What if you never plug-in? (& Aux Jack?)

1) Yes, the larger battery allows for more regen. But realistically, you'd only get a difference on steep downhills. EPA lists the PiP as 1 mpg more than a regular Prius.
2) I have not heard of this.
3) Both

 

For years I charged my PIP through a heavy-duty extension cord plugged into a one-outlet circuit below my service panel, without problem. I recently replaced my charging cord under warranty, and took the opportunity to install a weatherproof outlet on the side of my front porch to get the charging connection off the driveway.

 

I get about 10 miles of EV driving by plugging in, at about half the cost of gasoline.
I never considered it a big deal, and probably not worth the extra cost, but I bought mine at a healthy discount.

 

If you really only use the car to go back and forth to work, you could consider getting the PIP and charging at work. That should get you home and back.

If it is not feasible to charge at home or at work, it would not make sense to pay the extra cost for the PIP.

 

The warm-up of the PiP is actually better than the regular Prius, as it can entire stage 4 at 55°C instead of 70°C. It does seem to have some inconsistencies sometimes with that, but in general I have rather good luck seeing that happen. However, if you are coming from a 2nd Gen Prius like I did, you may find the warm-up stages in the 3rd Gen (or PiP, no practical difference here) more confusing and annoying. They are less predictable, and you can't force an EV-mode off in stage 3 like you could if you had an EV mode switch installed in the 2nd Gen. If you don't compare it to the situation of having an EV mode switch in 2nd Gen, then it comes out better in the end, mostly due to the fact that it won't force a full stage 1 warm up every single time you turn on the car (like when it's already warm). So pros and cons there... pick your poison... I like our PiP quite a bit and we only got it because of the plug-in (otherwise we would have stuck with our Gen 2 for a while longer).

 

All I'm going to say is that Toyota projects the next Gen Prius as being the highest MPG possible for a vehicle "without a plug".

If I owned a home, with a garage and the ability to plug in? I'd of bought a PiP.
Not having easy access to this situation made the choice for a regular hybrid much easier.

I think I'd like the benefits of being a Plug In Prius, BUT....the frustration of not being able to maximize those benefits because I can't plug in at my desire made the choice easy for me.

I don't think I'd buy a Plug In Prius....if I didn't have the ability to plug it in routinely where I live.

 

you don't have to plug in. you will see slightly better mpg over the lift back because of li-on battery, and more regen if you have the hills. is it worth the extra cost? depends on how much. don't forget, no spare or storage under the hatch.

 

1) I've descended from 7k feet elevation to near sea level and gained several miles of EV charge so there's a definite advantage having a larger capacity battery.

2) Every time I turn on the car with EV miles, the ICE does not turn on unless you press the EV button or have windshield defroster/heater on. With such a short commute you could drive EV mode all the way to work if you're easy on the acceleration (and stay under 60-65mph).

 

I typically get 62 mpg for a 200 mile trip into the Sierra Nevada mountains and back starting with the original charge worth about 12 miles on EV. This requires some minor effort switching back and forth between EV and HV at appropriate times based on the terrain. When I had a 2012 Prius 3 the same type of trip usually produced 52 mpg. I estimate that about 6 of the improved mpg are due to the original charge and 4 of the improved mpg are due recharging the large battery going downhill.

 

Yup, I noticed that to, PIP prices are cheaper than equivalent regular Prius'.

$14k for used 2012/2013 average mileage PIPs and still dropping.

Right now, a brand new 2015 regular Prius 2 is $18k. I am waiting to see if Toyota ups their manufacture rebates come December.

I don't know if getting a 4 year old used PIP that took a beating in value from $31k a better a deal than a brand new 2015 regular Prius at a decent discount.

Which will retain a better resale value down the road, I don't know.

I always read articles saying always buy used vehicle at 3 to 4 years as that is the time the vehicles takes a substantial loss in value then it starts to devalue at a slower pace.

Maybe someone with better math skills will know/able to calculate this.




iPhone ?

 

Another nice thing the PIP has: a heat exchanger which uses the hot exhaust to heat the coolant. This contributes to the fast warmup cycle. This may be a Gen3 thing, not exclusive to the plug-in, I don't recall.

 

That's a Gen 3 thing.

 

yep, gen3 coolant circles the catalytic converter up to a certain temperature to speed up the engine warm-up//

 

It worth the (minor) effort IMO, you can drive EV the return trip easily and forget about ICE warm-ups.

 

Hello, I'm considering a used 2012 Prius plug-in. However, since I live in the city, I will not be able to actually plug it in and am mostly interested in the plugin variant due to the fact that it is now the only Prius that can obtain HOV lane stickers in California. Also, as many noted, the price for the plugin is about the same in the used market. So, my question is whether there is any problem with just using the plugin as a regular Prius and never actually plugging it in. My second question is whether there is a reliability difference between the lithium ion battery of the plugin and the NiMH battery of the normal Prius? Thanks...

 

no, and no.

 

LOL ... That covers it

 

Enjoy charging the battery if you go down the Grapevine or other long grade. Saves brakes too.