Would a PIP be good for a 54 mi daily commute round trip?

Then get her one.

My wife has an identical commute (52mi) that she will need to do for at least the next 3 years. I got her a used 09 Civic EX coupe for $11k which she loves driving more than prius. YMMV.

 

A possible plus for you is the green HOV sticker eligibility.

As for those spots, well, the EV1 used a paddle inductive charger. That's not the same as J1772. Probably best to get it replaced if you want it to be able to charge the PiP or any other current EV. Otherwise, you'd have to use something like My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - Avcon charging a Leaf!.

 

if you can only plug in at home, it might be a little disappointing. once you start driving ev, it's all you want to do!

 

That's a matter of perspective. Realistic expectations make all the difference. It depends on whether or not effortless 70 MPG is impressive.

I didn't get a chance to plug in at work the other day and drove close to that distance with only a single charge.

Evening errand running is quite amazing if you plug in after returning home from work. My late night runs to the store are typically all EV. Seeing that 999 MPG, especially on short trips, is a dramatic upgrade from 2006 model. Don't forget that you get to choose when & how to use that electricity too, with the HV/EV button.

 

well, you do and you don't. if you don't want to use up any ev, it is difficult. even in hv, it sucks up a little.

 

Today was rather interesting. 35 miles total, 17 of which were EV. That was a surprise. I wasn't even trying. It was just random running around today and no time to plug in. The result was 90 MPG.

 

The answer is that yes she'll benefit. She'll be using the full charge every day and if the EPA ratings are to be believed it's more efficient than the liftback on the highway.

EDIT:
If you mean "save money" then no. The gas savings wouldn't be enough to offset the additional cost.

But, would the HOV sticker help save much time?
Would it be more comfortable to drive?
Are you willing to spend money to be more efficient?
Are you willing to spend money to use less gasoline?
Would the pre-cooling on the plug be of much benefit?

 

I have a 92 mile R/T commute and have found the PiP to be just fine for it. I replaced a perfectly fine 2005 Prius with the PiP and have no regrets. I went from an average of 42 to 46 MPG per tank to 55 to 63 MPG per tank. I am able to charge at home and at work, so that helps a lot. Even when I've been unable to charge, the PiP has delivered execellent MPG that is better than what I was getting in the 2005. The PiP also offers significant technology improvements over the previous Prius 2004-2009 generation.

 

I am considering replacing a 2005 Gen2; well, actually will let my 22 yo stepson drive it. He would have turned up his nose a few years ago, but having been without a vehicle for a few months has made him willing to drive anything better than the lawn tractor, lol. 166k and three years on the easy payment plan, don't want to trade it in and he needs a good used vehicle; already got one.
I have some questions about operation of the PiP, have already considered the LiIon batteries and no spare tire, will consider whether the cost is worth it when I talk to the dealer. I know that the EV mode will, but does the drivetrain operate in stealth HV mode all the way up to 62 mph? I get 55-60 mph in my Gen2, partly because I can do part of my 25 mile commute at 40mph and at least partly in stealth mode. If the electric motor can move the car alone in HV mode at 55-60 mph, then the gasoline savings may be worth the extra for a base PiP over 7-10 years, though I haven't done the math yet. Thanks.

 

All electric up to 62 mph in EV, most bang for the buck at slower driving thought, high speed does use EV up faster. But you are right when in HV depending on how much EV is in your battery you do get some EV-BOOST from time to time beyond 62-up. car decides what to use and when.

 

Thanks, now I just need to be able to swing the financing, which will be the deal breaker.

 

I have a 72 mile commute, only charge at home, and got 68 mpg on my last tank.

 

Re-read your post, and I probably didn't state my question clearly. What I want to know is if the HV mode will run on electric only at times up to 62 mph. The boost is nice, but the real mileage comes when running in stealth mode with the ICE off.

 

HV mode has the same limit as the Gen 3 liftback. So, warp stealth is the best you can do.

 

I got 63 mpg on a Gen III tank once - 600+ miles. The delta of a PiP over a Gen II/III Prius is not going to be that much.
Estimate the gallons used annually for each vehicle. You will find you aren't saving much. Buy solar panels with your 30K instead.

 

Your situation is pretty similar to the one I had, only in my son's case, he didn't turn up his nose at the car, he actively wanted it. He says he always liked the car and wanted it when I was done. He and his wife had been sharing a '95 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was making life a bit difficult. A second car that gets much better gas mileage has really helped them out.

Stealth HV mode is good up to about 42 MPH. It's little easier to use stealth HV mode in the PiP than it is in a Gen II Prius, but I have to question why you would want to use HV mode instead of EV mode in that sort of situation. You should be able to do most of your commute in EV mode. You would easily be able to do the 40mph section in EV mode only.

 

Check out John's Stuff - Toyota Prius and more web site and see what He has done in almost 5,000 miles of plug-in driving and his mpg in normal driving conditions, while there check out the rest of the site, great site

 

I went from getting an average of 42 to 47 MPG in a 2005 to now getting between 55 and 63 MPG per tank. I also went from filling up every 3-4 days with 9-10 gallons, to filling up every 5-6 days with only 8-9 gallons. To me, that's a pretty significant improvement. My commute to work today was 45.7 miles and 70mpg. Normally that would've been 43 or 44mpg.

 

My 2005 I averaged 46.3 mpg for 7 years, now with the plug-in after about 3800 miles I'm at 74.0 mpg, so far so good.