Anyone seen/driven a Chevrolet Spark yet? Geo Metro 2.0 ?

[Arragonis]

The driver of that taxi Prius must be deaf with all the rattles

$7-8K is quite a lot of fuel, although different depreciation rates may narrow that down.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Even in cases when the battery lasts as long as the whole car, their disposal and subsequent recycling still require a large energy expense to ensure the safety of the operation...

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by mechman600

Nothing. They last the life of the car:
Toyota Prius taxi tops 340,000mi, dispels battery myth

Two of the older examples have managed a lifespan of 350,000km (218,000mi) and 550,000km (341,000mi) before needing replacement of their nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.

To me, that's not the life of the car. My civic has 203,000 right now, and I have no massive and expensive battery replacement on the near horizon (in addition to wear-out of the ICE parts that the Prius also has). Also, when you want to resell a Prius with 170,000 miles on it what would such data do to the resale value?

[mechman600]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Even in cases when the battery lasts as long as the whole car, their disposal and subsequent recycling still require a large energy expense to ensure the safety of the operation...

I'm not sure how this is relevant as it doesn't affect the lifetime running cost of the vehicle. Kind of like running an older, efficient diesel to save money, all the while murdering people with toxic "old diesel" smoke.

Originally Posted by California98Civic

To me, that's not the life of the car. My civic has 203,000 right now, and I have no massive and expensive battery replacement on the near horizon (in addition to wear-out of the ICE parts that the Prius also has). Also, when you want to resell a Prius with 170,000 miles on it what would such data do to the resale value?

Does any car have residual resale value at 170,000 miles? Not where I live. Anything over 120,000 miles is worth zip.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by mechman600

I'm not sure how this is relevant as it doesn't affect the lifetime running cost of the vehicle.

The average Prius owners are always bragging about how "clean" is their ride.

Kind of like running an older, efficient diesel to save money, all the while murdering people with toxic "old diesel" smoke.

Not every Diesel owner likes, neither endorses, that "coal-rolling" stupidity and another advantage of Diesels is the adaptability to run "renewable" fuels, which neutralize its emissions.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by mechman600

Does any car have residual resale value at 170,000 miles? Not where I live. Anything over 120,000 miles is worth zip.

"Anything" is way too general. Some cars would be worth nothing, and others still saleable for a couple or several thousand dollars. A Civic is an example of the latter. Check the EM for sale listings. There is a guy selling a 179,000 mile 1997 Civic HX for $5,500 "firm" right now. Here's another from elsewhere:

2004 Honda Civic for sale Woodbridge with 170,000 miles with 170,000 miles | 22031 | $6,500 - financing options | fyiAuto.com

I think the Prius C2 is a neat car, but I don't think the longterm service requirements of the battery packs can be ignored.

[sendler]

Funny! So much Prius (Pious) hate (envy) on the web. I see it on every forum I read. Give them some credit. They are trying to advance automotive technology. Saving gas isn't just about finding the cheapest total cost of ownership. One disposable $2000 beater after another that gets 25 mpgUS will win that prize. It's about saving gas. For later generations. And getting a jump on new technology to learn how 10 billion people will get by when there is none left in the ground.

[niky]

Battery disposal and replacement is not a big issue. The Prius boasts a higher percentage of recyclables overall than most regular cars... Cars which also produce a whole lot of waste interms of paint, lead solder, dirty oil and toxic fluids, etcetera.

And then there's the longer expected lifetime of the Prius engine, planetary gearbox and brakes, which last a whole lot longer than regular items on regular cars.

[Arragonis]

The Spark is not intended as a Hybrid killer.

It isn't even meant to be GM's answer to the Fiesta - the Corsa is that.



It is intended as transport for people who want to move around in a motorised form for as little money as possible whilst keeping the rain off.

[PressEnter[]]

When hybrids first came along, there were people saying the battery would have to be replaced every couple of years. I'd be pretty happy with 200K miles.

The life of the car may also depend on where you live. My 10 year-old Mazda has paid the price of northeastern winters and our local enthusiasm with the road salt :/