Now that I have just over a year of use on my Prius I thought it would be interesting to compare it to the Matrix. They are virtually identically sized cars, just the drivetrain and aero are different.
Lets take a look at some numbers (pulled directly from my fuel logs):
2003 Matrix 5spd
Lifetime Fuel Economy: 35.78
Total miles traveled: 68559.4
Total cost: $4847.86
Average cost per mile: $0.07
Average cost per gallon: $2.53
2004 Prius
Lifetime Fuel Economy: 50.63
Total miles traveled: 29425.4
Total cost: $1540.15
Average cost per mile: $0.05
Average cost per gallon: $2.65
With a little bit of calculation, we can find that the Prius has saved me roughly $640 in the first year of its use versus the Matrix (which isn't a horribly inefficient vehicle).
There really is no point to this post other than to share my real world numbers. Will the Prius pay for the premium I paid for it? I dunno.
I just thought it was interesting info and wanted to share the difference between two very similar vehicles.
If anyone would like to see any additional comparison between the two I'd be happy to run the numbers.