Is the Toyate Prius as good as everyone says? I am shopping and so far its my primary choice.?

Question

Is there anything I should know now, rather than after I buy it?

Anything bad about the prius?

Anything better than a prius?

My main priorities are

1. Gas mileage/global-thermal environmentalism

2. all around "good car" (won't break down, decent resale value)

3. Comfort/feel (i haven't test driven one yet, because I hate the guilt of not buying from a dealership that gave me a test drive)

Answer 1

If your buying it for use in the US it has many things going for it.

You can haul a lot in it, people and stuff.

Their record in reliability is well proven...just ask the Yellow Cab Company.

If you are driving in short hops in city then they really pay off with the mileage benefit but if you do regular long commutes they take a big mileage hit and are little better than many gas engined compact cars.

The resale value holds well on them but that may change when in a couple of years the US starts getting more European diesels approved which are already well proven and a full decade ahead of anything the American car makers offer currently.

Prius drives very nice, and handle very well...good feel and response.

You need to test drive one and check it out...there are worse investments you could make.

Answer 2

It would seem to be a better buy for someone who does a lot of stop-and-start (city or inner suburban) driving than for someone driving rural roads and interstates. It does have a nice, smooth ride. Consumer Reports must have rated it. Have you checked them?

Answer 3

I think the techology in the Prius is probably pretty stable, and what ever problems they had in the past have been worked out.  

My main concern would be the cost of replacing the batteries at the end of their life span and any associated costs for the safe disposal.

For me the Prius doesn't make a lot of sense for where I live and how far away I am from work/home.  I drive mostly freeway miles and I've done the math, I'd get slightly worse mpg in the prius.  I drive a 4 cylinder car now.

Good luck and don't feel guiltly about a test drive.  Just tell them you'll be back after all of your research.

Answer 4

From what I understand the Prius can save/harness the energy usually lost during braking.  That's why it's good for around town driving where there's lots of stop-and-go.  On the freeway sometimes it's not better than other fuel efficient cars.

Have you considered some kind of motorbike?

Even better than owning a vehicle if you can manage it is using a bicycle and/or public transportation.

Of course if you do drive it's great to carpool.

Just for kicks you might want to check out a little vehicle called the twike.  (You can google it.)  It's very interesting.

The way you drive makes a difference too.  In any car taking it easy on both the gas and the brakes will improve mileage.

Why would you feel guilty about a test drive?  Trust me, they will not cry after you leave, even if they don't get to take your money.  They'll just move on to the next customer.

Answer 5

You should look into diesel cars as well.  New diesel cars are very clean and efficient and get just as good mileage as any hybrid.  Plus, with a diesel car you get a better looking, nicer car (a VW, MB, etc) that actually has enough power to get out of its own way.  A diesel engine is also much simpler than the overly complex drive system in a hybrid so it is less likely to fail.  

I don't know, I just think hybrids are too gimmicky.  The fuel efficiency issue can be solved with much simpler and cheaper conventional methods.  In this case, by simply using a more efficient fuel, you can have a more efficient vehicle.

But you should go test drive one anyway.  Don't feel bad about it, it's their job.  I test drove a good half dozen cars before I bought my last car.  There's no sense spending all that money unless you're sure it's the one you want.

Also, VW will be releasing a new diesel Jetta TDI early this year.  It will be under $20k for a nicely equipped model and will get over 40mpg.  You should check it out.

Answer 6

the most important thing about a car is the image, and for Prius money you could get a Beemer, and I am afraid that is a no contest, the BMW gets it every time!

Answer 7

Why would you want one. You can get a nice Diesel for less money and pollute much less. I don't understand the America's thinking. In Europe there are many nice diesels that get 50MPG. The best Hybrid gets 45. Pay more to pollute more??

The diesel will cost less, pollute less, Can also burn Bio Diesel, and is much less complex and no huge battery maintenance to deal with. What is the fascination with these things?

Answer 8

The Prius is your best bet!!!!  It is a great car, and personally i like the look, it makes a statement that you care about the environment.  Toyota is incredibly reliable.  (Due to finances, I bought the Nissan Altima instead....great car but doesn't have as good gas mileage.  I was a little disapointed when i test drove the prius, it was too high tech for me and also very very quite...that concerned me having kids around....but i still really love them and envy people who own them!)

Answer 9

its all good and economic and such, but it is such an ugly car.

Answer 10

The Toyota Prius is a roomy midsize hatchback, that comes with a lot of nifty features and tech, which just happens to have great fuel economy and low emissions. It also has great reliability ratings and a long warranty, and high US resale values (low depreciation) leading to a low total cost to own. Add in any state or local incentives (like state income tax credits or no sales tax or emission tests or single-occupant HOV lane usage or free local parking), and it is a great car to own.

The Prius is also the least expensive hybrid car available currently in the US, at $21,100 base MSRP.  http://www.toyota.com/prius/

The Prius is also the most popular hybrid choice in the US, with this one model being about 50% of all of the hybrids sold in the US.  http://www.hybridcars.com/market-dashboa...

I've never seen anyone do a cost-benefit analysis for a v4 vs v6 vs diesel engine, so why do one for a hybrid drivetrain? Most cost analysis articles neglect trade-in value which the Prius does very well in maintaining. (in some areas, used Prius are still selling for near new prices for availability and rising gasoline prices!). Don't forget to include federal and any state tax incentives in your calculation (Consumer Reports forgot, and had to issue a retraction that hybrids are cheaper to own/operate than their gasoline cousins). Edmunds.com still doesn't take into account the true depreciation value (as seen by manually looking for a Prius trade-in value) when calculating their TCO, but they still say that hybrids will pay for themselves even when using their lower than actual trade-in amounts:  http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/08/22/bc.a...

Hybrids do cost less in the long term than their conventional counterparts. (Intellichoice used a 5 year ownership comparison in 2006) See http://www.intellichoice.com/press/Hybri... and http://www.intellichoice.com/carBuying10...

While Consumer Reports in 2006 only found the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid would pay off within the same 5 year frame. The Honda Accord Hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Lexus RX400h, and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid were also studied.

(I'll note that there was a mathematical error in the initial publication of Consumer Reports' hybrid vehicle cost analysis, which a retraction was published later... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11637968/ )

Since this publication, many more hybrid models have become available, so I can't use this to say about hybrids "in general." However, in the US, the Toyota hybrids have sold so many that they no longer qualify for the US Federal hybrid vehicle income tax credit, but Honda and others still have theirs.

Check out the April issue of Consumer Reports if you want reliability information. The Toyota Prius makes their best bets for new cars and for used cars.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/...

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/...

and the best new cars under $25,000 list:  http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/...

and the Prius is best rated in owner satisfaction for the 4th year in a row:  http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/...

There is more to vehicle ownership besides initial purchase cost and the amount of gasoline used - there is also the costs to maintain and insure it, and also depreciation costs.

However, the societal costs for emissions are not usually included. The hybrids tend to be at worst an ULEV, with many (like the Prius) an AT-PZEV. Some are only sold in CA-emissions states. (Compare that to the often suggested VW TDIs, which cannot be sold new in CA-emission states because of their poor emissions.) In the US, hybrid models (like the Prius) tend to be the best in fuel economy in their respective classes, using the same testing procedure to compare all cars (hybrid/gasoline/diesel/flex-fuel/etc.), and that is for BOTH highway and city driving:  http://www.fueleconomy.gov/f*g/best/best...

Here's the 2004 Toyota Prius Green Report (life cycle assessment):

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/k_forum/tenji...

(you'll need to download the Japanese fonts for your PDF reader in order to read it, but the entire document is written in English.)

Over the lifespan of the Prius, when compared to a comparable mid-sized gasoline vehicle, the Prius comes out ahead in the life cycle assessment (LCA) for airborne emissions for CO2, NOx, SOx, HC, but  actually does worse for PM (thanks to the material and vehicle  production stages).  Measured lifespan is given as 10 years use/100,000km.  The CO2 break-even point for the 2004 Prius compared to this unnamed gasoline vehicle is given at 20,000km. (more CO2 is emitted during Prius production, but the Prius makes up for it over it's driven lifetime.)

As for fuel economy, the 2008 Toyota Prius has an EPA rating of 48MPG city/45MPG highway/46MPG combined, which is the highest fuel economy of a new 2008 vehicle available in the US:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/f*g/bymodel/2...

Other owners of this NHW20 hatchback (2004-current US model years) report about 47MPG combined.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?ac...

http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/milea...

The Prius was in Kelley Blue Book's 2007 Best Resale Value Awards:  http://www.kbb.com/kbb/ReviewsAndRatings...  though if you're not in the US resale values may differ...)

The Prius is also in edmunds' used cars best bets list as well, their lowest true cost to own list, and their highest marks for depreciation (holds their value):

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/tco/2008/...

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/bestbet/a...

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/alg/index...

Maintenance is about the same as a regular car - use your favorite mechanic or DIY. Typically just oil/filter changes and tire rotations.

Toyota scheduled maintenance guides:

http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com/

http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/...

as for cost differences, make sure that you are comparing similarly sized and equipped vehicles. If you were looking at the Camry Hybrid, it is best paired against the top of the line trim Camry XLE model, for example. For the Prius, the closest comparison is the midsize Camry Hybrid, or the Camry XLE, to match size and options (and not the smaller compact Corolla). The US state of Colorado has already done such calculations for state income tax credit purposes, and presented the incremental price difference between the hybrid and closest non-hybrid model, here:

http://www.revenue.state.co.us/fyi/html/...

The incremental price difference is:

2008 Toyota base Prius is US$2370

2008 Toyota touring Prius is US$3654

In the US: basic new vehicle (bumper to bumper) warranty is 3 years/36,000 miles. powertrain warranty for 5 years/60,000 miles. hybrid vehicle system (which includes the inverter/converter, electric motors, battery ECU, and hybrid battery) is for 8 years/100,000 miles. If an AT-PZEV Prius in a CA-emissions state, the hybrid battery pack is further covered out to 10 years/150,000 miles.  That's full warranty, not pro-rated.  There is a label on the hybrid battery pack stating who to contact in case of recycling, and that Toyota will give you a $200 bounty for it.

Remember that the Toyota Prius is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary this December 2007, so it's hardly new technology!

http://web-cache.stream.ne.jp/www09/toyo...

http://www.toyota.com/html/dyncon/2007/s...

The only real complaints I hear from other owners is:

1. The US/Canada OE Goodyear Integrity tires that come on the base (non-Touring) Prius leave a lot to be desired (see reviews of this model, a common OEM choice, at tirerack.com) for traction, and if you're expecting a lot of snow in your area and have more than a year's worth of wear on your Integritys then you should invest in some winter tires or a better set of "all season" tires...

2. The optional navigation system isn't as full-featured as many would like, and has a speed lockout on many features.  Many suggest getting an aftermarket Garmin/TomTom/etc. instead for cheaper.

3. arrogant/misinformed people telling you untruths/urban legends about the car, and telling you that you were stupid to buy it...  For example, see my response at:  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

As for comfort/feel, that really is a personal thing, and you'll have to sit in it and take one for a test drive somewhere to really tell.  (I warn you - a lot of people fall in love with the car after a test drive!)  The Prius is very quiet, even when the gasoline engine is running.  You'll enjoy the lack of vibration transmitted through the steering wheel when the gasoline engine turns off at stops.  (My RSI affected wrists do, anyways...)  With the eCVT, the acceleration is very smooth (no jerkiness of changing gears).  A few owners may find the seats hard, but an appropriate pillow usually helps.  The only real complaints I've heard is from some long-legged tall people, who just can't get the driver's seat to go far enough back for knee comfort.

Answer 11

A friend of mine bought one a few months ago and he loves it. It is roomy and comfortable. He gets about 45 MPG in town and a little more on the highway.

Answer 12

I think the Prius is the best car on the road right now.  

1) A recent study showed that it's the greeest car on the planet:

http://www.reuters.com/article/environme...

And it gets the best mileage of any car in the US right now.

2) The Prius is very reliable, lower maintenance than non-hybrids (i.e. needs oil changes less frequently, regenerative braking system saves on brake pads, etc.), and resale value is spectacular.  I looked at both used and new (was planning on buying used), and I bought my new base model '07 Prius for cheaper than I could find any models from 2004-2006.  I'm sure they had more features than my base model, but still, 3-year-old models cost more than a new Prius!  That's how good the resale value is.

3) It's very comfortable and amazingly roomy.  The Honda Civic hybrid is the main competition for the Prius.  I was next to one yesterday and looked inside, and was amazed at how little room it had compared to my Prius.  The hatchback design gives it tons of storage and back seat space.

Some people will spread myths about the batteries, but they're wrong.  The batteries are under warranty for 8-10 years, are designed to last the lifetime of the car, and no Prius has had its batteries replaced due to old age yet.  Not a single one, and they've been out in the US since 2001 (and Japan since 1998, I believe).  Some Priuses used as taxis have over 200,000 miles on the original batteries.

A few others have suggested you buy a diesel.  There are some serious problems with that suggestion.  For one thing, diesels are hard to come by in the USA.  For another, they have other emissions besides CO2.  Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) has basically solved their sulfur emissions problems, but they still emit particulates which cause health problems and nitrous oxides which cause various environmental problems.

On top of that, diesel's 15% higher density results in 15% higher greenhouse gas emissions per volume compared to gasoline.  So a diesel that gets 50 mpg is emitting as much CO2 as a gas car (or hybrid) that gets 43 mpg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel#Petr...

Basically a small diesel is better than a regular gas car, but not as good as a hybrid.  Besides which, diesels that get 50 mpg are much smaller than the mid-sized Prius, which also gets 50 mpg.  It's comparing apples to oranges.

One thing to bear in mind is that the next generation Prius should be coming out either this year or next, and is supposed to get 80 mpg in the city (as opposed to 50 mpg for the current generation).

http://www.worldcarfans.com/6070119.001/...

So you may want to inquire with a Toyota dealer as to when the next generation version is coming out before you buy one.  But regardless of which generation you buy, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.  The Prius is a great car.