I spend about $500 on gas every month on gas so I am seriously looking at the Prius. I realize there is no such thing as a perfect car but I have done two test drives and this may very well be the coolest car I have ever driven. I am going ahead with the ATP. The dealer is asking 29k for a 2010 Prius V and after doing some research looks like a good deal. I am going to request Michelin Hydro Edge tires also. What do you guys think? Thanks! Mike Greve
Appears to be a great deal. What is your typical commute like in terms of distance, speed, topography, etc?
I do most of my driving on the interstate. I install security systems and will be using this car as a work vehicle. I work from Greenville, SC and my work area spans about 150 miles. So this takes me to areas like Charlotte, Columbia, and Western North Carolina. I plan to relocate back to South Florida in the next year or two and can imagine that this car will be perfect there.
I think 29k a great deal if it includes ATP. I got mine for 32k with ATP early last month. Where are you getting this price?
The Prius is a great car and the GIII is more efficient on the interstate than GII which it sounds like you will be doing. Since you will be driving on the interstate, plan on getting between 40 and 45 miles per gallon with LRR tires at above normal pressure at 75mph to 80mph. Keep in mind this is still 20% or more better than some of the most efficient non hybrid cars. But interstate driving cannot take advantage of many "hybrid features" like the regenerative braking and idle stop. It will make use of the low coefficient of drag that the Prius has and the efficient engine. Interstate constant driving is where a diesel actually performs just as well, but in the US since diesel is more expensive and the engine is more expensive to maintain the Prius makes the better choice overall. Afterall you dont live on an interstate so you will have city driving that nothing can match. I just dont want you to expect the same 50+ mpg that you get in town to match highway driving. Most cars do better on the highway than in the city, but this is not true of hybrids for the above reasons. As for purchasing tomorrow, I would forego the GAP coverage and extended warranties. If you really want it, there is a member on here that works for a dealership and gets the warranty for a lot less than usual to Priuschat members. Good luck with your purchase!
As mentioned, you will likely get less than ratings with long interstate travel. One guy on here about a year ago was very disappointed with the numbers so keep that in mind. OTOH, putting about Florida should give good results.
40-45mpg is a low estimate for interstate driving. I'm positive you'll do better than that. Ever heard of superhighway mode?
Thanks for your help! I already talked to Troy about an extended warranty and will be getting it through him. Unless the dealer offers something better which I doubt. I got the offer from my local Dealer here in Greenville, SC. I think the 2011's are coming out in a couple weeks so they are really trying to get the 2010's out the door. At least that's my theory. One thing for sure. I am bound to get better than the 20 mph I'm getting with my current car.
Driving with traffic at 75 miles per hour or more I average 42 during cross country interstate only driving. This average is over about 6000 miles driving both ways. However driving intown I can get 50mpg easily, 60mpg with some trying. And living on a mountain I get 3 to 5 minutes of straight 8-10mpg driving every day. Without that bit I am sure I could mainain 60mpg+ with hypermilling techniques.
FWIW, I get a little better fuel economy on highways vs city driving here in Atlanta. Atlanta gets its fair share of traffic, but I think the main reason I'm seeing lower numbers in the city is that it's slightly hilly here. I can't get total regenerative charging while trying to coast down hills if they have a traffic light. I regularly drive to Asheville, NC...and my average going there is around 53 mpg. Around Atlanta, it's more like 50mpg. And when I drove to DC, I found that on 85 around Virginia...it was closer to 47mpg. I'm finding mph has less effect then terrian conditions for pulsing and gliding.
Yes. It is highly unlikely that you will ever get back as much as half of what you spend for an extended warranty, probably even less in the case of a Prius because they have proved to be very reliable. If you are borrowing money to buy the car you would do much better by using the cost of the extended warranty to increase the down payment.
I traded my wife's 2006 Prius in for the 2010 Prius V. I loved it so much I traded my 2008 Highlander Hybrid (which I also loved) and bought another Prius V for my self. Great car, great milage very comfortbale, just a WOW all over from me. In my own opinion you just cannot go wrong for whatever your reason is for buying one. Oh.. and I am having a ball adding accessories to it!
Great choice on getting the optioned-out model. I tested a Prius V about a year ago, and found the car much more enjoyable with the cool conversation pieces like self-parking, solar roof, etc. Good luck!
