Any Opinions On the Toyota Prius Hybrid ?

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I was considering getting a Toyota Prius Hybrid.

Any ideas of the Pros and Cons ?
I 've heard that Toyota has a good history of mechanical reliability.

David

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[+3] - chai2 - 10/10/2013[quote="roger"] I haven't reseached this in quite a while, but I believe the Volt is pure plug in. [/quote] nuh uh....the Volt is all electric until the charge runs out....then...

@OmSigDAVID,

I don't know about this particular car, but I can say that Toyota's will just go and go and go.

I've own, let's see....4 I think.

My 1st toyota had over well over 200,000 miles on it when someone ran a red light and totaled it. I'm sure it would at least up to 250,000.

I loved that car and got really emotional when I found out from the car place that towed it away that they just considered it totaled and took it down to the junk yard.

I actually went down there and looked through the fence, trying to see it. I felt like I wanted to say goodbye properly. I cried a littel when I couldn't find it. I've never felt the same about any of the others.

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@chai2,

Have you considered the Chevy Volt as well?

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

I'm a fan of the technology but I'm a sports car kind of guy. I can tell you that they are all over the place here in northern Denver and Boulder. The lefties love their hybrids.

1 Reply

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

I don't know about this particular car, but I can say that Toyota's will just go and go and go.

I've own, let's see....4 I think.

My 1st toyota had over well over 200,000 miles on it when someone ran a red light and totaled it. I'm sure it would at least up to 250,000.

I loved that car and got really emotional when I found out from the car place that towed it away that they just considered it totaled and took it down to the junk yard.

I actually went down there and looked through the fence, trying to see it. I felt like I wanted to say goodbye properly. I cried a littel when I couldn't find it. I've never felt the same about any of the others.

Wow, thank u, Chai; that 's a good post.
That 's what I wanted to know. I 've heard good things about it.
For how many years did u have that Toyota ?

Miles per gallon ?

I 'm told that the Toyota Prius runs on both electricity and gasoline
allegedly resulting in around 5O miles per gallon,
if I remember accurately.

David

1 Reply

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

Have you considered the Chevy Volt as well?

Yes, but only very superficially (so far)
because I 'm not much of a car-savvy guy.

David

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

Baldimo wrote:

I'm a fan of the technology but I'm a sports car kind of guy.
I can tell you that they are all over the place here in northern Denver and Boulder. The lefties love their hybrids.

I 've heard that thay give good mileage.

David

0 Replies

@OmSigDAVID,

I haven't reseached this in quite a while, but I believe the Volt is pure plug in. I would feel very vulnerable when I was down to about 1/2 full charge and a long way from. Especially if I were thinking about turning on a/c or heating system which use the same battery as the drive motor.

The hybrids are surely at their best on stop and go driving. No fuel is consumed while at a stop unless the battery were calling for more power. The only highway advantage would lie in an engine running at optimal rpm and torque. None of them can maintain highway speeds without that engine coming on cycle.

2 Replies

@roger,

roger wrote:

I haven't reseached this in quite a while, but I believe the Volt is pure plug in. I would feel very vulnerable when I was down to about 1/2 full charge and a long way from. Especially if I were thinking about turning on a/c or heating system which use the same battery as the drive motor.

The hybrids are surely at their best on stop and go driving. No fuel is consumed while at a stop unless the battery were calling for more power. The only highway advantage would lie in an engine running at optimal rpm and torque. None of them can maintain highway speeds without that engine coming on cycle.

I see; thank u for that.
I will Google it concerning the question of "pure plug in".

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

I didn't spend any time at all checking for proper nomenclature. There are hybrids, and there are those that are battery only. I believe the latter include the Volt and the Tesla.

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

This may be helpful, although all retail prices and car tax details relate to the UK.

A no-frills write up from Top Gear.....

http://www.topgear.com/uk/toyota/prius/verdict

1 Reply

@roger,

roger wrote:

I didn't spend any time at all checking for proper nomenclature.
There are hybrids, and there are those that are battery only.
I believe the latter include the Volt and the Tesla.

OK. As a matter of general interest,
here is some information on the Chevy Volt:
http://www.chevrolet.com/volt-electric-car.html?seo=goo_%7C_GM+Chevy+Retention_%7C_GG-RTN-Chevy-Volt-BP-SN-Exact_%7C_Chevy+Volt_%7C_chevy%20volt

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@Lordyaswas,

Lordyaswas wrote:

This may be helpful, although all retail prices and car tax details relate to the UK.

A no-frills write up from Top Gear.....

http://www.topgear.com/uk/toyota/prius/verdict

Thank u; I 'll check the link.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Some of the higher end cars produce a hybrid but those are really for douche bags who want to show that they care. I have a Ford Escape Hybrid and I really like it, it has almost 200 K on it and its running like a top.
Its 4WD and I need that for work sites.
It is not as peppey (as Rog said), but I don't need to be going 120 on a mine site.
I drove a Toyota and I found it kinda , HOMELY. It has better gas mileage than my Escape but that's because its only 2WD.
I don't like the "jelly bean" look of the Prius. Other than that they have a really good record.

2 Replies

@farmerman,

farmerman wrote:

Some of the higher end cars produce a hybrid but those are really for douche bags who want to show that they care.

Indeed. In actual fact, this Toyota is known as the Pious in the UK.

0 Replies

@roger,

roger wrote:

I haven't reseached this in quite a while, but I believe the Volt is pure plug in.

nuh uh....the Volt is all electric until the charge runs out....then switches to gas. I didn't look at Dave's link, but I've researched them in the past.

It's the Nissan Leaf that all electric, and I wouldn't consider that. It's got a larger range, but you're **** out of luck if the charge runs out.

At my job, I've seen a Volt in the parking lot, and I keep hoping to see the owner, to ask how they like it.

Maybe I'll leave a note on the windshield, and ask them to leave a note back. I've parked next to it a couple days in a row now.

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

OmSigDAVID wrote:

That 's what I wanted to know. I 've heard good things about it.
For how many years did u have that Toyota ?

Miles per gallon ?

I 'm told that the Toyota Prius runs on both electricity and gasoline
allegedly resulting in around 5O miles per gallon,
if I remember accurately.

David

I've always owned little 'ol Corolllas. Fine for my needs.

The one with over 200,000.....I bought that in 1985, and it got wrecked in, um, let's see.....maybe 1999 or 2000, so about 15 years I had it. Right up to the end it got at least 30 miles per gallon. That's what they were getting back then I think.

Since I needed another vechicle immediately, and hadn't budgeted for a car, I bought some used corolla piece of crap from a private owner. I don't know if this one was a lemon, or it just hadn't been cared for, because it couldn't get out of it's own way when you accelerated....I only kept that one for a few months and bought a new 2001 model.
I got 35 mpg with that one, and drove it until 2007 or so, gave that to my husband, and got a 2008 model, which I still have. This current one gets 35 mpg also.
I have no need to buy a new one now, I'm sure I'll go a few years before getting a new one, this one's about 5 years old.

My husband kept the 2007 model until he bought his 2011 Mustang.

0 Replies

@OmSigDAVID,

My best friend has had a Prius Hybrid for 4 or 5 years now. Runs well. It's got the same weird windshield slope that all Toyotas do. If you don't mind that, it's a terrific car. Her family lives out in the country so it's mostly used for highway or other long-distance driving. She says it's most annoying in the city, runs the battery down faster.

Her youngest brother bought himself a Tesla as a Christmas gift last year. He has other vehicles that are primarily for city use and the Tesla is the one he uses on the highway to go to our hometown and out to the cottage. He says it's fabulous - to the point he's invested in the company.

I agree with the farmerman about the looks of the Prius, but who really buys a car for its looks eh. As a passenger I've noticed that the Prius doesn't accelerate quite the way I like a car to - but it's been a good vehicle for my friend's family - low maintenance.

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@farmerman,

farmerman wrote:

Some of the higher end cars produce a hybrid but those are really for douche bags who want to show that they care.
I have a Ford Escape Hybrid and I really like it, it has almost 200 K on it and its running like a top.
Its 4WD and I need that for work sites.
It is not as peppey (as Rog said), but I don't need to be going 120 on a mine site.
I drove a Toyota and I found it kinda, HOMELY. It has better gas mileage than my Escape but that's because its only 2WD.
I don't like the "jelly bean" look of the Prius. Other than that they have a really good record.

Thank u, farmer. I live in Florida now,
so I probably will have less need for a 4 wheel drive
than if I were still in NY.

David

0 Replies

@chai2,

My error. Hopefully, I was thinking of the Leaf. Thanks, Chai.

1 Reply

Any Opinions On the Toyota Prius Hybrid ?

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