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Old 12-17-2020, 08:17 PM   #21 (permalink)
Isaac Zachary
High Altitude Hybrid
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Gunnison, CO
Posts: 2,080

Avalon - '13 Toyota Avalon HV
90 day: 40.45 mpg (US)

Prius - '06 Toyota Prius
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BLSTIC View Post
I can't believe I'm saying this (because it's EcoModder.com not TightwadDriver.com), but how much spare cash have you got and how much load-free driving do you do?

A 2010 Prius gets 51mpg according to the EPA. If you sell the Lexus and the Corolla you shouldn't be too far off buying one.

Your F250 probably gets 17mpg, or 5.88 g/100mi, at $2.44/gal that's $14.35/100mi
A Prius gets 51mpg, or 1.96g/100mi, at $2.05 for regular that's $4.02/100mi

At $10/100mi price difference that's 50,000 miles in total to pay for the entire cost of a 2010 Prius, and that's only considering fuel costs. The rest of the operating costs are so much smaller too
Good point. A lot of people these days think they need an AWD/FWD pickup or SUV because that's what the media tells us. I'm not saying the OP doesn't need one to go get his fire wood and driving in snow. But even for those things a sedan, hatchback or station wagon might me all that's needed.

What I did personally is I got a used 2013 Toyota Avalon HV and all I've done to it is install a block heater and a tow hitch plus I picked up a set of wheels off a burnt car for cheap and threw studded snow tires on it. Now I have a roomy car, much roomier than any SUV or Pickup I've ever been in both in front and rear seats, that gets 40mpg, can haul up to 1,000lbs on the trailer, which is also exactly 4" x 8" so any sort of panels, like drywall, plywood, foam insulation and the like, all fits perfectly, and it drives perfectly well here in the steep, icy Colorado mountains. Great for camping, fishing, skiing, and lots of other off road/winter sports as well as all the construction and remodeling I've been up to lately. Leather heated seats, dual climate heater, sun roof, multi position electric seats, and a one of the biggest trunks on the market (and a really happy wife as a result). Plus it has one of the lowest statistics for death to passengers out there. Our first year we did over 30,000 miles in it.

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