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is a prius worth it?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by djphill, Aug 18, 2008.

  1. ny biker

    ny biker Member

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    That is absolutely not what you said in your original post.
     
  2. djphill

    djphill Master of The World

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    My main hope in getting the prius was to reduce emissions/pollution. And when I say equal out i mean compared to buying a car that uses less energy to create but gets less mpg. my main concern is the prius still the most environmentally friendly car i could buy even though i wont drive a jillion miles on it.
     
  3. Celtic Blue

    Celtic Blue New Member

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    I sometimes make the mistake of assuming someone can follow the reasoning without resorting to a crayola and Big Chief pad...
     
  4. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Jeez, people, switch to decaf, or Quaaludes :_>
     
  5. Danny Hamilton

    Danny Hamilton Active Member

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    It won't take a jillion miles. I doubt it will even require 100,000. Even so, I assume that when your family is done with the vehicle, someone else will drive it? Or are you planning on not maintaining it and just tossing it in a junkyard?

    Assuming that you will sell the vehicle and someone else will drive it, you would do the same with a less fuel efficient vehicle? If so, then even when you are done with the vehicle it will continue to produce less pollution than some other vehicle you might have been done with. Assuming that the vehicle is reasonably well taken care of, it is likely to exceeed 100,000 miles in it's lifetime. So go ahead and buy it, and feel good about it.
     
  6. MagneticGrayIndy

    MagneticGrayIndy 06Prius;94M Miata;65Rambler770

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    If you really want to be sure you're being environmentally friendly, buy a used car with a bad engine and have someone convert it to total electric.

    Otherwise, the Prius is currently the best you can do with a "normal" car. The shear number of times you are in your Prius with the gas engine NOT running is priceless...
     
  7. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Exactly. This sums it up. The break even point for CO2 is about 12,500 miles (2.5 oil changes).

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Dave_PH

    Dave_PH New Member

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    Quaaludes, theres a blast from the past.
     
  9. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    is the prius worth it as a pure electric car? NO

    actual proof
    =========
    various estimates are based on the actual cost per gallon at the time of purchase

    the following amounts DO NOT include the $1,400 i got from the IRS for buying it

    stats as of 07/28/2008
    miles driven = 34,946
    cost @ 25 mpg (estimated to date) = 4673.92
    cost @ 18 mpg (based on a suv/ estimated to date) = 6,487.80
    actual cost of gasoline = 2739.94

    actual money saved (drumroll) 1,933.98 compared to the 25 mpg i was getting
     
  10. Dave_PH

    Dave_PH New Member

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    How long did it take to drive 35,000 mile. That's over 2 1/2 years for most people. 24 mpg and $75 a month is a more realistic comparison to a car rather than an 18 mpg Hummer. $75 a month is about what the Prius was saving me.
     
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    My question is, can they give solid proof that Toyota uses more energy to build a Prius. Quoting that "Hummer is more environmentally friendly than the Prius" article doesn't work since that article itself is based on rumours and "supposéd" facts that the author just decided to conjure up.

    If you want, go grab a smart LOL. Same driving height as a RAV4. It's nearly 95% recyclable and even some of the parts made for the smart is recycled material. The plant's electricity is from a renewable source and everything in the plant is recycled and reused.

    But then again, most of that can be applied to Toyota's plant here in Cambridge, ON where it assembles the Corolla, Matrix and RX.


    If you want to satisfy your guilt, why not buy a used Prius then? Say a 2006 that still has the basic warranty?
     
  12. Dave_PH

    Dave_PH New Member

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    I think the "Hummer more emvironmentall sound than a Prius" schtik was from Rush Limbaugh....nuff said. Maybe not, the inclusion of photos of the mines from the 80s should cover it's credability.

    But for assuaging guit nothing beats a bamboo bicycyle.
     
  13. Dave_PH

    Dave_PH New Member

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    What's important to you?

    You can get a Nissan Altima Sport for $20,000 and do better than 24 miles per gallon. Much better performance and a more comfortable interior than the Prius. However, it's a bigger threat to the Tasmanian Fuit bat.

    Edmunds

    Powertrains and Performance
    The four-cylinder engine provides enough giddy-up for most buyers ¯ zero to 60 mph is achieved in the mid-7-second range. In our tests, a 3.5 SE sedan with the CVT ran to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds, while a six-speed manual coupe we tested did it in 6.2 secondsFuel economy is impressive considering the car's power; four-cylinder/CVT sedans have a 23 mpg city/31 mpg highway rating
     
  14. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    1 year, 5 months, 25 days
     
  15. djphill

    djphill Master of The World

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    well i was planning on selling the prius to another driver when my family is done with if, so if somebody will actually take it that would be great. Also i'm not going to buy a new car, because i'm a 16 year old boy that lives in LA. What more do you expect. So i'm pretty convinced that I made the right choice and that i'm actually helping out.
     
  16. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    You are going to be the coolest kid in High School.

    Have you seen what you can DO with a Prius?

    Seriously, kudos to you!
     
  17. jps000

    jps000 No Exit

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    No, a Prius is not worth it. Don't bother. You will regret it. It's a big mistake.
     
  18. Genoz World

    Genoz World ZEN-style living

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    jps000 - why do you feel that way? if you do have an 08 #2, i'm sure there will be a LINE of people ready willing and able to take your "problem" off your hand.
     
  19. Dave_PH

    Dave_PH New Member

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    Economically rational choice for you then. For me at just under 14,000 miles a year, not so much.
     
  20. clayton4115

    clayton4115 Junior Member

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    the best thing you can do for the environment is DO NOT drive at all! any car whether it is a prius or a VW Diesel! everytime you start a car you are using fossil fuels, and spewing toxins into the atmosphere.