REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

smoothie. · 05-08-2018, 08:47 AM

Seems pretty smart to have a car that sips on gas these days.

But could I live with it? Would it be the absolute most depressing car to drive?

A tank of gas lasts 3-4 weeks in my V6 Accord right now, would it even be worth it to finance a new Prius at ~$35?

Before you post the TG video of M3 vs Prius, I'll just say I want an M3 too, but not a need right now. Besides, the M3 I can afford won't have warranty, but the Prius would

For those that have a Prius or have driven them for an extended time, how was it for you?

bcedhk · 05-08-2018, 08:58 AM

The new prius has a lot of new tech and creature comfort so I don't think is a bad car at all.

I had a prius as a work/commute car for about 3 years. mind you, it was the 2nd gen so it was really runned down inside. I wouldn't say is fun to drive, but i mean, it's an eco sedan after all.

you also have to consider your daily commute. TBH, i never get why my company bought the prius when the majority of the driving was on highways. It would make more sense if my commute was around vancouver or in a denser city where there is more stop and go traffic.

Acura604 · 05-08-2018, 09:01 AM

...get one!... they have a handy feature that is included in the trunk for you to make some extra cash.

look underneath the battery compartment in the rear trunk for one of these:

but in all seriousness.. .3-4 weeks on 1 tank in a V6? thats' quite good and i wouldn't bother.

radioman · 05-08-2018, 09:04 AM

You could turn it into 1 tank of gas every 6-8 weeks if you bicycled to work.

smoothie. · 05-08-2018, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radioman

You could turn it into 1 tank a gas every 6-8 weeks if you bicycled to work.

but then I'd be one of those retards riding on a road made for cars.

yray · 05-08-2018, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoothie.

but then I'd be one of those retards riding on a road made for cars.

UnknownJinX · 05-08-2018, 10:06 AM

I wouldn't bother.

The cost you spend on a new car is far more than the gas saving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yray

I thought about a motorcycle, but the thing that kills them is that they are basically useless in the winter rain.

radioman · 05-08-2018, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

I wouldn't bother.

The cost you spend on a new car is far more than the gas saving.

I thought about a motorcycle, but the thing that kills them is that they are basically useless in the winter rain.

Spoiler!

In all seriousness unless its a complete downpoor a short ride on a motorcycle in the rain in nothing to be scared of.

The only reason I didn't do it more was because having a suit at work before hand was a tough thing to plan. If I worked a job where I can keep a pair of jeans in my backpack and have a water proof jacket with a shirt under I'd be good to go most days on the bike.

yray · 05-08-2018, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

I wouldn't bother.

The cost you spend on a new car is far more than the gas saving.

I thought about a motorcycle, but the thing that kills them is that they are basically useless in the winter rain.

thats an electric bike

UnknownJinX · 05-08-2018, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yray

thats an electric bike [emoji38]

So the same problem a gas bike has, plus the piss long charging time(I looked at those before on a website that only sells EVs). Dandy.

Traum · 05-08-2018, 10:19 AM

When a tank of gas is lasting you 3 - 4 weeks in your current car, I'd hardly think it is worthwhile for you to buy a new (to you or otherwise) car just to save gas.

If you are buying new, the depreciation alone will mean the math doesn't work out in your favour.

If you are buying used, and your current Accord is sufficiently reliable, it means you're jumping into a whole new world of unknown reliability with the new vehicle.

And all for what? So that you can fill up a tank every 6 - 8 weeks instead of 3 - 4? Assuming it takes ~$100 to fill your Accord's tank right now, and $70 to fill the Prius' tank (I'm just guessing / making these numbers up), you're saving $130 every 6 - 8 weeks. IMO, that difference is too small to justify the switch unless there are some other strong reasons why you want to get rid of the Accord.

I have a Prius V in the family, and while I rarely drive it, I have always hated the way it drives (which is also part of the reason why I rare drive it). Power delivery is inconsistent in the sense that the ECU has a completely different mind of its own in terms of how much power it is willing to give you. I can deal with low powered cars -- my DD is a 100hp POS. But I need the power delivery to follow my right foot's command, and with the Prius V, I never know how much power I'll get until it actually happens.

I think the 4th gen Priuses are supposed to drive a bit nicer than the 3rd gen and older. But the 3rd gen cars handles like an absolute POS.

donjalapeno · 05-08-2018, 10:30 AM

Get a 2013 Leaf S and use it for everyday errands and drive the accord for longer drives and pleasure.

bcrdukes · 05-08-2018, 11:13 AM

You can get a better idea if you could live with one by trying out an Evo car.

I use it quite regularly and came to enjoy the Prius. Environmental left-wing socialist Vancouver hipster aside, it's a pretty good car....if you stay in the city.

Ikkaku · 05-08-2018, 11:13 AM

3-4 weeks on a v6? do you circle around your block and then go back home or something?

Presto · 05-08-2018, 11:24 AM

I've had my Prius for 13 years, so far. It has been super reliable. My one, major repair was new battery installation, last year. Other than that, it's just been the standard maintenance and consumables.

It's not fast, but it'll still quicker than most 4-banger econoboxes. There are suspension and chassis mods to make the handling better, too. I've owned some cars that were fun to drive, like an RX-7 and Sentra Spec-V, but the Prius is probably my overall favorite. The old man in me loves the low-maintenance, and fuel consumption. However, the guy that wants to do a bit of canyon carving can still get some good fun out of a modded Prius.

smoothie. · 05-08-2018, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ikkaku

3-4 weeks on a v6? do you circle around your block and then go back home or something?

My commute one way to work is less than 3KM. I drive it a lot on the weekend which is why it doesn't last longer.

Honestly the highest gas use is going to Blaine to fill up

UnknownJinX · 05-08-2018, 12:10 PM

Then there is the elephant in the room: insurance.

Forget about getting a Prius(and for that matter, any new/used hybrid/EV) as a second car. Just insurance alone will negate any possible fuel saving.

Now, if you trade in the Accord, there is still the depreciation you have to worry about. At best, I'd imagine you break even down the road.

Basically, it's the same thing as driving for Uber: attractive on the surface for folks who can't do the math, but if you do some math, you quickly figure out how silly it is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by radioman

Spoiler!

In all seriousness unless its a complete downpoor a short ride on a motorcycle in the rain in nothing to be scared of.

The only reason I didn't do it more was because having a suit at work before hand was a tough thing to plan. If I worked a job where I can keep a pair of jeans in my backpack and have a water proof jacket with a shirt under I'd be good to go most days on the bike.

YMMV. I personally absolutely hate being in the rain and cannot tolerate riding even a bicycle in the rain.

And yeah, all the safety gears. The helmet would ruin my hair...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traum

I have a Prius V in the family, and while I rarely drive it, I have always hated the way it drives (which is also part of the reason why I rare drive it). Power delivery is inconsistent in the sense that the ECU has a completely different mind of its own in terms of how much power it is willing to give you. I can deal with low powered cars -- my DD is a 100hp POS. But I need the power delivery to follow my right foot's command, and with the Prius V, I never know how much power I'll get until it actually happens.

One thing I wish to see more is a hybrid with a manual trans. It's been done before - Honda Insight 1st Gen and CR-Z were both offered with a manual trans option. Absolute control over how you want to use your power with a stick shift and the fun, plus the amazing gas mileage they offer.

I can only hope that the manual trans is an option for the supposedly upcoming hybrid Mustang... Not holding my breath though.

Traum · 05-08-2018, 12:30 PM

Quote:

One thing I wish to see more is a hybrid with a manual trans. It's been done before - Honda Insight 1st Gen and CR-Z were both offered with a manual trans option. Absolute control over how you want to use your power with a stick shift and the fun, plus the amazing gas mileage they offer.

I can only hope that the manual trans is an option for the supposedly upcoming hybrid Mustang... Not holding my breath though.

In my experience, the problem with the Prius V's power delivery problem is the inconsistency. The ECU decides what kind of power (electric or ICE) and how much of it you get, and that decision doesn't seem to be primarily driven based on my throttle application. Sometimes it only gives me electric power; sometimes it only gives me ICE power; sometimes it gives me both. Perhaps it is because of me not driving the car often enough to know its behaviour, but I am not getting any sense of consistency in terms of the power levels that I can expect. Esp when I am going uphill, and I need some power -- I mash my foot down, but the electric motors may or may not kick in to help.

Presto · 05-08-2018, 01:46 PM

That's not the behavior I'm used to on my 2nd Gen Prius. Mashing the pedal gives me electric and ICE at max power. It's consistent except when the battery gets too hot. Then, it's 99% ICE and a bit of electric.

I want to try driving a newer Prius, and see what the differences I notice.

fliptuner · 05-08-2018, 02:04 PM

Yes. Buy a $35k car cause $20/wk in fuel is too damn high.

european · 05-08-2018, 02:12 PM

I say yes! Do it! If you can buy a fully electric vehicle I'd go that route instead.

twitchyzero · 05-08-2018, 02:23 PM

you live a mile or so from work and want a new, more fuel efficient car?
I wonder if it's even hitting operating temperature for most of the year?
does the Accord goes through a battery every year or two?

CharlesInCharge · 05-08-2018, 02:41 PM

Toyota Estima hybrid, this way you can add a fridge and burner to save costs in lunch meals at work.

JDMDreams · 05-08-2018, 05:36 PM

I toyed around with the idea of a cheap used electric/hybrid car for daily. Like a used prius or leaf as I drive 95% city and my 65l premium fuel only lasts about a week and a half.

toyota86 · 05-08-2018, 05:59 PM

I considered getting something more fuel efficient. The more I looked into hybrids the less I like them. Batteries crap out over time, everything that was within my target price was 10 years old with over 100k on the clock. So that wasn't viable. Nothing was stick shift aside from the cr-z or the US only civic hybrid. But both of these aren't actually that great for fuel economy. I like my cars spartan. The less infotainment and weird features the better. My basic requirements were ac/heat, pw, ps, pdl, abs, manual. So, I started looking at civic VX and crx hf from way back. Unfortunately, there was nothing available on the market that was decent. Then I looked at kei cars. There are lots to choose from. cappuccino, beat for sporty driving, wagon r, daihatsu move for box van utility. They seem to fit my requirement until I drove some. They are pathetically slow and tin can. What I ultimately decided on was a diesel land cruiser prado. 9-10ish liter per 100km, seats 8, spacious interior. 9l/100km might not be that good. But for me, it made sense. My other cars are all 16L/100km and worse. And they all need premium.