! Help ! :)

[RNS]

hello all

Right - the thing is I am thinking of getting a Prius 08 or 07 T Spirit model. The thing is I have heard a lot of conflicting information on mpg. I am a taxi driver and I do around 40,000 miles per year. I had 2 Skodas and they both did around 40 mpg (they were both automatics).

So what I am asking of you guys out there who own a Prius is what sort of mpg will I be getting, and, honestly, what do you think of the car?

[Dave R.]

hello all

Right - the thing is I am thinking of getting a Prius 08 or 07 T Spirit model. The thing is I have heard a lot of conflicting information on mpg. I am a taxi driver and I do around 40,000 miles per year. I had 2 Skodas and they both did around 40 mpg (they were both automatics).

So what I am asking of you guys out there who own a Prius is what sort of mpg will I be getting, and, honestly, what do you think of the car?

Take a look at forum entries by Grumpycabbie - a real taxi driver's experience! Also, if you are worried about fuel consumption, look at fuelly.com - you will see a number of members of this forum have the fuelly data in their signature.

Current experience is that you should do better than 40mpg with a Prius!

[Jolly English Gentleman]

On the 2007 model you should get around 52mpg on a mixture of trips. Around town it can vary depending on whether you have the heating on which obviously needs the engine. That said since filling up this week I have only made short trips around town and am getting over 40mpg.

Passengers will like the leg room at the back, I should imagine, and of course there is the novelty value that may attract custom.

My T Spirit has 64K on the clock (had it just about a month)and was an ex lease car, so I inherited a print of any attention needed. Apart from regular servicing, the only other thing apparent seems to be possible tyre wear - It seems to have had a few trips to Tyre centres, but it probably seems a lot because I only do 4-5K a year. I understand that there is also a Water pump issue covered by Manufacturers mechanical warranty up to 60,000 miles/3 years. My Water pump was replaced at the 60K service. Whether it needed it or it was a precaution I don't know but I have seen the issue coming up on the Priuschat forums.

Reversing camera is brilliant. Not so good is that you can't really see where the front of the car is - it has a very short nose meaning that you can end up parking with a larger than expected gap at the front - better than hitting it though!

Of course as has been suggested Grumpycabbie is the best person on here to comment. There are other Taxi firms running a Prius. Whilst researching the model, I came across a Yellow Cab in New York, and Green Tomato's in London (Google them). Like all Toyota's if they are properly serviced they will last, as those that have done 100k plus can prove.

[Sagitar]

hello all

Right - the thing is I am thinking of getting a Prius 08 or 07 T Spirit model. The thing is I have heard a lot of conflicting information on mpg. I am a taxi driver and I do around 40,000 miles per year. I had 2 Skodas and they both did around 40 mpg (they were both automatics).

So what I am asking of you guys out there who own a Prius is what sort of mpg will I be getting, and, honestly, what do you think of the car?

If you click on the Fuelly label at the bottom of someones post it will take you to a Fuelly page and at the foot of that page you can get access to all the cars that contribute to Fuelly. You will find a few Prius records showing the low forties and similar numbers showing the high sixties, but the majority are in the middle fifties. There is a need for some care because Fuelly will display Imp Galls or U.S. Gall depending upon the settings and they are very different.

[RNS]

hello all

thanks for your response so far.... just a big worry alot of cash to spend and i do spend around 12 hours a day in my car when working.... just worried what it will be like without a turbo diesel. thinking of renting a prius for a few days before buying one..

main worrys are:

MPG.

the Battery will that need replacing(has time goes on)

and rear space.

[fuel miser]

I spoke to this taxi driver (featured in the linked article) when he was filling up a few months ago. He was very impressed with his gen 2 Prius (which I also own), had no intention of changing it for a gen 3, and said he intended to run it for years.

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.254124?

[RNS]

I spoke to this taxi driver (featured in the linked article) when he was filling up a few months ago. He was very impressed with his gen 2 Prius (which I also own), had no intention of changing it for a gen 3, and said he intended to run it for years.

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.254124?

hello thanks for that.

if I do go down this road i will be also the first in my council district to have a hybrid many of the staff didn't even know what a hybrid was... sadly after a nearly a year long battle with them they still will not alow a hybrid on so.... will have to get it taxi plated up in my next district. I did have a plan on going to the press about this but the council said they would take legal action if I used any of the emails they sent or voice mails they left.... so as my quest ends for a hybrid car in Mansfield with a Mansfield plate . ill just go to bolsover my next council. get it plated

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Hi RNS

Well I've had my Prius Gen3 on the road as a taxi (private hire) since November last year and have just covered 14k miles. So at that rate I recon I'll cover about 33k miles a year. I spend 10 hours a day in my Prius and am on the go most of them as most of my bookings are by phone and most trips are less than a mile a time. I am getting about 48 mpg on average, which is fantastic considering the short duration of my trips. I used to get about 29-31 mpg out of my Peugeot 406 hdi which I previously owned. On a long run I can get 55mpg with ease and 60 mpg if I take it fairly steady and 65 mpg if I am careful.

I originally went to look at the new Avensis but when I saw the Prius I was taken with it. It's a joy to drive - nice n light, plenty of leg room in the back, which is great as I hated knees in my back I used to get in the Peugeot. The boot appears small at first sight but it is larger than you'd imagine and bigger than many popular taxis - Peugeot 406 included. There is a hidden compartment under the boot floor and this is the key to its flexibility. This morning I had an airport run with a family with 2 large suitcases and 2 medium ones which all fit in nicely. They were quite amazed.

I took two test drives before buying the car and both were long ones. I drove all my popular town runs and managed about 52 mpg on the first run and 53mpg on the second. It was the test drives that sold it to me. The zero road tax helps also.

Now, will it be better than the Skoda's? I don't know. I was also tempted for the new Superb before I got the Prius and that would be the car I'd get if the Prius wasn't available. However, I am now used to the low petrol costs of the Prius and don't think I could ever go back to paying full costs again. I currently spend about £11 per hundred miles which is great as I previously got about £22 per hundred miles in my old cab back in November.

I am the only Prius (gen2 or gen3) cab in my town and I think there is one gen2 in Leeds. This makes it something of a novelty and I like that. The customers love it - it's a real talking point, even the kids on the school runs think it's cool and I am now starting to get repeat business because of the fact that it's a Prius and enviromentally friendly etc.

Will it be a good replacement to the Skoda's? I can't answer that for you, but I can say it is a great car for use as a taxi. It has plenty of room inside, the boots is surprisingly good, the car is smooth and quiet to drive (no diesel rattle) and live with and is super economical. There are tax advantages (don't ask me what but my accountant tells me so), no road tax, the a/c and heating run whilst the engine is off (the engine will kick in every so often), so you can keep comfortable whilst waiting for your next fare. You will probably get extra business from the eco/green crowd and you'll find that they usually have money!

I'm sure you'll have some questions

[RNS]

Hi RNS

Well I've had my Prius Gen3 on the road as a taxi (private hire) since November last year and have just covered 14k miles. So at that rate I recon I'll cover about 33k miles a year. I spend 10 hours a day in my Prius and am on the go most of them as most of my bookings are by phone and most trips are less than a mile a time. I am getting about 48 mpg on average, which is fantastic considering the short duration of my trips. I used to get about 29-31 mpg out of my Peugeot 406 hdi which I previously owned. On a long run I can get 55mpg with ease and 60 mpg if I take it fairly steady and 65 mpg if I am careful.

I originally went to look at the new Avensis but when I saw the Prius I was taken with it. It's a joy to drive - nice n light, plenty of leg room in the back, which is great as I hated knees in my back I used to get in the Peugeot. The boot appears small at first sight but it is larger than you'd imagine and bigger than many popular taxis - Peugeot 406 included. There is a hidden compartment under the boot floor and this is the key to its flexibility. This morning I had an airport run with a family with 2 large suitcases and 2 medium ones which all fit in nicely. They were quite amazed.

I took two test drives before buying the car and both were long ones. I drove all my popular town runs and managed about 52 mpg on the first run and 53mpg on the second. It was the test drives that sold it to me. The zero road tax helps also.

Now, will it be better than the Skoda's? I don't know. I was also tempted for the new Superb before I got the Prius and that would be the car I'd get if the Prius wasn't available. However, I am now used to the low petrol costs of the Prius and don't think I could ever go back to paying full costs again. I currently spend about £11 per hundred miles which is great as I previously got about £22 per hundred miles in my old cab back in November.

I am the only Prius (gen2 or gen3) cab in my town and I think there is one gen2 in Leeds. This makes it something of a novelty and I like that. The customers love it - it's a real talking point, even the kids on the school runs think it's cool and I am now starting to get repeat business because of the fact that it's a Prius and enviromentally friendly etc.

Will it be a good replacement to the Skoda's? I can't answer that for you, but I can say it is a great car for use as a taxi. It has plenty of room inside, the boots is surprisingly good, the car is smooth and quiet to drive (no diesel rattle) and live with and is super economical. There are tax advantages (don't ask me what but my accountant tells me so), no road tax, the a/c and heating run whilst the engine is off (the engine will kick in every so often), so you can keep comfortable whilst waiting for your next fare. You will probably get extra business from the eco/green crowd and you'll find that they usually have money!

I'm sure you'll have some questions

hey there thanks for that super answer.

i am going for a gen 2 08 plate went for my second ride out today in it.... also i got a conservative MP who want me to do a TV interview about how hard it was for me to get a hybrid on as a private hire...

Questions

i work nights so don't really have much traffic on the road .so has the prius is setup for stop and start traffic will i lose the alot of the hybrid benfits ?

PS. not a case of replacing the skoda already gone the drunken driver sorted that out for me when she hit me head on :(

[Grumpy Cabbie]

hello all

thanks for your response so far.... just a big worry alot of cash to spend and i do spend around 12 hours a day in my car when working.... just worried what it will be like without a turbo diesel. thinking of renting a prius for a few days before buying one..

main worrys are:

MPG.

the battery will that need replacing(has time goes on)

and rear space.

Oh, the Battery. Apparantly they should last about 250k miles or 10 years. Some of the American forum members are upto that sort of mileage before problems. I'm hoping to get a minimum of 150k out of mine. Obviously its early days but I don't have any concerns about the traction Battery as the Prius has intensive Battery management where it stays in a 'safe' zone and doesn't go below 40% or above 80%. So when it shows empty it isn't really, its 40% and full is actually only 80%. Without going into the technical stuff, its this safe zone that is the secret to the batteries long life.

My Prius being private hire, has a meter, a sat nav, a two way radio and a despatch computer running whilst I'm working. Now in a normal car this can cause strain on the 12v, but in the Prius you can leave the car in 'Ready' mode (this is the equivalent of the engine running in a normal car) and this will use the traction battery to continuously charge the 12v. No problems sitting around worrying that your battery will go flat. If the traction battery runs low, it will start the engine to charge it, but only for as long as is required, thus saving fuel.

I'd say see your local dealer about a long test drive as I know you will want to make sure you have the right car for your job and a mistake can prove expensive!

I am also surprised your local council won't licence the Prius. Is there a reason why? The gen3 is slightly bigger than the gen2, so any concerns about seat width or boot size should now be addressed. Try not to get confrontational with the council - you will always lose. Instead, try and work with them. Show them the benefits of the Prius, such as the leg room, reduced emissions, reduced fuel use. Councils love 'green' things and the Prius is as 'green' a taxi as you can realistically get.

Maybe arrange to bring one round to show them when you go on your test drive? I took the local taxi inspector out for a drive and he loved the car. Maybe arrange an appointment and go armed with some brochures and facts and figures. Do your homework and tell them how beneficial the Prius can be to local air quality and that if they licenced the Prius and ten other drivers replaced their cabs with one that xxx number of tonnes less of CO2 or NOx would be pumped into your town.

Worth a try.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

lol, you replied whilst I was responding to your last message :)

Questions

i work nights so don't really have much traffic on the road .so has the prius is setup for stop and start traffic will i lose the alot of the hybrid benfits ?

I get better mpg on nights as the roads are empty. Don't worry about headlights etc - they use nothing compared to the electric motors. The hybrid system doesn't just benefit in heavy traffic. It also assists when doing 60 mph on an A road or even on a motorway. It's complicated to explain how this works but the traction Battery provides assistanc even when at steady speeds.

It seems a big gamble, almost a step into the unknown. I know I was nervous as hell when I was choosing mine - nobody else had one, what if this, what if that etc, but I wouldn't change it now. At first some drivers took the p**s but then others came over to ask serious questions and I get stopped at airports/stations all the time by other cabbies. I think it makes sense but they're unsure whether to take the step. A mistake in the present economic climate can have serious consequences. Thing is, you will always get a buyer for a Prius (the free London congestion charge sees to that) so even if you get one and it doesn't work out or doesn't suit you, you can always get rid with minimal loss.

I don't want to tell you to get one as I don't know your circumstances, but I wouldn't get rid of mine and would get another without hesitation. Infact I am looking forward to the PlugIn Prius due in a couple of years time.

[Sagitar]

i work nights so don't really have much traffic on the road .so has the prius is setup for stop and start traffic will i lose the alot of the hybrid benfits ?

I don't think so. I don't do much rush-hour stuff and I get pretty good mileages from "ordinary" driving, no real attempt to be especially economic.

And of course, we all get caught from time to time. Yesterday I spent what seemed like ages, stop-starting in a road works traffic queue where they were filling pot-holes on a single carriageway. The one consolation was that my mpg improved a bit while I was in the queue.

[Jolly English Gentleman]

There are tax advantages (don't ask me what but my accountant tells me so), no road tax,

This area is part of my job.

The Capital Allowance rules on cars changed in April 2009. Previously Private Hire Cars were exempt from the old Expensive Car rules that essentially limited the allowances that a general business could claim on a car to £3,000 or 25% of written down value if less than £12,000. Thus Private Hire cars could benefit from the various First Year Allowances available.

From April 2009, Private Hire Cars except London style cabs came under the same rules as those for any other car, and the tax allowances are based on the CO2 rating. Where the CO2 rating is over 160g/km then the annual allowance is 10% of cost on a reducing basis. Where the CO2 rating is under 160g/km the annual allowances is 20% of cost on a reducing basis.

The tax advantage that Grumpie Cabbie's Accountant was referring to is that any car purchased new with a CO2 rating below 110g/km qualifies for a full allowance of the vehicle cost in the first year. However used cars do not qualify for this allowance, so even though you are getting a car with a CO2 rating below 110g/km, you will only be entitled to claim 20% of the cost per year on a reducing basis.

As you had your old Taxi written off your Accountant may be able acheive a more beneficial result dependent on how he deals with the Insurance proceeds, so it is probably worth having a chat with him, so that he can look into the different options and the effect on your tax position.

[Ancient Nerd]

The great thing about the Prius is that it's consumption doesn't vary that wildly almost regardless of conditions. It loses a bit in stop start driving, because there is always an energy loss converting to and from electrical energy in the Battery. However, this is still better than a conventional petrol or diesel car.

There is also an increase in consumption as you get to motorway speeds. The smaller engine of the Gen II is worst here. The Gen III is much better.

Foot to the floor in Power mode on the Gen III reduces MPG interestingly. But then, so it does on any other car, petrol or diesel.

A final thought is that if your driving is mostly in town, then you don't have the EGR valve to scrape out at regular intervals and dual mass flywheels and clutches to replace when they fail.

My experience of both Gen II and Gen III Prius is that I only see the dealer every 10,000 miles for a quick service. The previous three cars were diesel (Citroen Xantia, Renault Laguna, Honda Civic). The Citroen was OK, the other two were disasters, although I managed to P/X them both before the DMF actually failed. The Renault was also getting very close to turbo failure (drinks engine oil before siezing), and the Civic was just a catalogue of faults as well.

So service costs only, no repair bills, no time off the road.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

What miles are you upto Mr AncientNerd? I'm at 14k almost exactly as of today.

Glad you touched on the gen3 having a bigger engine - I forgot to mention that. It gives better motorway economy as the engine doesn't have to work as hard as the 1.5 did. It might be worth RNS using his insurance payout as a deposit on a new Prius and the money saved on lower fuel costs could help on the remaining payments. Especially considering the tax advantages refered to by Jolly Englishman.

You also mentioned some of the problems with new diesel cars and the clogging DPFs & EGR valves are one reason I'm staying well clear.

[Chris Dance]

Why is it that folk other than owners of the Prius do not know or fail to understand the basic concepts of the car? You would think the council people who grant licences for taxis would be up to the mark on the various types of car used as taxis. The trouble is that decision makers in councils seem to be some nerd with a degree in the arts or history, in fact educated idiots. In our town I do not know how some of the taxis are allowed to operate, they look and sometimes sound like they would never pass MOT tests. I understand a taxi firm in London has a whole fleet of Prius cars and they very pleased with them. Grumpy Cabbie has already stated the advantages. I also agree with Grumpy Cabbie about dealings with council officials. I think if you let them believe you are the idiot and they can assist you you will probably achieve what you want. Get them upset and it is like talking to a brick wall.

RNS I hope you get your taxi licence. I am sure your passengers will appreciate what a good comfortable quiet car the Prius is.

[RNS]

hello all this is the one i am thinking of getting

i know the millage its a little high but if u think about it i do 40,000 a year so it wont matter all that much

link:

http://www.cargiant.co.uk/Toyota/Prius/details-459130-Toyota-Prius.asp

and thanks to everyone for there response so far u have helped alot this is a big worry for me change from skoda to toyota.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Looks nice. I think leather is also the way to go.

I hear what you're saying about owning your car outright and the benefits that gives. I'll probably put a spanner in your spokes here, but I think the gen3 new shape would be the one to go for if you budget allows. You say you prefer the look of the gen 3, it has a 1.8 engine so more power (140bhp against 105bhp) and it meets your councils 1600cc rules. The only modification you'd need to get it licenced would be to replace the spacesaver spare with a full sized one. I'm sure a dealer would throw this in for free to get your sale. This then allows you to licence it in your home town.

Also, being new it has the benefit of the full warranty and a longer working life.

Hope I haven't rained on your parade here - any comments?

[RNS]

Looks nice. I think leather is also the way to go.

I hear what you're saying about owning your car outright and the benefits that gives. I'll probably put a spanner in your spokes here, but I think the gen3 new shape would be the one to go for if you budget allows. You say you prefer the look of the gen 3, it has a 1.8 engine so more power (140bhp against 105bhp) and it meets your councils 1600cc rules. The only modification you'd need to get it licenced would be to replace the spacesaver spare with a full sized one. I'm sure a dealer would throw this in for free to get your sale. This then allows you to licence it in your home town.

Also, being new it has the benefit of the full warranty and a longer working life.

Hope I haven't rained on your parade here - any comments?

tried the full size wheel does not fit :(

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Looks nice. I think leather is also the way to go.

I hear what you're saying about owning your car outright and the benefits that gives. I'll probably put a spanner in your spokes here, but I think the gen3 new shape would be the one to go for if you budget allows. You say you prefer the look of the gen 3, it has a 1.8 engine so more power (140bhp against 105bhp) and it meets your councils 1600cc rules. The only modification you'd need to get it licenced would be to replace the spacesaver spare with a full sized one. I'm sure a dealer would throw this in for free to get your sale. This then allows you to licence it in your home town.

Also, being new it has the benefit of the full warranty and a longer working life.

Hope I haven't rained on your parade here - any comments?

tried the full size wheel does not fit :(

Even in the gen 3? I suppose you could remove the under floor tray which lies above the spare, but that would then restrict your boot space.

[RNS]

Looks nice. I think leather is also the way to go.

I hear what you're saying about owning your car outright and the benefits that gives. I'll probably put a spanner in your spokes here, but I think the gen3 new shape would be the one to go for if you budget allows. You say you prefer the look of the gen 3, it has a 1.8 engine so more power (140bhp against 105bhp) and it meets your councils 1600cc rules. The only modification you'd need to get it licenced would be to replace the spacesaver spare with a full sized one. I'm sure a dealer would throw this in for free to get your sale. This then allows you to licence it in your home town.

Also, being new it has the benefit of the full warranty and a longer working life.

Hope I haven't rained on your parade here - any comments?

tried the full size wheel does not fit :(

Even in the gen 3? I suppose you could remove the under floor tray which lies above the spare, but that would then restrict your boot space.

even tried that its the width of the tyre the well aint wide enough that does it they tried it when i test drove the gen 3 they where very keen to sell me one...

[Chris Dance]

RNS The Prius you are considering buying looks OK from the photos. In my humble opinion I think the mileage is high. My Prius T Spirit Gen 2 has leather upholstery and side bars. The leather is much better than the cloth especially the seat wear you will get using the car as a taxi. I don't understand about the space saver wheel change situation. Won't your council give you a licence if you have a space saver wheel?

Grumpy Cabbie has made some good points for you to consider I think. Whatever you do if you get a Prius for your work I do not think you will regret it.

Chris.

[RNS]

RNS The Prius you are considering buying looks OK from the photos. In my humble opinion I think the mileage is high. My Prius T Spirit Gen 2 has leather upholstery and side bars. The leather is much better than the cloth especially the seat wear you will get using the car as a taxi. I don't understand about the space saver wheel change situation. Won't your council give you a licence if you have a space saver wheel?

Grumpy Cabbie has made some good points for you to consider I think. Whatever you do if you get a Prius for your work I do not think you will regret it.

Chris.

yer leather i the way to go..... all my other taxis i had,had leather any mess and there is mess with working nights;) u can just wipe up easy and just keep working

as spare wheels go.... i tried everything..... as i am moving to another council to get the prius on.a lot others are moving as well coz of there spare wheel in other cars and more are change coucil coz of the colour Mansfield will not let u have a black or a white car on in case u mistake a black Mondeo in for a London style black cab ;) takes a few pints to do that.;) ;)

[Chris Dance]

Crying out loud!!! That Mansfield Council sound worse than some of the council nutters we have here. I do hope you get your Prius taxi licence and I can understand why you do not want to upset the council in Mansfield. Someone needs to sort them out though.

[Ancient Nerd]

What miles are you upto Mr AncientNerd? I'm at 14k almost exactly as of today.

Glad you touched on the gen3 having a bigger engine - I forgot to mention that. It gives better motorway economy as the engine doesn't have to work as hard as the 1.5 did. It might be worth RNS using his insurance payout as a deposit on a new Prius and the money saved on lower fuel costs could help on the remaining payments. Especially considering the tax advantages refered to by Jolly Englishman.

You also mentioned some of the problems with new diesel cars and the clogging DPFs & EGR valves are one reason I'm staying well clear.

Hi GC,

Just over 17,000 today. Previous Gen II did 40,000 - it's still in the family and has now done just over 55,000 and is now coming up to two years old. No warranty problems with the Gen II at all. Waiting to find out with the Gen III.

The Gen II mileage on RNS's car does look a bit high. However, I think that you can buy a Toyota extended warranty for one or two years, provided the mileage hasn't reached 100,000 at the time of purchase. Check if you can buy a one year warranty, and then a two year one just before the 100,000 - even if the first year hasn't finished. That way, you get (at 40,000 /year) around 180,000 miles of Toyota warranty. Check also with Toyota that you can take out the Toyota extended warranty after the original warranty has expired. You probably won't need it, but then, an umbrella is the best guarantee of dry weather!

Finally, I've come to the conclusion that anything you save on fuel with a diesel, you are likely to have to pay out on repairs. If you are doing a lot of town driving, then the risk of that becomes much higher - and in town, diesel fuel consumption really isn't that good.