Trying to make a logical argument with non believers - Frustrating at times

mmmmodem, didn't your post stipulate that the cars cost the same to purchase ?

 

Replying on 4 different fronts, my mistake. I stand corrected.

 

Doesn't matter. Who cares who owns the car, the important thing is how long it lasts over its entire life. some people have a greater tolerance for looking after old cars, some like the feeling of driving it off the lot brand new, and watching 10% of its worth remain back there. But the total worth of the car doesn't change when it changes hands.

 

OK, this is now officially one of my favorite posts of all time!!
Keep it going!... lot's of repetitive and anecdotal info still left to argue over out there.
... getting my pop corn

 

Google is your friend ...
Transmission problems in Hondas

I would not over read, since this is a consumer biased website. A bit more googling suggests that repair/replacement runs from about $2500-$3500. I also tend to remind people that conventional car's tranny repairs should be considered in trying to compare Prius major repairs, but this is really a dis-service to the Prius because it's traction battery repair frequency is quite a bit lower than the tranny repair frequency of a Civic.

 

I really don't understand what all of the arguments are about.
We live in a nation where you can spend $13,700 and get a 35mpg Versa...or you can spend $50,000 and get a 14-mpg 6.2 liter Camaro. The Prius G3 is somewhere in between in price, and as far as TCO is concerned????
You can bend numbers hard enough to justify driving just about anything.
I've got 42,000 miles in type (2010 G3) buuuuuut!!!! It's not my car. It's a company car.
That means that I don't have 25 thousand reasons to overlook the things that Priuses aren't so good at doing.

If you want to argue?
Fine.
Prius drivers seem to be especially good at that!
I've seen posts stating emphatically that there "Is no hybrid premium...that's just FUD from the deniers..." and I've seen other posts screaming that there should be tax breaks for hybrid owners because they have more skin in the game since their cars are more expensive out of the gate.

I have a love/hate relationship with my 2010 G3. It's a great car, and if you keep one long enough there will be a point where it's a very cheap car to operate. It's certainly not the most entertaining car to drive, but it's not a chore to drive one either. I've probably accounted for 2-3 people seriously considering buying a Prius. Usually it's a by-product of all of those 35-dollar, 500 mile fill-ups. There have been dozens of times where I've let people sit in the car, pop the hood, and I've answered 10,000 questions about it in my trips and travels.
Is it the best car in America?
Hell no.
No car is.
Most most efficient?
er......Nope!
Most fun to drive?????
Not even close!!

Me?
I'm not trying to convert anyone. I don't have to.
Gas prices will probably do that for me...and I'm not a control freak.

You wanna drive a Camaro???
Knock yourself out!!!
At least here in America cars are required to meet air pollution standards, and the government is going to knock you on the head for a gas guzzler tax if you get a car that's too much fun to drive.

I fix phones for a living. I'll leave the preaching to the folks behind the pulpit.

 

This table from ConsumerReports shows the average repair rates for all models tested, by problem area. It lets us estimate the repair frequency by problem for any model where the grade is less than excellent because the range of 'how much better' is defined.

Unclear to me though, is whether the rates are only for the year surveyed, or are cumulative repair histories. If my question is unclear, perhaps this may help clarify:
If the repair rate for major transmission for 2006 is 2%, does that mean that 2% of surveyed cars that are 2006 model year have had the problem ever, or does it mean that during 2006 2% of cars had that problem ?

I'm inclined to think that only the last 12 months are covered. After all, only owners who have had the car since new really know the life history. And I think more compelling, rates that do not change from year to year would imply no additional repairs if the rate was cumulative. I'd say the chance of that is zilch I've sent this question to CR.



Bottom line: Through 10 years the Civic is likely seeing 5-10% major transmission repairs. Traction battery replacement though the first 10 years of Prius life might be as much as 2%. MAYBE

 

This is my second favorite after the Tesla vs, NYT thread. I did a much better job arguing my point in that thread. I did a terrible job here. I even went on Edmunds for True Cost to Own. Despite costing thousands more, the Prius Two costs about $1000 less than a Civic LX to own over 5 years. I was quite surprised. Ack, I just argued against myself... oh well.

 

The whole point of arguing is to cause someone who is thinking something wrong to think something right. Having it be you instead of the other guy is actually a better result (from your selfish perspective). The disappointment you feel is just to make sure you don't cheat and lose on purpose (which would defeat the whole point)