Mini 2012 PiP review

Cool read. Thank you.

 

Another fact is the audience is different. They aren't addressing the same market.

Prius owners haven't listed "fun to drive" as a high purchase priority. For that matter, Corolla & Camry owners don't either.

Think about what trait high-volume vehicle offer.

 

I could never understand the whole "fun to drive" thing. What makes a car "fun to drive"?

 

The same reason writing to anonymous strangers saved to a computer in the closet is fun to you. You can't really explain it. You just like it.

 

Hop in a Volt stick it in Sport and Low then you tell me. LOL

 

My question is what defines one car but not another fun to drive. I used to go through this on Fred's TDI site. They would say a diesel is fun to drive, but a hybrid isn't. Not for nothing, I'm sure there's people out there that would make a Yugo fun to drive.

 

That's $24k before taxes. I was quoting after taxes. The base PIP is not comparable to the Premium Volt which is what I was quoting. So the price is essentially the same for the Premium Volt and the Base PIP.

These are nit California specific deals. That is manufacturer bonus cash plus a little dealer cash then the typical fed and state rebates. It's nutty. 0% for 48mo too.

 

and I was quoting prices for out here - Volt is 37 high before taxback but out here taxback means just Fed so 30 net.
Volt is about 7k more than base PiP out here
If I was in CA then same price would grab me - out here I'm not paying the extra 7k but then again I'm not one of those enthusiasts who're willing to pay up for "fun". Fun to me is cheating the gas cos - I'm at 930miles now and under 2 gallons

 

The focus need to be on US average fuel efficiencies. PIPs are averaging ~75-80 mpg. For most of us they cost $4k to $6k less than a Volt. The Real life fuel efficiency of a volt is about 130 mpg. In my case my overall fuel efficiency is on the high end compared to most PIPs on fuelly (120.9 mpg). Since the end of February the computers says I am getting ~200 mpg. If I had driven our Vehicles I would have spent 5x to 7x more for fuel. Both cars are significant improvements over what was available just a few years ago. The PIP's larger battery pack and plug results in a 50% increase (based on Fuelly data) in fuel efficiency compared to a standard Prius. Before taxes my PIP just under $24k or about the same as a Standard Prius.


The answer: Make sure you do your homework before making your purchase. I recommend potential purchasers to base their decesion on driving styles, commute length and price.

PIP excels:
Short commute (up to 12 miles per charge)
Long commute (>50+ miles per charge)
Lower purchase price
Fun to drive

Volt excels:
Intermediate commute (upto ~50 miles per charge)
Higher purchase price
More fun to drive

 

I guess it depends on perspective. If your precious car is an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera (my first car), then the PiP is a bonfide hotrod of furious fun. If you're a car magazine editor used to BMW's then Prius is a garbage truck. It's completely subjective.

 

I wouldn't count on any significant advances in 5-6 years. We'll most likely see small incremental changes year after year (not from the same car maker). The car maker will want to keep the same battery technology for many years.

Mike

 

I think it is VERY important to note what happens to all these PHEVs after 8 years or even 10 or 12. There is no more warranty on the battery. The cars have lost some significant EV battery capacity...probably 25% but maybe even 50%.

At this point the PIP is still getting very good mpg in HV and whatever range left in EV is just a bonus.

Everyone (mostly) "wants" a new car...but which would you rather have, in a few years, a PIP with 150K miles on it or one of the other PHEVs with 150K?

Mike

 

I think the point is that the PIP is not programmed to intnetionally try to get the EV range back to where it was when you switch into HV. However, many times I have started with a full charge, driven 2-3 miles, gotten on the freeway and immediately switched to HV on the on-ramp, driven for 5-10 miles and my EV range was within a few tenths, either way, from the value when I switched to HV. Sometimes I lose a mile or two. It depends a bit on your driving, as well as traffic, temperature, etc.

I've certainly not found that it "can't" recharge it back. I've never tried with my range very close to the full value because I live ~1.5 - 2 miles from a freeway on ramp.

Mike

 

Think about the condition of the engine at that point. It will still have quite a bit of life remaining! We could see some freaky old PIP ages from now, especially if the owner decides to replace the pack after the warranty is long past expired too. Think about how cheap a 4.4 kWh battery would cost then.

 

We should mention Medium commutes too.

My drive this morning required a stop for a doctor appointment in addition to the usual work commute. That stretched distance to 24 miles. The result (despite the temperature at freezing) was 102 MPG.

Most would consider that outstanding compared to any traditional or hybrid vehicle. I consider it fantastic coming from a system using a battery-pack with affordability (capacity kept small) a high-priority.

 

You have to search different dealers for the discounts. I see one in Boston offering $3,000 cash back and 0% financing. Add in another $2000-$2500 off MSRP with haggling and you're getting under $30k. Regardless, the PIP obviously works for you and you don't have to defend your purchase to me. I am simply making a point that the PIP is not for everyone and it certainly isn't as fun to drive as the other plug-in offerings.

Fun doesn't always have to mean racing dynamics but most of us will agree that being able to accelerate more aggressively and stay in EV mode is nice. Personally, I find it more fun to drive a bit more spirited and still achieve crazy high fuel economy than having to feather the throttle because I'm scared the ICE will come on and ruin my EV fun. I think the majority of drivers would agree.

 

This is a great point.

 

And maybe some new battery technology along with the replacement.

 

My 2012 Prius Plug In Advance fits my needs perfectly. But, that was just luck. If my daily commute would have been much longer, I still would have opted for the PIP. With very limited EV range, any EV range is better than zero (or one). Coming from two low MPG vehicles, a regular Prius Hybrid would have been a big boost in fuel mileage. My decision to purchase a PIP was a last minute decision. In retrospect, a smart one even with the additional cost. After three months of ownership, 1400 plus miles, my EV mode percentage clicked 70%, yesterday. Now that's fun driving. Chuck Berry said it best in a song, riding around in my (Prius Plug In) automobile...