Why our 2010 Prius will be our last, for the moment anyway

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by 320touring

I'd have had the dealer dragged over hot coals, but then again, I'm not as tolerant as you..

We have to go via our company which then goes to the lease company and then the dealer. The Lease company is not having it's dance card marked any more either

EDIT - stupid thing is the same dealer does my Aygo and has been pretty good so far - far better than the Skoda and (spit) Volvo ones.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Maybe the Peugeot 508 e-HDi, the so-called "micro-hybrid", would be a good option for you. I must confess I'd like to get one for myself

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Maybe the Peugeot 508 e-HDi, the so-called "micro-hybrid", would be a good option for you. I must confess I'd like to get one for myself

Good call And estate is certainly big enough.



Nice to see Peugeots getting pretty again

[320touring]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Good call And estate is certainly big enough.



Nice to see Peugeots getting pretty again

Looks good!

If only the roofline followed the line of the upper chrome side window trims

[pete c]

If the Mrs' driving is mostly urban and she is not into all this hypermiling silliness which we actually enjoy, she might be best off with another hybrid. Just tell her to turn the radio up louder.

I think hybrids are great for this type of driver/driving conditions. For those of us that actually look at hypermiling as a sport, they are horrible, especially in europe where you have a wonderful assortment of toy cars.

[Arragonis]

The Mrs does mainly longer distances, its me who does the shorter miles. She doesn't hypermile but the Prius has returned about 7-9 MPG more on average than the Octavia, and the fuel is cheaper - petrol vs Diesel. In terms of personal cost the fuel is paid for so it doesn't affect us too much either way.

The killer is the rattles and poor build quality. Even when we give people a lift they mention how quiet it is in EV mode or round town, and then start to poke their fingers into things to try and stop them buzzing when the car moves, or crashing when you go over even small bumps.

A lot are fixable with bits of rubber and tape, but why should we have to - it is brand new ? And some (like the rattle just behind the steering wheel, under the dash cover) are incaccessible without taking the interior to pieces.

Given it is kind of a "halo" product for Toyota, a technology showcase, car of the future etc. you would think they would spend a few hours and £s making it fit together better ?

EDIT - by comparison my Aygo which is a Toyota but built in Eastern Europe and is mainly a PSA (Peugeot / Citroen) design and is built to a low cost doesn't rattle at all. Nothing. Nada.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by 320touring

Looks good!

If only the roofline followed the line of the upper chrome side window trims

Saw one in the metal today, it got a nod so its on the list.

12 months to go anyway, so there may be newer models out soon.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Personally, I'd never get a hybrid gasser instead of a Diesel. And this so-called "micro-hybrid" system featured in the 508 e-HDi delivers a good balance between performance, safety and fuel savings.

One feature I really dislike regarding hybrids such as the Prius is the absence of a spare wheel, which for me is a must due to the road conditions back here in Brazil

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Personally, I'd never get a hybrid gasser instead of a Diesel. And this so-called "micro-hybrid" system featured in the 508 e-HDi delivers a good balance between performance, safety and fuel savings.

I would still consider one, I am considering this one - see the first post

For an average (non-hypermile) driver you get savings, 5-10 MPG a tank between this petrol hybrid and a diesel estate we had before. If that diesel had been a petrol then the MPG difference would have been more, but the overall fuel cost saving probably about the same - diesel is about 5-10p more here per litre than petrol due to tax.

One good thing the displays do encourage eco-driving to some extent - when not in a hurry Mrs A will go for high MPG - highest tank average is in the mid-60s.

As I tapped in the first post, if depreciation takes its toll and the lease company are in agreement and we can afford it I would look to keeping it for myself and selling the Aygo. For Mrs A (who can spend journeys of 4-5 hours at a time in it) the rattles get wearing. I rarely do more than an hour and am happy with a loud radio

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

One feature I really dislike regarding hybrids such as the Prius is the absence of a spare wheel, which for me is a must due to the road conditions back here in Brazil

I found this in the back of our Prius a few minutes ago, maybe someone left it by accident ?

[pete c]

CL lives in Brazil. Someone probably stole his spare.