Prius vs other Toyota hybrids

Really impressive numbers all around! Do you typically drive "normal", or do you do hypermiling regularly?

This sounds absolutely fantastic, and I love the orange Prius. I would say that the C is still too small to my taste (in the long-term perspective, at least), but I might be persuaded otherwise. I will keep your offer in mind, and when it gets to the shopping part in around November, I will shoot you a message.

Nice to see a fellow RC enthusiast as well; RC helicopters here, albeit many years back.

I remember reading a report from someone who tried their best to get a Prius MPG to as low as possible by driving intentionally "bad", and even so they could not lower it below... was it 32 MPG? The Prius doesn't allow much room for playing with the energy conservation principle in either direction, it seems!

 

What is the typical gas mileage you are getting in the Avalon? Is it comparable to the regular Prius, more or less? Also how much less comfortable it is than the Prius, would you say, on long trips - is it just a bit of a stiffer sitting, or is the ride itself also significantly more "bumpy"?

With regards to sleeping in the car, I have several ideas that might work in a large sedan. One of them is putting something like a small ottoman in between the backseat and the front seat and resting legs on it, while laying sideways on the backseat - with some extra cushioning (a soft sleeping bag, maybe?), it is probably possible to stretch legs and sleep somewhat comfortably in this position. There are also inflatable solutions, such as those Amazon sells, that include the seat gap fillings.

So maybe I am overthinking this issue, and using the cargo space for sleeping is not essential?

Ah, I see. This is truly impressive for a V!

 

Is this always the case though? At least, according to the EPA ratings (and for Toyota vehicles, they tend to be pretty close to the reported mileages), this is what we have for the 2017 models (combined MPG):

Fuel Economy Trip Calculator

Prius Eco - 56
Prius - 52
Prius C - 46
Prius V - 41
ES300h - 40
Avalon Hybrid - 40
Camry Hybrid LE - 40
Camry Hybrid SE/XLE - 38
RAV4 Hybrid - 32
Highlander Hybrid LE - 29
Highlander Hybrid - 28

The Lexus, the Avalon, the Camry and the Prius V all seem to have essentially the same MPG. Maybe they have different drivetrains, and the difference in shapes also plays the role?

 

Unfortunately, all of rental locations that I could find (including these two) are pretty far away and hard to reach on public transport (and taking a taxi/Uber on such distances would be very expensive). Lake Shore Toyota dealers do seem okay with you just coming over there and test-driving the cars they have on the lot, however, so in the future I might rent a car and drive there for a few test drives. Thanks for the suggestion!

With regards to the weight, from what I can see, these cars' weights do not differ all that much - surprisingly so. For the base models:

Prius V - 3,340 lbs
Camry Hybrid - ~3,500 lbs
Avalon Hybrid - ~3,650 lbs
ES300h - ~3,600 lbs

And Prius V does seem marginally more fuel efficient than the other 3 cars, which makes sense.

 

I just learned that Lincoln MKZ Hybrid has a pretty wide cargo passage, definitely suitable for sleeping. This is a model I looked at for a while and then discarded for Lincoln's questionable reliability, compared to Toyotas/Lexi - but the cargo pass-through could be a major selling point for me. Is that car any reliable?

I have, and the relative picture there is similar to what EPA states - but Fuelly (from my understanding) puts all types of driving together, which might cause the results to be different from what a given driver sees in the real world.

Unfortunately. It seems to be all about SUVs and pickups nowadays!

67? Wow! Do you drive in the Eco mode? What types of driving do you usually do?

Well, as a new driver, I haven't had much experience driving different cars so far, and it's hard to tell how traditional I would prefer it to be. The only car I've had any significant amount of experience with is Ford Focus, and it suits me fine - but I think I could do better than that with my budget.

Indeed, a part of the major appeal of the Prius in my eyes is its futuristic design and looks (yes, I am one of those people who like how the Prius looks, albeit the 4th gen Prii feel a bit over-designed); this is definitely something that excites me in a car. However, after years of driving the car, I would imagine all those traits become mundane and unnoticeable, and it is more practical elements - such as comfort, economy, utility and reliability - that define how you feel about the car. It could depend on the driver though.

I would say that the other cars from my list mostly appeal to me for their spacious interior, low cabin noise and overall comfort. The Prius wins over due to its cargo space and the ability to comfortably sleep in it, and also slightly (in case of V) or significantly (in case of the regular Prius) better fuel economy. It is the battle of these factors that is likely to determine what I end up buying.

Ultimately, it probably isn't wise to select one model and buy it no matter what. I want to look at what is for sale in November-December first. Even if I start strongly leaning towards one particular model, a great deal on another model could be a decisive factor.