Prius or a VW tdi??? please help!!!

the Prius is much more of a status car to drive

Wrong reason to get a car IMO
Get a car YOU like to drive
If you do not enjoy your car you will always second guessing your decision

Both are good cars, get the one that puts a smile on your face

 

I think you know the answer already - hence posting on a Prius forum

 

http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/Trio.do

 

I too debated about these 2 plus the Honda Insight.... tough call. I went with the Prius primarily because I did a 30 mile fuel economy run on all 3 cars. The Prius won by 12 mpg easily beating both contenders. Additionally the VW reliability was a factor added to the additional cost of maintenance that has been reported. Check both cars sites for stories and check CU ratings. Yes the VW is more fun to drive, so go with it if that is your main value. The Prius drives more like a conventional larger car, but not too bad. I have been happy with it getting 60 mpg easily so far with 8,000 miles on it. Could not have gotten that with the TDI unless they imported the Blue Motion version, which they have not done yet. Also there was a 6 months wait around here for a TDI while Prius's were generally available with a dealer close by, when the VW dealer was half and hour away. The final hook was a $199/month lease with 3 years of free maintenance and in Massachusetts a 150,000 mile battery warranty. That was my process. Good luck with yours.

 

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...sight-civic-hybrid-jetta-gas-tdi-wrx-sti.html

 

This is a Prius forum so most of us will recommend a Prius, no surprise there. I think both are good cars but the VW has a poor reliability record and the Prius is excellent in that respect. The Prius will be more fuel efficient. As the economy improves, assuming it does, diesel fuel will become even more expensive with respect to gasoline. Diesel can be a pain due to foaming and the smell lasts forever if you spill some on your hand or your cloths. I know, I own a diesel pickup truck.

Another good choice is the Audi A3 tdi which uses the same engine and transmission as the VW but the rest of the car is of higher quality materials and better built. Or you could wait and see what the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will be like, Hyundai is starting to build some pretty good cars.

 

I would echo what others have said. If you enjoy driving the TDI then get that car. Dogfriend posted the link to the emissions table, which can give you numbers to evaluate your decision. Truly, the Prius is the lead in limiting emissions out of the tailpipe.

The Prius is likely to be a less expensive car to own. Simple things like brake pads last a much longer time on the Prius because of the regenerative braking.

 

Oh and as far as the status symbol thing goes, I'd ignore it. Don't let your car "define" you. This is a tactic that advertisers and marketers use with vehicles to try and take a practical, utilitartian decision and try to turn it into an emotional decision.

Advertising would have you buy the bigger and more powerful SUV. And, if you were to look at which vehicles give the auto manufacturer's the most profit, it would be (surprise!) the SUV. Funny how that worked out.

Yet people eat this up, I guess it feeds their ego. Regardless, I'd recommend getting the car that best meets your needs. It's up to you to decide what your needs are, the car is merely the tool to best address them.

BTW welcome to Prius chat!

 

Do not underestimate the extreme pain that finding diesel fuel can be. And diesel is dirty air car. How about an all electric car?

 

I currently own both cars.

I have a 2003 golf tdi 5 speed with bigger injectors and a rc3 tune,
I still honestly get 48-50 mpg all the time. Tires are important too. You really should have the high energy low rolling resistance tires. I can't express that more. They do work.
I love the tdi, it is very fun to drive and is a fantastic car. It has 150,000 miles on it. Zero squeeks and rattles, and is just breaking in.

As for the Prius, its a 2006, my wife mostly drives it. It is also a fantastic car.

I think you should get what puts the biggest smile on your face.

To conclude, personally for me I love them both but do enjoy driving the tdi more.

Hope this helps with your decision.
Larry

 

O P

Echoing others here, I suggest examining the things that most interest and concern you. If your main concern is fuel economy, you can rely on the Prius to return the highest fuel economy IF driven with that purpose in mind.

Driving the Prius as a nornal teenager would might deliver a MPG rating in the mid 30's, while ppaying attention to every nuance can provide phenomenal reaults. Just visit a couple of hyper-miler threads to see the claims.

My experience is with the gen II only, so my further comments will be weighted with that in mind. When I first got the gen II, I was amazed how poorly it handled cross and head winds. It was fatiguing to drive for any length of time. I found it disconcerting to be forced to make modifications to the vehicle just to allow what I consider basic good road manners. Larger and wider wheels and tires helped (but also reduced mileage results). Others here have added more stability modifications from Tom's etc. Check the store and other threads

.I also found the VSC (variable stability control) to be hyper-sensitive to the point of annoyance. For instance, a light rain would cause my car to lurch and slow while accelerating from stop and entering traffic from the mere crossing of the white stop-line painted at most intersections. Not confidence inspiring to say the least!

I have chucked the Prius and now own a VW Golf. The suspension is just vastly superior - no two ways about it. This car DOES deliver so much more confidence in all aspects of driving. So, for me, and my desires to drive and feel confident that the car will perform as I wish it, I am willing to spend more at the fuel pump.

If your ONLY concern is fuel usage (or the feeling that you are saving the planet), the choice is clear. If you want more from a vehicle, I highly recommend a THOROUGH test drive of all the vehicles you are considering. I feel stupid, but bought the Prius at a time when dealerships did not have even a demonstrator and gas prices were above $4 U.S. a gallon. My mistake - and a costly one. Once the novelty of getting a few tankfuls near 50 mpg wore off, buyer's remorse took over.

So think it over and don't be too hasty in deciding.

There are reasons Prius is easy to obtain now and VW TDI is not.

 

I don't want to wag any fingers, but unless you are planning to take that camry out of service (i.e. recycle it) your greenest option here is going to be keep it and fix the oil leaks. If you hand that car off to someone else, then put another new car on the road, you are only adding to GHG's not taking away.

That said. I have owned both a TDI Jetta and now a Prius. The TDI is loads of fun to drive. It has tons of torque and as such, can gallop hard when you kick it. Mine was a stick shifter, and even out on the highway at top RPMs, when you hit the gas, it pulled you right a long.
You aren't going to feel that muscle in a Prius. You feel a certain level of torque from the electric engine, but it doesn't last long, and when the gas takes over, it can be somewhat discouraging.
Another thing I will say about the TDI, depending on where you live this may or may not be a problem for you, but in Raleigh NC, there are a lot of gas stations that do not sell diesel fuel inside the city limits. I can remember driving around nearing E and not being able to find a diesel pump. Also, the diesel pumps are typically messy and dirty due to the keen ability of diesel gas to seep right out of the pump.

 

And isn't diesel fuel more expensive than petrol/gas in most parts of the US? Any fuel economy benefit you gained from driving a diesel car will be lost by the higher cost of fuel and higher car purchase cost.

Diesel cars are only more popular in Europe as diesel fuel isn't taxed as heavily as petrol and as such is significantly cheaper to buy. In countries where this is no longer the case (such as the UK), you find people moving away from diesel towards hybrids.

Also, it was true that diesel engines were much stronger and more reliable due to being simpler in comparison to petrol engines, but the reliability factor is no longer the case (generally) with all the extra emission reduction requirements. This is one of the reasons I chose a hybrid as a taxi instead of going the traditional diesel route.

 

As someone who turned in a 1986 Honda Accord for a Prius last year, I have a difficult time believing that your Camry is uneconomical to fix. The best thing for the environment and your finances is to find a good independent Toyota/Honda mechanic, fix it, and keep driving it another five years.

Buying anything for status is often a road to misery.

The gay folk to listen to Car Talk voted the Jetta as the #1 gay-guy car. The Prius didn't even make the top ten.

 

good to see others had the same dilema. when i was talking to the sales man, and you know they always ask what else are you looking at, he looked at me kinda funny as if those two did not fit in the same category. We too liked the VW, but i too had grave concerns over reliability and the cost of repairs. In that respect, VW does not fair well. On the other side, the Prius is rated one of the best and cleanest and its the newest technology. After you get over the little quirkyness, its a great car and dam glad to have gotten one at such a discount. Like in stocks, i buy on bad news and there was plenty for Toyota lately. the choice is ultimately up to you and what you want to drive, but what has been said above by others is right on the money. good luck

 

I pretty much agree with Airbalancer, get the car *you* want to drive, you'll never be satisfied with another choice. If engine power and better handling is what you want most, then the TDI's a great car.

That said, I too decided between a Jetta Sportwagon TDI and a Prius, but everything I was looking for was in the Prius, so that's what I bought.

I'm not an image or status seeker type person, so that didn't enter into my choice, but cost of operating both vehicles did, and the Prius won by a lot -- it uses reglar gas, and that's cheaper than diesel here by 10-20%, plus it gets better gas mileage, and it gets that gas mileage in just about any driving situation, unlike the diesel which only gets top mileage on thehighway.

I also couldn't get a Jetta with a nav and anything like the advanced tech package. Sure, it cost more money, but I got what I wanted to get and am very satisfied.

 

I looked at the VW Jetta TDi Wagon when I was shopping, the Prius won because a) it was cheaper, b) it got better gas mileage, and c) the fuel was cheaper... Three strikes, you're out VW! Also, look at CR reliability reports, the Prius ranks higher there as well...

 

just my personal experience but I've never met a single person, truthfully, who ever had a modern VW and could say it was "reliable". Every single person I know who has or had one (12 I can think of off the top of my head) all have had major problems, and it doesn't seem like I'm alone in thinking vws are expensive and unreliable.....but very cool cars

 

Both are excellent cars. The Prius has better MPG and is cleaner; the VW will be a more comfortable ride - IF you can find one.

Over time the VW will cost you more money, iow, maintenance costs.