Mileage report on my new Prius: Read it and weep!

I drove down to Griffin, Ga, this weekend (south of ATL) to see my ailing mom. Going down on Sunday, I was in a bit of a hurry, so I drove about 70-80 mph or so. I made a couple of side trips in Griffin (nursing home, etc), washed the car, gave free rides, and left the next morning for Atlanta. I ran a couple of errands in Atlanta.

By the time I got back on I-85 for the 145 miles to Greenville, SC, the computer was showing 51.9 MPG for the trip. I light-footed it back to Greenville (65-70). When I got back home, the computer showed 52.0 MPG.

I "filled up" at Pumpers and figured about 50.8 MPG for the 400+ mile trip.

BTW: Drove mom and dad on an excursion from the nursing home. Tried to explain the operation of the Prius. Dad was agitated (I mean, son, where the hell you plug this thing in? You have to plug it in to run this battery this quiet!). And dad has a Ph.D. from Auburn!



Best car I have ever owned. Period.

but how much do these little babies cost? I know I've read quite a few people who paid the extra $3,000 to but a hybrid something and the diff. they actually got in mileage wasn't enough different from the gas fueled car of the exact same kind, they just were unhappy.

If you don't want to answer my question, I understand. I can look it up on the net.

However recently Toyota has begun to drop the prices and has started to offer incentives. Also there are a few perks to owning a hybrid such as being able to travel on the HOV lane, exclusive parking, and federal/state incentives.

Now what I have to say may not be popular, but I would not choose to purchase a hybrid. You can buy a mechanically simpler vehicle like the VW TDI and get excellent fuel economy and run on biodiesel. Also there are many economy vehicles that get excellent fuel economy at a cheaper price and are mechanically simpler to maintain. These are things you must consider prior to purchasing a hybrid.

Here's a thread including a detailed review of a 2008 TDI prototype from one of the members at TDIClub.com...

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?s=82566dee689961fb6bf2bc33dda498c7&t=174644&page=2

Man, I wish I could afford a car payment.

And I was rebated my sales tax in SC on the purchase of the new Prius. Plus, the Prius is cool (IMHO).

hybrid vehicles get a federal tax credit for the next couple years.

Consequently I have not bought gasoline almost 4 years now.

For the difference between a 20,000 dollar gas car and a 23,000 dollar hybrid car, the 3,000 dollar difference covers the entire cost of my vehicle :)

do that anymore. There are just the two of us, but we have 4 little dogs that we take everywhwere, and I doubt they'd be too happy about squeezing into a carrier that would fit on a bike!

Thanks for the info though. I never heard of an electricmorotcycle. Mopeds...yes, but that's all.

Good for you. I'm sure you're haveing a great time...except for thecold rainy days. ;o)

I've been thinking about switching to a bike for cost effectiveness. That, and my car is getting on in age, it'll probably kick the bucket one of thses days.
I don't want something crazy, fast and/or zippy though, I've always been a bit cautious when it comes to driving. Don't get me wrong, I trust my instincts and reflexes.
It's everybody ELSE on the road who I don't trust... :)

The company that made my electric motorcycle went out of business. That does not bother me. I can get parts for the bike if I need them. I have not needed any maintenance of the bike in almost 4 years except to change an inner tire tube. For alot of repairs though I imagine a bicycle shop can do some of the repairs. They replaced my inner tube for the tire although they needed to get a special inner tube that does not fit a bicycle tire but that fit the tires I have in the Viento.

At age 57 I find driving the bike easy for me.

Search the net for electric Viento and you can perhaps find someone selling theirs used.

...http://www.evadermotorsports.com/index.php

More info here. It's pretty spendy, though, at a projected price of $10,000+.

And, if you're not into bubbles or SUVs, the hybrid industry doesn't want you.

I am not going to shell out $25,000 - $35,000 for a car I don't like and don't feel safe driving. I'm sure some people LIKE the design of the Prius and/or the SUV hybrids, but I don't. I don't find any of them in that price range very attractive, at all - not to spend that kind of money for.

Yes, I've seen some of the sports car prototypes, but, my God, they're expensive as hell - even more so than the Prius and others in that price range. Apparently, you have to be well-off (or not have kids and a mortgage on a three bedroom house) to want to do something nice for the environment.

Sigh.

They also make the Insight and Accord in hybrids as well.

At $20+K I just can't swing it - awesome gas mileage or none!

They are nice cars though, from what I keep hearing.

With that kind of gas mileage, you're bound to save money in the long run. And if you haven't noticed, gas prices ain't getting cheaper.

People always look at the initial price of some new technology and never the operating cost, which is often the real expense.

Efficiency pays dividends.

:)

Man I wish I could afford one right now.

sticker shockingly expensive. :shrug: can't win 'em all.

To what are you referring?

It took a while to learn how to drive it correctly but we are averaging between 51 and 54

I agree with you...best car I have ever owned

very comfy even with 3 kids in back.

I'm not just saying this either. I've heard it from dealers, friends who own them, and even reviews have said this.

The batteries when out of warranty would be expensive to replace also the drivetrain is more complex and many mechanics aren't aware of how to repair these vehicles. Read my post above and consider a VW TDI........

There's no gas stations in the LA area that sell biodiesel.

My bro thinks I should lease a Prius to avoid the maintenance costs, but I'm not a big fan of leasing.

Where I live in WA there is a convenient biodiesel gas station. I have never been to LA but there are stations available, but they may not be convenient......

http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/showstate.asp?st=CA

Conserv Fuel
11699 San Vicente Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90049
310-571-0039
B99 and diesel open 24/7 mc/v

more here:
http://biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/showstate.asp?st=CA

And I am sure it is a big city, and it wouldn't make sense to drive a long distance to fill up the car to fill it up with biodiesel....

to not use petroleum. That includes a long drive for biodiesel. I think it makes more sense to use biodiesel to get more biodiesel than it does to drive on petroleum.

Bill

also here's a map of filling stations:

http://biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/

We are a very Republican-heavy county, I don't think they would allow one!

Put pressure on Toyota to support PHEV Prius upgrades...!

no one I know who has one has had any problems.

(one replaced due to an accident) and so far no maintenance costs beyond the ususal oil changes, etc.

I'm not too worried about the batteries, with a warranty like that.

You need a mechanic who has been trained on hybrids to work on a hybrid.
You need a mechanic who has been trained on diesels to work on a diesel.

The mechanic at the corner gas station (an endangered species anyway)
is probably not trained to work on either.

... to a Plug-in before that 10 years expires, if you still have the car are are so inclined.

town. Most of us understand if you can't put out the money to buy the best new thing on the market. We can all do better if we drive with some forethought and planing. I used to get 24/28 mpg with my "balls to the walls" driving style. I changed my driving style when I chose to not support an economy that didn't support me.

Make the best of what you've got. Use a light foot when you accelerate, let gravity be your friend, and pay attention to the traffic ahead of you. There are tons of other good ideas out there to boost your fuel mileage. Do a search on hyper-milers and I'm sure you'll find a wealth of information. Beyond the concept of fuel economy, you'll find that smart driving techniques are also safer driving practices. If your insurance company gives rate reductions for safe driving, those savings will probably match the savings from a change in driving style unless you drive 50 miles or more to work.

Very good warranties.

Every 5000 miles: Change oil, rotate tires, check engine+cabin filters. This is the schedule for the first 120,000 miles in the service log book. THATS IT. :)

Batteries are designed to out last the car. The battery pack is made up of 12 nickel-metal-hydride modules; if you lose one, it DOES NOT make the car un-usable. I only recall one battery failure due to the computer which controlled the charging system failing. It wasn't the battery itself. Keep in mind the technology Toyota is using is 10 years old. Honda/Ford are using D-Cell type batteries in their hybrids... eek...

I have 60k miles on my 05 Prius. I plan on keeping it to at least 250k miles. Only one service issue, leaky mechanical water pump, replaced under warranty two years ago, since the dealer had the parts in stock (gas engine is related to the one in the old Toyota Echo) they took care of it while I had it in for an oil change.

But I may opt for a Civic Hybrid instead - there's a Honda dealer close to my house, but no Toyota dealer.

Toyota is an electric base with gas boost.
Honda is a gas base with electric boost.

Therefore, most recent Toyota Prius' have the hypothetical ability to run as electric-only vehicles for daily commutes -- with the near-term availability of after-market PHEV upgrades.

regular car. The Prius's used as taxis went 300K miles with no major repairs or hybrid drive problems.

They have the go-green edition, and outlined how they bought 20 Prius, 10 hybrid trucks and 7 hybrid SUV's for the city, with more coming. They stated the Prius is not only cleaner and cheaper to operate, but is 50% cheaper for maint. than the regular fleet vehicles.

Almost zero polluting emissions.

We love ours, too.

Not sure I understand.

the EPA has classified the Prius as having "near zero emission." Obviously there is some.

Obviously the Prius is not Zero Emissions. If a car were truly that, then the energy to charge the batteries would have to come from solar panels, windmills, or the like....

(Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle). When the car is running entirely on battery, it's not emitting exhaust. Of course, these periods are paid for the rest of the time, as the car keeps the battery charged.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/ccvl/2006sulevpzevlist.htm

PRIUS
1.5L
GAS/BA
6TYXV01.5MC1
LEV II SULEV
0.2+
ATPZEV - HEV TECHNOLOGY (E)
A-014-0522

Seems that the rocket scientists in the Georgia DOT set a minimum threshold level on their automotive emissions tests, below which it was assumed that you were cheating. Thus the failure by the ultra-clean Prius.

:rofl: no really, good for you! More people should own hybrids.

My car runs on used vegetable oil. Virtually no petroleum.



Not to knock hybrids per se, but you know a regular old diesel will get you just about the same mileage, and you can run it on biodiesel instead. might not look as cool as your car, tho.

this article compares hybrids to diesels:

http://www.solarbus.org/articles/060801-diesels.shtml

Vegi diesel in an old tech diesel engine spews out gobs of particulate and NOx. It may smell ok, but its still toxic.

Though a newer diesel with catalytic converters running B20/B100 may be a great engine to put in a hybrid. Best of both worlds. :)

particulate matter is cut by 50% with biodiesel. see:

http://biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/emissions.pdf

also you have to consider the whole life cycle of Carbon, in respect to biofuels. The net affect is negative - more CO2 is absorbed by the plants while they grow, than is put into the atmosphere while you drive and burn it.

Comparing a 20 year old diesel running bio to a current generation Toyota Prius on gasoline, the mileage may be comparable, but not the pollution (emissions).

Even with a current model TDI, pollution is higher: http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/E-VOLKSWAGEN-Jetta-06.htm

Compared to: http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/E-TOYOTA-Prius-06.htm

Even if you factor 50% improvement with using biodiesel, and coat the radiator with a catalyst for the increased ground level ozone emitted by biodiesel. :)

Maybe with low sulfur diesel plus catalytic converters, particulate traps, urea injection, the diesels will be as good or better, at least until those support systems run out or clog up. ;)

The ability to turn OFF the engine and run with pure electric power like a full hybrid makes a big difference, especially in urban areas. With current technology, it's the best way today. ;)

I want one soooo badly - but my hubby isn't ready to switch.


waaahhhh

:cry:

eom

over the past 15 years or so. Emissions have always been a concern with diesels, but Europe is so far ahead of us with regards to cleaner fuel and better emission controls on the vehicles. The new Tier 2 Bin 5 regulations taking hold here have forced the oil companies to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel and the car manufacturers to come up with better ways of managing the emissions. There will be several new diesel models available in the next couple of years from VW, Daimler-Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, BMW and Mitsubishi...

So I've been riding this

100 mpg, 55-60 mph, and it's a blast to drive.

It's not very nice to try and play NEENER NEENER.

My USED Saturn (bought for $800.00) in 40K miles has cost me tires (at purchase), front brakes (rotors and pads: >$50.00 plus one hour to install), and oil changes.

Best part of all? ZERO carbon/resource burden to purchase. As a used vehicle, nobody had to MAKE IT for me.

You'll have drive that Prius for 15 years just to erase the Carbon and resource burden to MAKE IT.

There was also a model of Honda Civic at the time that did about that. I still drive a "kei" class van here in J-land that gets almost that good mileage.

The emissions are comprarable too, so why is it that we should be lining up to buy more expensive, more complex (IE more things to break later on down the line) hybrids with toxic-filled batteries?


Would it be so much to ask for the car makers would meet the need for low-cost, high-mileage cars?

Here in Japan, about 40% of the cars sold are already in the ultra-economy class, and guess what? They're pretty cheap.

I think the Prius is a great idea, if you can afford it - don't get me wrong.

But my Sprint got great mileage and had plenty of cargo space, and it was like 7.5 grand brand new.




It was peppy and fun. I loved it. The van I drive now is Suzuki-built too.

and it was about $7,000 brand new. I put 250,000 miles on it. It was an awesome but incredibly gutless car. It's really sad that in twenty years almost nothing has been done to improve fuel economy, and yet people crow about their stupid Priuses. South Park was right. They are a major cause of smug.

It'd be theoretically better for the environment to purchase a used Spectrum and some carbon offsets. Over five years, you'd still come in cheaper than a stupid Prius.

First I had the 87 Sprint with the 5 speed. It's built by Suzuki, who are known in Japan for innovation and good design of light cars with small engine displacement.

Despite the fact that the Sprint had a 1.0 liter, 3 cyl. engine, it seemed a lot peppier than the Chevy Spectrum I had a couple of years later (because I totalled my Sprint :cwy: teenage driver)

The Spectrum had a 1.5 liter 4 cyl. engine, and was built by Isuzu, and as you said, was quite gutless.

Right now I'm driving a 1990 Mazda Scrum van built by Suzuki. It is small on the outside, but you can still fit a small sofa in the back with the seat down. And I get great gas mileage, but it would take me a while to do the math from the metric system in use here.

I agree. It seems sad the we are supposed to congratulate Toyota for producing a car that gets the same gas mileage I got on my Sprint TWENTY YEARS AGO (can I be that old?).

The whole trend in the 90s of everyone buying those hideous view-blocking stupid SUVs just baffled me. Ugly AND inefficient, not to mention poserish, I just hated them. By the end of the 90s, even the minivans had gotten really big to the point of no longer being mini.

But I guess the Prius is the economy car for people who see themselves as too cool to drive an actual economy car...

But then again, few car companies are offering decent economy cars in the states anymore.

Your mind would be blown if you came to Japan. The "kei" class of small cars is very competitive, with all the makers innovating to come up with ways to fit within the restrictions of the kei class (certain weight, length& width restrictions as well as a maximum 660 cc. engine) and you'd be amazed how much power, comfort and space they eke out of those limitations. They are fun to drive. By far the most popular model here is the Suzuki Wagon R.



You can get one brand new for about JPY 800000 (About $7000 US)

You gonna tell me there wouldn't be working people in the US lined up to buy a car that economical if it was available in the US? I guess not enough markup? Honestly, I can't figure out why such cars would be considered unviable in the US market...

cars here more or less equal penises or vaginas. There's some sort of screwed up sexual politic. If you don't have some huge throbbing hummer, you've got a giant gaping Prius.

Personally, I drive a relatively new convertible beetle. It doesn't get great gas mileage, but I only put about 7k a year on it. So I have the exact same effect on the environment as someone who drives a brand new Prius an average amount of miles. I only drive my car to the train station and back, and occasionally for nice drives in the countryside on weekends.

Well. Aren't we the judgmental one.

Considering the bridge that has to be made between roads filled with living rooms on four wheels (SUV's) and the cars we will have in the future (like you have shown), and particularly considering the bridge provided to PHEV's, the Prius is one fine piece of engineering.

And I would like to see someone compare mileage between an economy Civic and a Prius in real world stop- and-go commuting.

kind of mileage.

VW Beetle wins fuel economy prize: 76 mpg

Over the Labor Day weekend, the TDI Club had it's annual get-together called "TDI Fest." The club has a large percentage of car efficiency enthusiasts that have chosen diesel technology instead of hybrids. TDI (short for "Turbocharged Direct Injection" is Volkswagen's label for it's highly-efficient automobile diesel engines. 150 people showed up for the three-day affair near Madison, Wisconsin. They were a small segment of the approximately 35,000 club members that have registered at http://www.tdiclub.com. The meeting was about efficiency and also about high performance. With a TDI-powered car, you can definitely have both.

Attendees drove to the meeting from all over the U.S. and Canada to show off their beloved fuel-sipping cars. Cars were entered in a variety of competitions from road rallying to extreme fuel economy.

The fuel economy prize was won by Ernie Rogers from Pleasant Grove, Utah. His winning car is a 2003 VW Beetle TDI. He drove 1375 miles to get to the meeting using just 18 gallons of fuel-- 1200 miles of which was accomplished on just one tankfull (15.5 gallons). His trip fuel economy was 76 miles per gallon.

Rogers' car included several small refinements that added up to the exceptional mileage: a drag reducing device he designed and built himself (pictures at http://www.max-mpg.com), lower-rolling-resistance tires, low-friction engine oil, and use of a B5 biodiesel blend fuel to increase efficiency and improve emissions.

The hottest topic of conversation at the meeting, and the subject of a popular technical session, was on the benefits of using biodiesel or biodiesel-blend fuels. Most of the attendees were either already using biodiesel or had decided to start. It was noted that research in Canada had shown that a fuel blend with only 1% biodiesel can increase a car's fuel economy by as much as 14% while substantially lowering emissions.

Biodiesel is one of many new sulfur-free diesel engine fuels now entering the market in small quantities. Most of the new fuels (including biodiesel) are not made from petroleum, but from a number of renewable sources. Biodiesel can be made from soybean oil, canola oil, or other seed oils, and from many oily wastes such as animal fats. Low-grade oils and fats that are not fit for use in foods have now found a new usefulness. In the future, we will be able to make renewable diesel fuels from other wastes such as garbage and leftovers from harvesting of many crops including wood.

Diesel engines provide exceptionally high torque at low rpm, as well as 43% peak efficiency, higher than any other type of engine. While diesels gained a bad reputation in the past for high emissions, newly developed engines have overcome the problem, running clean on fuels with very low sulfur content.

Diesel engines naturally emit less carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) because of their higher efficiency.

For more in-depth information on TDI cars and TDI Fest, go to http://www.tdiclub.com Warning: If you were thinking of buying a TDI car, expect disappointment. These cars have become very scarce because of high fuel prices.

http://www.green-trust.org/2005/09/vw-beetle-wins-fuel-economy-prize-76.html

I am a little bit disappointed.

the more hybrids sold the better. Soon they will make them so you can plug them in, that is when mpg will become over 100.You could drive all electric around town.

:yourock:

I like the boat in the back, myself. However, wind power won't do for my commute. :-(

Bill

And guzzlin' that 115/145 AVGAS ..

If you're already breaking 50 mpg, you're doing something right. When you slow down further, you should see the mid-fifties consistently--or better, as the car teaches you to drive.

Even more when I fill it with the "Magical Biodiesel" from an Exxon station in Northern NJ when I'm visiting Haruka. That adds about an extra 100 miles onto the tank.

Now if they'd get on the ball and come up with a hybrid minivan, I'd be happy. :)

Very cool car, though. Glad it works out so well for you!

I really hope to see one here in the US soon.

http://toyota.jp/estimahybrid/

If everyone just makes the lifestyle changes that they CAN make (easily and with no discomfort) we can make a huge impact.

You need the cargo space, so the Prius won't work for you. But you can use reuseable canvass grocery bags or recycle or use efficient light bulbs.

Often people throw up their hands because they feel overwhelmed by the changes. That keeps them from making ANY changes (that may not apply to you, but your situation just reminds me of it).

We have to encourage people to FIRST: Do what you CAN and CELEBRATE it! Later, you can do more, make other changes, and have more impact.

I'm psyched now. Thanks!

Nice ride :)

That's roughly the same mileage I'm getting on this. But I bet you're a lot more comfortable in the rain and cold :P

I'm having tons of fun with my high mpg ride though :evilgrin:

I couldn't afford a Prius, though I very badly wanted one!
However, I looked at (and bought) a Yaris.

According to most stuff I've read, its the most fuel efficient subcompact out there.
I do a LOT of highway driving, and I've been getting between 36 and 40 mpg.
Zippy little thing, very cute (my husband calls it a "roller skate".)
$16,500 at a SoCal dealer.

Turned out to be the best alternative for me.
I'll wait a couple of years, see what's on the market then, and give a Prius/comparable car another go!

However, for now, I'm VERY happy with my "L8EJANE". (License plate!)

$3,150 tax credit. That's a tax CREDIT, baby! Not a deduction. First time I was happy doing my taxes.

Incidentally, the credit is being phased out. Might not even be available anymore for Toyotas.

which is a really good thing.

Didn't consumer reports do the long term estimates and it cost a bit more than a similar gas car?

Wonder why when someone buys an Audi, Infiniti, Corvette, etc. etc. we hear no carping about cost effectiveness.

People pay extra for these cars for a reason.

Guess a smaller carbon footprint is not considered an adequate reason to pay a little extra in the modern consumoeconomy.

have a ten year warranty, once you get near the 10 year mark won't the resale value be poor since I hear it cost several thousand dollars to replace them?

They have fairly poor acceleration doesn't that have the potential to make them kind of unsafe for freeway driving?

If you keep the car over ten years won't the high cost of batteries pretty much eat up the cost savings you made on gas over the years?

Is there ANYTHING you don't like, no matter how trivial? I'm thinking of buying one and have heard nothing but good from other owners. But nothing is perfect, is it?

a memory that I would rather not relive so don't ask me anything about what happened when I test drove one. It's bumper cover in the front is way to close to the ground. LOL