Climbing fuel prices again show many publications don't get it

I don't understand how that Edmunds guy comes to the determination that a Camry could be more cost effective.

Edmunds five year 2010 base automatic Camry TCO: $32,539, says there are $2000 in incentives right now
Edmunds five year 2010 Prius II TCO: $32,011, says there are $1500 in incentives right now

Fuel savings are on the low side given the current prices. Financing costs are on the high side, from my experience. But given their own data, they are at least equal over five years. I guess the Camry could be more cost effective if you don't drive much and gas prices remain at or below current levels.

In fact, in 2005, Edmunds estimated that the five year "break even" point for the Prius versus a Camry LE was $2.28/gallon. There may have been some tax credits that affected the math, but we're well beyond that threshold now.

 

Is it realistic comparing a Prius to a Camry?

 

Out for luch today -friday ... the San Juan Capistrano 76 Station
(ready ?!? )
REGULAR - - - $4:15
Sill, that's not the highest in the nation. Your four dollar gas is coming soon. Good luck w/ that.
I love my Prius
.

 

You could compare a Prius to a Matrix, a Cmary, or a Corolla. I listed those in order of resemblance, in my opinion. It all depends on what you're looking for in a car.

 

Edmnunds does a particularly bad job of computing these things. Does anyone have a link to the article. Did they give any value to the prius just having more personality than a camry? Its not all about the money.

Owch. I filled up tuesday for $3.09. Price of oil is not much different today, but I'll check it out. California has higher taxes but not enough to get that high. I know in summer the blends add to the costs, but didn't think enough to cause that much difference. Are there special winter blends too? Checking the price map, California is all red, and red is bad.

USA National Gas Price Heat Map - GasBuddy.com

 

I filled up those 5 gals yesterday at 3.09. Prices today show from 3.19-3.29 from the 4 or so stations I pass during my drive to work. I figure the spike is, hopefully, a temporary one. Either way, without any extra trips, I could get 3 weeks from this tank. Maybe if we start to get close to $6/gal, I will try to figure out a way to bike to work. Downside, we have no where to shower or freshen up here and the last thing I want is to smell myself all day

 

Okay, so I know I'm preaching to the choir, but after reading the article I decided to look at my data (I've tracked every fuel up since I got my Prius in April of 2010 ... yes, DORK).

Based on my calculations, in just the first year (and based strictly on fuel alone), the savings over had I bought a Camry comes to $911.33. Let's say I keep the Prius as long as I kept my Matrix ... 7 years ... is $6379.31. The bottom MSRP of the Camry is only $3,000 less than what my Prius cost me .... so I'm ahead a few grand.

My wife has a Camry, so I've seen the insurance isn't a significant difference between the two, and my Synthetic 10,000 mile oil changes cost about as much as her Conventional 3,000 mile oil changes (over the distance) .... so I'm not seeing a significant cost difference there.

Maybe there's a certain logic that Edmund's uses that comes from driving a car with lower gas mileage? I'm going to go for a drive with the parking brake on and see if it comes to me.

 

When you go to their website, they tend to account for depreciation, financing, taxes, fuel, insurance, maintenance and repairs. Mostly due to its higher cost, the Prius loses on depreciation, financing, and taxes. It looks like they estimate around $800 in fuel savings per year, but it's hard to overcome those other three factors.

Previously, USA Today reported: If gasoline goes up just a few cents, payback time falls dramatically. At $3.67 per gallon — the U.S. average Friday, according to AAA — the Prius takes 2.6 years to recover its price premium, vs. a gasoline Camry. When gasoline averaged $3.61 earlier last week, payback was 3.5 years, Edmunds says.

 

What if it goes down?

From a lease perspective, which is the fairest cost of ownership over a given period of time, a base Camry is about $40/month cheaper than a Prius.

$15k/year = 1250 miles/month.

At $3.50 gas the Prius' 50 mpg costs $87.50. The camry at 26 mpg (fueleconomy.gov numbers) = $168.

Insurance on them should be similar, similar maintenance. I am surprised; the Prius is finally, with gas at $3.50 (I realize it's not quite there) is a good bit cheaper to operate than the Camry. Even at $2.50 gas it seems cheaper.

Even if the Prius lease is $60/month more at this time it's still a cost-effective vehicle.

 

I find Edmnunds a joke in every form.
Last year I was looking for a new 4 door car. I kicked around another Prius as my wife and I car pool in our 06 and put 150kms/day on it. I was thinking of getting another one to help take some of those kms off the 06.
Long story short I ended up going with a 2010 Subaru WRX.
I average about 10L/100km (keep in mind this isn't a everyday car). The Prius average is 4.6L/100km.
So when I was looking at reviews for the cars I was looking at I came across Edmnunds. The cars they compare aren't even in the same class (like a Camry and Prius).
They compare a STi and a Mustang, how are they in the same class?
Or a Mazdaspeed3 to a Hyundai Genesis coupe?
The list goes on.
And the things they're comparing about the cars makes no sense.
I might as well go watch Top Gear, just as useless info.

 

Cheap power I guess. I was reading today how fast these things are getting. 5 or quicker 0-60 for a WRX now and mid 4s for a $31k Mustang GT, these are sick numbers for such inexpensive vehicles.

 

Careful about believing everything in the media. Too many special interests out there.
Advertising, for example.

 

yah and focusing on overall costs, our Gen II prius at 170k miles currently has not needed the brakes done, nor a new battery, we do synt oil every 6-7k but i'm sure it could stretch more, spark plugs every 100k...on most other cars in comparison these costs will put that comparison over the edge everytime. The price paid for the peace of mind knowing your vehicle will go for over 200k miles without any real service needs, especially for those not personally handy with a wrench

 

Noob.

Track for a year *at least* and THEN you may call yourself a dork.

 

The heck with the agenda-ridden media. The true test is the consumer in the marketplace. The people buying gas. Gas is now at $3.50 a gallon regular. It's just a matter of time when the public will flock to hybrids again. And Toyota and Honda have the cheapest ones.

 

If you'd have to consider cycling to work if gas gets to $6 then you seriously need to consider your finances!

It's $8 a US gallon over here and it hurts but not enough to get people out of their cars. Personally I can see much higher gas/petrol costs this year and it would be better to plan ahead.

 

lol. I consider cycling even if gas was free. Unfortunately this is about the only time of year when the weather lets me do it easily.

But $20 gas wouldn't really make me more likely to cycle. I might quickly buy a phev though ;-)

 

This is good reason why I drive a Honda Civic HX coupe that gets 32-36 miles per US gallon way back in 1998--I knew the days of cheap gasoline when I bought my car wasn't going to last forever.

 

Let us not forget that along with the rising (and falling) prices of gas, using less because it is better for the environment, and better for the US strategically (and hopefully for our war fighters) there is also the issue of availability. I witnessed the gas rationing of the 1970's (both of them, the second one I was a driver). I could see that coming as well.

Interesting note, during the second gas rationing, I had a 1968 Buick Skylark, and a 1978 Honda Hobbit Moped that got 100 mpg. Since only two cars could use the pumps at a time, for some reason, I used to just roll up to the front of the line (1/4 mile long or so) and fill up my 1 gallon gas can.