What is your actual gas mileage, winter and around town? What maintenance have you had to have done on your vehicle? I have been told that the mileage figures are not real, that Toyota faked them. Do you know how to calculate your gas mileage Miles driven divided by gallons purchased, each full fill up after a full fill up? I find many people do not know how to do this! miles/gallon. I am considering buying a Prius, that is why I am writing this question. I want to figure out how many miles I need to drive to pay for the car instead of the gas I would use in my present vehicle?
2007-12-30 03:01:32 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Toyota
The Toyota Prius is overrated. I would rather have a VW Jetta with the TDI. You can get 55 mpg on the freeway. Plus the car is bigger.
2007-12-31 08:43:48 · answer #1 · answered by Sonic 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Modifying a Prius to become a plug-in hybrid is a risky proposition. It voids your warranty, and the batteries are not designed to operate well in that function. The reason Prius batteries will last the lifetime of the car is because the computer system keeps them always 40-80% charged. If you modify it to become a plug-in hybrid, the batteries will be discharged to a greater degree, which will decrease their lifespan. Since they're no longer under warranty after you modify the car, if the batteries die, you're out of luck.
If you want a plug-in hybrid, wait for the Chevy Volt in 2010, or a plug-in Prius from Toyota soon thereafter. If you live in California, you can get one from this company called Aptera in about a year.
http://www.aptera.com/
My actual mileage in the summer is 50 mpg, in the winter it's more like 45 mpg. Around town and on the freeway is about the same, probably because I keep the speed to 65-70 mph on the freeway. I actually get about 52 mpg highway.
I've gone about 12,000 miles in my Prius, and the only maintenance has been 2 oil changes.
Toyota did not and cannot fake the mileage figures. They are calculated by the EPA. Like all EPA mileage estimates prior to 2008, the Prius estimates were too high because the EPA was testing cars in unrealistic conditions. They have revised their testing system for 2008, and now all mileage estimates are far more accurate.
When considering if the Prius is an economically smart choice, also consider that it has lower maintenance than a non-hybrid, has a higher resale value, and I believe it even has lower insurance costs. Also remember that it's a mid-sized car, so it's not fair to compare it to a smaller car like the Yaris.
Generally the Prius will pay for itself over about 5 years as compared to a similar non-hybrid.
2008-01-02 04:53:19 · answer #2 · answered by Dana1981 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
After much research my wife and I decided to buy a 2008 Prius. So far we really like it. It gets the best gas millage around town which is 90% of our driving. We just got back from a 1200 mile road trip and averaged 45 miles per gallon. In town we have gotten about 50 miles per gallon most of the time. The mileage has dropped about 3 - 4 MPG since it has gotten colder, but from what I have read that is expected.
The gas gage shows a nearly empty tank but will only take 7 or 8 gallons when we fill it up. The tank is 12 gallons. We get about 350 - 400 miles with 7 - 8 gallons of gas so what the car says we are getting mileage wise is pretty accurate.
Don't be fooled into thinking the Prius is more economical than say a corolla or other similar car. The extra price for the car will take more than 10 years to make up in gas savings. However, not every decision in life is a financial one. The super low emissions are important to me as is the statement the car makes. It is also the highest tech car I have ever driven. Lots of cool gadgets.
It is no sports car, but we had no problem passing people on two lane highways when necessary. It has more pep than the Nissan Altima we traded in for it. We traveled 1200 miles with a family of 4 and did OK. We could have taken our mini van, but at 1/3rd the gas mileage we figured we could make it work and we did.
I have faith that Toyota knows what they are doing regarding the toxicity of the batteries. The batteries are warrantied for 8 years (100,000 miles) so they should last the life of the car. Prius taxis in Canada have gone 200,000 miles without a problem. If, far in the future you need to get the battery replaced it is only $3000. According to Toyota no Prius has yet needed a battery replacement execpt those in accidents where the battery is damaged.
If you live in a cold climate with lots of snow it may not be the best choice for you. It runs more efficient when it is hot (I live in Phoenix) and the traction control is a bit too aggressive making driving up slippery slopes a bit problematic.
All in all it is a great car. I'd highly recommend it. Just be realistic about what you are getting and what it will do for you. If you are doing mostly city driving and you live in a warm climate then the Prius is the most economical car out there.
There is a lot of mis-information out on the Web regarding hybrid cars. Check out the facts. They are the wave of the future. In 2020 all Toyota cars sold will be hybrid. If only Detroit would see the writing on the wall...
2007-12-30 07:12:17 · answer #3 · answered by taotemu 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Hi, we have a 2007 Prius. We purchased it from a local dealership. They had it for 90 days and was a loner or rental so we purchased it as a "used car". You might check into this. We still had the Toyota warranty but for $600 we purchased a "bumper to bumper". How can you go wrong with that?????
As of now we have not had any problems. Our actual gas mileage runs about 50 mpg. We live in the Ozarks in Missouri and drive about 20 miles to work, open road, lots of hills for at least 22 of those. The rest are in town, bumper to bumper traffic or a lot of stop lites. Seems like I hit every one of them.
While not the most comfy car.....when I whiz by the gas stations as the Caddies, Lexus and the big SUV's are putting $$$ in their gas tank, it more than makes it up for me. It's like a trip to the mall!
I love the backup camera, the hatchback (3 women and all their luggage drove to Galveston from KC, we had plenty of room), it's get up and go when I want to pass. I don't baby it, I drive it.
And, yes, I do know how to figure my gas mileage. We also ask the dealership for oil changes for life (as long as we own the Prius) and he threw that in.....$$$. I will more than likely buy another....it just makes sense to me, it has more than paid for itself.
2007-12-30 15:26:46 · answer #4 · answered by Hannahbelle 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
DANGER 255 VOLTS mean anything to you? While great around town because the Internal combustion engine shuts off. But turn on the heater or A/C or drive on the highway the fuel economy becones that of a Corolla with heavy batterys to lug around. Low rolling resistance tires do not carve up the turns so it is not a sports car. Small inside take four co workers for a ride and try to accelerate onto the Highway...
Unsafe modification of the car will void the warranty and may elecrtify the car and kill people! I have seen additional batterys and plug in recharging, they did not look as good as the car stock wiring system. Did you realise those toxic batterys wear out? At over $5,000 what then?
2007-12-30 03:15:59 · answer #5 · answered by John Paul 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋