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Toyota Prius

PureAuteur

By PureAuteur
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PureAuteur

PureAuteur

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I'm thinking of buying a Prius. Does anyone know someone who owns one and have heard anything about them and their reliability? I am just wondering because it's a new technology, so I want to make sure it's safe before I buy one.

I'm kind of glad gas prices are going up so high. These people who buy enormous gas guzzling cars are finally getting what they deserve.

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MidtownCoog

MidtownCoog

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MSRP: $20,975

City Mileage: 60 mpg Hwy Mileage: 51 mpg

Pros: Outstanding mileage, ultralow emissions, generous amount of interior room, hatchback utility, reasonable price, excellent build quality.

Cons: Less power than other midsize sedans, some confusing controls, real-world driving results in lower mileage than the window sticker suggests.

What Edmunds.com says: A full-featured midsize family sedan that just so happens to be the most fuel-efficient and earth-friendly sedan on the market as well. The fact that it starts at just $20K makes it all the more attractive.

------------------------------

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jm1fd

jm1fd

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Hybrids don't make economic sense unless you plan to put around 250k miles on it, and expect to make no major repairs on it. They may get better gas mileage, but it is not "better enough" to have any sort of reasonable payback period. If you want mileage and guaranteed reliability, buy a Corolla.

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UrbaNerd

UrbaNerd

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Hmm...well, it costs about the same as a Camry(starting around 20K), with nearly as much room inside, and about double the Fuel Economy. IMO, very well worth it. I might get one, in fact.

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jm1fd

jm1fd

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Hmm...well, it costs about the same as a Camry(starting around 20K), with nearly as much room inside, and about double the Fuel Economy.  IMO, very well worth it.  I might get one, in fact.

Uhhhh....the Camry starts at $16,800 invoice....so let's say $17,000. You're not going to save $3k in fuel with the Prius unless you keep it for a loooooong time. Don't expect to double the mileage either.

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RedScare

RedScare

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It's getting closer and closer to being worth it everyday. The Chronicle says today that gas is up to $2.32 per gallon as of Friday. And the predictions are that it will keep rising, since oil is at $67 a barrell.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3308794

A 2006 Camry is rated a combined 28.5 mpg. A 2005 Prius is a combined 55.5 mpg. At 15,000 miles per year, a Camry will cost $1221 in gas, versus $627 for a Prius, a difference of $594. In 5 years, it pays for itself.

If gas goes to $3.00, the Prius will pay for itself in less than 4 years.

If you wait till January to buy, there is a tax credit that goes with the Prius, adding to the savings.

EDIT: Corolla gets 34-36 mpg. Not too shabby, either. Lincoln Navigator still gets 15.5 mpg. Wouldn't you love to have one of those when gas hits 3 bucks.

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travelguy_73

travelguy_73

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My boss has a decked-out Prius, and it's way cool, and has been ultra-reliable. Hybrids are as much about making a statement as the actual fuel economy. A friend just dropped a tidy sum on the new Lexus SUV hybrid. She will never get her money back in gas savings, but hybrid owner actions tell automakers that gasoline-powered autos are not the answer.

This technology will probably go down in history as transitional, a step between traditional internal combustion and whatever will come in the future. Time to give the middle finger to our 'friends' in the oil industry.

Here is a link to the Pruis Chat site...I have found that these enthusiast sites are the best place to research a potential new car purchase.

http://www.priuschat.com/forums/

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midtown 4.2

midtown 4.2

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Most people are under the FALSE impression that the Prius is environmentally friendly . . . it is in fact a rolling toxic waste dump! What do you think goes inside those huge battery packs used to power the vehicle? Yes it cuts down on emissions, but when the battery life dies (and ALL batteries will die) where are you going to throw it? So, buy it because you like the looks or something, but do not buy it because you feel that you are saving the environment.

P.S. many EMS services are hesitant to extract people from wrecked hybrid cars due to the possibility of life threatening electrical shocks.

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RedScare

RedScare

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Recycling, dude, recycling. Almost everything that comes out of a vehicle, such as oil and tires, must be recycled. Batteries are no different. Prius just has bigger ones.

EMS and rescue personnel deal with life threatening situations every day. They will deal with this one, too. Suggesting that you may die in a Prius because HFD won't touch it is ridiculous.

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editor

editor

Posted
Posted
Most people are under the FALSE impression that the Prius is environmentally friendly . . . it is in fact a rolling toxic waste dump! What do you think goes inside those huge battery packs used to power the vehicle? Yes it cuts down on emissions, but when the battery life dies (and ALL batteries will die) where are you going to throw it? So, buy it because you like the looks or something, but do not buy it because you feel that you are saving the environment.

P.S. many EMS services are hesitant to extract people from wrecked hybrid cars due to the possibility of life threatening electrical shocks.

Thanks for the F.U.D. (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). You sound a little hysterical.

Is a hybrid car any more of a toxic waste dump than a regular car? Yes, it has more batteries, but puts less pollution into the air. And almost all batteries can be recycled. Most cities and many electronics companies have programs for this. I'd be surprised if the hybrid makers didn't as well. How are you going to recycle the tons of soot and exhaust you put into the air each yet with your regular car?

As for the EMS factor, "many" is a vast vast vast overstatement. A good number of paramedics and firefighters around the country have already received supplemental training for these kinds of cars. I looked into this a few months ago for a project, and found out that most firefighters aren't worried about it. It's not like if you roll the thing over you spew electricity all over the place. I've seem many car crashes that have released gallons of fuel all over the road. Electricity isn't a liquid. And when the car stops running the electricity stops flowing (a basic electric circuit). Further, all electrical conduits in a hybrid are wrapped in bright orange ductwork to alert rescuers just in case. But to date no paramedic has ever been hurt or killed by electricity from a hybrid. How many people have been killed when their gas guzzler went up in flames? Hundreds? Thousands?

Paramedics and firefighters take an oath and risk their lives to pull people out of burning houses, raging rivers, and other hazardous situations. They're not going to let someone die because their car has the word "hybrid" stamped on the side.

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midtown 4.2

midtown 4.2

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My point is:

1) The Prius is not as environmentaly friendly is it's image makes it out to be.

2) I did not say EMS personnel will just stand by and let you die in your car . . . I have faith that they will do their job. It's just that many departments have sent out memos warning their staff to pay particular attention to the extremely high voltage that is present in the hybrids. Instead of putting on latex gloves to protect them from blood diseases, they now have to put on heavy duty insulating gloves to protect them from electrical shock.

Be honest . . . would you reach into a pile of twisted metal, knowing that there is the POSSIBILITY of high voltage running through it? Or would there be a moment's hesitation? I myself would be reluctant to do it without protective measures.

I neither like nor dis-like the Prius. Just pointing out things that others might not see.

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Subdude

Subdude

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Most people are under the FALSE impression that the Prius is environmentally friendly . . . it is in fact a rolling toxic waste dump! What do you think goes inside those huge battery packs used to power the vehicle? Yes it cuts down on emissions, but when the battery life dies (and ALL batteries will die) where are you going to throw it? So, buy it because you like the looks or something, but do not buy it because you feel that you are saving the environment.

Bear in mind that even if it isn't environmentally perfect, we are not increasing the trade deficit by buying billions of batteries from unstable middle eastern countries.

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Sunstar

Sunstar

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My point is:

1) The Prius is not as environmentaly friendly is it's image makes it out to be.

So having already agreed that the battery for hybrid cars can be recycled just like the battery in a regular car, what makes it not environmentally friendly? I have heard that the mpg is overstated and that hybrids are really more comparable to fuel efficient cars like the Corolla. If that's the case, then the extra expense really isn't warranted. I'm glad that car manufacturers have started clicking to the whole fuel-efficiency mindset, but sometimes I worry that a lot of it is just marketing.

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dbigtex56

dbigtex56

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I neither like nor dis-like the Prius. Just pointing out things that others might not see.

"I see...dead people."

Just curious...according to Toyota's Cars and Environment webpage, more than 30,000 Priuses have been sold in Japan alone since its introduction in 1997. Presumably, at least a few have been involved in accidents.

Has there been even one reputable report of EMS personnel being electrocuted?

Regarding the batteries: these are not your father's Oldsmobile's lead-acid batteries. They're nickel-metal hydride (whatever that means...)

Whatever environmental threat this new technology poses, it cannot be compared with the known problems caused by conventional lead batteries.

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RedScare

RedScare

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^Good point Subdue.

I see you changed it.  :P Saw who you were talking to LOL.

I am considering getting a hybrid in a few years.  Though I also plan on trying to move closer in so I may just stick with my current car and not use it as much.

I was trying to slip it in without getting caught. :D

I thought the post sounded strange for MidtownCoog. That's why I reread it.

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editor

editor

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I think hybrids are a step in the right direction, but I'd like to see a practical fully electric car. One with zero point-source emissions. Of course, millions of them will mean much more electricity will need to be generated, but that's a big point of switching people off of oil -- your move the pollution generation from a million little factories to one big one. It's easier to put one big scrubber on one smokestack then on a million little ones.

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midtown 4.2

midtown 4.2

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I have not personally heard of any EMS electrocutions from hybrid cars, and I suspect that there have been no deaths from such vehicles. But the danger is great enough, that both Toyota and Honda have prepared special booklets for such events.

(following text excerpted from another site).

"There are several additional online resources that will benefit an agency in preparing for hybrid vehicle emergency response.

American Honda Motors has produced a booklet, Honda Insight Emergency Response Guide, May 2001. It is available by contacting a local Honda dealer.

Toyota Motors offers a 26-page booklet, Prius Emergency Responder Guide. The item number is TMS M/N 00400-OTH02-0U. The booklet will be available in the fall of 2001. A copy can be obtained by contacting a local Toyota dealer."

http://www.firehouse.com/extrication/archi...eptember01.html

GOOGLE "hybrid" and "EMS" and you'll get quite a result.

once again, I'm not anti hybrid . . . anything to reduce oil dependence is great. In fact, more power to you if you currently drive a hybrid . . . or should I say more WATTS to you. ha ha

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  • 1 month later...
TJones

TJones

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My point is:

1) The Prius is not as environmentaly friendly is it's image makes it out to be.

2) I did not say EMS personnel will just stand by and let you die in your car . . . I have faith that they will do their job. It's just that many departments have sent out memos warning their staff to pay particular attention to the extremely high voltage that is present in the hybrids. Instead of putting on latex gloves to protect them from blood diseases, they now have to put on heavy duty insulating gloves to protect them from electrical shock.

Be honest . . . would you reach into a pile of twisted metal, knowing that there is the POSSIBILITY of high voltage running through it? Or would there be a moment's hesitation? I myself would be reluctant to do it without protective measures.

I neither like nor dis-like the Prius. Just pointing out things that others might not see.

WOW, that is amazing,I wonder how "reluctant" would you be if you had a 3 yr. old daughter stuck in that twisted metal, would you tell her, "Just climb throught the window baby, Daddy doesn't want to get shocked." My gut tells me you're gonna be a hero to that little girl and you wouldn't care if there was 1,000,000,000 volts surging through that car, you are gonna get her without hesitation. Now, how do you "see" it ? <_<

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RedScare

RedScare

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Hybirds suck, I would never buy one even if gas prices go up to $10/gallon! I accually plan on buying a new car, possibly a 2006 Ford F-150! Piris look ugly, and they are too darn square!

F-150, huh? And you're looking to move to the Woodlands? Enjoy your commute!

Alden Bridge to Downtown - 39 miles

Daily commute - 78 miles

F-150 gas mileage - 14 mpg

Gas used daily - 5.5 gallons

Cost @ $3.00/gallon - $16.50 per day/$363 per month

Cost of drinks to calm down from commute - $9.00 at happy hour prices

Total - $25.50 per day

B)

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texas911

texas911

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What do you think goes inside those huge battery packs used to power the vehicle?

And we've been doing what with all those LEAD ACID batteries in regular cars? There has got to be literally billions of dead LEAD ACID batteries now. Like someone said, we recylce them. So they will recycle the battery in hybrids as well. That is just silly.

And about electricution, please, so in that same thought, would EMS personnel be reluctant to enter a regular car because it might have 12 GALLONS of highly flammable GASOLINE in it might explode?

As far as never getting our money back for the premium of buying a hybird, so what? People buy sports cars for a premium, will they ever recoup their money for going faster? That's not the point.

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ToolMan

ToolMan

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The evacuation car of choice - From a Houston Chronicle Blog

"My wife and I were part of the horde of people who left town last Thursday to avoid Hurricane Rita. Driving a Toyota Prius hybrid car, we made about 45 miles in nine hours time before turning back. During that time we consumed less than two gallons of gasoline, all the time in the comfort of an air conditioned car. I can't say too much for the Prius as the ideal evacuation car."

Another:

"FYI, Renee and I finally got to Palestine, TX at about 5:45 AM -- 30 hours after leaving our house in Clear Lake. The Prius still has about 1/4 tank of gas..."

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