Going over the numbers: Toyota Matrix vs Prius
 

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.

Cool Daox. How would you characterize the routes the two cars commonly travel? Are the average speeds roughly similar?

Which one did/do you enjoy driving more?

The routes are very similar. The Matrix and Prius are mainly my wife's car. She does a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. Same job over the past ~3 years. I also drive the car maybe 1/3rd the time when we carpool.

Thats a good question, overall I'd definitely say I enjoy owning the Prius much more. Of course there are pros and cons to each. I sometimes miss the stick shift of the Matrix. It also had aftermarket springs and a aftermarket rear sway bar so it could handle very nicely. The Prius is a far cry from that. However, I so very rarely use that ability that I don't miss it much. The Prius really shines when it comes to driving the way I do day in and day out, ecodriving. The ease of which you can attain stunning mileage with the Prius is sooooo nice and easy. Its far less work than is necessary to P&G the Paseo down the road. Automated EOC (not having to bump start), the start/stop capability, the coolant thermos, the smart key... I love all the features.

Now if you were to use my Matrix for the comparison the savings would not be that good :)

Eco driving it gives me an average over the last year of 42. With mods bump that up to 44.5MPG :)

Did you keep any extra things from the trix?

I really didn't mod the Matrix much at all, front grill block, belly pan, and block heater is all. I still have my grill block and belly pan. Planning on fitting the pan to the Paseo or Prius. I just haven't got around to it.

The Prius really isn't modded much either. I do have the PHEV kit for it, but I haven't been able to use it at all which is incredibly annoying...

You should start modding the cars, it is fun and saves some $$$.

lol... I love working on cars. I have tons of ideas, just not enough time. I'm currently working 10+ hr days which leaves little time for modding unfortunately. What time I do have lately has been just keeping up with maintenance and repairs. I blew the electric motor in my mower and am almost done with replacing that, hit a deer in the Paseo so it needs bodywork, need to get the mower ready for winter (install blower attachment), need to get winter tires mounted on new rims for the Prius, need to get new tires ordered and mounted for the Paseo... the list goes on. :)

be thankful you have a job! I do not yet, so I have lots of time to mod. A mixed blessing?

Been a long while since I piloted a Prius, but I did find it to be one of the most entertaining cars I've driven. Rolling video game. Makes fuel saving fun.

Last hybrid I drove was my sister's Camry, which isn't nearly as friendly as a Prius, owing to the much narrower & more sensitive throttle position "window" that will achieve a true glide.

How do you respond to the critics that say that the expense of the batteries makes the car not worth the fuel savings? How long are they expected to last? How much performance do you lose over time? How much do they cost to replace?

If it's a once every 10 year thing and costs a few hundred bucks, I don't see the problem. If it's every 3-4 years and costs $5k, Houston, we have a problem!

I have absolutely no worry about the batteries not lasting. I've talked with a hybrid pack rebuilder, read the statistics on the number of failed packs (under half a percent for my generation Prius), and I've also met an owner who had a gen 1 prius for 350k miles before he got t-boned and it was totaled. The batteries won't be a problem. If there is some odd failure and I'm out of warranty, pack rebuilding is a pretty cheap alternative, usually under $1k to fix. I'm not sure of the performance loss over time. I'm sure there is some.

As for fuel savings and cost, I really do believe its there. I bought my 03 Matrix for $10k 3 years ago. One year ago I got my 04 Prius for $12k. No offense to the Matrix which I love, but the Prius has a TON more features and is just a nicer car. I'm currently saving around $640 per year. The direct comparison shows I paid $2k more for the Prius and I have an ROI of 3.1 years. But, the Matrix was an 03 (60k miles when I bought it), and the Prius is an 04 (40k miles when I bought it), so there is a year difference. Is that a fair comparison? I dunno. If we look at the numbers right off edmunds, a 04 Matrix with the options I had (not many, it was a base model) is worth $5600, and an 04 Prius with my options (which is nearly everything) is worth $9400. So, we have a difference of $3800 and ROI of 5.9 years. In both cases it pays for itself, but it does take time. Both cars have been incredibly reliable and have never had any major repairs.

Wow, from what you're saying, it sure sound like much ado about nothing. Agreed, if you can get an extra 10+mpg out of one for even five years for a $1000 battery, then why do people bad mouth them? Interesting. They aren't holding their resale nearly as well as I thought they would, which is good for me if I'm looking in another couple of years. Then again, that assumes stable gas prices for the next couple of years and no spike between now and then causing an increase in demand... a dangerous assumption... I figure we're always one Iranian mine in the Straits of Hormuz away from $5-7/gallon gasoline and every SUV driving soccer mom in America buying a Prius shortly thereafter.

2004 Toyota Prius

If you don't mind higher mileage.

regards
Mech

That's what I think about the Insight, especially with the manual transmission and manual IMA. How's the Prius compare to a stick shifted Honda hybrid in terms of Fahrvergnügen?

Tease! I could pretty much sell the Acura tomorrow and break even buying that. Then again, where would be the challenge in getting 50mpg after that? ;)

@ Robert: I've read some downright cutting reviews of the Civic Hybrid on Yahoo! Autos. Nothing like what I see in the reviews for the Prius & Insight. As always, it's the internet and it could be the same person posting a dozen reviews under different names, but it ain't pretty.