I am a residential salesman that drives approx. 150+ miles a day. I fill the 18gal. tank of my Buick every other day. $55-$58 each fill up. How do I convince my very if it ain't broke don't fix it wife that we will save money with a Prius? I have an opportunity to get a 2011 with low mileage at a great price. Thanks CT
150 * 250 = 37,500 a year (more if you drive on weekends or vacation) / 50 MPG is 750 gallons a year * $3.50 gas is $2625 paid in gas per year in a Prius. What are you paying now?
Chris, welcome. I don't know your Buick's fuel economy (are you really getting less than 17mpg?) but in round numbers my 2000 Intrigue got ~25mpg. Figuring a conservative 50mpg for a Prius on the same route cuts your consumption in half. You'll be saving $13.50 per day just in gasoline (by your numbers). If you are using the IRS standard rate for mileage (say 50c/mile) within 2 years the price of the car is recovered.
Don't forget to throw in that a Prius requires fewer brake jobs. You can probably go 150K without replacing.
Yes, a lot of my driving is residential. My average is about 17.9 mpg. On an occasional I will get 21. If I drive to the beach I get 33.6.
If I was in sales and drove that much, I'd be DEFINITELY interested in the Prius like you are...lol. Have you test driven one yet? Thats all it took for me to dump my 15mpg SUV of 8 years that I 'loved'. Heres just one site that can help you view the savings of the Buick VS. the Prius: Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator
Yes, I have Prius Envy. I did test drive one. Does not have the pick-up my V6 has but it is very good. Great little ride. It will be a big change from the plushmobile.
Tell her that your current transportation method is broken and needs to be fixed. You seem to be spending $7,000 on fuel per year. in three years you spend enough on gas to buy a brand new Prius C. My Prius C gets over 50 MPG on average. You could save $4,000 per year in fuel. But there is more to it: (1) the Prius will retain a high re-sale value and (2) you may be able to go places that now you don't. For exampleI drove a to Holywood, CA from Redondo Beach last night, a round trip of 61 miles on Los Angeles Freeways. My Prius C got 59.5 mpg so the trip cost about $4.20 I would have NEVER driven there if I was still using my 16 MPG pickup truck. In a business situation your range of operations will be lager.
If you want more power, consider the '12+ Camry Hybrid (200 hp). Unfortunately, I doubt its price will be as good as the '11 Prius you say you can get a good deal for... From the acceleration times I've seen, it's about as quick as my mom's 198 hp 07 Altima Hybrid, which feels almost like a rocket compared to my '06 Prius.
