Buy a Prius?

Maintenance/Repairs
61

I agree…but it’s difficult to control things in other countries…What OUR OWN companies here in the US are doing is moving many manufacturing facilities that don’t meet EPA to other countries. GM, Ford and Chryco all moved smelting plants to Mexico where the EPA has no control and Mexico has no pollition laws.

62

Ok with me…I apologize too. I don’t mind a good debate…I don’t mind being wrong…It’s happened before and will again. I still enjoy the debate…and hope you continue debating. If we keep the the debate everything else will be fine.

63

You can see my 2007 Prius (and recent mileage) on my shared pictures website at Google. 49.7 mpg on a recent trip.
http://picasaweb.google.com/gmeyernexus6/NEWPRIUS?authkey=GSh_WaVeRy4

I have 20,000 miles since late July '07. (I drive a lot for my job.) Zero problems, zero issues even in snow country. Don’t wait.

64

If anybody still cares or is reading:

  1. An “average driver” in the Prius will get mileage in the low 40 mpg. With a little effort, very little that can be boosted close to 50 mpg.

  2. The car has been around for more than a decade, first in Japan, and later in the US, with improvements along the way.

  3. Toyota guarantees the Hybrid system in total, including the "battery for 8 years.

  4. The car requires next to “no” maintenance, compared to standard gas cars, a big savings.

  5. Reliability has been excellent.

OTOH, if you true thing is saving $$$, a used econobox would be a better “buy.”

65

That was close, you only missed one “e” …

I get better than the published numbers. I have done better than the published numbers on every car (except a 1965 Sunbeam Imp, I never saw any published numbers for it) that I have had included 1970 Bug, a Rabbit diesel, Mazda RX7, Miata and 626. My 2002 VW NB gets low to mid 50 (US gallons diesel) in the city and upper 50’-low 60’s on the road.

The car is only part of the story, driving is a very big part. All my cars have been manual transmission and I have had most between 100,000 miles to 180,000 miles and I bought all but the RX7 new (Sunbeam was a demo).

66

I don’t know any other car (purchased new) with a lower total ownership cost (TOC). The diesels are similar (similarly slow depreciation), but their pollutant output is higher.

You can buy a used car and achieve a lower TOC, but sometimes one gets unlucky and faces unusual repair bills going that way. Same point as above concerning pollutants.

But people have many opinions on these issues, and Car Talk is a fine place to read all those.

DAS

67

Their pollutant output isn’t higher, just different. I’m just wondering if they’ll ever produce a diesel hybrid. Electric mode for city driving(35mph or slower) and diesel for highway driving(55mph+)