Toyota Hybrids...pros & cons?

Question

I've heard something about a cell...(in the battery?)
And how are they in the winter (snow&ice)
Thank you!

Answer 1

The batteries are no concern at all. They're under warranty for 8-10 years, are designed to last the lifetime of the car, Priuses used as taxis have over 200,000 on the original batteries, and once they finally do die, the batteries are fully recyclable.

http://www.toyota.com/about/environment/technology/2004/hybrid.html

In the snow and ice they perform the same as any other car. They will get lower mileage than normal because to run the heater you need the internal combution engine running, which decreases the Prius' mileage. Any car will get lower mileage in the cold though, so that's not really a con.

Hybrids do have a higher initial cost, but you'll make up for it in gas and other savings within about 5 years.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/08/22/bc.autos.hybrids.reut/index.html

The only negative with Toyota hybrids is that they've sold so many that they no longer apply for the federal tax credit. You can still get a few thousand dollar tax credit when you buy a new hybrid from another company, but Toyota's credit has been phased out.

That just tells you that it's a really popular and good car though.

Answer 2

I have a Prius. It's a great car. Check what tires are on it though. When I bought mine it came with tires that aren't made for heavy snow. We don't get much snow here, so I don't have a problem with them. If you get a bit of snow where you live, invest in a set of snow tires. They should last a long time if you only use them in the winter.

Batteries are made up of cells. When a cell goes bad it needs to be replaced. In a prius only that cell has to be replaced, in others you might have to replace the whole battery. This is moot though seeing as the battery is warrentied for 10 years.

Also some people will tell you that you will need to have the car dealer serviced so they can check the cells. This is wrong. Toyota hybrids monitor the cells with the car's hybrid computer. There is no need to take the car to the dealer for any regular maintenance.

Answer 3

You don't have to worry about the traction battery...they're designed to last the life of the car.

In snow and ice, expect a Prius and Camry Hybrid to do about as well as any other front-wheel-drive car. The early Prius hatchbacks ('04) had really sensitive traction control that could get in the way, but it's been programmed to work better in the new ones.

A Highlander Hybrid should do very nicely in the snow with the all-wheel-drive.

Answer 4

The only negative I'm aware of is the cost. The current generation hybrids will work equally as well as their non-hybrid versions. The batteries are warrentied for up to 10 years, so even if it goes bad, it will be free to replace. Of course the pros are gas savings. But most hybrids actually offer more performance (faster acceleration) than their non-hybrid siblings. Good luck.