles/Day: 120
    - Parking: Not garaged

    We'll be replacing her 40mpg 2002 Honda Civic for the sake of better safety and more reliability.

    Should I just stick to a fuel economical compact car or is a Prius a perfect fit for me? I was thinking about a Prius 4 Eco, Prime, or something for myself and then a Prius 3 Four or Five for the wife as performance/handling isn't on her top 3 priority.
     
    #1 Butaketsu, Oct 6, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2018
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    How about getting the very best mpg vehicle possible for your commute and get a hybrid version of whatever type of Toyota you wife most likes the look of?

    It used to be that if you wanted a hybrid car you had to except whatever kind of ugly the Prius designers dumbly decided on. These days you can have a beautiful looking hybrid Lexus, or Corolla or Camry that actually looks like it was designed by a responsible team of adults and not a bunch of 8 year olds.

    Also, it goes without saying that if you buy a used one or two year-old car from a private owner/seller that your overall cost is about 1/3 less. Don't let financing offers of brand new make you think it's more affordable unless you're a millionaire. Pay cash for used and do the transaction with solid security around, like at your bank. Find a seller that has to sell fast at a low price!
     
  3. Butaketsu

    Butaketsu Junior Member

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    Well... I actually love the look of the Prius 4 and especially the Prime, but could I afford two? Probably not... Wife doesn't really care about looks or anything car related really and couldn't tell you what a Mercedes Benz is or a Lada. She just wants a car that's reliable and safe... She doesn't care about luxury (she hates driving my 2017 Infiniti, says it's uncomfortable and her 2002 Civic is much better haha).

    We just really want cars that push the high 40mpg, I personally want a mid to low 50mpg and was considering a 2016 Bluetec E-Class, but the DEF and DPF kill any savings.

    My wants:
    - Comfort, lots of it.
    - 47+ MPG Highway.
    - Reliability.

    Wife wants:
    - Reliable
    - 40+ MPG Combined
    - Safety
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    gen 4 is an unknown quantity long term

    gen 3 has head gasket/egr issues around 100k

    gen 2 are too old for you
     
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  5. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Nice personalized avatar:).
     
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  6. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Your commute seems ideal for a hybrid.
    California will treat your car right.
    If you chose a Prime, there are HOV perks.
    Toyota makes more normal hybrids as well, Avalon and Camry, but without HOV perks.

    Choose a car that you will like, it will last longer because you care for it.
     
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  7. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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  8. Starship16

    Starship16 Senior Member

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    My wants:
    - Comfort, lots of it.
    - 47+ MPG Highway.
    - Reliability.

    You won't find that kind of "comfort" in a Prius. Or sporty performance. No zero to 60 in 4 seconds. The Avalon or Lexus Hybrids would have more comfort. Not sure what their mpg is.

    Wife wants:
    - Reliable
    - 40+ MPG Combined
    - Safety

    If she is fine in a noisy 2002 Civic, then any of the Prius models would probably suit her. Even the more basic Two or Three.

    Strongly suggest you go rent a Prius for the weekend, and take it on a long drive at freeway speeds. Drive it briskly, just like your Infiniti. Take the same route to work.The first thing you might norice is road noise. Lots of it. And evaluate the seat comfort. Or lack of it. Test the audio system. Decide if you are ok with the moderate acceleration, CVT groan, engine growl. Stomp on it! The Prius is a great car, for what it is. Just dont have over-lofty expectations. It is not without flaws; has its share of recalls and drawbacks. Read all the complaints in these forums, some are very valid. Rent one FIRST, for a whole week if you can.
     
    #8 Starship16, Oct 8, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2018
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  9. Ashlem

    Ashlem Senior Member

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    There are other hybrids you could consider too. The Hyundai Ioniq is basically their version of the Prius, and the base "Blue" model actually beats the Prius in terms of mpg (I think it was rated 57 highway/59 city/58 mpg combined) if you can live with a bare-bones trim. Hyundai's got a really long warranty on their battery system too, and they support Android Auto/Apple Carplay if you have a smartphone, which basically lets you use Google Maps/Waze on your car's center dash.

    Toyota still doesn't support Android Auto, and I think Apple Carplay is only available on a few of their cars. Not sure why they're dragging their feet on this awesome function that's becoming available in many cars today.

    There's also its relative, the Kia Niro, which shares the same powertrain but is in a small crossover body. It just sits slightly higher than a sedan, but the crossover shape is kind of appealing.

    Both of them also offer plug-in hybrid variants if you want to try to snag a CA carpool sticker. And living in CA, you'll probably have an easier time finding those than I would out in the Midwest.

    Check out the Honda Clarity too, which is available in plug-in hybrid, battery only, and hydrogen fuel cell. The latter two probably wouldn't work for you, but the plug-in hybrid version can do 47 miles on electric, then gets around 42 mpg on gas. It's also a mid-size sedan, and you can fit 3 adults comfortably in the back if needed. Honda is also re-releasing their Insight lineup, which will come in a sedan form this time (vs the liftback of its previous gens). They also pack a lot of safety features in it, though the Clarity is pricier.

    But if you're just looking for a Prius, for the most part you can't go wrong with those. Like others have mentioned, take a close look at the Prime, mostly for the solo HOV lane access stickers. Just keep in mind it's not designed to be a sports car, though they at least try to emulate Tesla with the higher trims having that large screen in the center dash.
     
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  10. Butaketsu

    Butaketsu Junior Member

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    You guys are awesome and have helped a bit here, it's definitely got me thinking a bit more.

    That's... Really sad hearing that on the Gen 3. As for the Gen 2 being too old for me, I'd disagree, I don't mind older cars, but I love technology, but FWIW, my previous cars were from 1997 and 1993, still have the 93, but it needs a new engine. Now if you mean too old to be driving with the looming issue of a bad battery, I understand what you mean.

    Only issue with HOV, is California has pretty much done away with HOV lanes, majority is FastTrak which is just a fancy name for "Toll Road that follows the Interstate". For my commute, the areas it's available would cost me about $10 a day total each time it scans. Plus, my commute for work has little to no traffic anyways, so I wouldn't exactly benefit with those decals. The areas that do have HOV, I would be in the area on leisure, with my wife, so I'd be able to use the HOV lanes regardless.

    As for the Camry idea, check reply below.


    The Camry Hybrids, the only one that would fit me would be the 2018, which is a 47mpg highway car. However i'm pretty sure the bank would not approve the loan on one since I'd be upside down on the Infiniti pretty deep and the overhead costs added from the Infiniti. Even if paid half of the upside down lease, i'd probably be paying more for a Camry than the Q50... But at least i'd be saving a lot of fuel? Haha... Nah, it'd be a total wash, insurance might be a smidge cheaper though...

    HOV perks, check reply above.

    That's actually one hell of a good idea... Rent a Prius for a week and see how it does... However, I have real trouble looking for them for rent, maybe I been looking in all the wrong places...?

    Very great points above in terms of infotainment, I mean my Q50S doesn't even have Apple or Android support, and it's a bloody 2017 lol, it's been an ongoing issue with Infiniti. But to be on-topic... Technology amazes me, if there's a ton of cool tech (entertainment, comfort, or safety) than that makes me happy and offsets say, luxury.

    However, when it comes to Hyundai/Kia... I don't know, I'm really not a fan of them, I have looked into them before, but I just couldn't grasp it. I will say when I had a Hyundai Sonata as a rental, it was one hell of a comfortable car, moreso than my Q50S ever would be.

    Honda... Ya know, this brand has had one hell of a reputation. However I was under my wife's Civic's hood longer in 1 month, than i've been in my old 97 Lexus that I owned for 5 years, and I was under that Lexus hood A LOT. I know she happened to pick up the worst engine in a Civic since the dawn of creation, but man, it's got me paranoid.

    To be honest, way before I even entertained a Prius, I was thinking of getting a Ford Fusion Hybrid as they're pennies for some reason, despite so many positive reviews and not much mention of any mechanical or electrical issue. But with Ford slashing so many models, the Fusion being one of them, I can't challenge the possibility of needing parts and having to order them from Europe and hoping the Mondeo parts fit my Fusion.
     
  11. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Sorry bro but suggesting a Hyundai or Kia (same company) is a bad idea, a really bad idea. Nobody I know that have every owned either has ever had a good experience.
     
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  12. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

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    Prius or Camry Hybrid is my recommendation. And see if there's a version of the Prius that still gets you an HOV sticker, because that would seal the deal for me.
     
  13. Butaketsu

    Butaketsu Junior Member

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    Yeah, I'm trying not to bash them. That new Kia that released to compete with the Q50S has had nothing but severe issues like I anticipated...

    I wish I could get the latest gen Camry hybrid as that's the one that would be on par with a Prius at 47mpg... As for the HOV, there's no benefit from them in the San Diego region as mentioned above... ☹️
     
  14. axle2152

    axle2152 Active Member

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    I would consider the Prime, not sure about EV charging in that region but if you can plug in can accomplish a couple things. One is, better fuel economy over the Gen 4 Prius and reduced fuel cost, another perk would be free charging. Plus with EV driving there's less wear and tear on the ICE over time. For instance, I've got about ~400 some odd miles on the tank and about ~80% of those were EV miles. So you could have 50,000 miles on the car and lets just say 50% of the time you were in EV mode, the ICE would only have 25,000 miles of driving. So even if issues are found with the Gen 4 ICE it will probably take a lot longer for it to appear on the Prime. I do know here in the forums someone did already have 116k on their 2016 Prime... I had 61k on mine when I got my Prime last month.

    The nice thing is you don't always have to plug in if you can, I will say that I enjoy driving it in EV, so there's that. There's a lot of flexibility, you can change modes, charge the battery back up while driving and so on.
     
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  15. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    As far as comfort goes the Avalon hybrid works, my 4 year average mileage is 36.3 but I do mostly city driving, on long trips I have seen a consistent 41 mpg.
    Hybrid battery life is a function of age and mileage, age being really important, with the number of mies you drive a year 300k on the battery should happen.
     
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  16. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    Besides Rent-A-Wreck (Enterprise), you will likely be better served by renting from a Toyota dealership. Most Toyota dealerships participate in this program. Toyota Rent a Car

    Ideally, the vehicle rental fee would be refunded or applied to the purchase price of whatever Prius you bought from that dealership.
     
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