Prius?

Currently, we have an 02 ODY that we are looking to trade in. We like the van, but it has over 100K miles, and we are taking a couple of long road trips this year for which we'd like a vehicle with lower miles.

Anyway, we automatically started thinking about another van, but with gas prices the way they are, I find myself looking into the Prius. Dh doesn't like the idea because it's smaller, especially since we'll be taking long road trips with it (long=3000 miles round trip). He's worried about room for luggage and overall comfort.

We have two kids (4 and 2 yrs), and that will be it, so no need for 3 across room. I love the idea of it being better for the environment and saving $ at the pump.

For those who own one, what's the room in back like? Has anyone taken a long road trip in one? Overall, would you recommend getting one?

Thanks for your input.

I don't have a Prius, but I do have a Honda Civic Hybrid. I will say that I am very happy with my choice to buy a Hybrid. The difference between the fuel economy between the Civic Hybrid and the Prius is about 4 mpg. We didn't find that it was worth it for us to get the Prius, because they car itself was much more expensive than the Civic Hybrid. Plus, we really liked the Civic that we had before.

There are pluses and minus between the two cars. I would suggest going to the dealers, bringing two carseats and a few peices of luggage and try them out.

I know some are not happy with the visibility in the rear of the Prius. Good luck!

We have an '07 Prius and love it! It's the roomiest car we've ever owned (although I guess that's not saying much when we've always driven compacts ).

We only have 1 kid, but his Radian fits beautifully in the center of the back seat, with room for 2 average sized adults on either side. The leg room in both front seats and back seats is very nice (I'm 5.5", my husband is 6'1"). Personally, I think the hatchback cargo space is awesome! We've fit furniture, my husband's guitar amps, and tons of other gear back there. It's much bigger than any trunk cargo area I've seen.

It's really nice getting between 45-50 mph, I love the SmartKey (seriously the best invention - you never need to get out your key) and when you're traveling with kids/groceries,etc. it makes life sooooo much easier. I also like the back up camera! It's also nice that the brakes are regenerative - they won't need replacing as frequently as the brakes on 'normal' cars. And it's reassuring to have stability control, ABS, and 8 airbags.

If you want tons of opinions and information about the Prius, check out priuschat.com - it's a great site!

Have fun car shopping!

I don't know much about the Prius, but you may want to consider a regular Honda Civic that gets about 35-40 mpg/hwy. Yeah, hybrids are great, but the price difference between a hybrid and a "regular" small sedan is in the thousands. In addition, replacing the battery in a hybrid costs $3000?, which is also something to consider.

A 2008 Honda Civic sticker price: 15-18,000 http://autos.yahoo.com/honda_civic_sedan_lx_5_spd_at/
Toyota Prius: 23,000 http://autos.yahoo.com/toyota_prius_touring/

We'd also like a hybrid someday, but are going to keep waiting until the technology improves. Ugh. Hydrogen fuel cell anyone?

Good luck in your quest! Enjoy your new vehicle whatever you choose.

Oh, and for luggage you can always buy a roof rack and rocket box...just make sure to get the faring to deflect the wind.

solmama said:

I don't know much about the Prius, but you may want to consider a regular Honda Civic that gets about 35-40 mpg/hwy.

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Sorry, but regular Honda Civics do not get an average of 35-40 mpg.

A regular civic is rated to get 26 city/ 36 highway
A Civic Hybrid is rated to get 40 city/ 45 highway
A Prius is rated to get 48 city/ 45 highway

The actual mileage really depends on where you are driving, and what your driving style is. If you are easy on the gas from a stop, you will get better mileage. We average about 47 mpg in our civic hybrid.

To the OP, you can compare these all side by side at www.fueleconomy.gov

Another thing to consider is if most of your driving is in town or highway miles. Hybrids use the electric power when they are going slow and the gasoline engine when they are going at higher (highway) speeds. If your road trip miles are on the highway you will be using the gasoline engine (and gasoline) so you might not save as much $$ as you thought. (although it's a smaller car than a mini van so it should use less gas than what you have now) I don't have a link, but I read a very interesting article about ultra low emission vehicles that were gasoline powered. Some cars with this ULEV rating actually produce fewer emissions (pollution) than hybrids because their gasoline engines are so clean. It's a hard decision, but lots of information out there thanks to the internet.

Wow- thanks so much for the input! Gives me a lot to think about.

solmama said:

In addition, replacing the battery in a hybrid costs $3000?, which is also something to consider.

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First, sorry to quote you again. I'm really not trying to pick on you. You raise a valid point regarding the cost to replace the battery, but, I wanted to throw out there that this cost really does vary by car. I would definately ask a dealer what the replacement cost is and what the life expectancy is. Especially since different hybrid's do use slightly different technologies.

For the Civic Hybrid, the batter replacement cost is supposed to be $1,700. And the battery is expected to last at least 150,000 thousand miles. If you think of what other maintance costs you would incure for a standard car by the 150K mile mark, I don't see this as a huge cost.

solmama said:

I don't know much about the Prius, . In addition, replacing the battery in a hybrid costs $3000?, which is also something to consider.

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The battery (actually the entire hybrid system) is warranted for 100,000 mi/8 years (150,000/10 years in CA). And the early Priuses (Prii?) are showing no need for battery replacement, some at mileage in excess of 200,000. It's not like a conventional battery that needs replacing. It's built to last the life of the car. And if there is a manufacturing problem with an individual car's hybrid system/battery, it would show up long before the 100,000/10 year warranty expired, and thus repair/replacement would be covered. The Prius had proven to be one of the most mechanically reliable cars ever built.

Here's a thread from priuschat.com with some detailed warranty information:

http://priuschat.com/forums/care-ma...ng/40690-hybrid-system-warranty-duration.html