Fuel Economy

[KrazyDawg]

Originally Posted by BailOut

That's certainly true, but then you'd have spent at least twice as much for the Prius which takes an awful long time to break even on, and there are batteries to contend with.

Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with batteries and would absolutely love to have an electric car. I just don't care for the hybrid concept, or the tiny battery that the Prius uses which mandates a lot of load on it.

I've purchased all my cars used. I've seen a used Prius at Enterprise for around 16-17k. My used Yaris was 10,600. I commute 130 miles a day but I don't plan on having this commute forever. I would probably break even sooner than the average person but you can't go wrong with either car.

There are reports of the original batteries on Ford Escape hybrids running past 300,000 miles. http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/...000-plus-miles A Prius taxi driver in Canada was still running past 200,000 miles. I don't have any doubts about maintenace or longevity on the batteries.

[daf62757]

Originally Posted by KrazyDawg

I've purchased all my cars used. I've seen a used Prius at Enterprise for around 16-17k. My used Yaris was 10,600. I commute 130 miles a day but I don't plan on having this commute forever. I would probably break even sooner than the average person but you can't go wrong with either car.

There are reports of the original batteries on Ford Escape hybrids running past 300,000 miles. http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/...000-plus-miles A Prius taxi driver in Canada was still running past 200,000 miles. I don't have any doubts about maintenace or longevity on the batteries.

You can always find the exception to the norm. All it takes is one time and you are stuck with a fortune in battery replacement costs. A Yaris battery is cheap..and the cost benefit of a Yaris over a Prius or any other hybrid is a no brainer.

[KrazyDawg]

Originally Posted by daf62757

You can always find the exception to the norm. All it takes is one time and you are stuck with a fortune in battery replacement costs. A Yaris battery is cheap..and the cost benefit of a Yaris over a Prius or any other hybrid is a no brainer.

It's unfortunate when it happens even to the most reliable brands out there. A battery replacement at Art's Automotive would be around $2850 (including labor) if the battery packs remain at $2500. http://www.artsautomotive.com/hybrid...e-prius-hybrid

Battery replacement on 1st gen Prius: http://www.artsautomotive.com/hybrid...ius-hv-battery

Art's Automotive from a mechanic's standpoint does point out that overall the maintenance cost and gas savings on a hybrid will cost you more than purchasing a high MPG commuter car like the Prius or "new" Fiesta.

I'm still trying to break the 40 MPG barrier and I have an Ecometer on the way. I'm going to try testing it with A/C on/off, fresh air vs circulating with with A/C off, etc to see what the MPG impact is.