is a Prius for me?

welcome!

sounds like a prius would be perfect for you! the only down sides might be acceleration, cabin comfort and handling. all the best!

 

I'm going to disagree with bisco. You already have a very fuel efficient car, and a Prius will give you fuel economy in the same range. Sure, the resale value of your car might decrease, but it won't cost any more to drive it. Buying a different car would definitely cost you more money, and you wouldn't see any fuel efficiency benefits over your current one. I don't see the point unless you were planning to trade in your current car anyway.

 

I'd say better figues for prius under those conditions, you will miss the torque of a diesel though. Value for money is different and unless your doing big miles financially you wont be any better of

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My English to English translation skills are weak, but if a estate is a wagon, the car sold as a Prius v in the US is one. I think it is sold as a Prius plus in the UK. it is a large car. Toyota Prius+ Overview | A car that stands out | Toyota EU

 

If your tdi is paid off and no issues I would say keep it.

I had a 03 Taurus prior to getting a 2013 V. Previous car about 17mpg so every 3 days I would fill up costing around 35. Got the prius V and every 7-10 days I would fill up costing est 22.

If you were in that situation I would say do it quickly. As our gas savings alone pays for the vehicle.

I'm not a vw fan but the tdi I always had my eye on.

Also just cause the value of the car goes down does not mean the car is not worth keeping.

Would you rather drive a 1000 dollar ride or spend 15k+ for a car that gets you the same or similar figures?

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If you make the switch, know that there is no air conditioning in the . Not a deal killer, imo. (its a small cabin). Just make sure you point air flow at the back.

(if you were to point the vents at your own skin, you'd be extra cool from that, whereas rear passengers wouldn't be getting that chilling effect - they'd be hotter than you.).

Well, I'm in the standard prius. I assume the wagon is the same.

Heat is fine - there is great on the back (floor only).

 

And then there's that emissions thing. I had a diesel Golf many many years ago. It was a Rabbit diesel from Wolfsburg that I disguised as a Golf GTI. It was so convincing that a bunch of German engineers doing desert testing pulled me over, and I had to open the hood to prove that it was indeed a diesel posing as a GTI. Anyway, I loved the diesel MPG but, the emissions did bother me. Just for that reason I would switch to a hybrid if given that choice. Average MPG (US gallons) for our Prius has been 53.6 which works out to about 4.39L/100km. Not bad, considering that my wife drives it more than I do and loves to use the Interstate (limited access highway here in the States).

We've used this car for long cross country journeys with bicycles, all the gear and clothing necessary to sustain several weeks away from home. The 3rd generation Prius definitely has excellent load capacity. And I don't carry my bikes outside the car on long trips.

 

Not sure how you do it in the UK, but in the states, you would have to pay a significant sales tax on the cost of the new vehicle. Assuming you have that too, how many fill ups would that amount pay for on the existing vehicle? If you like the current car, and your main goal is just to be thrifty (in case that wife or kid might need anything), your best move might well be to keep the existing vehicle and run it until you wear it out.

You would of course have to allow for the price difference between gasoline and diesel.

I have the hatchback, not the estate. By British standards it probably counts as a full size sedan. The dog loves it and a child and spouse should do fine in there.

 

A prius is for everyone.

I once thought I would never own one, but here I am. It's a great car for a daily commuter/driver.

Low cost to own, dependable, excellent mpg's, what else do you need?

 

Actually, a Prius does have weaknesses.

If you have a very short commute, a non plug-in Prius may spend the entire commute in warm up mode, never getting the best MPG.

A Prius makes all the power an adult will need, but not all that a boy may want.

Many generations have very confining traction control. If you need wheelspin in your lifestyle, the Prius is not ideal.

For some reason, some owners just HAVE to run out of gas. The Prius is a extremely poor car to run out of gas in.

Sound deadening weighs a lot, and is often skimped on.

Some generations have 'features' that turned out to be hated by the owners (Gen 2: Gas Tank Bladder, Gen 3: eco-plastics)

No Prius is rated to tow anything. Many have fairly low limits on the weight of cargo.

The faster you drive, the fewer tricks the Prius has to save fuel. Above 85 MPH, it is just another aerodynamic car.

The Prius does not generate electricity for the HV Battery in N. Try to avoid N, if you need N, consider some other car.

The Prius has a very small 12 Volt battery, do not spend time using any electricity unless you are in READY. Be sure everything is turned off when the car is not in READY. Because it never starts the engine, many owners are not able to recognize when the 12 volt battery is dying. Because Gen 2 and 3 have the battery in with the passengers, you need an expensive, externally vented, AGM battery with JIS posts. (Unless you do not value your passengers)

Some owners wish to personalize their cars, the Prius is already 'too low' and cannot usefully be lowered. (unless you live on a billard table) Engine mods are usually not designed for Atkinson cycle engines, traditional techniques are not going to do more than add noise. Forced induction works but you are limited by space and no 'kits' exist. Aero kits will get poorer mileage, Larger wheels will get poorer mileage, unless they are much lighter. ($$$)

For me, none of these are deal breakers, but they will be for some prospective owners.

 

We have had at least on owner who needed to go over 25 MPH in R. The Gen 2 Prius is not good at 'high' speeds in R. I doubt other Gen Prius are either. The engine spins the 'wrong' way to help in R.

 

My wife's car was a 2010 golf 6, 1.6 diesel 105hp
The 2013 prius is MUCH better. Drives smoothly, much better mpg

However build quality is not as good, the car does squeek on rough roads

Seat is lower than golf, so definitely go for it

 

I do think the key to the decision is whether the TDI is paid off.

But beside that?
I'd leave the decision up to the dog.