Adjusting My Expectations...

Mileage for a vehicle with its capacity is great, no doubt.*

* If the gen3 prius did not exist

In light of the Gen 3 Prius this thing coming out two years later, appreciably slower, worse mileage, and offering a little better utility it's not that it's a bad vehicle it's just not that it's a very great one.

A 6 or 7 seater small vehicle getting 35 mpg city would have been more impressive to me as it would have blown out of the water any other 6-7 seat vehicle.

 

The Lexus HS Hybrid is built on the same platform as the Prius, but has the 2.4L ICE from the TCH, and weighs 3,600 - 3,700 lbs. I'm sure the chassis was beefed up to handle the weight. I was told on the Gen III Prius, the reason the solar roof is only available on the III and IV, but not the V package is the total weight wouldn't allow it to keep the 50 mpg rating, so I think there is a trade off of weight versus mpg rating. It just seems to me the 1.8 ltr would have to work really hard to keep the Prius V moving versus bumping it up slightly and still keep the 40 mpg rating.

 

I can’t find a way to post a new thread so I’ll post here to start. I am about 4 weeks in owning my first Prius— a 2016 Prius v. It is me and my two kids- age 2 and 7. I really like it.

however, it is more cargo space than I need other than trips which once covid is over we should start taking regularly again. I just traded in my Honda Fit so I am used to a very small car, but even that has 20ish cubic feet of storage. The rear is also nice because it is 5 inches wider than the fit which will help with 3 car seats when we carry a friend.

my concern is the loss of 10 mpg (I mean environmentally, I’m not concerned about the money really) for the extra space compare to the standard Prius. I looked at a Prius last week and although the rear is still narrow the cargo is several more feet than I’m used to with my fit. I’m kind of obsessing over whether I should trade my v in for the Prius.

incidentally we did go on a trip this weekend and filled up the car with stuff—- it seems if you have it, you use it. But we can technically get by with the Prius and I’m feeling guilty and ‘wrong’ for driving the v. I just didn’t know that the Prius is as big as it is when I bought the v. I don’t know if I can get a deal where I won’t lose more than $500 though.

Anyone have thoughts?

 

Your kids are getting bigger, not smaller. Stay the course.....