The beginnings of Eco modding. (What car should I get?)

[Isaac Zackary]

Well on the Prius Forum my attention was directed to a Gen 2 Prius. These are the ones that are getting fabulous longevity. I've also found some with less than 50,000 miles for a decent price. Now I'm just paranoid about buying a lemon that come flooded from some hurricane or something.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zackary

Well on the Prius Forum my attention was directed to a Gen 2 Prius. These are the ones that are getting fabulous longevity. I've also found some with less than 50,000 miles for a decent price. Now I'm just paranoid about buying a lemon that come flooded from some hurricane or something.

You can take it to a Toyota dealer for a pre-purchase inspection, if the owner agrees. Any significant and unreported problems that get discovered can either become the reason for bargaining on the price or for walking away from a "lemon."

[roosterk0031]

120 mile/day, 30 mpg uses 4 gallons, I can easily beat 30 mpg closer to 35 with my 2010 Impala, just set the cruise under 60. (5 days 50 weeks = 250 trips, $3/gallon, $750 more per year than 40 mpg).

35 mpg uses 3.43 gallons/day. $1.28 more per day than 40 mpg, $321/year.

40 mpg uses 3 gallons a day, do that regularly with my 09 Cobalt, not nearly as comfortable or as safe as the Impala.

50 mpg down to 2.4 gallons per day. Save $1.80 a day vs 40 mpg ($450 a year).

IMO once you get over 30 mpg the gains aren't that big. Getting 35 mpg out of the Impala is pretty easy, I've been driving it recently.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

... IMO once you get over 30 mpg the gains aren't that big. Getting 35 mpg out of the Impala is pretty easy, I've been driving it recently.

Yes the returns diminish proportionally. But whether the returns are worth it kinda depends on your perspective. Using your example that 40 mpg saves $321/year versus 35 mpg on your commute, I'll just say that my entire yearly auto insurance bill on my 1998 Civic is about $400.

If the OP can get to 60+ mpg (freeway) or something close with a lightly-modified & lightly hypermiled, glorious, Gen2 Prius he would save, in your commute scenario, close to $900 a year (guestimated) over a 30 mpg ride. And that's after tax money, of course. To me, that's worth it.

[roosterk0031]

Agree, what makes it more complicated is the 30,000+ miles/year of depreciation, and desire for 2013+ and under 75,000 miles. A used Mirage 5 sp could be the best choice sheer economics, since it's going to be cheap so less money to lose. Hopefully get 6 years 200,000 trouble free miles.

That's probably the way I'd go if I had to replace my Cobalt, I don't worry about crash protection for myself. I do look at it for the choices I make for my wife & kids, but not going to excessively oversize just for it.

Since driving the Impala some the last few weeks, the ride quality noise level etc... is so much better than the Cobalt, the $1.50 a day might be worth it. It did cost 2x+ as much though so I guess it should.

If I dropped comp/collision every one of my cars except the Cobalt LS would be under $300 a year, it is $324.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

Agree, what makes it more complicated is the 30,000+ miles/year of depreciation, and desire for 2013+ and under 75,000 miles. A used Mirage 5 sp could be the best choice sheer economics, since it's going to be cheap so less money to lose. Hopefully get 6 years 200,000 trouble free miles.

That's probably the way I'd go if I had to replace my Cobalt, I don't worry about crash protection for myself. I do look at it for the choices I make for my wife & kids, but not going to excessively oversize just for it.

Since driving the Impala some the last few weeks, the ride quality noise level etc... is so much better than the Cobalt, the $1.50 a day might be worth it. It did cost 2x+ as much though so I guess it should.

If I dropped comp/collision every one of my cars except the Cobalt LS would be under $300 a year, it is $324.

Thanks! I'm actually not near as resolved on what car to buy as I thought it was. On a Prius Forum I'm being told to avoid the Gen 3 and newer Prius if I want a long lasting car. There's a 300,000 mile club for the Gen 2 and some have gotten to 600,000 miles and still running. I'm also being told the Gen 2 is easier to work on. So I may get one with low miles for cheaper than a Gen 3 but probably have to change the battery some time soon. That may actually be a pretty good deal since an OEM factory battery only costs $2,000, a figure I can save in initial price of the car.

Yes, trying to get lots of miles will hurt depreciation like a hole in a bucket. That's where longevity is key. I got 7 years out of my Golf and could just keep driving it. But I want something safer with A/C. And the Prius looks like it might pan out. I still have research to do and compare it to some other cars first. Basically any car I get will be money I won't every get back. If it costs a little more but lasts a lot more, that would actually be a good thing.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

https://jalopnik.com/this-lifted-pri...eps-1825777000


Lift kit from Russia, LRR all-weather tires and a hitch mount boat-tail box. Camo green Plastidip. Driving lights on the front of the rear-view mirrors instead of that bar on the top. Bully bar and deer whistles.

Looks like Lolo Pass road looking at the Northwest side of Mt. Hood.

I took my unmodified Prius up a logging road described by many people as "requiring a high ground clearance vehicle". Hard to tell from the video how steep it was:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj9K_hlKR4Q

I parked next to the only other vehicle in the lot, just to make the truck owner laugh.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

... If I dropped comp/collision every one of my cars except the Cobalt LS would be under $300 a year, it is $324.

Yup. I did so with my civic six years ago. Saved maybe $2000 total so far by paying liability only (remember the car is a 1998 Civic and "not worth anything" anyway, so it would be totaled by any significant collision).

We still pay collision on my wife's very clean 2010 Forester. It's still worth about $10,000 local market values.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Yup. I did so with my civic six years ago. Saved maybe $2000 total so far by paying liability only (remember the car is a 1998 Civic and "not worth anything" anyway, so it would be totaled by any significant collision).

We still pay collision on my wife's very clean 2010 Forester. It's still worth about $10,000 local market values.

This is one reason I'm doing what I'm doing. The Leaf was a great town car. The VW diesel a good highway car, except lack of A/C and modern safety features. But getting rid of all my cars and getting just one should be cheaper in the long run. I can't drive two cars at the same time anyway and my wife goes everywhere I go, so no need for two cars.

[Isaac Zackary]

Originally Posted by slowmover

The Charger (Mercedes) design is that result. It isnt by any mistake or coincidence. Its Science!! (It’s also available AWD, but that kills FE).

I'm glad it's safer on paper. But I found the real road causualty information for 2014 model year vehicles.

Driver deaths per million:

Dodge Charger 2WD: 35
Toyota Prius: 31

So statistically I'm safer in a 2014 Prius than a 2014 Charger. Not by a huge margin either.

Too bad I sold my Leaf. It's only 8 per million vehicles.

As far as the Suburban goes, the 2WD model is only 7 driver deaths per million Suburbans.

Driver Death Rates