want to buy a prius, but dont know about reliability and insurance rates etc, was also looking at the volkswagon tdi.
If you haven't already, spend some time at tdiclub.com. Are you looking for a wagon? The Jetta sportwagon is about all you'll find in a VW tdi right now. I believe it's much smaller inside than the Prius v. Look around, ask questions, call your insurance agent. Edit your profile so we can see where you live. That last one is optional, of course.
I am liking my v3, I had a Gen 2 before, and the v is a larger, more stable vehicle. I get 5 MPG worse in the v than I did in the Gen2 (most days 55 Miles each way at 61 MPH) My daughter and I drove my previous Toyota Station wagon for 20 years then gave it to a friend. It is still in use. I see no reason not to match that. However, no car is for everyone. Here is my list of who should not own a Prius, written when I had the Gen 2. Most is also true of the v. considering a Prius | PriusChat
The Prius is an extremely reliable vehicle. Take a look at the ratings at Consumer Reports. On the other hand, Volkswagons aren't so reliable. I also considered a Jetta TDI wagon before we finally decided on our v, however one of our top priorities was a reliable vehicle and every source I found indicated that Volkswagons are prone to having many problems.
Reading one of the reviews, they found a ~9 MPG difference in favor of the Prius (mostly in city driving), a 1.5 second 0-60 time difference in favor of the TDI, a ~37 cents difference in per gallon fuel cost (10%) in favor of the Prius, 1 cuft difference in favor of the Prius. Prius quieter at idle and constant 70MPH, Jetta under acceleration. I love my Prius v, my friend loves his TDI wagon. Go drive em both, see the dealer availability, ask the routine maintenance prices/frequency. Look up the reliability. Price em both. Good luck.
Have had a "v" 5 for a year with 16K...no surprises... Reliable transportation with great fuel economy....excels around town. No knowledge of the VW...published spec.s the "v" tops the VW in almost all....
I drive a 2002 VW TDI. I now have 198,000 miles still going strong. I drove to Buffalo NY on one tank of gas. Drove to FL on one tank. I live in VA. BUT the TDI is a different car than the Prius. The TDI runs fast & hard & get good gas mileage doing it. But I can't run the car in the drive way to get the frost off the windshied. You have to have to drive a few miles to get the engine warm. The cost of diesel is higher here then primium gas. The new diesels do not get the mileage of the old diesels. Here I only have 4 gas stations that serve diesel. A Hybrid will give the same or better gas mileage with regular gas. My Jettas back seats suck. Kids fit back there but thats all. But it does have a nice trunk. I do not think you can compare the two.
Yep, you can't beat the Prius. I had a 2010 liftback and loved it, except for the dash rattles, and now have the 'v' with 16000 miles in about 15 months. Averaging 43 mpg; really have never had such a reliable couple cars, and very low maintenance. Lots of room and comfortable for my 63 year old body.
What was said in an earlier post is relevant: you can only compare a diesel and a Prius so far. The Prius 'v' and the VW Passat TDI (I have no idea why people think the Jetta is comparable, it's significantly smaller inside than the Prius) are on our short list. Our need for a car that is a large inside, and a comfortable highway cruiser tends to lean things in the direction of the VW. However, there are other variables to consider, and some have been mentioned in this thread. OTOH, I don't think simple recommendations like "I love my Prius, you should go buy one NOW" are necessarily going to be the answer for YOU.
Based on 8 cars reporting, fuelly says the 2012 TDI Passat Wagon gets 33.5 in the real world on fuel that is 10% more expensive which drops its fuel costs per mile to around 30MPG. Is a 1/3 difference important if you are already getting 30 in a wagon? Only you can tell.
And not only are there no Passat wagon available (the '12 & '13 NMS made in Chattanooga), but I'd hardly find one Fuelly report credible. There are Fuelly reports all over the VW sites of mileage well up in the '40s, some people who drive moderately (65) on the highway reporting in the low '50s. A mileage of 30 for this car would mean something is wrong with it, or it's derived from short drives on cold winter mornings (which will return crappy mileage in any car).
