Hey y'all!

I basically never post in The Garage, and I don't know a goddamn thing about cars. That being said, I'm about to be able to buy a new car for the first time in my life, and the current Prius lineup is looking pretty good to me. Every car I've ever owned has been a used Toyota Camry. I've never been disappointed in the reliability, but I don't have any experience with anything else.

I'm looking at a 30-40 mile commute for my new job. I'm willing to spend up to $40k, but I'd prefer to go closer to $30k. The Prius seems like an easy bet, but are there any decent alternatives? Anything you'd recommend? Any reasons to NOT get a Prius?

5/24/2013 10:10:13 PM

Priuses are highly relaible for a hybrid. You won't be disappointed.

5/24/2013 11:10:50 PM

How long do you plan on keeping the car

5/24/2013 11:52:46 PM

I bought an Insight. Even slower, but supposedly a little less sloppy handling. Cheaper. Fuel economy in the real world is significantly closer than the EPA estimates suggest (probably within ~2-3 MPG).

Of course, the real reason I bought an Insight instead of a Prius is that the first year or two of Insights didn't have Event Data Recorders ("black box" for capturing data during and leading up to a crash), and I happened to find a great deal on one before I found a great deal on a Prius from one of the few (older) years they didn't have EDRs, or at least recorded minimal data.

[Edited on May 25, 2013 at 12:10 AM. Reason : most reviews agree that the Prius is better for most people, though.]

5/25/2013 12:10:03 AM

I don't believe you

5/25/2013 12:17:53 AM

Duke, you may want to consider a tinfoil hat. Honestly how incriminating can EDR data from a PRIUS be??

5/25/2013 1:23:11 AM

Are you set on a hybrid specifically, or just interested in something with good fuel economy? If the latter, turbo diesels are a good choice and give you a few more choices.

On our Jetta I get ~42mpg mixed/~48 highway and that has been getting progressively better as it breaks in. The DPF stuff on the new one limits them a little bit, as most people seem to get upper 40's to low 50's once they're broken in, but some of the older (>6 years) ones that don't have the DPF can easily get mid-upper 50's and even 60+ on the highway.

5/25/2013 6:47:44 AM

Obvious choice:

Tesla Model S

5/25/2013 7:55:44 AM

Actually the more obvious choice is Chevy Volt. He can commute on pure electric everyday like CarZin does, and still take it out for longer trips when needed. Obvisously, if he is looking at Prius, he is interested in practicality over looks and performance. Cost of a brand new Volt is right in his price range.

Holla at CarZin for more info

[Edited on May 25, 2013 at 10:00 AM. Reason : .]

5/25/2013 9:59:16 AM

Buy a K-Sight. Turbo K20A engine dropped in an all-aluminum Insight. 300hp and 45mpg.

http://lhtperformance.net/documents/lht_k-sight.html

5/25/2013 6:10:25 PM

if that car turned the right wheels..

5/25/2013 8:29:29 PM

if you think the prius is a good looking car and enjoy looking like a fag while driving then buy a prius. however, if you are interested in a prius because of the fuel mileage hype there are better choices. i would definitely check out a volt first as the miles per gallon cannot be touched by any other vehicle on the market if you compare all aspects such as range and gov't rebates. be sure to check out carzin's thread on his. outstanding information.
another choice i would consider is a vw tdi whether it's a golf, jetta, or passat. and there are others out there i would consider before a fucking prius.

5/26/2013 9:33:25 PM

Looking like a fag>looking like a fag and always being at the dealership cause your Volt has so many fucking recalls

5/26/2013 11:23:00 PM

Get a Volt.

5/27/2013 1:08:37 AM

if you do look at diesels, just remember to factor in the extra cost of diesel as compared to gasoline.

5/27/2013 6:17:43 PM

yeah, i'm a diesel fan, but a TDI just won't compete with a Prius or Insight in terms of fuel cost savings. The Insight gets as good or better fuel economy; the Prius clearly beats it, and both do it with significantly cheaper fuel.

a TDI is a nicer car and a shitload better driving, but it will cost more.

5/27/2013 10:21:21 PM

It will after about 8-10 years of driving it.

5/27/2013 10:33:06 PM

I would get a Volt or Jetta/Passat TDI.

5/28/2013 11:08:58 AM

Fusion hybrid

5/28/2013 11:27:13 AM

If 4 seats is good enough, then the Volt is going to be the winner. If you buy the cheapest model, discounted on a lot, after the tax credit, this car is going to cost you 30k, and it going to be far superior to just about every other option in performance and operation cost.

5/28/2013 12:08:47 PM

better yet, lease it, and then you don't have to own the unknown cost of future battery replacement and technology obsolescence.

5/28/2013 12:32:00 PM

I test drove the new Camry hybrid (43/39). Drives really nice and it looks decent. It is by far the fastest hybrid in this price category (C&D 7.2sec 0-60). 2013 OTD price was $24300, which is equivalent to Prius pricing. To me that’s a no-brainer over Prius.

5/28/2013 1:21:44 PM

The Camry hybrid is probably the most boring car on the road (after the Prius itself).

Fusion Hybrid > Camry Hybrid

5/28/2013 2:12:55 PM

I'm still loving my '11 Golf TDI. Instant torque makes it super drivable and it handles like a fucking Ferrari. (ok, probably not, but it's tight and grippy and goes where you point it)

5/28/2013 3:09:12 PM

Quote :

"The Camry hybrid is probably the most boring car on the road (after the Prius itself). "

This just in: all of them are boring. Camry is optimally the best of them all. Better mpg and faster than fusion, not as ugly as prius, better mpg than TDIs, not as expensive as tesla or lexus 200.

5/28/2013 3:56:51 PM

Fusion brake and steering feel >>> Camry brake and steering feel

5/28/2013 4:15:21 PM

Quote :

"enjoy looking like a fag"

amazing that there are educated people who still say things such as that in this day and age.

5/28/2013 5:09:16 PM

It's a true statement though.

Get a sonata

5/28/2013 8:03:09 PM

Quote :

"This just in: all of them are boring. Camry is optimally the best of them all. Better mpg and faster than fusion, not as ugly as prius, better mpg than TDIs, not as expensive as tesla or lexus 200."

the camry may get better mpg than a TDI on paper but no way in the real world. a previous captain of mine has a golf tdi which consistently gets in the mid 50s on the highway.

Quote :

"amazing that there are educated people who still say things such as that in this day and age."

assuming i'm educated. you must have lost your education since you forgot this is the garage which is a place where phrases like this are allowed to exist.

5/28/2013 8:26:36 PM

Quote :

"the camry may get better mpg than a TDI on paper but no way in the real world. a previous captain of mine has a golf tdi which consistently gets in the mid 50s on the highway."

i hate to quote C&D, but FWIW they are saying camry hybrid is very true to its rating. Same reports on few forums. I did hear the same thing about TDIs on the highway, but in the city they are solid 10mpg less than most of the hybrids and that's a lot.


im getting 13/19 with premium, so all these ratings sound really good.

5/29/2013 4:11:08 AM

Quote :

"This just in: all of them are boring. "

5/29/2013 5:54:40 AM

Quote :

"im getting 13/19 with premium"

335i?

5/29/2013 10:58:11 AM

What kind of commute is it? Is there traffic or not? Hybrids don't give you the massive payout if your spending 40 miles on the highway. 40 miles of traffic lights, they will smack the snot out of a non hybrid.

What kinda commute is it?

5/29/2013 11:45:13 AM

I've been averaging 29/34 in my BRZ (on 93).

5/29/2013 12:19:01 PM

^^E39 M5

5/29/2013 11:58:36 PM

Quote :

"better yet, lease it, and then you don't have to own the unknown cost of future battery replacement and technology obsolescence. "

Wise words. Normally I'm not a fan of leases (currently having a leased vehicle has made me even less of a fan of them) but for a hybrid I think they make a lot of sense. Battery replacement on a hybrid is going to be a major bitch if you keep it long enough, so why take the chance?

5/30/2013 1:27:44 PM

Quote :

"Of course, the real reason I bought an Insight instead of a Prius is that the first year or two of Insights didn't have Event Data Recorders ("black box" for capturing data during and leading up to a crash), and I happened to find a great deal on one before I found a great deal on a Prius from one of the few (older) years they didn't have EDRs, or at least recorded minimal data."

And that's why you don't come to the garage for car-buying advice.

5/30/2013 3:59:33 PM

Leasing a car to put a shit load of miles is the dumbest shit you idiots have ever said

5/30/2013 6:28:16 PM

^^ ?

^^^ hybrid batteries have proven to have very good longevity, and replacement cost is on par with any other major repair on a car. i don't think it warrants any particular concern, frankly (other than a couple of model years of a couple of cars...for example, there are a couple of years of Civic hybrids that are slightly problematic).

5/30/2013 8:41:38 PM

There isn't really much to be concerned about with the volt battery. It will be replaced if it loses more than 30% capacity at 100k miles or 8 years.

5/30/2013 9:04:48 PM

Quote :

"^^ ?"

hah, even more reason

5/31/2013 9:21:20 AM

my dad just recently got a Camry Hybrid, super nice interior (but he did get it loaded, not sure about the standard model), as nice or nicer than any other car he has ever had.

Then again, he is 76, so take that for what its worth ahha

5/31/2013 9:32:59 AM

Quote :

"There isn't really much to be concerned about with the volt battery. It will be replaced if it loses more than 30% capacity at 100k miles or 8 years. "

Now that's something I can get behind. I'm guessing it's like the Kia/Hyundai 100K mile warranty in that it only applies to the original owner, but it's still serious peace of mind.

5/31/2013 9:37:33 AM

^what's that? Factory warranties are always transferable.

5/31/2013 10:22:12 AM

^^^^ I mean, I get that not everyone shares my concern. Fair enough. I think that many more people would share my concern if they weren't ignorant of the subject, but of course many would still not.

Regardless, that doesn't make me a moonbat for having that be one of my criteria in choosing a car.


On a semi-related note, I find it pretty staggering how much surveillance people are voluntarily accepting, or at least not resisting. Some of it is unavoidable these days, unless you want to live like the Unabomber in some shack in Wyoming, but most people just seem somewhere between blissfully ignorant and head-in-the-sand, nothing bad will ever happen.

Maybe not, but I don't like being watched and snooped on, anyway, and I generally think that we have much more to lose than to gain as individuals as a result of giving up privacy.

5/31/2013 10:44:38 AM

roads are public facilities, there's no such thing as privacy.

Plus, people think their lives are WAY more interesting than they are... unless you are doing something wrong, vast, and premeditated, I doubt anyone cares if you went to Applebees last Thursday.

5/31/2013 10:51:19 AM

Actually, EDR will only know how fast you were going to the Applebees and what what pedals did you stomp on in the last few minutes before you got into the car crash on the way there. If you don't get in a crash, no one will ever see that data. If you do get in the crash, and you did nothing wrong, EDR data may actually help you. If you get in a crash, and it's because someone else pulled out in front of you, but you couldn't slow down because you were doing 60 in a 35, then it's contributory negligence and you should pay up.

5/31/2013 12:34:20 PM

Quote :

"^what's that? Factory warranties are always transferable. "

The Kia/Hyundai 100K mile warranty only applies to the original owner. If you sell the car, it reverts to a 5 year/60K mile for any non-original owners. Or at least that's how it was explained to me.

5/31/2013 12:45:38 PM

I actually think it is transferrable. But if you want specifics, google 'Volt Advisor Toll Free Number' and speak with the experts.

5/31/2013 2:39:43 PM