Prius Vs. Any other Car?

Question

Alright so I want a prius, It's energy efficient and good for the enviorment. But I was thinking is there any other car for a "tree hugging" teenager out there? (Yeah I'm talking brand new)

I live in the U.S. of A by the way. (hey that rhymed)

Answer 1

In the long run the Prius is actually more expensive and not that good for the environment. It requires more energy and resources to make the car then a normal combustion only powered car which gets 12mpg less.
The Prius actually does get worse mileage on the highweay compare to it's competition because of the extra weight of the battery and increased strain on the engine, but the difference is negated by the incredible advantage it gets in city/town driving.
But by buying the car you are sending the message to manufacturers that hybrid technology is in demand, and financing them so that future hybrids will be far more effiecient, both to make and operate.
My grandmother has a Prius and they are nice vehicles.
Look into the VW Golf, VW Beetle TDI, Kia Rio 5, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, and Chevy Aveo.
Also the Scions, Mini Cooper, and Mazda 3 series for slightly more performance/price. Really a motorcycle or moped is the most enviromnetally conscious transportation, save public and human powered vehicles.

As for citizen, "CO2 by humans is not responsible for global warming, it is the sun?" that's REALLY distorting the facts.
Yeah so CO2 does not actually heat the earth, but it traps the heat that the earth recieves from the sun. That's like saying "I'm innocent, I didn't kill him, the gun did."

Answer 2

Prius is actually more of an icon for many people on both sides of the fence. Thus it is very difficult to get an answer to your question here that is not loaded with people's agendas, political views and personal preferences. I guess, you can consider my answer biased, too because I own a Prius.

I am not sure if Prius would be best car for a teenager financially because the base model starts at $21,700 . Mind you the base model is an absolutely adequate car that even comes complete with an in-dash MP3 player. Also, the trade-in value of Priuses is rather higher than a regular car so this may also be considered financially.

As far as "the least environmental footprint" is concerned, Honda used to manufacture Insight that got even better mileage but was discontinued last year. It was a two seater, too, not a fully functional car like Prius. Pretty much any other car on the road gets less mileage, including competing hybrids, so you might be "stuck" with Prius.

Also, don't pay too much attention to naysayers proclaiming that you should drive a motorcycle if you are concerned about environment. It is neither safe (in winter at the very least) nor always practical. You can drive a car and still minimize your impact on the nature. Just get the smallest car that still fits your lifestyle and driving needs. In my case (100+ miles commute) Prius made most sense due to its small size, great mileage and cargo volume. In your case it may be another small car. Just don't buy a car that is capable of hauling a file cabinet every day because chances are you are never going to need that much of a car and if you do, rental places are all over the US.
Good luck with your purchase!

Answer 3

There are a lot of cars that get well into the 30mpg range, and a few even get up to 40. But last i checked the prius runs in the 50's and 60's. Plus they are a really nice car, all the features you'd ever want, and incredibly high tech. If you're a true tree hugger, i say Prius all the way!!

(It should be mentioned that if you plan on owning this car for the next decade, you may want to shop around. The Nickel Hydride batteries in these babies will cost you an arm and a leg if you have it long enough that they need replacing. Resale value may suffer at some point as well.)

Peugeot and Citroen are no longer sold in america. They don't do you much good (assuming you are in america)

Answer 4

VW's dropped their TDI series, which would have been a good alternative - and you can run those on biodiesel. But if you're not willing to get a slightly used one, take a look at the new batch of small cars: the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo, or Toyota Yarris. They all get close to the mileage of a hybrid for a lot less money and with a lot fewer batteries.

Or do what I do and ride something with two wheels to work when the weather allows. My Suzuki sportbike gets 60 miles to the gallon, and some of the smaller bikes and scooters get even more.

Answer 5

Prius is not as energy efficient as the advertisements suggest; on the open road, the petrol motor is used, because the electric one will quickly lose its charge.

The most fuel efficienct cars are the Toyota Aygo/Citroen C1/Peugeot 106 diesel. Average MPG is 68.9.

By the way, CO2 produced by humans is not responsible for climate change, despite the media hysteria and political misinformation. The sun is.

Answer 6

A real tree hugger wouldn't support the production of toxic chemicals used in a Hybrid's batteries.