• Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.

What do you guys think of the Toyota Prius?

Joined
10 August 2003
Messages
588
Location
Bellevue WA
I'm considering to pick one up as daily driver, I currently have a 93 civic si that's suppost to be my daily driver, but most of the time I end up driving the NSX (I wonder why? :tongue: )
Was thinking about to turn the civic into a weekend track car, but i don't think I'm ready to spend 10k on a civic yet.
 
I hear there's a waiting list which is a big "duhhh" with gas prices the way they are. :eek:

As far as hybrids go, I prefer the Honda Insight myself, but I know lots of people just despise the looks. I think it has character. :wink: although I think Honda has stopped production and is now concentrating on the hybrid Civic and Accord line.
 
drove one briefly,
big, slow & dopey. numb steering, brakes & throttle.
when you put it in reverse, it beeps loudly. only INSIDE the car. not sure what that's about.

if you have trouble finding reasons to drive your civic si, it may be even harder to get excited about driving the Prius once the novelty wears off.
 
We don't need no stinking Prius!!!!! :biggrin:

The twin sisters.

sisters.jpg
 
I personally prefer the Hybrid Civic over the Prius. I'd rather drive a hybrid that looks like a normal car. Just because it's a hybrid vehicle doesn't mean it needs to look so different.
FYI, I read recently about the changing market on for the Prius. Because of gas prices and the fact that there is still a waiting list for the Prius, people are buying 1 and 2 year old Prius cars for more than new ones cost!
 
White92 said:
I personally prefer the Hybrid Civic over the Prius. I'd rather drive a hybrid that looks like a normal car. Just because it's a hybrid vehicle doesn't mean it needs to look so different.
FYI, I read recently about the changing market on for the Prius. Because of gas prices and the fact that there is still a waiting list for the Prius, people are buying 1 and 2 year old Prius cars for more than new ones cost!

I agree with you, but I thought the whole point of the Prius design was so that the driver can make the statement "look at me I care about the enviorment."
And yes it is true because of the waiting list prius owners are selling their old cars above msrp. Heck there was actually an idiot in NY who wanted to sell his prius for $10k above msrp.
 
I don't get it.

Gas would have to be a LOT more expensive before this car makes economic sense.

I remember when the various Hollywood celebs drove to the Oscars in a number of them to make a statement. :rolleyes:

Perhaps a larger hybrid vehicle (such as a SUV) would see more of a percentage increase in economy and make more sense.

I actually like the profile of the car. It looks kind of neat, except for the tiny wheels and tires.

I also wonder about long term maintenance and expense.

My advice?

If you like it, buy it. But I wouldn't plan keeping it for a long term vehicle and I'd certainly wouldn't buy one expecting to save a ton of money. You can always buy a less expensive car and invest the difference. Or donate it to Greenpeace.

-J
 
Inexcess said:
We don't need no stinking Prius!!!!! :biggrin:

Inexcess, love your choice in vehicles... Best of both worlds!

On these hybrid cars....
I was going to say the Toyota Puss car as I don't really like it but it is a car you can pick up chicks in! But hey so is the Honda. It's just that more girls know about the Prius because so many movie stars have them now.

So, as an owner of a Hybrid car you are (or seen to be :wink: ) more caring, sensitive, stable and more likely to be the best proposition for a long term relationship. These cars are not cheap either and the girls know that if you have a ton of cash to waste on an environmentally friendly car.... Mate you are in with just about any single or soon-to-be-available girl!

I would recommend that any single guy get one of these hybrid cars for the daily run-about... And to park outside the nightclub.. :wink:
 
Take the Accord V6 Hybrid rated at 29 city/37 hwy. It costs $3K more than a standard V6 Accord that gets 21 city/30 hwy. At current gas prices, you'd have to drive around 250K miles just to recoup the additional cost spent to buy one. From an economic standpoint, I don't think it's worth it.

On the other hand, there are those that think of the environment and don't care how much more a hybrid may cost. Can't argue with that either.
 
Vytas said:
At current gas prices, you'd have to drive around 250K miles just to recoup the additional cost spent to buy one. From an economic standpoint, I don't think it's worth it.

Just to note that at least where I hail from, I paid no sales tax on the Insight ($1000) and I got a $2000 tax credit from the Feds that help offset the extra cost.

However I bought it for the fact that it represents some sort of change in the industry. I'm still amazed at all the technology in the Insight and after 50k miles I've not had a single problem with the car. Unbelievable Honda engineering and manufacturing. Of course it's made on the same assembly line as the NSX so you would expect perfection. I was rear-ended in the car that resulted in a sandwich (car that hit me had air-bags deployed). It showed no damage other than for the bumper components. The aluminum frame like the NSX is very strong.

The Insight is probably one of the most enjoyable vehicles I've ever owned.
 
AU_NSX said:
I was going to say the Toyota Puss car as I don't really like it but it is a car you can pick up chicks in!

I would recommend that any single guy get one of these hybrid cars for the daily run-about... And to park outside the nightclub.. :wink:


<B>AU_NSX</B>, your advice is always so practical and demonstrates a wealth of experience. :D You da man. :D
 
The Hybrid Accord is $3k more than the regulare Accord EX V6, but you also get a $2k tax credit, so technically it's only $1k more. I've always wondered about the long term too. I started a thread about a year ago on this topic. The battery packs are supposed to last 10 years or so, but what do you do with the car then? Are new packs going to cost more than the 10 year old car is worth? What do you do with the old packs? Are we going to fill up land fills with used hybrid battery packs now? Not very friendly to the environment if you ask me. I think we are just starting to scratch the surface on hybrid vehicles. But let's look at long term too.
 
I wish Honda came out with a 4cylinder Accord Hybrid. Get 200 HP, 40+ MPG and less $$.
 
I agree. I've always wondered why they didn't make the 4 cylinder/hybrid first. To me, that makes more sense. I would probably consider buying one of those if they made it. Maybe next model year change?
 
White92 said:
I agree. I've always wondered why they didn't make the 4 cylinder/hybrid first. To me, that makes more sense. I would probably consider buying one of those if they made it. Maybe next model year change?

The way the Accord V6 Hybrid gets its higher fuel economy is by using VCM, Variable Cylinder Management, which allows the engine to run on three cylinders when six aren't necessary. If VCM were used on a 4-cylinder, I'm not sure how smoothly the engine may or could run on two cylinders and keep the Accord at speed. That may have been part of the reason Honda intoduced the hybrid with the V6 first.

As of now, I haven't heard of anything from Honda about an Accord 4-cylinder hybrid. Even with me working in Honda sales, they're tight liped about everything.
 
Either way, I'd still like to see a 4 cylinder hybrid Accord. They could delete the VCM function. I don't think VCM would even work on a 4 cylinder. Make it similar to the Civic hybrid.
 
I bought a 2005 Prius, loaded with all the goodies, for my daily driver. I love it for exactly what I bought it for. It is comfortable, quiet, 50 MPG regularly, blue tooth enabled with navigation. Paid MSRP, got it in 3 weeks, terrific car for a commuter.
 
The seats felt like I was sitting on a brick in the Prius I looked at. I stopped at that point. I would not care if I got 1000 miles per gallon if I were uncomfortable.
 
I would take the prius over the insight anyday...

just because prius has more seats, bigger trunk, more useful, etc...
 
The only reason I'm looking at Prius is because it's a hatchback, it has much more usable space than the sedan based civic or accord. Personally I haven't sat in a Prius yet, so I guess I will try to find one and test drive.
 
question to Insight owners...

I've been looking to pick up maybe a higher mileage one, how fun are they to drive, I realize they're not built for speed but reliability, but they're very light, and was wondering how'd they compare to even a stock civic or something...manual of course.

any input appreciated!
 
Cost savings may not offset higher price for hybrids
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — Gas-electric hybrid vehicles are better for the planet than the pocketbook, a new study finds.
The hybrid Accord is one of the most popular gas-electric vehicles.

The premium automakers charge for the advanced technology isn't completely offset by gas savings and federal tax credits over the five years that owners typically keep all vehicles, the analysis by Edmunds.com for USA TODAY says.

The study, the latest on break-even points of hybrid cars, shows that in most cases, an owner would have to drive a hybrid tens of thousands of extra miles a year or gasoline would have to hit stratospheric levels to reach a break-even point with a comparable gas-powered model.

The only car in the comparison that roughly equates in costs over five years is the hybrid Toyota Prius, vs. the conventional Camry. The owner would need to drive just 15,000 miles a year or gas would need to be $2.28 a gallon, the peg Edmunds.com is using for the first year in the study. But Camry is bigger.

When compared with the smaller, gas-thrifty conventional Corolla, the Prius wouldn't equal the five-year costs unless it were driven 66,500 miles a year or gas reached $10.10 a gallon.

The study shows, "If people go in with the idea they are saving money, they are mistaken," says Jesse Toprak, pricing director for Edmunds.com, an auto research site.

Edmunds.com compared costs of ownership, including purchase price, taxes, financing, insurance and maintenance over five years. Depreciation costs are excluded because it's hard to predict resale values of the new hybrids. The study also assumes two-thirds highway and one-third city driving.

While gas is figured at $2.28 the first year, which is what Edmunds.com says it found was the average price across the country in April, it rises 3% a year.

Edmunds.com's assumptions in the study paint a "worst-case scenario," says Honda spokesman Andy Boyd. A less-aggressive approach would require hybrid Accord be driven only 17,000 miles a year before it becomes thriftier than the standard Accord.

Toyota's Sam Bhutto says, "Prius is an excellent value."

The Ford Escape hybrid not only gets great gas mileage, but has lower maintenance requirements — fewer oil changes and brake-pad replacements, for example — meaning fewer trips to the dealer, says Bryan Olson, hybrid Escape marketing manager. "I tell people to think of the value of your time."

The analysis doesn't take into account that low-polluting hybrids are allowed in carpool lanes in some locales or that their prices could fall over time. "People buy hybrids for different reasons," says Ron Cogan of Green Car Journal.
 
White92 said:
The Hybrid Accord is $3k more than the regulare Accord EX V6, but you also get a $2k tax credit, so technically it's only $1k more.

you get $2k in deductability...not $2k in tax credit. So really worth ~$700 or so. FYI.
 
Government investigating engine stalling in Toyota Prius

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government has opened an investigation of the hot-selling hybrid Toyota Prius amid reports of the engine stalling without warning, officials said Wednesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the preliminary investigation will involve about 75,000 cars of the 2004-2005 model years.

Toyota officials said last month they were investigating complaints about the Prius stalling. More than 88,000 2004 and 2005 Prius cars have been sold in the United States.

The Prius has been a hugely popular model in the United States, leading to waiting lists. Automotive experts have said it is the first economy car with a higher resale value.

Hybrid vehicles deliver better mileage by switching between a gasoline engine and an electric motor. Toyota Motor (TM) leads in hybrid sales, with cumulative global sales of 381,500.

The agency said it has received 33 complaints of alleged engine stalling. The majority of the complaints involved reports of the engine stalling at speeds of 35 miles per hour and 65 mph.

Some of the complaints indicated that the vehicle was operated in electric mode for some period after the gas engine stalled, NHTSA said.

All of the complaints reported that the engine shut down without warning and about half of the complaints said that when the engine shut off, the vehicle would not restart and required the vehicle to be towed.
 
Back
Top