Newbie with questions...

Man you are the PERFECT candadiate for a Prius. I have a customer who has an 04 Prius with, by now, way over 200k. She commutes almost as bad as you LOL, her commute is only 160mi. Anyway she has nver had a breakdown and only routine maintaince. She plans on getting an 11 Prius in Jan. when she estimates her 04 will go over 300k. anyway my 10 Prius always gets at least 50mpg on our trips back and forth to Fl. on I-95 doing 70-80mph. The best tank I got so far one time was 54.6 so I'd recommend a Prius for you buddy.

 

I cruise at 71 MPH on the freeway, and get about 42 MPG in a 2009.

In a 2009, I pay $46 every 5000 miles for an oil change and tire rotation, once I get to 100,000 miles I will need to buy spark plugs and replace some fluids. The 2010 uses Synthetic oil so the cost is higher but the OCI is 10,000 miles so it works out the same.

Toyota has only been selling the Prius for 10 years, so we really don't know how long the High Voltage batteries may last. Taxis seem to exceed 250,000 miles on a HV battery. Full retail for a new replacement HV battery is $2500, but used HV batteries start at $300.
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The 12 volt battery lasts about 4 years and is somewhat pricey, $120 to $170. My advice is to replace it every 4 years, (8 years for the Optima) jump starting a Prius is not an ideal outcome.

 

The Grey line represents the theoretical MPG at given speeds, the green Dots are actual MPGs at given speeds in a Gen I Prius.

 

Wow 256 miles a day!!!! I would almost think a small plane would be best.

 

I thought my commute was bad at 142 miles a day! I have a 2010 and my drive is 95% highway and I'm usually doing 70-75 MPH and over 11,000 miles my avg MPG is just over 50. I don't think you will do any better than a Prius!

 

A daily commute of 256 miles? Sorry a Prius won't work for you. You need a semi-trailer so you can take the life you are leaving behind with you

OK, seriously, I get 45-55 mpg (US) city or highway. And the Prius is consistently ranked among the top 10 for reliability. Many, many drivers have posted stories of 200,000+ miles on a battery. Battery replacement (perish the thought) should it be necessary is not as much as the ridiculous rumours floating around (it's $2,500 new, $500-$1,500 used or reconditioned). I like the Prius on the highway. I find it drives well and is comfortable (although not everyone will agree as comfort/handling is highly subjective).

 

Hey if your going used, with all your highway driving, I'd really try to hold out for a 2010. You'll get at least 4 mpg's better with a Gen.3 on the highways. Sometimes I'd be a little dissapointed with my 08 when we went back and forth to Fl. Sometimes I'd only get in the low 40's where with my 2010 I nevewr get below 50mpg on the highway. But the early 2010's seem to generate more complaints of interior rattles. Seems cars made after Dec 09 don't suffer those complaints. With all the end of year deals and rebates maybe you should consider new and just drive it into the ground.

 

Hi Eric,
I don't think you can wait for a Focus hybrid, and the 2011 Focus EV has a 100 mile range, so that won't do. The TDI is a fine car. Here in L.A. diesel is as expensive as premium, that might be a consideration. The Golf lacks some of the best Prius tech, like smart key and adaptive cruise control but otherwise is a grade above the Prius in appointments. I mean nicer seats and better materials, a nice ride and sportier, radio and nav are better but it is slightly smaller inside. Also available with a manual transmission. VW also makes diesel versions in 2 door, sedan and a wagon that might fit your style better. VW reliability does not have the same reputation as Toyota.
The 2010 Prius will get slightly better mileage. Some people have complained about the Prius seats for long drives.

All hybrids have expensive batteries which will be replaced under warranty for 8 or 10 years depending on where you live. But after warranty, there are battery rebuilders and crash batteries are plentiful, like on ebay.

-mort

 

I thought that somewhere on PriusChat there was a discussion of a dealer in either North Carolina or South Carolina that was the place to go to get a good deal on a Prius. This has been awhile back, but I know that even well into 2010 they had a 2009 left.