My husband and I come from a prius family! We are planning on upgrading our 2004 Prius to a 2014 or 2015 for our move to Costa Rica. We are trying to decide whether it makes sense to go for a plug-in since we will be using solar or go for a regular Prius. The pricing I found is the same for a new 2015 prius three vs a used 2014 Prius plug-in with 16,000 miles. I was reading the car can only run 11 miles on battery alone. Any thoughts? Thanks!
get a regular Prius and U will be happier abroad. But..actually.... used PiP are at the best prices right now
Prius plug in prices are taking a dump. I got mine for $15k a few weeks ago at the time when it was valued at $18k. Fast forward to a few days ago, I want to refinance my loan, and was told my car was worth $14k because I have low mileage. Otherwise, it is worth $13k. Financial prudence would say always buy used at least 3 to 4 years old to take advantage of the steep depreciation in those years. The plug in is "ok" as long as you have access to electricity, otherwise, you end like me: trying to plug in where I can find one that is not occupied and have to sit and wait the 1 and half hours to charge so I can go home. 11 miles EV mode (if you can get it) is pathetic. I got tired of waiting for the car to charge, now I just drive in eco mode and plug it in "when ever". I no longer make an effort to look for a charge. I just make sure I have enough charge to I can sit in traffic for EV mode. iPhone ?
welcome! 10-15 miles is typical, depending on weather, hills, speed, acceleration and etc. when the juice runs out, it's slightly better than the lift back for mpg's. there is no spare tyre in the plug in, some of us keep one in the hatch, or behind the front seat. what will you be doing in costa rica, my daughter is going december 26th, and would like to find work and stay there.
Gee that's a tough one. Keep in mind the PiP has no spare tire and a bit less storage space. Normally I would not suggest PiP but you have (off-grid?) solar. It does give you emergency flexbility if gaso is unavailable etc.
I just bought a 2012 PiP Advanced for $16700... base ones are even cheaper... I say go for it... but only if you can get a comparable price between regular/PiP.. In my experience, the PiP Advanced is actually being priced cheaper than a comparably equipped Prius 5 with ATP.
Do you have any idea what your driving pattern will be? Contrary to Sillylilwabbit's "11 miles EV mode if you can get it is pathetic," this can be a benefit! In my case most trips are short so 75% electric is normal. I have gone as much as 1,700 miles on one tank of gas and go about 3 months between fill ups.
Costa Rica... you need a 4x4. Get a Hilux diesel, Hyundai Tucson diesel, or Mitsubishi ASX diesel, preferably with a snorkel. Roads in Costa Rica are garbage, with many being blocked by rivers that must be forded.
Holy crap, I'm in love with this thing! I highly recommend the PiP if you can find one that is competitively priced... I just drove 110 miles around town... Started with a full charge, after 22 miles, was at 77 mpg, ended the night at 59. Lots of freeway.
Probably you will be driving mostly non freeways in CR, so either EV mode or hybrid mode will both work well in slower roads. You can literally drive all day in Hybrid mode. ( always taking advantage downhill portions, to charge. ) I just returned from a short ride, 15 miles with 5 miles left on the car, when I got home my MPG WAS 125. Naturally EV Mode is infinite mpg.
