Very Short Commute...is Prius good for this?

My wife has a short 10 minute commute through mostly residential streets and side city street. She stays on the electric motor for about 75% of her commute. For us, this is a VERY effective vehicle for this commute.

Bo

 

I can't say the same with mine. With my Prius, I drive to my son's school each morning -- which is 2 miles -- and I notice that since the car isn't really warm enough, the ICE seems to be on the whole ride killing my fuel economy. My mpg meter seems to be under 25 mpg for the 4 mile round trip and that's even staying in the lower end of the Eco range. Maybe a 10 minute ride is long enough to warm the ICE up and allow for more electric motor usage?

Are there any experts to shed light on this?

 

Not as efficient as on longer runs trips but still better than a similar non hybrid.

My commute is about 5 miles each way and I usually cycle.

On weeks when I do commute by car and only do other shorter runs, I still get over 40 mpg (US), even in winter. I do park it in a garage though which probably helps a bit in winter.

 

mine is 15 minutes each way and i get 55-60mpg with an 08 depending on the time of year. of course, i drive it other places for a total od 10,000 miles a year or so. how many mile a year will you do?

 

Fuel economy on every car sucks on short trips; the Prius sucks less than others. If you want to minimize your carbon footprint or you just want the car, then go for it. But if your goal is to minimize total cost of ownership (TCO) then any of several recent used non-hybrids would have much smaller TCO than would a new Prius.

 

Fuel economy on every car sucks on short trips; the Prius sucks less than others. If you want to minimize your carbon footprint or you just want the car, then go for it. But if your goal is to minimize total cost of ownership (TCO) then any of several recent used non-hybrids would have much smaller TCO than would a new Prius.

Comment is right on. Wife gets under 40 MPG with mostly short trips with her 2008. But, I didn't get it only for the mpg's.

 

Have you considered a Leaf or Smart? They are pretty small in size.
If you need the size, perhaps a PHEV like the upcoming Prius?

 

If your driving is strictly the commute and your concern is only costs...a motorcycle/scooter might serve you well.
If you also plan to use the car for shopping, vacations, etc and plan to keep it for 5-8 yrs then get an all around vehicle like the Prius. its mpg will still be around twice typical autos and it is a great investment(as far as depreciating cars can be investments)

 

This^^^

If this vehicle will only be a commuter and nothing else then a 3-5 y.o. Corolla, Civic, Yaris, etc will do the trick. Why not a 2003 or 2004 Prius which now could be obtained for a song?

As noted all vehicles suck for short trips. The Prius sucks less.

 

i guess that settles it, welcome to the club!

 

Just so long as you know you will likely get the worst FE on forum (for the commute). Would hate to see another IndyKing like situation.

 

ya, it's been really pleasant since he and durallymax left. i sure hope that numbnuts with the chip on his shoulder from the national enquirer doesn't try to replace them. of course, there's still malorn

 

One of the new plug-ins would be ideal for short trips. You want 100% electrical use in short trips.

 

Or getting a used Prius and getting an aftermarket battery pack put in (ABC, Engineer, etc). You could easily do an all electric commute if you get the job that is close to your home.

Are you going to purchase the car before you find out your commute situation? Might be best to wait. Is this a job that you plan on doing for the next several years? Will they be around in the next several years?

 

Well, if you're good with the potential mileage (and at least you've adjusted your expectations accordingly) go for it! The Pkg V is a beautiful one. I wanted a V, but I commute 70+ miles per day, and I didn't want to "sacrifice" the extra 2-3 MPG's and the "softer" ride to get a V. So I opted for the IV. I love my car.