Toyota Prius: $50 a day gas bill?!

> "DougSlug" wrote: 

Some people don't care how much it costs nor how much they consume.
Example, John Travolta's 5 jets parked outside his Florida home. I dunno,
but 500 gallons to fly one a day seems rather wasteful for one person.
Hummer seems like a Prius in comparison.

B~

"DougSlug" <com> wrote in message
news:kxD0i.162$lga... 

Gas pricing seems to confuse people. A lot of people will drive miles for
gas that is ten cents per gallon less, even though that represents only 3%
saving. There is one regular in the alt.autos.honda forum who dismisses the
benefit of hybrids by saying his Civic can get 35 mpg on the highway. He
doesn't need to mention that getting to and from the highway it is getting
20-25 mpg.... Anyway, either of our Prius (2002s) will easily get 45 mpg
highway, the equivalent of paying a dollar per gallon less for gasoline. In
town it will double his economy, equivalent to $1.50 off the price of a
gallon. If he had a gas station that sold gas for $1.50 per gallon
(difference in city driving), or even $2 per gallon (difference in highway
driving), are we supposed to believe he would pass it up?

Mike

In article <net>,
"Michael Pardee" <com> wrote:
 

My dad just bought a fully loaded Corolla a couple of days ago for
thousands less than a base Prius costs. You have to factor in ALL the
costs in this kind of discussion, not just the cost per gallon of gas
because that does not equate to cost per mile driven. If my dad bought a
Prius instead, he would spend much more money per mile because he's a
senior citizen who just uses his car for shopping, getting to doctor's
appointments, the gym, and other neighborhood places. Rarely does he go
anywhere further than 20 miles from his home.

I am new to this newsgroup. Every time I see a Prius on the road, I keep
thinking how cool it would be for me to buy one when the time comes to
replace the car I have now. The trouble is that for a decently loaded
Prius, I would easily spend around $27,000 and the miles/gallon would
not justify the additional price over a car like the Corolla or Civic
considering that I average around 12,000 miles of driving per year.

I believe Consumer Reports did a review of hybrid vehicles a year or two
ago and they said the cut-off point to actually save money on gas by
buying a Prius will occur when (if) gas gets to be around $4.50/gallon.
At least in the area where I live, gas is a lot cheaper than that.

In comparing the costs of a hybrid with a standard car, you have to
factor in all the costs, not just gas. Examples ore the sale price, the
number of miles you typically get out of your cars, maintenance cost,
expected resale value, etc. Someone who drives a Civic might be spending
less / mile then you do with your Prius when you factor in the costs of
the two vehicles, total miles driven, etc.

Shawn Hirn <net> wrote:
 

Hey, but you're a familiar name to me from the comp.sys.mac groups.
Welcome!

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<http://designsbymike.biz/musings.shtml> Humorous/muckraking T-shirts
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"Shawn Hirn" <net> wrote in message
news:dca.giganews.com... 

I understand your concern and your analysis is spot on. A lot of people
can't even afford the purchase so the payoff period is moot. However, there
are deals to be had. I bought a 2002 last year with 103K miles on it for
about $12K. It drives like new and the experience of many is that there
really isn't much more going wrong in the second 100K than in the first. I
do my own maintenance, but even for those who hire it out the Prius is one
of the cheapest modern cars going. My wife's 2002 (bought new) has been by
far the most reliable car I've ever owned. My last new car needed more
repair in the first week than hers has in five years.

The Prius in its present incarnation is admittedly more upscale than many
people can afford. It isn't just the hybrid system, but the entire package.
I suspect the marketing design decisions were driven by at least two
factors: to minimize the shock of the premium paid for the hybrid system,
and to present the system as being fit for upscale cars. Considering the
upgrade packages offered in the current generation compared to the limited
list of options in the first generation, maybe the second factor is the big
one.

For that Hummer driver, who is probably getting around 15 mpg combined
(depending on highway and city duties) and spending $50/day for gas, a Prius
would save about $35/day or about $1000 per month. Unless he needs the
carrying capacity - some people do - that $12K per year would add up in a
hurry. Dropping the fuel bill from $18K per year to $6K per year... yeah,
that's a viable alternative.

Mike

In article <dca.giganews.com>,
Shawn Hirn <net> wrote:
 

I didn't buy mine to save money on gasoline; I bought it so I would
pollute less and conserve petroleum. I had a paid-off Acura, and the
Prius was the only vehicle that tempted me to even think of trading.
 

Consumer reports grossly underestimates the mileage that a Prius gets.
It says it averages 44 MPG (which isn't shabby at all); I get between 48
and 51 MPG, with very rare drops to 46 or increases to 53. I know of
people who routinely get 55 MPG or higher.
 

The Prius holds its value much better than just about any other vehicle
sold; resale value will be proportionally higher. Maintenance is also
lower--for example, because most braking is regenerative, mechanical
brakes last longer. Miles driven shouldn't matter, except for gasoline
costs because both vehicles would be driven the same distance--unless
high gas prices cause a reduction in driving for the less efficient car.

--
Support the troops: Bring them home ASAP.

In article <east.cox.net>,
Michelle Steiner <org> wrote:
 

I get between 30 (bunches of short trips in the winter) and 46 or 47 in
my Prius.

I'd say Consumer Reports is dead-on. Are they reporting actual survey
results?

 

Apparently, for most owners, it's not ALL about the money or "breaking
even",
or "cut-off points". And (I hope) most owners aren't really hoping
for gas to
reach the magical $4.50/gal level just to be able to say "I'm really
saving now,
suckers!".

Otherwise, wouldn't the Kia Rio (or the current cheapo champ - the
next Yugo)
be on top of the list?