NotATroutFisherman
Brookie
Registered: 01/13/06
Posts: 1,756
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| | 03/11/10 at 05:06 PM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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i started thinking about this........
i'am buying a new car looking at prius vs focus. besides the environmental reason, looking at economical point of view. which is smarter?
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wonderwear
Brookie
Registered: 01/07/09
Posts: 2,684
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| | 03/11/10 at 05:57 PM | Reply with quote | #2 |
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The prius! Your odds of winning millions in a lawsuit are much, much better.
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smallwater
Brown Trout
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 284
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| | 03/11/10 at 06:13 PM | Reply with quote | #3 |
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There are some hidden costs in a hybrid.The batteries need replacing around 50K miles.I believe the cost is around $3K USD.If you plan on keeping the car and driving it that should be considered.They are very complicated and you [i]will[/b] be paying someone to work on it.No more DIY if you're that type of owner.If you drive long distance the Prius is not supposed to be driven at highway speeds for 10 or more hours non-stop.So if you drive long distance there's another consideration.It's a great city car but if you use your vehicle like most Americans there are some things to think about.
On the other hand the Focus is an award winning car that isn't in the middle of a bunch of hype and crap (I don't buy the stories about the 'Yotas) right now and probably less expensive to purchase and maintain.The Ford dealer will be happy to see you and more than likely slept well last night.Toyota dealer maybe not.Who knows the crap about Toyota may even be affecting the insurance costs.
One other car to consider is the Honda Insight hybrid.
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Crow
Brookie
Registered: 03/19/09
Posts: 822
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| | 03/11/10 at 06:42 PM | Reply with quote | #4 |
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For what it's worth, my next door neighbor drives a Prius. He's had it for at least two years (that's when I moved in) and constantly sings its praises. By all accounts, he's yet to drop a dime in it, says it's very reliable, and hasn't had any of the Toyota problems that are being reported.
If you don't need four-wheel drive and don't plan on wallowing around in the mud in your car (and don't have 19 kids you need to take to b-ball practice), a hybrid sounds like a pretty good vehicle. I don't think it's a very good car for rural/mountainous/snowy places, but I'd have to disagree with the last post that said it's not a good car for "most Americans"...75% of Americans live in urban/suburban areas, and a hybrid is an ideal choice if you live in an area like that, commuting on paved roads/highways for a couple hours a day, et cetera. Most Americans use their cars, simply, to get to work and run a few errands. Pretty rare to drive personal a vehicle 10+ hours nonstop, unless you're going on vacation.
You ever have to commute in northern Virginia (I did that for a year), you'll see how much gas you burn up sitting in traffic on the way home. It's enough to make you want a hybrid.
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Mtnwlm
Brookie
Registered: 12/15/04
Posts: 591
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| | 03/11/10 at 06:49 PM | Reply with quote | #5 |
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I have a Honda Civic Hybrid = it has been a good car so far (60K miles) - In my opinion - wouldn't do it again -- not worth the extra $$ for a hybrid --
3 to 5 thousand buys a heck of a lot of gas
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wonderwear
Brookie
Registered: 01/07/09
Posts: 2,684
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| | 03/11/10 at 08:08 PM | Reply with quote | #6 |
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Where did you get the 50k number when they have a 100K warranty?
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fisherguy
Smallmouth Bass
Registered: 02/09/05
Posts: 308
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| | 03/11/10 at 08:40 PM | Reply with quote | #7 |
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I have a 2010 Prius and love it.. I have only had it since December though so there hasn't been alot of time for any problems. I have plenty of room and I am 6'3" and 280 pounds.I have heard of replacing the batteries but I researched it and found where noone has had to replace them due to normal use but just after wrecks and such. Also the drive train has a lifetime warranty if you get all of your fluids changed at a Toyota Dealer. My uncle who is a mechanic says all the work hes has done to them is maintence. He said that the brakes last forever he has Prius's that come in with over 75,000 miles and they are still on there original brakes. Another plus is I just got a letter from the dealer and the Prius's are now approved for 10,000 mile or one year oil changes.
My Dad has a Focus and its a great car as well. I got my Toyota at the Buchannon Auto Mall and they were great. Our salesman was Kevin ? I forget his last name. Take it for what its worth but at an average of 46.7 miles to the gallon so far, I like the Prius
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Canoetripper
Brookie
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 5,565
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| | 03/12/10 at 01:26 AM | Reply with quote | #8 |
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I have driven a lot of Prius' at work, in 2008 we received over 600,000 vehicles at MAA. I drive a lot of everything, but not very far and certainly not enough to offer an informed opinion.
For what it is worth, I can offer a few observations about them. We get two kinds of Prius', at MAA; TFS(Toyota Financial Services) and rentals(Hertz, Avis, etc.).
Most of the TFS, which is MAA's largest account, are Repo's. They are usually in pretty bad condition. That isn't the manufacturer's fault since nobody who knows their vehicle is going to get reposessed, would spend money to take care of it.
Those Prius' are usually dead(won't start). The older Prius' don't have a traditional automotive battery under the hood. I needed our mechanical staff to show me how to do this, and could explain it to anyone in a separate post. I am pretty sure that 2010's have an automotive battery in the trunk which would make jump-starting them a lot easier.
The fact that we get so many Prius rental turn backs at MAA tells me that they are a vehicle that their customers want and are in demand. I'm guessing because of the gas mileage.
Of all the hybrids that I've driven, the one's that impress me the most are the GM SUV's.
I am relunctant to buy anything from GM since the Gov't bailout, but overall
have been impressed with the 2010's.
Edit note: I'll save the stories for another thread, but when I was installing capital equipment, a job at a GM plant was a week off for me and a very expensive bill for them. And, it's not because I'm lazy. It is all about who runs those GM plants.
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JCW355
Brookie
Registered: 07/24/09
Posts: 553
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| | 03/12/10 at 06:26 AM | Reply with quote | #9 |
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Quote: Originally Posted by wonderwearThe prius! Your odds of winning millions in a lawsuit are much, much better.
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dave
Brookie
Registered: 12/11/04
Posts: 2,908
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| | 03/12/10 at 07:15 AM | Reply with quote | #10 |
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Interesting observation about why folks might rent so many of the Priuses, CT.
As somewhat of a former road warrior myself, I have a little different take on that. I'd say that for the most part, the majority of car renters are on company expense accounts and the truth is, they don't care what the gas costs because someone else is paying for it. I'd venture that the expense account folks are asking for the Prius because it's an easy and convenient way to try out the new technology and maybe see what the buzz is all about. If I were still in that game, I know I'd take one if offered at the Avis counter.
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dave
Westminster, Maryland
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GOMTEERS
Brookie
Registered: 02/04/07
Posts: 818
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| | 03/12/10 at 07:31 AM | Reply with quote | #11 |
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Have a 2010 Prius also. It can get up to 50 mpg. (Gas here in Morgantown just hit $2.99 a gallon) So far so good. Love it. It does the bumping thing during increasing braking pressure but I know what it's doing so it doesn't bother me. With all the bad news on them lately, I am starting to worry a little bit about the reliability of the electronics. I always just assumed that by now, the systems were fail-safe or they would not put them on the market. Did not get a recall notice on mine. Although I like mine a lot, I would recommend that anyone thinking about buying one hold off until Toyota gets this mess worked out. One option that is slightly less costly is the Honda Insight. Very comparable in style and mileage and slightly cheaper.
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Outsider
Brookie
Registered: 06/20/06
Posts: 3,179
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| | 03/12/10 at 09:56 AM | Reply with quote | #12 |
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My girlfriend has a 4 door focus, its a good solid car, I only have 2 issues, 1, most of them do not come with a spare tire...you heard that right, no spare, not even a do-nut. The second is the tires (pirelli i think) are complete crap, once they wear about 8,000 miles you cannot keep them balanced and they will shake the car like crazy. Upgrade the rubber on them once you cannot stand it anymore and your set. Negoiate a spare tire when buying a focus, my dad did it for his wife's car. |
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GOMTEERS
Brookie
Registered: 02/04/07
Posts: 818
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| | 03/12/10 at 11:17 AM | Reply with quote | #13 |
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I agree with Outsider on the Focus. If you are trying to compare the Ford Focus with a Toyota Prius on the basis of gas vs. hybrid with economic considerations being paramount, it's no contest; you can't beat the Focus. Like someone else pointed out, you can buy a lot of gas with the difference in price. The Focus is an economy car all around. It has less equipment and fewer amenities and isn't built to last as long. The Prius is more in the luxury class. A Prius is for buyers who are wanting something a little bigger and more comfortable.
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smallwater
Brown Trout
Registered: 01/10/09
Posts: 284
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| | 03/12/10 at 11:19 AM | Reply with quote | #14 |
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OK after some research I found the batteries are indeed covered under the warranty.They do fail and apparently they're not a stocked item.See here and here.And I didn't say the Prius was a bad car I said there were some items that one should be aware of.I also gave another hybrid some airtime as well.
And for the record I want one of these.Unfortunately they're not feasible here unless you live in Charleston.I believe this is the future.Yes I am on the list.
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Canoetripper
Brookie
Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 5,565
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| | 03/12/10 at 11:20 AM | Reply with quote | #15 |
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dave,
Good point about being a road warrior and expense accounts. When I was on the road selling, I would keep everything reasonable since every salesman has good and bad months.
When I was on the road to install equipment, I wasn't going to stay at the Motel 6, drive a sub-compact, or eat at McDonald's. My most flagrant abuse of the company American Express card was in Guamos, Mexico. Nobody at either the plant or resort where I was staying could speak english, but they all recognized the American Express card.
I rarely smoke cigars but I expensed every Cuban cigar that was for sale at that resort. Everyone knew what a $h!tty job that was and didn't complain about my hefty bar and cigar bill.
We had a guy who ran up a $400.00 bill on the road in a strip club(this was before Pacman Jones was a "student/athlete" at WVU) and they took money out of his pay checks to reimburse that bill.
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Lititz, PA |
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spinfly
Brookie
Registered: 12/11/04
Posts: 4,308
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