2008 Toyota Prius

[Sharon]

Does anybody here own one and is ok, at peace now, with gasoline prices?

[RememberTheName]

I desperately want one, but have no means to pay for it. They get 40 something a gallon I think... and while it certainly wouldn't make the prices any better, at least I could get by on knowing a tank lasts longer than everyone elses.

[cryo]

The downside to the Prius is the higher cost over many other gas-efficient cars. I once read from an auto journalist that it takes about 5 years of driving a new Prius to make up the premium paid to get the car with gas savings. You would be better of, or no worse, at least, driving a small, economical car like a Civic, Corolla, etc. They are smaller, and aren't as "cool" as hybrids are to drive (I owned a hybrid back in 2002-2003), but the cost is the trade-off.

You may want a used Prius to at least save on the price. You let the first owner take the big hit and depreciation, and you get your desired car. The Prius hasn't changed since the second generation came out in 2005 (or 06)? and since Toyotas run forever without problems, a used Prius is a reliable bet.

The Prius will average in the mid to high 40s, but in cold climates that average drops a lot in the winter, like any car's mileage does, so don't expect the high 50s like they advertise, because we all know EPA ratings for mileage are high. They just came out with a new rating system in the last year or two to more accurately reflect real world mileage expectations.

[ConsumingFire]

I have a 2007, which is basically the same. And we are always underspending in our gas budget now. (Groceries is another story :) ).

[ConsumingFire]

The downside to the Prius is the higher cost over many other gas-efficient cars. I once read from an auto journalist that it takes about 5 years of driving a new Prius to make up the premium paid to get the car with gas savings. You would be better of, or no worse, at least, driving a small, economical car like a Civic, Corolla, etc. They are smaller, and aren't as "cool" as hybrids are to drive (I owned a hybrid back in 2002-2003), but the cost is the trade-off.

A Corolla is quite a bit smaller than a Prius. If you want cheapest cost of ownership you should really consider a Yaris.

Don't forget the tax breaks on Hybrids right now. Had over a 3k rebate on my state taxes, and abotu 500 bucks rebate on my federal.

And the cost of ownership has a lot to do with number of miles and type of driving. Hybrids do not make much sense for someone like my mom that drives perhaps 5k miles a year. I commute at 25k miles per year, so the numbers add up much better.

[ConsumingFire]

BTW - I used to live in the town where I worked. God had us move (completely a faith thing) to where we could put our kiddos in a phenomenal Christian school and attend a great church. To do this meant I needed to move 45 miles from where I work.

I ended up selling my Audi (oh so much fun to drive) and get a more practical Prius. The Honda hybrid was a little cheaper to purchase and still had a better federal tax rebate - but I am glad I got the Prius. It's still and economy car, and not fun like the Audi. But I did my break even pricing at below $3.00 a gallon and it feels really good now.

I useually get 43MPG per tank. Have gotten close to 50, when I do not use the interstate as much (speed kills mpg). Worst tanks were around 38MPG during some winter months with more warm up / idling / etc.

Marantha!
Robert

[ConsumingFire]

I once read from an auto journalist that it takes about 5 years of driving a new Prius to make up the premium paid to get the car with gas savings. You would be better of, or no worse, at least, driving a small, economical car like a Civic, Corolla, etc.

Biggest problem I have with these "journalistic" comparisons is they usually do not compare apples to apples. i.e. what is the premium of a hybrid? One cannot compare a Corolla to a Prius - may as well say that a Corolla is cheaper to own than a Camry.

Best bet is to compare equivalent cars with equivalent trim packages. For example the Honda Civic Hybrid - vs upgraded Honda Civic. Then the break even requires high mileage, until you factor in tax breaks - in which case the hybrid may be less expensive.

-Robert

[FaithContender]

We have 2003 Civic and we get 40mpg on the highway:yeah

[ConsumingFire]

We have 2003 Civic and we get 40mpg on the highway:yeah

Thats' great.

I would have probably gotten a used Civic, had it not been for the governments contribution towards my Hybrid (actually they just are letting people keep their own money). What I really wanted, as an economy car, was a Jetta - but they have similar maintenance cost issues as an Audi - not really practical from a total cost of ownership point for the amount of driving I have to do.

In Christ,
Robert

[avenger72286]

why don’t you guys just buy a motorcycle? mine is a suzuki 06 gsxr 600 sport bike and i still get 40mpg and at a fraction of the price of hybrid.:thumb did i mention my insure insurance is only $180/ year?