Thinking Of Buying A Prius

[jammymutt]

Hi,

I,m new and was hoping to get some advice from you kind folks on here.

My current employment means travelling 15 miles each way to work but thanks to certain factors i have to move to the new depot which will be 25.5 miles each way every day, I work 5 days a week so i,ll be doing quite a few miles every week.

I had thought of buying a small diesel car or van just to get me to work and back and use my everyday VW Passatt Saloon for the weekends, holidays and other duties, but i am very intrigued by the Prius not only from the M.P.G. point of view but also for the environmental side of it too.

The trip to work is roughly 22/23 miles of major trunk road (A1) so the car would be doing about 70/80/90 M.P.H. (please dont tell me not to speed i know its wrong but most of us do it).

So would the Prius be any good to me?, at those speeds and at that mileage?.

What are the good and bad points of the car?.

I am 6'6" tall would that be a problem?.

Does the Prius only return good figures when driven slowly or can you get them when you cruise at higher speeds?.

Do the batteries ever need replaced?, and if so are they very expensive?.

Would i be better with a small Diesel ?.

Many thanks to any who can and does answer my questions.

[ecodoc]

Hi JM!

Yes the Prius will do those speeds comfortably.

Motorway MPG at average (IE 80-85MPH) is approx 55mpg (or so I`m told officer!) :D

I`m 6`2" and find the internal space excellent! Both head and leg room are exceptionally good. Even with the drivers seat right back you can still fit a 6 footer behind the driver.

Car tax is £65.00/yr in total another bonus.

In normal driving I get about 450miles per tank and it costs approx £35 to fill at current prices.

It`s also a smooth reLaxing car to drive.

I would recommend a test drive to see what you think.

ATVB ED

[Braindead]

If the vast majority of your mileage is cruising at high speed then chances are that a modern diesel would be a good move except for the muck that comes out the back. However, if you're 6ft 6in then a SMALL diesel sounds like a bad idea.

If you mileage is mixed urban/high speed then the case for a Prius becomes more compelling.

Anyway, forget all the logic....you either choose one of the coolest gadgets on the road or a French tractor! :P

BTW, the batteries are covered under warranty for 8 years or 100,000 miles

[Cognoscenti]

I was in the same position as you just over twelve months ago when came to replace my X-type. I was very tempted by the Prius, but then Toyota came to my rescue by not being able to supply one for a test drive, so I bought a 6 month old VW Golf GT-TDi for £16,500.

It's much much faster than the Prius, manages the 150-mile daily commute on the M6 with applomb, and in over 30,000 miles has had £500 worth of servicing and tyres.

Best of all, average fuel consumption over the entire year is just over 50mpg, and the car tax is £110, compared to £165 for my wife's Rav4 D4D.

Add the fact that the service at our Toyota dealership (Pinkstones of Stoke) is ABYSMAL, and I get more convinced I made the right decision whenever I turn the key.

Cog.

[peugeot107?]

get an aygo, C1 or 107(£8k less to purchase and 50mpg) if you can fit in one (I am only 6'2) mate who is 6'4 has no trouble though, and keep the passat.

Have a passat 130tdi too, its been a lot more reliable since I stopped driving it

[Mindings]

Almost exactly the same mileage I do each way to and from work. Most times I am doing 65 - 70 mph on around 85% of journey and get an average 52mpg winter and 56 mpg summer in my Prius TSpirit. (The cold weather does have an effect on mpg.

Diesels are OK on long runs, but around town are polluting, especially at lights or anywhere you have to wait with engine running. CO2 emmisions on Prius at 104 are excellent and virtually no particulates or other noxious substences. Tax is in super low category much cheaper than the Golf quoted. Its a shame some dealers have given less than satisfactory service but mine is brilliant and I guess it depends on where you live. Probably all cars have an occasional rogue dealer at some time.

I can't comment on height as only 6' but if you visit a dealer and try it out you will be able to satisfy yourself. Leg room in rear seats is one of the best I have ever owned and I have had some big cars.

Batteries are rarely a problem and should go well into life of car - take a look at the excellent warranty.

Most anti-Prius sentiment comes from ill informed people. If you are a boy-racer then buy a boy racer car. But I have verey few complaints and generally far fewer than any car I have preciously owned including, Lexus, Jaguar and a Jeep 4 x 4 (I needed to get the boy racer thing over with!).

Best of all is the amount of money that is staying in my bank account. Do remember finaly that diesel is generally more expensive so when comparing mileage you have to take that into account. - If a diesel is returning 50 mpg say and at my local garage diesel is 3p a liter more expensive then the equivalent mileage allowing for extra cost of fuel is really more like 48 mpg.

Some cars may be faster - OK if you are going to go faster than 105 mph then point taken - but acceleration in Prius is excellent for an automatic of its class.

Just take one out fopr a test drive - its the only way to see if you are happy!

Phil