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advice on what to get standard prius or plug-in or accord hybrid

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by CSH, Mar 12, 2015.

  1. CSH

    CSH New Member

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    Hello everybody
    I am looking for some advice on a new car for my wife. She has a new job and her commute to and from work is about 75kms 1 way (approx 46miles one way).
    out of the 75kms about 65kms or 40 miles will be at speeds between 120kmph (75mph) to 140kmph (87mph)
    the rest of the 10kms or 6 miles will be stop and go city traffic.

    I want to buy a car that will be least cost to run.
    Also the temperatures from Dec to March around here is less than to 0C or 32F so hybrid efficiency is reduced.

    Given the weather and her driving pattern, my question is which car should we get
    1) Stick to the base prius the difference in the cost and the low range of the plugin will not result in savings over 10 years
    2) Get the plugin, i will see savings under these driving conditions. From what i could see the plugin also has navigation standard in Canada which i can live without.
    3) Get the accord hybrid, it is bigger, has more features and is more fuel efficient. Also the bigger engine will help at high speeds. 10 year Reliability of the accord is questionable.

    Accord hybrid plugin is not available in Canada. Before taxes and after all government rebates here is the price of these cars

    Prius: $26,305
    Prius Plugin: $30,405
    Accord Hybrid: $29,990
    Also given the driving conditions and speed how much economy should i realistically expect in summer and winter.
    OH now that i think about it, please throw in the volt in consideration.
    Your valuable insights will be really appreciated
     
    #1 CSH, Mar 12, 2015
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2015
  2. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Does she have a current car? Is it safe? What are its kms/litre? How long will it last at 30K kms per year? Does it have a set of tires appropriate for the winter climate? (You said cold but what about snow/ice?)

    Will your savings over 5 (or you choose a number) years in buying the new car outweigh the additional cost of having the new car? Will any new car be cheap to maintain and reliable at 300K kms? (Since you mentioned 10 year reliability.)

    Where I am going with this is the cheapest car to run is often the one you already have. (Insurance increase and depreciation increase and forgone investment gains on the money you have to spend to acquire the car often outweigh the savings in gas costs but repair costs do increase on the older vehicle).

    Will your situation change any time in the foreseeable future? Family change or work change? Financial change? (What is the risk of taking the cash to make the change now?)

    How important to you are the safety features available now, on upgrades and only available next year?

    Option 1. But wait till next year to be sure of the new job, and for the new Prius features.
     
    #2 mikefocke, Mar 12, 2015
  3. CSH

    CSH New Member

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    Thanks for your reply she drives a 2007 camry that leaks oil and is at 170000kms so 105k miles. I am thinking the pri will use less Gas and save us money
     
    #3 CSH, Mar 12, 2015
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'd vote for the base Prius, various reasons.
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Mar 12, 2015
    Jeff N likes this.
  5. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    If you wanna throw in Volt maybe give us after rebate cost.
    Might as well throw in Camry Hybrid if Accord is in there.
    And you know we are all waiting to hear soon what the next gen 2016 Prius will bring.

    Consumer Reports mag has Prius regular listed as one of the cheapest cars to own in the USA. I tend to say stick with that unless you particularly want the plug-in experience. As far as PiP, with a long drive like that, if plugging-in is not a special interest for you, you may find the slight smaller gas tank and lack of spare, as possible negatives. Sounds like the 2016 Prius may be very nice, expecting early 2016.

    Going for driver comfort, then we start getting into Accord, CAMRY and Volt.
     
    #5 wjtracy, Mar 12, 2015
  6. CSH

    CSH New Member

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    I think I can save about $180 per month in gas difference cost and the monthly payment will be around 550. So I agree it makes more sense to wait and see how the job goes before jumping. Maybe in 2017 get a 2018 pri or a tesla model 3 or gm bolt.
     
    #6 CSH, Mar 12, 2015
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Hmm, tough call.

    Note that at speeds over 130kph, the Prius' engine mapping changes from economy mode to "power" (i.e. it changes focus from sipping fuel to making sure you have enough power to pass at those speeds). Those in continental Europe or Australia can chime in on the fuel economy of the Prius at those speeds. I would go for a Prius Touring (rather than base) if only to get the quicker steering ratio (all other Prius with 15" wheels get a slower steering ratio) as well as wider P215/45R17 tires. It'll reduce fuel consumption but at least provide a bit more high speed stability with the wider tires. The Prius PHV is good for the last bit where she can start off in hybrid mode for the highway and then switch to EV Drive Mode for the 10km city portion. I don't have a good feel for the new Accord Hybrid since it's a new hybrid drivetrain (different from the previous Accord Hybrid which used the IMA setup) so there's not a lot of data. However, if she's used to the Camry, the Accord will be familiar because it's about the same size (the Prius, while also classified in the same category as the Camry and Accord, is narrower so it may feel smaller). It'll also be undoubtedly quieter on the highway than the Prius. I would definitely have her take both cars out on the highway to see how she feels about the road noise between the two vehicles.


    The Prius PHV comes with a few more features than the base Prius such as dual-stage heated front seats, auto-dimming mirror and that navigation system (which isn't that great. The 7" version is better imo) and it's $4,000 more. If she can charge at work, it could make up the difference (it'll take 3 hours to charge at home so you don't need to install a Level 2 charger. With a Volt, it's preferred to have a Level 2 charger). However, a regular Prius will be just as fine if you can live without those features above and save $4,000 up front and the "hassle" (not really but depends how you see it) of charging the car every day to maximise the savings.

    Mileage for a regular Prius? I would expect no better than 5.0L/100km if she drives at those speeds in the summer (it's 5.0L/100km at a constant 110km/h so assume the higher speed and worse mileage is also offset by the city driving and better mileage). In the winter, expect 6L/100km (if she doesn't use a block heater, turns up the heater in the car, drives at high speed in the winter).

    My mileage in my signature below at 4.9L/100km includes temps ranging from -40 to +35°C and mostly city driving. However, in the winter, I use the heated seats to keep warm and turn down the heater, I plug the engine block heater at work and I block the grille to keep the heat inside the engine bay. It runs on winter tires as well.
     
    #7 Tideland Prius, Mar 13, 2015
  8. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...wow I did not grasp the speed "limit" in Canada
     
    #8 wjtracy, Mar 13, 2015
  9. CSH

    CSH New Member

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    The speed limit is 100kmph on a 3 lane road but people will get mad if you even to 115-120 on the Centre lane. 130 is usual in the right lane. I know it's odd but that's how it is in our neck of the woods. (Empty highways with little population around)
     
    #9 CSH, Mar 13, 2015
  10. NoPistns

    NoPistns Junior Member

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    Here's my $.02. I'm making my assumptions from my catbird seat in Minnesota; your results may differ. 1. Consider whether or not the tax savings for having a plug in hybrid offset the cost between that and a comparably equipped "normal" Prius. In the US there is a $2500 Federal Tax credit plus some states offer their own tax credit. On this basis alone, (Standard Plug in vs. Prius four or five) the plug in makes more sense for a US buyer. 2. In the best of circumstances, the EV range is 11 miles, and you can be all EV up to 99 km/h. That's great if your commute is less than that, otherwise it may not be such a draw. In winter, that range will be less. 3. You lose luggage space (under floor) and the spare tire. You may not be able to bring the kitchen sink along on vacation, but, more importantly the lack of spare tire is a real concern if much of your driving is rural and remote,

    Bottom line: buy what you like and ignore all of us "experts". After all, an "expert" is somebody who is 100 miles from home and has a PowerPoint presentation.
     
    #10 NoPistns, Mar 13, 2015
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