Would I really do that much better in a Prius?

[stevey_frac]

Upon looking further into the insight vs the prius, I think i'd get better tank averages in the insight, because i'd do better in the city. And like as not, i still spend a lot of time in the city.

The prius is more money, but it's also more practical. It has 4 seats, and still a decent size trunk. The prius appears to have the potential for transaxle problems, and that trans axle is super expensive. I think the battery pack will last longer in the prius because they take extra care to ensure that the battery pack is never to high, never too low. Plus i think the prius would be quieter, and you can get it with cruise control.

It's all subjective though really. Either would do well.

[Matt Herring]

Hey guys...let's be rational about this discussion...

First, Stevey was only throwing out a hypothetical...he probably won't even be looking for a new car for many thousands of miles, many years down the road...let's not get in a heated discussion about something that isn't even happening.

Second, alot of people on this site have different motivations for the kind of car they drive, the mods they do to it, etc. In the end, we're really just bouncing ideas off each other to share information and get each driver to a better place. If one guy wants to spend $20k on a car (like me!) and gets 60+ mpg and another guy wants buy a car for $500 and gets better mpg than that...congrats to both! We don't share finances on this site so there's no reason to be upset with either guys decision.

This site is well-known for having rational discussions unlike many others you can find on the web. Let's keep it that way!

[Clev]

Someone's being irrational?

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by Clev

Someone's being irrational?

I think he's referring to me getting a little hot under the collar.

I'll try and play nice.

[Matt Herring]

I just didn't think Guud was criticizing your choice in vehicle...rather offering a "lengthy" suggestion as to why it would be better to go with a less expensive car vs. a Prius/hybrid from a economic standpoint.

[stevey_frac]

Assuming, I am as talented/effortful hypermiler as Matt Herring here, and assuming he isn't making up his mileage figures...

I should be able to get similar results. I know YMMV, but, If he can do it, why couldn't I? Now, Going from my cobalt averages of 40 MPG, to Matts Averages of 55 MPG would save me roughly $75 / month in fuel.

That's not insignificant. I think insurance on the Prius is also less then my current 2 - door coupe.

Lets call it a $125 / month savings for a prius vs my current vehicle. My current car payment is $300. I could have spent up to $425 to the break even point. As gas keeps getting more expensive this summer, I can only assume that it would tip even more in favor of the prius.

That being said. The 2.2 in the Cobalt is rock solid reliable. The engine is so overbuilt, it can take double the power without breaking a sweat. It's really easy on oil. According to the on board computer, i can go to 10k miles on an oil change. And even then, i still have 1000 km's to come get an oil change at my convenience. That's from the owners manual, if using conventional oil. it has no extra electronics. No stability control, no anti-lock brakes even. Just 4 wheels and an engine. I think the Cobalt if properly maintained will be cheaper to run in the long run over several hundred thousand km's then a prius, unless gas decides to go to $3/ liter ($10 / gallon ish).

The long and short of it is... Gas isn't expensive. It's more expensive now then it used to be... but $300 of gas takes me 5000 km's a month. My $80 oil changes (i use Amsoil SSO 0w30) ever 16000 kms are significant in comparison with gas spent to go that distance around $900. I'd put regular maintence at around 15% of the operating expenses for my car. I can save more money by doing my own maintenance, then i can by owning a prius.


That being said. I want a damn prius. Why? They're cool.

[Clev]

Originally Posted by stevey_frac

That being said. The 2.2 in the Cobalt is rock solid reliable. The engine is so overbuilt, it can take double the power without breaking a sweat. It's really easy on oil. According to the on board computer, i can go to 10k miles on an oil change. And even then, i still have 1000 km's to come get an oil change at my convenience. That's from the owners manual, if using conventional oil. it has no extra electronics. No stability control, no anti-lock brakes even. Just 4 wheels and an engine. I think the Cobalt if properly maintained will be cheaper to run in the long run over several hundred thousand km's then a prius, unless gas decides to go to $3/ liter ($10 / gallon ish).

Agreed. I have a lot of complaints about my Saturn Ion, but the 2.2L Ecotec is definitely not one of them. I really like this engine.

That being said. I want a damn prius. Why? They're cool.

'Nuff said. The best car for you is the one you want to drive. And when the battery pack finally does die, a company like Calcars will probably have a plug-in EV or full hybrid conversion kit cheaper than a new car.

[stevey_frac]

Originally Posted by Clev

Agreed. I have a lot of complaints about my Saturn Ion, but the 2.2L Ecotec is definitely not one of them. I really like this engine.

I know. Great Engine. I think the next iteration will be Direct Injection, and have some really awesome lean burn characteristics too.

Originally Posted by Clev

'Nuff said. The best car for you is the one you want to drive. And when the battery pack finally does die, a company like Calcars will probably have a plug-in EV or full hybrid conversion kit cheaper than a new car.

Great! So my course of action is decided. Just have to drive another 450k in the cobalt to finish it off.

[Clev]

Originally Posted by stevey_frac

I know. Great Engine. I think the next iteration will be Direct Injection, and have some really awesome lean burn characteristics too.

Drooooool.

[Matt Herring]

Originally Posted by stevey_frac

Assuming, I am as talented/effortful hypermiler as Matt Herring here, and assuming he isn't making up his mileage figures...

I should be able to get similar results. I know YMMV, but, If he can do it, why couldn't I? Now, Going from my cobalt averages of 40 MPG, to Matts Averages of 55 MPG would save me roughly $75 / month in fuel.

That's not insignificant. I think insurance on the Prius is also less then my current 2 - door coupe.

Stevey...

The only thing you have going against you in a Prius is that you would be driving heavily on the highway. While I have been able to pull 55-58 mpg on the highway I consistently see 65-70 mpg in city driving. But, you are basing your highway mpg as 55mpg so that is on the conservative end and is a good figure to work with (read more about Super Highway mode in the Prius at cleanmpg.com or priuschat.com to learn more about how to maximize highway driving).

I'll also note that my mpg logs are based off my in-car guage minus 2% so I may actually be doing better than I am reporting. The Prius operates on fuel bladder and it is not possible to track mpg using miles driven divided by gallons filled. Most veteran Prius drivers at priuschat.com use the 2% value off their in-car guage to report their mpg (this is after tracking in-car vs. actual fills over years and years of logs).

If you have a Scanguage II it has helped me 10x more in my Prius than it did in the 4runner that I traded in because I am essentially monitoring two engines instead of one. I know this is a hypothetical for you but I highly recommend the instrumentation in the Prius or any vehicle.

I did receive a 10% hybrid discount on my insurance so that is an added bonus. Also, there are still tax credits available on some makes of hybrids that have not crossed over the units sold limit. The Prius crossed that limit a long time ago but some tax credits are still available on some vehicles.