Toyota Prius

[mistermcgoo]

My wife uses a 2008 Prius on her mail route; can't get much more punishing than that. It now has 111k on it; one front wheel bearing failed, that's it. For winter it is not well suited in deep snow of course, but the traction control works well for snow and ice conditions. For deep snow and terrible ice she uses the Dakota quad cab V6; great truck.

She averages about 38 with the Prius on the route, 10-12 with the truck. Having worked for USPS for over 20 years, we've learned a thing or two about which vehicles work and don't in harsh driving conditions. Factor in tires and brakes costs, and the Prius wins hands down. She had a Honda CR-V; great vehicle. Unfortunately, the American 4 cylinder vehicles she tried did not hold up.

Batteries last a long time in Toyota hybrids. I never would have given one the time of day until running across a thread at Prius chat and found out there are many carriers using them. My stereotypical views went out the window after owning one. Our teenage son however hasn't warmed up to it.

 

[powerpace]

I gave up trying to explain to individuals in this thread months ago. The facts presented to them and references provided don't penetrate the bias and prejudices.
I'm on my second Prius. The savings in fuel costs nearly paid for the second Prius bought. 200,000 Miles on the '08. Gave it to the kids and it still gets 45-47 mpg., loaded. The wife drives 150 miles round trip three or more times per week for work. Plus other trips.

 

[houstonscott]

I gave up too, trying to explain hauling batteries is not a good idea. You don't have to sacrifice the driving experience to get good mileage. I own a BMW 335d and routinely exceed 42mpg of diesel, in a real car with real handling, that if I hit a dog I don't loose, plus think sub 6 seconds to 60mph. Diesel always trumps gas in CO2 emissions, just the chemical process of burning each fuel, so if CO2 is your thing high pressure diesel is the answer. I guess I'm for anyone being able to buy what ever they want. But I don't think ripping up Africa by Chinese companies for the rare earth minerals to make those batteries and building a highway through the Seringeti National Park to bring them to market is not a good idea either. Hauling weight is looser. Without the US government buying them they would go away, US government buys 1 in 4 of them. Prius in not green, what ever that means today.

HS

 

[troutsqueezer]

My wife has a 2009 Hybrid Camry which I believe has the same drive system as the Prius. She has 82k miles on it and has been virtually trouble free. We looked at the Prius, my wife didn't like the giant dash, and I didn't like the overall size, it was too compact for my likes. She is getting 36-38 mpg which was a huge improvement over her 2001 Chrysler 300M that got 19 mpg.

Oddly enough, the Prius and the Camry have about the same interior space. You'd never guess it. Prius can fit larger items thru the hatchback and has tie downs as well. I am a big fan of the Camry however, having owned a couple.

 

[troutsqueezer]

You don't have to sacrifice the driving experience to get good mileage.

HS

My driving experience consists solely of going from point A to point B. The Prius handles and accelerates well enough, faster than my new Corolla in fact. Any handling beyond that, I lost interest when I hit my late twenties.

 

[houstonscott]

My driving experience consists solely of going from point A to point B. The Prius handles and accelerates well enough, faster than my new Corolla in fact. Any handling beyond that, I lost interest when I hit my late twenties.

Well, then Prius is for you!

HS

 

[powerpace]

I gave up too, trying to explain hauling batteries is not a good idea. You don't have to sacrifice the driving experience to get good mileage. I own a BMW 335d and routinely exceed 42mpg of diesel, in a real car with real handling, that if I hit a dog I don't loose, plus think sub 6 seconds to 60mph. Diesel always trumps gas in CO2 emissions, just the chemical process of burning each fuel, so if CO2 is your thing high pressure diesel is the answer. I guess I'm for anyone being able to buy what ever they want. But I don't think ripping up Africa by Chinese companies for the rare earth minerals to make those batteries and building a highway through the Seringeti National Park to bring them to market is not a good idea either. Hauling weight is looser. Without the US government buying them they would go away, US government buys 1 in 4 of them. Prius in not green, what ever that means today.

HS

"Like I said". No explaining to those already made up minds. Research what Hybrid model was the #1 seller in the U.S. Not everyone needs or wants a vehicle that gets off the line faster than everyone else. When I travel I see more Prius than anyother Hybrid or specific model of any conventional vehicle. The battery in the Prius is about the same size as a large truck battery, only flatter.

http://www.hybridcars.com/decision/top-10-hybrid-myths.html

 

[salopez]

plus the prius is the least stolen car in america....

 

[IslandTractor]

I gave up too, trying to explain hauling batteries is not a good idea. You don't have to sacrifice the driving experience to get good mileage. I own a BMW 335d and routinely exceed 42mpg of diesel, in a real car with real handling, that if I hit a dog I don't loose, plus think sub 6 seconds to 60mph. Diesel always trumps gas in CO2 emissions, just the chemical process of burning each fuel, so if CO2 is your thing high pressure diesel is the answer. I guess I'm for anyone being able to buy what ever they want. But I don't think ripping up Africa by Chinese companies for the rare earth minerals to make those batteries and building a highway through the Seringeti National Park to bring them to market is not a good idea either. Hauling weight is looser. Without the US government buying them they would go away, US government buys 1 in 4 of them. Prius in not green, what ever that means today.

HS

I like your taste in cars but comparing a $50,000 BMW to a $25,000 Pious ain't exactly apples to apples. Still, I wish there was a diesel electric hybrid sold in the USA.

I'm surprised you are concerned about digging up Africa for minerals or building a road to transport them. I presume you have no problem digging up Canada for shale oil or building a pipeline through the US to carry same.

 

[salopez]

I thought reasearch found that diesel electric hybrids don't fair better in fuel economy due to diesel having alot of low end tq? that and america hates diesel. i think we would be better off with a small compact diesel pickup with tall gears....35 mpgs would be nice.

we averaged 25 with 32 highway mpg with my wifes diesel liberty. i would take that over a prius anyday.

oh and an awesome fact...prius' burn more fuel every year than all ferraris ever have.....

 

[houstonscott]

That's why they won't even steal them, no one wants them, like I said without government altering the market and subsidizing them they would disappear from the market. High pressure diesel trumps all.
For you number guys like islandtractor and all you Prius drivers who may have the wrong idea about what you own.

http://www.autobytel.com/toyota/pri...ns-showdown-toyota-prius-vs-hummer-h2-105357/

HS

 

[murphy1244]

That's why they won't even steal them, no one wants them, like I said without government altering the market and subsidizing them they would disappear from the market. High pressure diesel trumps all.
For you number guys like islandtractor and all you Prius drivers who may have the wrong idea about what you own.

Emissions Showdown: Toyota Prius vs HUMMER H2 | Autobytel.com

HS

What crap!

 

[txdon]

That's why they won't even steal them, no one wants them, like I said without government altering the market and subsidizing them they would disappear from the market.

There have been no Government Subsidizing for over 6 years (maybe more). They are hard to steal because the electronics start button is in the dash and they look funny. The bottom line gas savings is real, but it is not for hauling any kind of a load.

 

[houstonscott]

I hate to notify the green crowd but a battery is one of the most toxic things ever created by man, maybe only nuke power being above them. A car full of hundreds of pounds of them is a rolling superfund clean up waiting to happen. Thank god there are so few so we don't have to deal with them down the road, at accident scenes, and one parked on the rural property near your creek rusting out, leaking that crap into the water system. Dioxin poisoning is almost forever.
Want a good laugh Prius guys watch this...You got duped.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/727346/

HS

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I saw a small fender bender where a Prius was rear ended with a fair amount of damage. When the fire dpt got there, they hosed the whole Prius down with some kind of foam. I could tell the owner was fuming. They should've sprayed him down to cool him off too.

Not sure of Prius batteries, but nickel metal hydride is not good stuff and China controls the lithium market worldwide. And they know it and put "export" tariffs on it while throwing a fit if we even mention import tariffs.

That being said, if I could find a Prius that the price was right, I'd consider buying one. I just don't think it would fit the Ops needs safely.

 

[IslandTractor]

That's why they won't even steal them, no one wants them, like I said without government altering the market and subsidizing them they would disappear from the market. High pressure diesel trumps all.
For you number guys like islandtractor and all you Prius drivers who may have the wrong idea about what you own.

http://www.autobytel.com/toyota/prius/2009/reviews/emissions-showdown-toyota-prius-vs-hummer-h2-105357/

HS

That article has been debunked numerous times. No way the Pious has as big a footprint as the Hummer.

 

[houstonscott]

You sound like a denier of science. Hum.

HS.

 

[mistermcgoo]

I hate to notify the green crowd but a battery is one of the most toxic things ever created by man, maybe only nuke power being above them. A car full of hundreds of pounds of them is a rolling superfund clean up waiting to happen. Thank god there are so few so we don't have to deal with them down the road, at accident scenes, and one parked on the rural property near your creek rusting out, leaking that crap into the water system. Dioxin poisoning is almost forever.
Want a good laugh Prius guys watch this...You got duped.

BMW M3 vs Toyota Prius MPG Competition - Video

HS

Well houstonscott, I asked my wife and she doesn't know anyone using a Beemer for delivering mail; can't figure out why, they're only $20k more than a Prius. It is doubtful we would have bought a Prius for other than the mail route. The really good laugh would be watching someone with more money that brains driving a BMW to deliver mail or other similar delivery service, diesel or otherwise.

The battery is 89 lbs, not hundreds, they are fully recyclable and Toyota pays $200 finder fee for them. Ok, so you've got a bug up your rear for Prius cars and apparently their owners for daring to buy one. OTOH I may be misreading what your point is. If you are poking fun at Greenies for thinking they are "saving the planet", then I get it; wouldn't be the first time I misread people.

What's the ROI comparing a BMW 335d to a Prius? Somewhere around infinity I'd say, and last I checked diesel is about $.65 more per gallon.

Personally I could care less what anyone buys and could care even less what the "CO2 footprint" is, but leave it alone ok? Now a Chevy Volt.....that's a different story; the modern day Edsel.

 

[powerpace]

Well houstonscott, I asked my wife and she doesn't know anyone using a Beemer for delivering mail; can't figure out why, they're only $20k more than a Prius. It is doubtful we would have bought a Prius for other than the mail route. The really good laugh would be watching someone with more money that brains driving a BMW to deliver mail or other similar delivery service, diesel or otherwise.

The battery is 89 lbs, not hundreds, they are fully recyclable and Toyota pays $200 finder fee for them. Ok, so you've got a bug up your rear for Prius cars and apparently their owners for daring to buy one. OTOH I may be misreading what your point is. If you are poking fun at Greenies for thinking they are "saving the planet", then I get it; wouldn't be the first time I misread people.

What's the ROI comparing a BMW 335d to a Prius? Somewhere around infinity I'd say, and last I checked diesel is about $.65 more per gallon.

Personally I could care less what anyone buys and could care even less what the "CO2 footprint" is, but leave it alone ok? Now a Chevy Volt.....that's a different story; the modern day Edsel.

MISTERMCGOO. Give it up. I tried explaining the advantages of a Prius and I find that most of the people refusing to understand are from the Red States.
Minds fixed and blocking all usefull knowledge to advance civilization.

 

[Pops15]

Like anything else there will be those for and those against, and a certain percentage from each group will overstate their side's case. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.

Around here if they're not driving postal Jeeps the rural carriers mostly drive Jeeps, Chevy SUV's or Fords. We've recently had two that drove Crown Vics. Apparently the increased fuel costs are more than offset by lower maintenance costs.

I have a friend that's an engineer and I'd say he's very conscious of how he treats the planet. He's done a lot of research on the hybrids and electrics. He says the making of the batteries is a huge environmental issue that is mostly being swept under the rug, and in time will become a more prominent issue.

One of my customers has a hybrid car. I don't remember what it is. He indicated it got 47MPG on the highway. He said the car was expensive. I asked what the payback was. He laughed and said gas would have to be about 7 bucks a gallon for it to make financial sense to buy that kind of car. He said you don't buy these to save money, you buy them to save the planet. If that's what makes him happy, more power to him.

So I wonder what the OP did? I hope he found something more suited to carrying a load than a Prius. While they me be a fine car, what he had in mind wouldn't be a safe set up.