What will you be driving in 5 years?

If you mean the petrol one, I wouldn't bother. It's not significantly better than your current Prius.

Toyota iQ, manual transmission
Toyota iQ, conventional CVT
Prius

Prius numbers are 56.5mpg urban, 67.3mpg extra-urban, 65.7mpg combined. The iQ gets 57.7mpg urban, 72.4mpg extra-urban. They state 65.7mpg combined but that has to be an error given the other two numbers are higher than the Prius numbers. Calculating back from the stated CO2 emissions, 99g/km versus 104g/km for the Prius, it should probably be 69.0mpg, 5% better.

They haven't given the acceleration times yet, but the Aygo (which is a five-door hatchback) with the same engine takes 14.2 seconds to reach 62mph.

The CVT drops those numbers to 49.6mpg urban, 68.9mpg extra-urban, 60.1mpg combined. I would expect the acceleration to be worse.

Hybrid Synergy Drive is seriously good technology, and is proving very difficult to beat, even for microcars with small engines. The 2010 Prius will be even better, by all accounts. The declared 50mpg (US) is 8% better than the current model's 46mpg.

 

now: 2004 Prius, w/65,000 miles

2 years: perhaps a GM Volt, or whoever has the first 40 mile range, comfortable EV suitable for commuting, with a range extender

5 years: most likely an EV, with a Mr Fusion Range Extender

mitch

P.S. Sorry for the back to the future reference

 

Now: 2007 Prius with 6,000 miles.

5 Years: Same car with 21,000 miles.

10 Years: Same car with 36,000 miles.

Barring an accident or deterioration of the car due to age (not mileage), there's a pretty good chance that I'll be driving the same car for the rest of my life.

 

I sat in an IQ a few weeks ago and wasn't all the impressed with the space. The Smart Car seems to feel bigger..

What car will I be driving?

Hopefully I'll have ditched the gas-guzzling prius and PHEV prius and will be driving a Tesla S or perhaps a similarly speced EV.

The ICE has numbered days I think (or I hope)

Nikki.

 

Currently driving a 2008 Prius.

In three years my current work contract expires, so at that point I will looking at possibly replacing my car depending on where my next job is (hope to try the US, Canada, NZ or Oz if possible).
I'm hoping that the FXClarity goes down a storm in California and other makers start looking into hydrogen feul cells - with that in mind I expect to be either buying a cheap second hand banger or the latest HFC Prius!!

 

The height of a recumbent is dependent on what type you purchase. You can be anywhere for sitting completely upright to reclining at 80 degrees. I've had no problem with visibility on my recumbent. People stop what they are doing and stare, little kids point at me in amazement. Right now the novelty of a recumbent is such that they draw attention. I'm currently more concerned about someone target-fixing on me and hitting me as they stare then not seeing me. If recumbents become more popular, you may need to worry about visibility. I also wear bright colors like hi-viz yellow and have two LED strobes on the back of my bike.

A recumbent puts the torso upright so that the rider can easily breath and have excellent visibility forward. The riders weight is spread over a large seat.



A traditional road bike puts the rider's torso parallel with the ground and forces the rider to unnaturally crane their neck upward to see. The tiny seat concentrates the rider's weight on a very small part of the pelvis and compresses blood vessels and nerves that supply the genitals in both males and females. It is not uncommon for riders to complain of "numb bits" at the end of a long ride.

 

In five years I will be driving a Tesla Roadster (09) that hopefully will be arriving this summer.

I am also looking forward to the Tesla Model S (sedan) in 2011. They are aiming for luxury equivalent to a BMW 5 series. 300 mile electric range. 0-60 in under 6 seconds.

In the Tesla Motors lab they can do a recharge in 45 minutes, so if these were strategically located on the highway where you can stop to eat lunch, your recharge is done and you can go another 300 miles down the highway.

Or for long range trips, there is always a Plug-In hybrid like a Hymotion Prius. But in the future I want something that doesn't use oil/gasoline.

Perhaps a Diesel Plug-In Hybrid. Then I could use biodiesel in that vehicle for long range trips.

 

It also depends where you ride. Downtown, in heavy traffic and bad roads I'd prefer to be taller than a typical car and be able to stand up when it gets bumpy. But on a well made bike bath, recumbent me baby.

I solved that problem with a bike seat with no horn: Bicycle Seats | bike seats

 

EXACTLY! And you hit the nail on the head,,, many nails on the head.... to name two:

it is more eco friendly more times than not to use the car you have instead of buying a new one

it is more $ friendly to use a car you have paid off rather than buy a new
one

---- so ---- i hope too that i am driving my 35 month old prius with 64,000 miles on it 5 years from now.... heck,,, i still have my 2000 Audi A6 ,,,, all paid off for over 5 years and still rolling,,,, just gas and tires and oil,,,, just love it.... i just hand the cars down to the kids.

i had a dodge caravan that got handed down the food chain till it had over 200,000 miles on it,,, (now i dont touch Big 3 cars),,,

imagine if we all stopped consuming cars like they were big macs,,, what would that save us all in $ and resources?

 

Well said!

 

What manufacture / model did you choose? I chose the P-38 lightning when I got mine about 7 years ago. I found it was tough to get used to ... my quads would cramp up on a 20 mile run ... then there was the return leg ... whoah. Took about 6 months to get used to. Only then, could I out perform my own standard touring bike. The touring frame IS tough on both the back & neck. The recumbent is VERY easy on my skeleton. I only wish the newer - 3LB P-38 (carbon fiber) lightning was less expensive. sheesh! 3x the cost compared to the standard model ... very nice, but too pricy.
Lightning R-84: World's Lightest Recumbent

 

This pretty much describes my needs and wants too, although not for exactly the same reasons. After going through a 3 week blackout from Hurricane Ike, I would probably want at least 1 hybrid. An EV would have been a very large and expensive paperweight on wheels! I'll trade sooner than 10 years if that 600 mile range EV SUV comes along for $15,000. Where are the hybrid/EV Yaris, Matrix, RAV4 or Venza when I need them?!

 

I have a fully suspended RANS VIVO. I picked it up as a consignment at the local bike shop for $600. It wouldn't have been my first choice but as my first recumbent I couldn't see paying $2000 for a new bike. It is HEAVY at ~35 pounds but then again the bike is a small fraction of total weight. (Bike + Rider)



Fibb, That is an interesting seat and looks like it would be pretty comfortable. I might try on on my mountain bike but then again, I don't spend much time sitting on the mountain bike.

I agree that a recumbent isn't the best choice for city commuting on surface streets. Back in college I used a mountain bike fitted with road tires. That was about perfect for splitting lanes through stalled and slow traffic. For touring or suburban riding a recumbent is hard to beat.

 

Now: 2007 Prius with 30K miles
5 years: 2007 Prius, perhaps with PHEV conversion. JavaJunki should be driving an EV for his commuter vehicle by then.

 

Now: 2006 Prius
5 years: Gen 3 PHEV Prius, if I can get one with solar cooling and all the high-tech goodies. If not, well see. Possibly the planned 4-seat version of the PHEV Aptera.

 

Something must be wrong with the universe. You keep saying things I agree with.

In 6 years, my son will be getting a driver's license. We'll see what the price of gas is at that point, but maybe for a nominal fee he can take my 2006 Prius, which should have about 80-90K miles on it by then. Or for his graduation, that's more likely actually. But we need to get it past 110K miles, just to prove Spinella wrong, if nothing else.

Then we'll probably also have a newish HEV or PHEV and possibly a small EV like a Triac (barring any serious economic troubles). Plus a velomobile for my daily trips for at least 9 months of the year. Now those are lower, being a 3-wheeled recumbent, so visibility is an issue, but lights are standard and a flag would help.

(image of some Danish family from the Leitra website, notice bikes in background - smart country)

 

If you're talking five years from now, I could be driving either a Honda Insight (new model) or a 2012 model year or later Toyota Prius with the PHEV option. But if I were driving a conventional car I might be driving a 2011 or later model year Ford Fiesta four-door hatchback.

 

mmm 09 wrx, and maybe a 240sx

 

I plan to still be driving my 08 Prius. I drive my vehicles as long as possible.