Toyota Prius

[choudhrysuk]

Hi guys. I really need your honest opinion, I am looking to purchase a gen 3 Prius. I only do about 14 miles a day round trip. 7 miles each way. What is the best spec to buy ? What sort of mpg could i expect, also what sort of mileage should I buy. There seem to be lot with 100,000 miles on the clock.Would I be better of buying low mileage. Is there any difference between a Prius and an Auris hybrid.

 

thanks for you help

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Whats your budget? Have you got off road parking? A Plug-in would probably suit you very well with your mileage to be honest.

[Anthony Poli]

Both hybrids use the same power train, but have different specifications and toys.

The Prius has a foot operated parking brake, where the Auris has a standard hand brake.

My last car (non hybrid), had 90,000 from a non Toyota garage, that car was 7 years old. I did see it had a full service history. So mileage isn't the bit to worry about, it's the reason why they parted with the car. Like a worn clutch and faulty head unit.

Scrap yard was a source of a head unit and the clutch lasted another 6 years.

As for your commute, my daily trip is 3.5 miles each way. My journey doesn't have step or long hills and the car does 51 mpg , even in the cold weather. The Prius usually fairs better.

Hope you have found my input useful

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[choudhrysuk]

Thanks for your replies guys. I would like a pip but do not have a drive. currently I have a Ford Focus Diesel, it is not cost effective with the mileage I do. I do not have a drive, so plug in Prius is out the question. Would you recommended a 2nd gen or 3rd gen Prius. Or would I be better if a auris hybrid. I understand they have similar drivetrain. But I have seen the Auris is, lot cheaper to buy. Thanks once again guy.

[ian rooke]

Hi the gen 2 is a 1500cc the gen 3 1800cc with better milage and slightly more room inside and in my opionion  better looking both drive exactly the same

[johalareewi]

7 miles each way a day is not really what a Prius is designed for.  Your mpg will not be that much different to a non-hybrid petrol car because the hybrid system needs to warm up to get going. That requires petrol (although not so much is needed in the summer). Do you need such a big car?  Do you need an automatic?

Also have a look at the other threads in this forum.  There are several from prospective hybrid buyers.

[kithmo]

Prius is bigger, foot operated parking brake, more techy dash and slightly better mpg. Auris has less boot space, conventional handbrake and dash. both have the same, very easy to drive, synergy drive hybrid system and an electric parking brake as well.

I used to do a 3.5 mile commute in my old Gen 3 and got mid 40s mpg in the coldest winter months (which included some days waiting 15 minutes stationary with the engine running for the front screen to demist) and high 50s mpg in the summer on the commute.

On a long run to the coast I used to get high 60s mpg cold weather and just over 70 mpg warm weather.

I disagree with Alan that the mpg would be similar to a non-hybrid, I had a 1.8 petrol Ford Mondeo that did 35 mpg in the summer and 28 mpg winter on the same commute and that was a manual transmission, an auto would do a lot less.

[PeteB]

9 minutes ago, kithmo said:

...and an electric parking brake as well.

...an auto would do a lot less.

To clarify, Kitmo means the transmission park operation is electric, not the foot operated parking brake.

I'd also mention that while the Toyota Hybrids drive like an automatic, they in fact have no gearbox in the normal sense - a sort of glorified deferential links the a motor/generator and petrol engine to the wheels, and allows RPM to be swapped between the two power sources to give the illusion of a continuously variable transmission (CVT).  Nothing slips, engages/disengages, swaps cogs or runs belts up and down pulleys.  Beautify simple, far fewer moving parts that a traditional manual or auto.

I've also driven some Honda Hybrids, and they feel very similar to drive in the way the engine responds to throttle pressure, but they only have one motor/generator (Toyotas have two) which cannot operate truly independently of the engine the way the Toyota system does.  They also have a 'proper' CVT gearbox and torque converter.

[myriagon]

I do a 5 mile school run (there and back) in a first gen Auris hybrid. According to the car it's averaging 52mpg since I bought it nearly 4 years ago. That includes some longer distance mileage too but the bulk is the school run. I would expect a Prius to do better than that. My old Mercedes diesel on the same school run was mid 30s mpg.

As for Prius vs Auris, how much space do you need? I could do with more space so if I was buying now, I would go for a Prius over the Auris.

[PeteB]

2 hours ago, myriagon said:

...As for Prius vs Auris, how much space do you need? I could do with more space so if I was buying now, I would go for a Prius over the Auris.

The Prius (Gen 2/3/4) has loads of rear legroom (but the Gen 4 has challenging rear headroom for taller people), while the Auris Touring Sport (Toyota speak for 'estate' I think) has loads of luggage space but not so much rear legroom.  Choices, choices.

[choudhrysuk]

Hi guys. Thanks for the feedback. It is greatly appreciated, and will me make my decision. But ultimately it looks as I will be looking a Toyota Auris t-spirit. as I have explained it will be mainly for local commutes. Also I need an automatic.

 

thanks once again

[QuantumFireball]

On 17/02/2017 at 9:12 AM, johalareewi said:

7 miles each way a day is not really what a Prius is designed for.

A modern diesel is so much worse for such a commute - they take ages to warm up so will run inefficiently for a lot of it, and with a lot of short journeys the particulate filter and EGR valve will clog up in no time. With a Prius/Auris hybrid it will only take 1-2 minutes at most to get up to normal operating temperature. As others have said you won't get great fuel economy in winter (it uses the ICE cooling system for cabin heating like any normal ICE car, so more cabin heat = more ICE idling), but should do much better in warmer weather.

[Slasher_uk]

Quantum, I agree 100% with what you have just said