Small / economy car deathwatch: we've passed "peak econobox" again

[litesong]

Originally Posted by Vman455

Your mistake....

No mistake. I went to Hyundai, who likes to deal & got my Elantra for under $13,000 with 100,000 mile warranty. The two problems with our two Elantras are, they both are within 30,000 miles of never being able to use their warranties.....yeah, both Elantras. Oh, those are good things! Plus our Elantras has more room than the Prius & look much better.

[freebeard]

mpg_numbers_guy — That one picture from 2011? The one that look just like a Prius except for the Rocket Bunny-style fender kit and wing? They've raced in the Super GT class in Japan for years. Try one or two of these:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=prius+gt+300&iax=videos

I believe they run a V-6 in the back like the Alessandro Volta concept.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

I just wish that some engineer type with a Prius shell and a Firebird drivetrain would give that silly-looking car real guts!

Sure, there's the Lexus ES300h that gets 45 MPG and has 215 HP. Looks more ridiculous to me than a Prius due to the grill, but it isn't way outside the price range of a Prius either.



Or if you want crazy power, there's the LC500h, 354 HP with a 4.7 0-60. Might as well buy a Tesla though for the price tag. Like all Lexus vehicles of the last decade, it too sports a grill that exudes insecurity and ineptitude.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by litesong

No mistake. I went to Hyundai, who likes to deal & got my Elantra for under $13,000 with 100,000 mile warranty. The two problems with our two Elantras are, they both are within 30,000 miles of never being able to use their warranties.....yeah, both Elantras. Oh, those are good things! Plus our Elantras has more room than the Prius & look much better.

The Prius has more interior room than your Elantra, by more than 10 cubic feet. It's completely attributable to the hatchback design, where the cargo volume is nearly twice that of the Elantra (and, IMO, much more usable than a trunk, even with pass-through, especially for large awkwardly-shaped things like bicycles). But seriously, if you want a Prius, now's the time to buy one since dealers can't give them away. And if you want to make things easier on yourself, do it entirely over the internet; I firmly believe that the only time you should need to visit the dealer is to sign the papers and pick up the car.

Back to the original point: an n=1 illustration that you can't get a deal on hybrids but can on conventional cars...simply isn't true or generally applicable. Plenty of us have gotten deals on hybrids.

[redpoint5]

I make deals on hybrids by reviewing private party advertisements and making an initial low offer on all of the ones that I would be interested to own, ignoring the asking price entirely. I use multiple car valuation sources (mostly KBB and Edmunds) to inform fair private value, and attempt to come in at the lower end of that.

Last purchase was a rebuilt title 2014 C-Max with 32k miles top SEL trim for $7,200.

I might be selling my 2012 Prius plug-in to a friend for $6k so that I can begin to negotiate with my wife to purchase an EV. She hates EVs, but that's just because I haven't shown her how she can't live without them yet, just like all the technology I bring into the house.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Sure, there's the Lexus ES300h that gets 45 MPG and has 215 HP. Looks more ridiculous to me than a Prius due to the grill, but it isn't way outside the price range of a Prius either.

The 300h only is a ~36 MPG real world, except for the 2019 which claims 41 MPG for 8 vehicles. Both a solid 10 MPG less than the Prius.

Source: Fuelly.com

[Bicycle Bob]

GM and VW are going to stop making Hybrids. I think there is something seriously wrong with the mentality of a cohort that won't buy cars without drag races in mind. It is far more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and you can get far more practice without making a nuisance of yourself. Remember, John Wayne hauled his manhood on One horsepower.

[freebeard]

36hp should be enough for anyone.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

The 300h only is a ~36 MPG real world, except for the 2019 which claims 41 MPG for 8 vehicles. Both a solid 10 MPG less than the Prius.

Source: Fuelly.com

Take it up with the EPA then. They're the ones allowing it to be listed at 45 MPG.

I bet we could manage the EPA rating, as Lexus buyers don't tend to be the "drive economically" type.

[niky]

Originally Posted by freebeard

36hp should be enough for anyone.

Shockingly, I've driven cars with less.

Unless you need to run cross country at 80 mph, even a 15 hp motor is fine.