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Prius prime or Model S

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by MagnusAG99, Jun 29, 2018.

  1. MagnusAG99

    MagnusAG99 Senior Member

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    Hey, my dad has been thinking about swapping out his 2013 Auris TS and his 82 Firebird for either a 2017 Prius Prime or a 2014 Model S 75D (2014 cause most bugs and faults have been sorted out, 75KW cause its in the middle of 60KW and 85KW, and D cause its dual motor, one for slow speeds at the front and one for the rear wheels at high speed) and im just wondering what u Prime owners think about the prime?

    Ive seen its a few people here that got both a Model S and a prime, what made u buy the prime? And how does it compare to the Model S?

    Only thing my dad dont like about the prime is the speed, it doesn't exactly react as his Firebird to say it with a huge understatement, with the tesla he gets both almost the speed of the Firebird but also the technology thats in new cars. He have owned his Firebird since 93 so he isnt afraid of driving a car thats about the same size as it either. So yea, we r`nt sure what to go for, we like the Prime`s design, and the fact that it comes with a lot of equipment as standard. But we also absolutely love the Model S, like... everything about it.

    Here a 2014 Model S and the 2017 Prime got around the same price tag (40 000USD). So yea... i really dont know, right now we have 3 toyota hybrids, my 2011 prius, my moms 2016 Auris TS and my dads 2013 Auris TS and we have been very happy with them. I know that Tesla comes with 8yr warranty on every major parts like the motors and battery. While the toyota`s have battery warranty for 10 yrs plus one more year is added for every time we take a service at toyota (even tho its really not needed cause the batteries r designed to last so long).

    Another pros with the Prime is that the toyota dealership is 20 seconds away from our house, while tesla dealership is 2 hours away, i know that Musk have tweeted recently that they will soon offer to pick up ur car at ur house to take it to the dealership for service, then drive it back). So yea, we just want some advice from both Model S owners and Prime owners so we can finally soon decide on which car we will go for. (only reason i didn't include the Model 3 in this list is because we don't know its price in our country yet)
     
  2. schja01

    schja01 One of very few in Chicagoland

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    I opted not to get a Tesla as I don't want to deal with range anxiety.
    As for speed, I believe you can only go as fast as the guy in front of you.
    The Prime (when I actually get it) will give me the advantages of a pure electric but still have the ICE as an Ace in the Hole.
    J
     
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  3. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    If the prices are the same, I’d get the Tesla in a heartbeat!
    With one caveat, you have charging available to you.
    Being in Norway, I know Tesla has superchargers all over the place. However, I can’t be positive that your dad has the chargers where he needs them.
     
  4. MagnusAG99

    MagnusAG99 Senior Member

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    We dont really have range anxiety here in Norway, its one tesla supercharger 12 km from where we live, and tons of normal EV chargers scattered around the city cause we have so many electric cars here. Tesla is dominating the electric car market, with the E-Golf at second place, then the Leaf. Plus norway isnt a big country, we dont have huge long roads like u got in america.

    We got a few chargers scattered around yea, telsa supercharging network is still not done here, we only have one telsa charger close to us. But its millions of normal EV chargers here, plus if we did get the tesla we would get a charger installed in our house. My dad dont drive that much, but when he does he want to be comfortable lol. The auris he got now is great, so i will take over his Auris so he can sell my car and his pontiac to get the tesla.
    I just feel like its so many more advantages with the tesla, they got great range, they get OTA updates when they find bugs, u can use the phone as the key, the 2014 models comes with AP 1.0. And stuff like that, i know that in USA u got "toyota entune" that can do this sort of stuff, but we dont have that here. Toyota have really cheaped out on the norwegian market when it comes to extra`s.
     
  5. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Norway has some phenomenal EV incentives. My wife is actually visiting there right now.
    She is amazed at how many EVs she has seen :)
    The Phone as key isn’t really in place for the Model S. You can use the app to lock or unlock the Model S. In the Model 3 it is a true phone as key setup. While that is coming to the Model S and X, I doubt it will be an OTA update.
     
  6. ClemsonSteve

    ClemsonSteve Active Member

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    I agree. For me, the range anxiety is a HUGE concern.....I love the Prime Advanced....

    No brainer then--Tesla it is!
     
    #6 ClemsonSteve, Jun 30, 2018
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 1, 2018
  7. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    It always comes down to requirements which are both personal and local. You and your Dad need to make a list of: mandatory and optional requirements. The mandatory are PASS/FAIL while the optional can be weighted.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  8. GregoryG

    GregoryG Junior Member

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    Prius is know for its reliability while Tesla doesn't have the same reputation. So, the Model S will likely be much more expensive in the long run.
     
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Isn't it cheaper to run/own a Tesla in Norway than a hybrid? (or does it just apply to new vehicles only?)
     
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  10. MagnusAG99

    MagnusAG99 Senior Member

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    Yea, its alot of EV`s here lol, to bad we got idiot politicians thats taking away the benefits of having an electric car soon... By 2020 there will be no more benefits. Im sure u know Norway is known as the "fee country"? We have fee`s for the fee`s for the fee`s... Then we have over 25% tax on everything (except electric cars tho)... then we have stupid emission laws, we arent a EU country but somehow we still follow all their laws...

    Yea, thats what we r leaning on lol, its also more practical than our Auris actually.

    Yea, thats what we r doing now, we r leaning on the tesla now, cause of the tech and practicality.

    yea, i know, my prius has gone 210 000 miles and my dads auris have gone 150 000 miles and no issues what so ever. Ive never heard of major things happening to Tesla`s tho? They come with a 8yr warranty for major parts, plus here in Norway we dont have 3 yr "factory warranty", we have 5yrs.

    It is, its cheaper cause it passes barriers for free, charging is free at some places, insurance cost goes down dramaticly, EL cost way less then fuel here, fuel is up to like 2 dollars per Liters now... which is INSANE, we r supposed to be this rich oil country but somehow we pay more than anyone else when it comes to fuel... But yea, electricity cost shouldnt go up from what it is now, cause atleast 45% of Norways electricity is pure waterpower. We also have free parking for electric vehicles at most places, the yearly road tax we have to pay isnt a 140 dollars on electric cars, but 45 dollars. Service on electric cars is also cheaper. Plus u dont have to pay to bring ur EV onto ferries while u have to on fuel cars. (the free charging will soon be gone tho, but if we get a tesla we dont have to worry about that, cause we wont buy one that doesnt have free supercharging, tesla will by 2020 have doubled the amount of superchargers and they will all by ran by pure solarpower. The ferry benefit and the barrier benefit will soon dissapear tho) Norway do got the best Electric car politics in the world, i just hope our politicians dont ruin it. Our politicians arent the smartest knives in the drawer...
     
  11. triggerhappy007

    triggerhappy007 Active Member

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  12. MagnusAG99

    MagnusAG99 Senior Member

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    Yea i have lol, he is like Norway`s go to person for questions about electric cars.
     
  13. PT Guy

    PT Guy Senior Member

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    Talk with a local Tesla owner about the availability of service. Here it's not good. My wife's cousin sold his Model S because it was too difficult to get service appointments. No one else here will work on them (the Porsche dealer wouldn't even take it in trade), and Tesla did not ramp up their service facilities as they ramped up sales. Things like brakes, window regulators---the ordinary stuff that needs work from time to time---were just too difficult to get repaired.
     
  14. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    The ordinary stuff can be fixed by anyone.
    I had suspension work done on our Roadster by the local mechanic. Wheel swaps at Tires Plus on our S.
    I do understand wanting a service center nearby for major issues. However the ordinary stuff can be done anywhere.
     
  15. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    At least where I live in central US, charging infrastructure isn't really there to support a short-range EV like a 75D Model S. A recent experience drove that home.

    I had a well-planned 18-day trip go haywire at the end due to a forest fire. We were planning to go from one destination to another. However, all the hotel rooms were taken by the fire fighters so we had to choose a different destination.

    Further, on the way to the new destination, we got stopped by a closed highway - closed due to the fire. It was open when we left and closed while we were on the way. Even when we were right there at the barricade, the website and Google both listed it as open.

    This resulted in having to backtrack and go another way. Between the drive to the barricade, the backtracking and the new, longer route, we "wasted" 150 miles of range (and 2.5 hours) before we even got started. No problem in the Prime with its 640 miles rated range and 2 minute refill time almost anywhere but had we been in an EV, we'd have been stranded somewhere we didn't want to be, probably hundreds of miles from where we wanted to be.

    In all, we went 648 miles between Supercharger stations on that leg of the trip.

    Until charging infrastructure improves dramatically or range of these cars doubles, I won't touch one for anything other than an in-city vehicle. And in-city only performance isn't enough for me to spend more than probably $10k on a car.
     
    #15 Lee Jay, Jul 1, 2018
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2018
  16. TinyTim

    TinyTim Active Member

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    Since the OP lives in Norway where they have no concept of money. I would say the Model S.
     
  17. MagnusAG99

    MagnusAG99 Senior Member

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    No concept of money? lol, its 2 times as expensive to live here then in USA, we have insanly high taxes for example, and our oil found is sadly getting misused by our dumb politicians. Believe me, we have a good concept of money, the problem is that the people do not got control over where the taxes and stuff end up.

    Ahh well... Norway isnt like that, we have so many charging stations and we have as of right now the best EV politics in the world. Plus Tesla is making loads of supercharging points all around Norway now, it just takes time to get them done. But yea, for charging we would just charge it at home, it takes my dad 2 months to use up the fuel in his Auris, so we wouldnt need to charge more then once a week for like 3 hours on a regular charger. I think the most we drive in one go is like 100km, nothing more than that. Plus yea, as i said, we have alot fo normal charging stations scattered around.

    From what ive seen here there isnt any problem when it comes to services, there is 3 Tesla`s in just my street and loads other where i live. So ill ask the neighbours where they take services and that, I think KIA and NISSAN helps Tesla with doing service on them here so we dont have to drive for 1 hour just to get to the dealership (even tho that wouldnt really be a problem either if we had to), the easy things such as brakes isnt any problem, i know stuff about cars since i went one year on the "car mechanic path", but i switched from that path over to industrial design on college. Plus my dad is a mechanic beside being a captain in the norwegian Air force and have worked as a mechanic on cars since 2007. So yea, ordernary stuff wont be an issue.
     
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  18. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Wow...my trip was almost 5,000km. Four days later I went on another one that was 2,000km.
     
  19. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    Sounds like you are answering your own question. In the U.S. there are large distances between cities, with plenty of gas stations but relatively few charging stations. That is slowly changing, but in the meantime a plug-in hybrid for many people is the most practical plug-in vehicle. But for you it sounds like there is no reason to lug a gasoline engine around since you will probably never need it.
     
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  20. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    If he drives less than 100km, a Leaf would do the job, easily, and at a lot lower cost.