Hybrids won't save drivers money, Consumer Reports (April 2006)

I saw that article in CR. They compare the Prius to the Corolla and I can say that I sat in a Corolla and then got out...way too small. However, I have plenty of room in the Prius.

Well, if buying a car was all about saving money, we'd all be in a Yugo.

 

The CR article didn't say it was a bad buy. They recommend the car and the reliability is high and the Prius has the highest level of customer satisfaction...95%.

 

As a matter of fact I had a 87' F150 351ci manual 4spd w/granny 1st. I really got 6mpg in the city and 12mpg on the hwy. filled up two tanks once a week at $75.00

75x52= $3900 a yr (F150)
22x52= $1144 a yr (Prius)
savings $2756
I had to go back and redo the math..

And yes the prius has paid me back the extra 2500 I spent over msrp for the first year & a little more at the pump..

I think they test drove the prius with a leadfoot, yes if you drive the car like a scalded dog your going to have poor FE. Toyota even stated one would have to change their driving habits..

Well said IMAHYBRID!

I have a heavyer foot than the wife, I average 43-48mpg / she averages 48-55..

CP has thier heads in the sand....

 

Has anyone heard what the hybrid premium will be on the 2007 camry?

 

Most cars would have saved you thousands, so it isn't a true savings to say the Prius saved you thousands in one year. If you would have replaced a Mack truck it could save you a thousand a month.

 

A major factor for me was the intangible...but documented a la CR...reliability of a Toyota. Frankly, I'll pay a couple of thousand extra for my wife and kids to drive around in a car that won't leave them on the side of the road.

 

Make sure you let me know if it does. Come to think of it I know of a few people on PC who will admit they have been stranded in their prius.

 

When every car becomes a hybrid, and they will, they will probably agree with us then. If they are not worth the premium then why are engineers, aerospace engineers, doctors, environmentalist, lawers, politicians, military strategists working in the pentagon, lawyers, people of higher education like professors and teachers, older people that are generally frugal with their savings, and all of us in between buying the Prius? Because we are stupid? Maybe they should look in their "Yukon, Blazer, Escalade" rear view mirrors. The image in the mirror with the house like loan on the suv is a real STUPID sight, and they have lots of time to look in the mirror while the gas pump puts another $90 dollars worth in the tank!!!!Gas could be put in gallon milk jugs and placed in the back of the store at $6+ a gallon and my wife and I will not change our driving habits one bit! Because we were stupid and bought two prius. We save $122.50 per month based on the cars we replaced (sable and ranger 4 cylinder) with our prius @ 25,000 miles a year driven. Im glad we are stupid shur hate to be a smart a__ like CR editors!

 

I stopped reading CR over 25 years ago when they published that Nikon cameras were the worst buy in cameras. I am still using one of the Nikon cameras I owned at that time. the last 13 years used in a Photo Lab and studio.
I remember several yease ago when CR was "explaining" how the then new test facility was built with a "grant " from GM, and was not in any way a conflict with their "policy" of not accepting advertising or such , and that kept them "objective".
My 2005 Prius was delivered in November of 2004. I have no complaints. I had it in the Wyoming mountains with my three sons this August, the average gas mileage of the whole 1500 mile outing was 46.3 MPG. The Kicker is I weigh 245, the sons weigh 218 230, and yes, 280 lbs. It never hiccupped once and we drove, where possible, at or near the posted speed limits.
I drove a Camry for 67000 miles before the Prius, (it is still in my sons family) and the Prius was only 1900 bucks more than a Camry at that time. Enough already. I place CR at the foot of the reading list.

 

Thats just stupid

 

Ps I use to read CR and I always trusted them. Not anymore! I feel bad for the people who will read about the prius "greatest car I have ever owned" and decide not to get one. My 04 has 41,000 miles on it and I feel special every time I drive it.

 

And I'll tell you of the time we were stranded in a GM car...tell them not to buy a Prius and I won't buy a GM...and frankly, I'm guessing in another year, I might not even have the option not to buy...if you know what I mean.

 

The hybrid premium is a load because the concept hinges entirely on the cost of gasoline. Unfortunately, there are no good long range forecasts for the cost of gasoline. As such you can really only give an "instantaneous hybrid premium". Geopolitical and weather phenomena can, as we've seen again and again, have a HUGE impact on the price of oil. Nevermind the more predictable supply/demand forces that drive (mostly up) the cost of gasoline. It could very well be that people are talking about a "conventional premium" in a few years. That fact is we don't know. By then the cost of hybrids vis a vis their conventional counter parts will be down however and alot of this "premium" talk will be of passing interest to automotive historians.

 

I think there's a bunch of CR bashing that might be misplaced. Remember, this same magazine said the Prius is "unbeatable for it's combination of economy, acceleration and interior room." It is Recommended by them and had one of the highest reliability ratings in it's Family car class.

 

Notwithstanding my previous comment that the 'other vehicle' to compare to is wide ranging between people, is it not rather obvious that the Martix is the closest sibling to Prius in the Toyota family ?

Choosing the Corolla cannot be justified logically, as the single vehicle non-hybrid Prius equivalent.

Thus the CR criticism.

 

Speaking for myself, I don't go to websites like GMInsider and post topics about how superior Toyota is and poor quality of GM cars. I came to Prius Chat to learn about my car, not justify it's purchase, or get into pissing matches about my car being better than yours.

You must live a sad life that you have to come here for your juvenile rantings. I think it's time to "Ignore" you because you really add nothing. In fact, I think you made someone like me, who was probably neutral to mildly anti-GM and made me completely anti-GM. Being the ignorant person that I am, I will just assume all GM dealers are like you...

 

its still rated by CR as the #1 green car choice

 

riusguy04, your comparison is atypical. I replaced a 25 mpg car with the Prius and I get 50mpg now. I drive about 18000 miles annually, I will save about $700 a year. I will keep this car at least 10 yrs, so I will make out OK.

CR makes mistakes when it starts trying to rate subjective issues like ergonomics. Now, if Nikon cameras were reportedly breaking at a rate of 1 out of 4 and all other companines were 1 out of 100, then the Nikon is a bad camera. It makes no difference if YOUR camera was one of the other 3 that were OK. That is where CR shines.

However, their limited number of testers cannot cover all the opinions of the great masses. I do think, overall, they try to be objective and are better at it than any other source out there

Disclosure- I subscribe to CR

 

I have just hit 40k still running great only had to replace the tires..

There is so much to learn of this neat car, I learn something new every day from the postings here and there..

(Wattsup) riusguy04, your comparison is atypical. I replaced a 25 mpg car with the Prius and I get 50mpg now. I drive about 18000 miles annually, I will save about $700 a year. I will keep this car at least 10 yrs, so I will make out OK.

Im the average joe that has come to appreciate the savings of being a hybrid owner and yes I to will make out ok too. I just wish toyota made a pick up truck in a hybrid

P.S. I also wear my thine blue line tag with pride on the front of my 04' .

 

I like to have a little control,

I know what my Car Payment is each month

I was going to buy a vehicle that cost more than a Prius, I didn't and kept the money.

I love this car more that my Dad's Cadillac CTS.

I know how much Gas I will use each month, and no matter what the price is, it won't be near as much as the rest of the car world.

When Gas hits 3.50 or higher this summer, you will once again see Hybrids in huge demand. The oil problem has NOT gone away my friends.

This is my transitional car, 5-7 years from now I hope I'm driving a fuel free car of some sorts, AND I'll pay what is needed if I want one.

So while some say overall it costs more for a hybrid, I say so what if you want the car. If you want a corvette, go buy one. Buying a true Hybrid is kinda like paying for "gas insurance", you will pay the least per month at the pump than anyone. B)