Should I Buy A Prius?

[leblanc]

Should I buy a Prius, and if so which model?

My annual driving mileage is about 6000 miles. This consists of mostly town driving (short trips of 2-3 miles) for 7 months in the year. The other 5 months involves a return drive to the south of France with touring and short trips within this latter period.

From 2009 I may be cutting out the French trip. In this case the car could be left unused for 1-2 months whilst abroad.

As I live in a town centre, 4-5 days can elapse without car use at all.

I currently have a large diesel MPV, but want to downsize. and the vehicle is now 6 years old anyway. There is just the two of us.

As well as the Prius I am considering the new Mini Club with the alleged 68 mpg diesel engine.

I am a bit concerned over the possible sharp depreciation in the Prius, and Toyotas alleged hyped mpg figures. Minis seem to depreciate slowly. My current car has depreciated from £25,000 to about £5000 in 6 years.

I am thinking of a pre reg or demonstrator if I was to buy the Prius.

Any other useful advice is welcome.

[Mike Nelson]

Should I buy a Prius, and if so which model?

<SNIP>

I am thinking of a pre reg or demonstrator if I was to buy the Prius.

Any other useful advice is welcome.

The Answer is YES! the rated mpg of the mini may be 68 mpg but you get much less in reality plus there is the health considerations Petrol is 96p/lite and diesel is 101p/litre here is a reason for this fuel is BAD for the environment and Diesel is WORSE than petrol. the price and convenience of the min would make this a no-go option you cannot fit a TV in a mini you can in a prius (even a 37" plasma) think of usability too. Depreciation of mini petrol is less than the prius the mini diesel is more than the prius.

The particulates from a diesel engine cause childhood Asthma and Emphysema saying diesel is still a viable option shows a head in sand approach. don't just look at the CO2 and fuel economy look at how the fumes are poisoning our families.

Some of us drive a prius not to be holier than though but because we have to have a vehicle and the prius is the leas damaging option that is big enough to do what is required in ONE vehicle a cheaper 1.4 diesel may have similar economy but add in the health impact on you and you family it just isn't worth the risk especially when you have to see a family member die of diesel particulate induced Emphysema.

The day that CLEAN i.e. particulate free diesel are her I may be persuaded to change my mind but the present Peugeot FAP engines still only remove 50% and need £1000 of filter every 30,000 miles and the 50% that they leave in the exhaust is the most

dangerous part.

Please don't use this old CO2 figures as the sole cause of mine is better than yours!! look at the larger picture. by the way I love the way my prius drives its fast nippy and I do get 60 mpg on normal runs!! and inside its one of the nicest cars to be in you drive a car from A to B from the inside looking out why used a view from the outside to judge what you buy!

[Parts-King]

It's only when you have a Mini you wished you had never bothered!

Hybrid technology in the Prius is the only mass produced new technology, it will be here for some time yet, as Hydrogen and other technologies are just not ready to be mass produced. Toyota did come in for a bit of stick over the alledged hyped MPG figures, but in fairness to them, they were figures produced by Lexus in America and did not directly relate to the European market (thats my understanding of it in simplistic terms) ALL of our Pruis owners love their cars, they are a great drive. Comfortable, nippy, and they produce good MPG figures

Go for it, I'm sure you will be happy, by all means, see if you can buy a demo, all new cars depreciate from new, but if you get one that is ex demo or low mileage, you are going to get one where the depreciation has been borne by somebody else, and if your keeping the car a while you should not be effected as much

Kingo

[leblanc]

Thanks for replying. I will consider your comments carefully.

One thing in particular that does concern me, is the Battery life and what happens to resale value as you get closer to the end of their life. They are obviously very expensive and replacement must be at a significant cost. So if I was going to keep a Prius for as long as my current car, which is 6+ years, would potential buyers not be concerned over how much time to replacement? It seems to me it is a bit like free hold and leasehold when house buying. The less of the lease that is left, the more difficult to sell the house and get a good price.

Is there any indication when the Mark 3 will be appearing?

[Trafficman]

I have been conducting a sad experiment...... having a boring week I decided to see what the Prius would do driving carefully and with a light foot. I generally travel the M5 from Worcester to Birmingham ... 28 miles. Driving with gusto I used to get 48 -51 mpg. Driving at 65 miles an hour with a very light right foot, I have meanaged 60.1 over 530 miles. The car seemed to learn this new drivig style and improved MPG day on day fro the same journey......

For a prospectiv Prius owner the point is that they are lovely to drive, if you don't need a testosterone rush! They are quiet and smooth with lots of room. My only critsm are the non demisting mirrors and the "peaky" audio and of coiurse that rain and snow deposit on the front seats when the doors are openned (in rain and snow that is).

Trafficman :D

[Mike Nelson]

Thanks for replying. I will consider your comments carefully.

One thing in particular that does concern me, is the battery life and what happens to resale value as you get closer to the end of their life. They are obviously very expensive and replacement must be at a significant cost. So if I was going to keep a Prius for as long as my current car, which is 6+ years, would potential buyers not be concerned over how much time to replacement? It seems to me it is a bit like free hold and leasehold when house buying. The less of the lease that is left, the more difficult to sell the house and get a good price.

Is there any indication when the Mark 3 will be appearing?

Battery Life is covered under the 8 year warranty so in 6 years its NOT something you need to bother about and using it in normal mode I can travel for 1 to 1.5 miles in Battery only mode before the engine kicks in. The Prius does NOT fully drain the Battery but keeps it topped up whenever posible this removes the charge/discharge concerns over life cycle some 1999 priuses which have batterys smaller and less advance than the current one are still working at 80% efficiency (they efficient drops from 100% to 90% in first few weeks use anyway this is normal - it seems battery life is not going to be an issue.

As for resale value my 56 prius (T spirit) was values at 22k and I have seen p/x of £15k which is BETTER that my last vehicle which was similar cost but trade in value was only £10k. Prius have higher resale values that others as they are wanted by many not just for the congestion Charge exemptmtion.

The MPG figures were as is the case in ALL new vehicles generated by the government using ideal conditions - life is not ideal so you get lower figures I have found sticking to 60-mpg I get average of 68-mpg after the 5 min warming up period.

as for the mark 3 no-one but Japan knows there have been a few false rumours about 1008 and 2009 but wether these look any different t from the current one we don't know there is a rumour that a plug-in version will be released as well as a range including Yaris Sized ones but wait until spring if you are that worried.

\

[Ogee]

I have had my prius for 3 years now and I am in the process of changing to an Auris.

The Prius is an excellent car, comfortable and reasonably ecconomic. Insurance is expensive for some strange reason (twice that of the Auris). Over the last 3 years Ive done 70Tkm and have had a lifetime average of 5.2ltr/100km. The best tank was 4.2ltr (giving a range of 1000Km, the worst was just over 9ltr (fully loaded motorway speeds).

I would definatly have another Prius, and the only reason I am not getting one this time is that the hybrid I want is not yet made (cs&s)!

[Phoenix999]

....The particulates from a diesel engine cause childhood Asthma and Emphysema saying diesel is still a viable option shows a head in sand approach. don't just look at the CO2 and fuel economy look at how the fumes are poisoning our families.

Some of us drive a prius not to be holier than though but because we have to have a vehicle and the prius is the leas damaging option that is big enough to do what is required in ONE vehicle a cheaper 1.4 diesel may have similar economy but add in the health impact on you and you family it just isn't worth the risk especially when you have to see a family member die of diesel particulate induced Emphysema....

I am sooo glad we have a clinical professor in this club.... I am not sure when I last read such unfounded utter rubbish

But onto a better subject.... just today my wife went and ordered a T-Spirit model for herself :P It looks like the car will do exactly what she wants with comfort and of course she gets the benefit of lower car tax and lower general running costs :)

[Dutchgirl]

Ive just bought a Prius and for me its a statement. I work with nature conservation and I feel this is a good way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. One person can make a difference!

Dutchgirl

www.savetheorangutan.co.uk

[Chris Dance]

I am thinking of part exchanging my Avensis T4 53 plate and my wife's Carina L reg for a Prius in 2008. This will make us a one car family. My Avensis low mileage and immaculate so I do not wish to give it away in the deal.

Perhaps you Prius owners out there can give me some guidance on this.

I am pleased with Avensis and my wife's Carina is in good condition.

Should I go for the top of the range Prius or middle range? The only major difference I can see is the "self park" feature on the top of the range model.

Any advice will be appreciated.

[Chris Dance]

On the 28th Dec I will be the proud owner of a 75 plate prius T spirit. with posh leather upholstery. It is second hand 2000 miles on the clock. I hope I will be pleased with this car. My wife and I had demo and test drive this morning and it was an impressive car. Are there any bad things a new owner like me should know about?????

[Phoenix999]

Chris.... you will be happy with the Prius. My wife's T-spirit is a really good car and nice to drive :D

The only critisim I have is that the legroom for the front seat passenger is rather limited :(

[Chris Dance]

Thanks Steve, If that is all we have to concern ourselves with we will be pleased.

After signing up for the deal on the second hand car the other dealer I was in contact with told me he could have supplied the same model brand new with leather upholstery for the same price I paid for the second hand one???

Wish he had told me earlier. The second hand one has had the paint protection and it has got door side strips so perhaps it was not a bad deal.

Hope more Prius owners will give me some tips on the car.

How do you get voice recognition working? If you use the foot parking prake when is the electric parking brake used?

[Trafficman]

Had a t-spirit with leathers now for 2 and a half years. Very happy, lovely to drive as longh as you keep any need to prove masculinity out of driving style. On critisms are:

Overtaking mirrors do not de-mist elecrically

rain and snow hit the front seats when youi open the doors (in rain and snow only!)

The electric park is like park on an automatic, it looks the transmission

the foot operated parking brake acts on the wheels.

Do waste good time on the voice recognition... the only useful command is "home" which will set the nav to the home memory point whilst the vehicle is moving.

Have fun :P

[Chris Dance]

Thanks Trafficman. We are gradually getting used to the PRIUS. Nobody has a bad thing to say about the car except for the people who do reports for motoring organisations etc. Some of the videos and reports on the internet by these people makes it seem like they are not talking about the same car. One guy said it is slow and sluggish and does not live up to the hype about it with regard fuel consumption etc. My wife and I are well pleased so far; it seems to have everything we want except electric folding wing mirrors. We had those on the Avensis and we used them all the time.

[Phoenix999]

I had a bit of a 'dust up' on a 4x4 forum where a guy had a pathetic high and mighty opinion on Prius owners, he referred to them as "pratts".... good grief that made me angry :censor:

His sweeping statement was expressed from a point of ignorance and stupidity so I attempted to put him straight, sadly others waded in to stand in his corner. Pathetic fools!

The Prius is a good car regardless of what others may think of it. It might not be all things to all men but then again no car can be. I say "If you don't like it then fine, but keep any ignorant statements to yourself".... well I didn't quite put it that way if you get my drift

I doubt I changed their opinions regarding this car but then I doubt they have the open intelligent minds to accept it as a 'new technology' car. ;)

[uumode]

Having home programmed in as home is apparently bad practice.

A crime note said if you are on holiday/at work and a thief manages to get hold of your car keys, then any sat nav that is programmed with home will take the thief very easily to your (unoccupied) home with house keys in hand (if they reside on the same fob, which they usually do) since they know you are not at home. Might be wise to call home something else.

I'm also thinking of swopping my Avensis for a Prius to avoid paying so much tax every week when I visit the tax station and get 25% fuel as a reward for doing so.

The interior seems a bit more plastiky and the seat fabric a bit cheaper than an Avensis, so leather might be a must for me.

Though I'm concerned about the longevity of the hybrid mechanics and Battery bank compared to a robust diesel with efficient dynamics from BMW.

I do a lot of coasting at 40 to 0 in my Avensis (perhaps about 6-8 miles of my 26 mile journey is coasting) does the Prius switch off the petrol engine when coasting?

[Chris Dance]

uumode, I expect you remember me from the Avensis forum. You replied to some of my queries; so you know I had the Avensis T4 53 plate. I part exchanged the T4 for the Prius T-spirit. We like the Prius better than the Avensis. There are some things we miss like electric folding wing mirrors. I did not buy new, I got a second hand T spirit with leather upholstery and only 1,700 miles on the clock from Brown's Toyota High Wycombe.

The prius has a better turning circle than the Avensis, is much quieter on the road and is returning at the moment about 48 MPG. Dipped beam is better as well. Our motoring costs will be cut considerably with £15 a year road tax.

The electrics are warranted for 8 years so I do not think you need worry too much about the Hybrid electrics.

My son bought a brand new T-Spirit and he also previouly owned the Avensis. He uses his car for travelling on business and he also likes it better than the Avensis. He has to go to London a lot but is only paying £10 a year congestion charge.

I do not think you would regret changing to a Prius.

[BassaJay]

uumode, I expect you remember me from the Avensis forum. You replied to some of my queries; so you know I had the Avensis T4 53 plate. I part exchanged the T4 for the Prius T-spirit. We like the Prius better than the Avensis. There are some things we miss like electric folding wing mirrors. I did not buy new, I got a second hand T spirit with leather upholstery and only 1,700 miles on the clock from Brown's Toyota High Wycombe.

The prius has a better turning circle than the Avensis, is much quieter on the road and is returning at the moment about 48 MPG. Dipped beam is better as well. Our motoring costs will be cut considerably with £15 a year road tax.

The electrics are warranted for 8 years so I do not think you need worry too much about the Hybrid electrics.

My son bought a brand new T-Spirit and he also previouly owned the Avensis. He uses his car for travelling on business and he also likes it better than the Avensis. He has to go to London a lot but is only paying £10 a year congestion charge.

I do not think you would regret changing to a Prius.

Comparing a Prius with an Avensis is rather illogical. After all, the Prius is only available in one power output across the range whereas the Avensis is available in five ranging from the 1.8 VVT-i petrol up to the 2.2 T180 D-4D diesel. Even within the Avensis range itself there is a large differential from the 1.8's lowish power output to the T180' diesel's torquey stomp.

As a matter of interest, which Avensis models are you referring to in your Prius/Avensis comparison?

[Chris Dance]

Not really illogical. I am not referring to power output acceleration etc. Just a personal preference in the cars. I liked the Avensis a lot but I prefer the Prius. As I said I had the 2 litre T4 Avensis. You pay your money you take your choice. At the end of the day I think all Toyota cars are generally very good. I was also referring to the cash you save on tax etc. If it is motoring costs you want to reduce then the Prius is the car.

[BassaJay]

Not really illogical. I am not referring to power output acceleration etc. Just a personal preference in the cars. I liked the Avensis a lot but I prefer the Prius. As I said I had the 2 litre T4 Avensis. You pay your money you take your choice. At the end of the day I think all Toyota cars are generally very good. I was also referring to the cash you save on tax etc. If it is motoring costs you want to reduce then the Prius is the car.

Was that the petrol manual, automatic or diesel version you had?

I had not really considered the Prius before but folk on here appear to be very pleased with it in general and it seems to be the most gripe free model on the forum. Perhaps you could clarify one point for me regarding starting. As I understand it, normal starting and moving off is via the electric motor and then the engine cuts in. I wondered what happens from cold, is it possible to warm up the engine prior to moving off?

[Habu]

I bought a Prius as it is frugal (yes, really), is completely different to drive (certainly not mainstream), has loads of toys (T Spirit) and is oh so smooth to drive. I've just sold my 2007 Civic Type R GT and I'm impressed with the poke of the Prius (huge amount of torque :o ) and my first Prius (T4) was straight after a modified Celica producing over 200bhp. I love the fact it's quirky like no handbrake, only one gear (sort of), everything is either touchscreen or voice (no dials and knobs) and it has tons of room and wonderfully quiet. Whilst a Polo Blue Motion may have slightly better fuel economy it's still a mainstream small hatch with zero toys. Some of my colleagues just don't get the Prius and think I've gone all green. You notice I haven't mentioned 'green'? I hardly care about green considering my previous motors. ;) I took one of my mates out for a spin (he has a Scooby), I stopped on a hill, took my foot off the brake (panicking colleague) and then, to demonstrate said huge torque, pulled away at 1mph completely smoothly and quietly. One instantly converted colleague.

I just wanted something different that is fun to drive, economical, lots of toys, low running costs, quirky and not mainstream. The Prius ticks all the boxes. :D

[Chris Dance]

My Avensis was petrol.

Moving out of my garage in the Prius the electric motor starts the car moving but then the petrol engine cuts in. It is only a few seconds on the electric. It is no problem at all. I have never needed to "warm the engine up" even though it has been parked outside on several occassions in freezing temperatures. All I did was start to move the car a small distance, the petrol engine started and very soon the heat de-iced the screen etc. I have only had the Prius a month perhaps others have more experience of it in extreme cold conditions.

Have a test drive I am sure you will be very surprised at how smooth and easy the Prius is to drive.

I was stuck in traffic on the approach road to the Handy Cross Roundabout High Wycombe (they have spent millions on it but it is now one of the biggest "car Parks" in the UK)I was there for over an hour; it was stop start and crawling pace. I was on electric for nearly all that time saving me money on petrol and no pollution.

[BassaJay]

My Avensis was petrol.

Moving out of my garage in the Prius the electric motor starts the car moving but then the petrol engine cuts in. It is only a few seconds on the electric. It is no problem at all. I have never needed to "warm the engine up" even though it has been parked outside on several occassions in freezing temperatures. All I did was start to move the car a small distance, the petrol engine started and very soon the heat de-iced the screen etc. I have only had the Prius a month perhaps others have more experience of it in extreme cold conditions.

Have a test drive I am sure you will be very surprised at how smooth and easy the Prius is to drive.

I was stuck in traffic on the approach road to the Handy Cross Roundabout High Wycombe (they have spent millions on it but it is now one of the biggest "car Parks" in the UK)I was there for over an hour; it was stop start and crawling pace. I was on electric for nearly all that time saving me money on petrol and no pollution.

Does it have the option to run the engine while the vehicle is stationary or will it only cut in once in motion to support the electric motor? In my case, where the car is not used on a day to day basis and may even be unused for a longish periods of time, from a mechanical sympathy point of view, the thought of revving a stone cold engine is very undesirable trait.

As regards your old Avensis, if it was the automatic, then this of course has the highest CO2 emissions of the Avensis range with a figure of 221g/km. The 2.0ltr D-4D Avensis, albeit a manual but with a far superior torque and mpg figure, is the greenest model with an emissions of 146g/km. Although this is some way off of the Prius emisions of 104g/km it is certainly a big improvement over the 2 ltr. petrol automatic Avensis.

[uumode]

I think I will stall my purchase and wait until the new '113mpg' model comes out and then contemplate again

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpr...its_113mpg.html