New forum registrar John

This is John in Camarillo, CA. We purchased our 2008 Prius package #2 in January following the total loss of our Honda CRV which we dearly loved (nobody was seriously hurt). Our search for a new car had to meet three primary characteristics, high reliability, good mileage, and a low purchase price.

We quickly boiled the field down to the Prius and Honda Civic (non Hybrid). We selected the Prius because we liked it better, not necessarily for the extra mileage. In fact the Honda would have been the better financial choice. I estimated that over 10 years the total cost of both cars would be about the same using $4.50/gallon in the calculations. The reason being the Civic was at least $5K less expensive out the door. At the end of the 10 years the Civic would have used $5K more in gas than the Prius. However there was another financial factor.

We paid cash for the car ($25,149 OTD) therefore had to pull an additional $5K out of our investment account to buy the Prius. Over the 30 years of our future estimated retirement years that amounts to a loss of about $40K given the compound growth of money invested in equities. That was the real extra cost of the Prius. So a financial win it is not.

However we liked the quiet smooth ride, the fun features of the steering wheel mounted radio and climate controls, the novel smart key system, and the novelty of the hybrid system. The extra gas mileage is a bonus. It simply is a nicer car than the Civic in our opinion.

The mileage is turning out to be a bigger bonus than we planned. My calculations were based on a 50/50 split of driving between our two cars, the other of which is a 1999 Honda Odyssey minivan. However every time I drive the Odyssey (another car we dearly love) I feel like I'm pouring raw gas out onto the highway (it averages 19mpg). My wife and I compare our daily plans each morning in a 10 second conversation to determine who will drive the most and therefore who will take the Prius. Furthermore we time our trips so I will sometimes stay home until she returns so I can then take the Prius. As a result we are driving the Odyssey only about 20% of the time. Our monthly gas bill has dropped from $416 average to about $200 last month; this while the price of a gallon of gas has risen about $0.25. If this mileage gain holds true, and the price of gas continues to climb, which I think it will, our payback will be much more rapid.

John

 

One irritating feature...

After having Hondas for over 10 years I find I really like the Honda cruise control over the Toyota.

1) The Honda cruise stays on all the time unless I switch it off on the dashboard. The Prius must be reset every time I begin a new drive.
2) The Honda cruise remembers the last set speed until I turn off the ignition. The Prius clears the set memory when the speed drops below 25mph.
3) I much prefer the top-of-the-steering wheel mounted controls of the Honda. This is a personal thing but I find myself hunting for the little cruise handle under the steering wheel. I suppose it may be the location that also caused Toyota to design the operation as they did being concerned about the risk the one could bump the handle with their knee.

I am a heavy user of cruise, even in city conditions, and have been for many years. The biggest irritation of the Prius is constantly having to reset the cruise. Driving in a city situation on a road that has a 45 mph speed limit with traffic signals spaced about 3/4 of a mile apart is a real pain. I accelerate to 45, then set the cruise. In the Prius I have to reset after every red light stop. In the Honda as soon as I accelerate beyond 25mph I can hit resume and it will climb back to 45mph by itself.

 

Tom I haven't read the article. However there are many variables in making a total cost of ownership calculation. If one were to pick two cars that have the same Out-The-Door cost the Prius would have to be a win simply due to the improved mileage and perhaps a few other factors. However in my case, with the $5K difference in price, and the loss of that invested $5K in the stock market over 30 years, the Prius is clearly not a financial winner for me.

As I said we purchased the car based on the fact that we simply liked it more than the Civic.

I don't want to start a big thread here but there remains a question in my mind about having to replace the battery some time which will add to the cost. Please don't send a blast of email about how the battery should last the life of the car, how the Toyota designed the battery charge system etc. I've read all that and it is very compelling data to support a very low risk of having to replace the battery. However the only other Prius owner that I personally know did have to replace his battery, through no fault of his own, at a cost of $3000 out of his pocket. He has one of the first year models. It's only one case but it is the only other Prius owner I know personally.

My current plan is to keep this 2008 until the new Prius design is out for a few years (the plug in design), sell this one and buy one of those unless something better comes along.

 

Sufferin,

Sorry, I didn't mean to shock anyone. I obviously misused the word registrar. I only intended to say that I just registered. I'm not out to take your job.

My comparison was simply Prius vs the Civic we didn't purchase. And we had to purchase a car as my wife was involved in an accident in which the Honda CRV was totaled.

We still have the Odyssey but it sits for days at a time without being driven while we use the Prius as much as we can. Of course we plan our trips to minimize miles driven where we can but we do live in California and long distances are part of daily life here.

Your job as registrar is secure from my standpoint.

John

 

1. Do you know if anyone has found a way to modify the cruise control to improve it?
2. I hadn't really noticed the volume control issue, but perhaps it is because I normally drive with my iPod hooked up to the Aux input and use the click wheel to change the volume.

John