"You're killin' me smalls!"
This is my Fantasy Island rationalization, Boss:
I can get a lot more used. I'm not really dissing Honda by buying used (all that much). Granted, I've never owned a Toyota, and Honda have earned my respect immensely over the years, sooo....
For me, it's reliability, efficiency, configuration, and options -- all wrapped up.
True, the base Fit is 15.5K (and has A/C once you dig to find it). BUT, once you add mats, an armrest (for Pete's sake), and a delivery, we're up to $16,599. Maybe I could get them down to high 15's -- so OK. But what about FE? I've heard owners rather disappointed in this category.
I'm playing devil's advocate here, so bear with me. This really tears me in half turning my back on Honda (so to speak). If it's any consolation, Honda Finance is still getting payments on the TSX for another 2 years or so!
To answer the strip-down question: I don't like the Yaris' center speedo and Nissan's build quality and interior components stink on even the 350Z (IMHO).
So what does that leave? A nicely equipped, 3-year old Prius. Top Gear couldn't kill the 4th Gen Toyota "Hilux" pickup. Has that translated to modern day?
I'll be the first to admit it -- I'm not a very good Hypermiler with advanced technique (maybe mild-to-moderate). Mods save me in that final tally. That means a hybrid is the ultimate mod. From the factory.
Let me quote a review from myself in a "previous life", regarding the Prius rental a couple years ago (it's contradicts the argument, but stick with me here):
So, do I like this car?
Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon
After about 250 miles and ~54.x MPG, I think "maybe". It's nice to rent, but I would I want to own one?
Pros:
-Of course, FE
-Great Handling: feels light and maneuverable
-Base models come well equipped with safety and amenities
-Nice heads-up display for the speed, and center control screen is modern
Cons:
-Great FE comes with technique (something John Q. Public isn't generally going to do), but it's better than nothing.
-Complicated drive mechanism and battery set. Rough operation (engine and transitional engagement)
-There's about 1mm of padding for your elbows -- kinda cheap for an interior.
I really enjoyed driving this car -- it'll be tough giving it back tomorrow. Climbing mountainous grades and coasting back down on my scenic drive in Oregon was a pleasant trip. But over the course, it became apparent that the Prius might leave too much to the machine and less to the driver.
There are groups out there getting great mileage in these cars, I agree. I really respect the feature of coasting up to a traffic light with the engine off, and having it start-up automatically to build speed -- but how does this compare with the essence of a Civic VX, for example? I like running through the gears, feeling more connected with the road, and being able to modify a well-understood blueprint. But at the same time, it nearly doubles the FE in my daily driver.
With the Prius, you don't know what to expect. You can definitely feel the ICE kick-in when you need it. Keeping up with traffic requires more fuel than I'd like. The CVT-HSD is unnerving at times + the regenerative braking is a bit gruff. It's hard to drive smoothly. Plus, I expected more EV-only power, especially from a standing start -- it was weak, and generally prompted the engine to kick in. EV-only operation is a slow-go.
So, if you can master hypermiling in other cars, this one is no different. P&G and "Warp-Stealth" is a piece of cake. Making a significant improvement over EPA compared to a regular gasser, will be very difficult.
I honestly don't want to discourage folks from buying this car. It helps with FE, emissions, and advances the technology in each generation of vehicle. I just don't think I'll be running to the Toyota dealer tomorrow to buy one. Perhaps as the technology evolves and branches out into different models, it will appeal to this driver. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it...
Shepperd's Dell -- Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
To be honest, that was back in my old-school, manual gearbox, straight-up gasser days. A big concern is a loss of community from Eco-Modding. Hybrids tend to subtract a lot of that wrench-turning, visceral, brainstorming modification that comes easily with simple gassers. But what about that Fit and the electronic throttle, etc, etc? Perhaps the same, I'm afraid...
RH77