Possible alternative to the V (which I like) might be the Fit and the....

I might be livid if my '11 dips to 45 MPG, cause it's hanging in over 52 on gage, and that's quite a few 5 to 10 minute trips.

 

Keep in mind the Prius v is 20" longer and over 3" wider than a Fit, and the reports of 'big inside', I think has mostly to do with headroom, not so much room front to back or side to side. It is well laid out for its size.

 

'12 Camry 4 cylinder is EPA rated at 28 mpg combined, making the regular Prius ~78% better.

There's more to cost of ownership than just fuel costs. Most TCO pages/calculators take into account financing, maintenance costs, depreciation, etc. You can go to Intellichoice to take a look...

I'm still partly confused by the fixation over the Prius v wagon instead of the regular Prius esp. when you're considering vehicles w/less interior and cargo room, like the Fit... Since "mpg is a primary concern, right among the top 3 factors", then non-hybrids ought to be ruled out, automatically.

"First off, if I buy a V I want the trim v. I want the pleather, and heated seats and other goodies" Can you even get pleather/leather and heated seats on a Fit? There are a bunch features on the regular Prius that AFAIK don't exist on the Fit such as smartkey system and touchtracer controls.

Remember the Prius and Prius v have no drive belts and at least on the regular Prius, brakes should last forever due to regen. See Hybrids prove very reliable | CTV British Columbia and look at maintenance histories of 2004+ Priuses at Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity - Hybrid Electric Vehicles, specifically at brakes. Many folks here have gone 100K miles while still on the original brakes.

 

i sold my awd rdx(no tech) to get prius v five with adv package. if it wasnt my job that requires frequent inter-state travel, i was planning to keep the rdx forever. i love my pius v but i do miss a turbo kick and superior handling minus premium gas price. now if you consider depreciation,interest expense and high msrp of prius v, honda fit will be the best bang for buck, a better choice.

if you have a long commute and if you somehow can drive 20k miles per year like i am, you may be able to save money within 5 yrs by getting a prius v. just my $.02

 

I stand corrected - you are right.

 

Something to think about, it sounds like you really like the v. If you plan to keep your next car for 10 years you should get the one you want with the options you want. The big loss would be if you bought something else and in a year or so you have to sell or trade it in to get what you really wanted.

 

This thread made me laugh. I parked next to a Fit today and it made my car look like a large SUV. My GenII is smaller than the GenIII and much smaller than the v. The Fit is in no way comparable to the v (wagon). You might as well compare a Rav4 to an Excursion. Except in this case the larger car gets better FE.

If total cost of ownership is your main priority then get a used Fit or Yaris. If you want something more enjoyable to drive with a better emissions rating and that uses less fuel (think environmental and national security) then look at a standard liftback Prius.

 

And if the concern is overall economic then maybe a compact that's at least assembled in the USA.

 

Rhizzlebop's alternatives are a bit strange but they sort of make sense to me. My situation was the following:

We had two cars, a 2001 Sienna minivan and a 2004 Camry XLE V6. We needed to replace the van - check engine lights were becoming a bit too frequent. We decided to downsize to a wagon. I came up with the following options:

Honda Fit
Hyundai Elantra Touring
Volkswagen Jetta wagon (diesel)
Prius v

When I sat in the Fit, I realized that it was simply too small for my needs - no matter how well equipped. The Volkswagen got ruled out due to initial cost and ongoing costs. (Check out the entries for this car on Fuelly) My wife said she did not want to be seen driving a Hyundai The family all liked the Prius v instantly so no real contest in the end.

 

Has anyone looked at or considered an Acura TSX Sport Wagon?

acura.com/ModelLanding.aspx?model=TSX%20Sport%20Wagon]2012 Acura TSX Sport Wagon | Photos, Specs, Accessories | Acura.com

They seem to be sporty even if it is an Accord from Europe.

What do you think?

Andy

 

I forgot this one .... to the OP ... if you need to save money, go check out the Elantra Touring, seriously. No, it's not the sexiest looking car.
I took a good sit in it at the SF auto show, and tell you what, it is quite impressive! Very good front and rear seating. Cargo area looked maxed out for the size of the car.

No, it's not a Prius v, but I'm sure it comes in $7k cheaper or SLT. Like said, not the cutest looking car, but looked very practical and comfortable. Definitely more comfortable than Matrix (not a big fan of Matrix dash/seating design), and much more practical than Mazda3 hatch.

And the mention of not wanting to be seen in a Hyundai .... skip that. Hyundai is in big leagues.

 

Upscale and pricey. Sucks gas, like 26 MPG fillups.
They've been out most of 2011, haven't seen one yet on the road. btw, big rear shock wells suck up cargo space.

Wouldn't be surprised if it turns out a sales bomb here. Look at it from side. Very wagoney. 25 y/o niece said reminded her of a hearse. I think lot of Americans still weird out over a low riding midsize hatchback with car wheels and tires.

Prius v is different and unique with modern lines. Sportwagon seems to dredge up the old wagon look.



Also, the 2.4L 4cylinder w/ 201 HP, likely they increased the redline RPMs for top HP. This should translate to a weaker feeling at lower RPMs (leaving every stop and hearing the nauseating shift of automatic transmission, over and over, yuck). I'll take Hybrid Synergy Drive over that any day.

 

It is upscale (heck, that's why it is an Acura and not a Honda), but not terribly expensive - it starts at just over $30k and is very well equipped. Compared to a Prius it does suck gas, but when you stack it up against any other non-hybrid especially given its features the mpg is better than average.

As for how it looks and drives - you are right that it is very wagoney, but in the very best way possible - I think it is a great looking car but I love wagons. It is not super powerful, but handles and drives very nicely, refined but with a touch of a sporty edge. The drivers seat is super - it has great bolstering and it just holds you. If they made the wagon in a stick my Prius would be gone in a second.

The reason that you have not seen them is that stock is slim - Honda estimated selling only 2,500 this year and the Japan earthquake /tsunami halted production for months. They are selling them as quickly as they get them. This summer my wife had decided on one and the wait was around 4 weeks. The dealer offered her a great deal on a loaner RDX - it had something like 8,500 miles on it and they discounted it over $9,000.

 

Do they make VW Sportwagen in stick? You might like that.

But, for a smaller hot rod, no brainer, get the Mazdaspeed3.

Myself, not going back to any conventional car, ever, unless 'had to' for lack of money.

 

Looking at the OP's criteria, I would think the decision would be between the regular Prius and the V. I wanted a Fit when we traded for the Mazda5, really liked the car and was roomy and fun to drive with 28mpg till it was totaled. Back looking at cars again, the Fit was at the top of my list. While waiting on the ins. co, I was car shopping online and had my list narrowed to the Fit, used 2010 Prius and then new Mazda5. The Fit Sport were in short supply so only one the right color within 20 mile radius. On the day we went seriously car shopping, the Toyota dealer was first stop and after driving a couple of '10s, we liked the car, the room and the mileage figures. Came home with the Prius and haven't looked back. The v has come out since then and if I was buying new, it would be a tough decision between the two, really like the looks of the new v. I'm also anxious to see the new C when it gets here, I just might have a Lexus LS looking for a new home then.

 

No on VW or Audi based on reliability and re-sale. The Mazda3 is a fine car - I don't think that I'd go for the Mazdaspeed version as I hear the torque steer is killer and I'm not really into the whole boy racer thing.

I just fell in love with the TSX wagon because it is a car that they really do not sell here in the US any more - a really nice, good driving wagon. It can be had for under $30k and the base model has just about everything you could want - the only option is the tech package. Yes, the factory GPS is nice, but given that I use GPS perhaps once a month I could buy a stack of Garmins and use them as burners. The Honda reliability is just a plus. When my wife was looking for a car this summer it became obvious that it was a pretty good deal when you stacked it up against similarly sized and equipped alternatives - the AAA price was something like $28.5k - load up a Kia Sportage and you are getting close to that.

 

Year and a half ago, I watched on video, Acura's announcement of the coming TSX Sportwagon and they made a big deal emphasizing that the 'Wagon is back, finally' and all that.

I'm just glad for the Prius and the v. Without them, I would about have to write off the rest of the automobile industry as virtually a failure.

It always bothered as to why there really is no competition or direct competitor to Prius, but, things sometimes change very slowly in the auto industry. Years from now there will be lots of Prius copies, but nothing for now. It's ok, we have Prius.

 

I have always though that the new Insight looks like the more handsome little brother of the Prius - to me the design is just has a more finished and cohesive look. To keep the brother metaphor going it is too bad that the Insight turned out to the the slacker in the family - still living in the basement way after the Prius moved out and up.

There have been a fair number of rumors that Kia/Hyundai are developing a Prius killer - I bet that they make a pretty good stab at it too. The mileage will likely not be as good, but it will come with more creature comforts and at a better price. Then wait for gen 2 of it - they will likely have it right at that point.

 

Insight II is a good looking little car, but that's where the benefits end. No interest in mild hybrid here. Honda is working on a '2-motor' plug-in hybrid, but I'll bet that drivetrain ends up in a sedan with a trunk.