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New Prius Owners - Give Us Your Report

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Comments

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    yes, let us know. I'm curious about this feature.
  • subjectivesubjective Member Posts: 62
    Does anyone know when in 2011 Toyota started to install the "SAFETY FEATURE", when you push the brake pedal and accelerator at the same time, the engine shuts down? What do you think of this as a safety approach by Toyota? I have been told by a Toyota experienced salesman that Toyota is planning, or has already, installed this feature on all their auto transmission vehicles. I for one don't like it and feel that it is a safety hazard. In my opinion this would make it so many people with even minimal leg injuries could not safely drive Toyota vehicles with an understandable fear of a sudden and unexpected loss of power on a crowded high speed highway with big trucks etc.
  • subjectivesubjective Member Posts: 62
    I can now answer my own question. Toyota's official line is that this "engine shut down feature" started to be implemented in late 2010 and 2011. All 2012 Toyota's will have this feature. Toyota tells me that the 2011 and 2012 Prius cars completely shut off the engine when both the brake and accelerator are applied at the same time. In all other Toyota vehicles when both the brake and accelerator are applied, the brake stays on and power is cut but the engine is not turned off. I can not imagine anything more frightening than being on a multible lane highway in a heavy rain storm with large trucks bearing down on me and the vehicle i'm in has a sudden loss of power. My 25 yr new vehicle purchase with Toyota has now ended. :cry:
  • lowflyer1lowflyer1 Member Posts: 4
    I can't say for sure but I'd bet this "safety feature" is a Toyota self-defense response to the government's unwarranted attack on the company a while back during the GM/Chrysler nationalization mess.

    Toyota was doing too much business and was now in competition with the govt, so they used every dirty trick in the book to try to handicap them.

    I didn't closely follow the incidents where Priuses allegedly ran away but seem to recall the investigations pretty well exonerated Toyota (floor mats jamming accelerators or some driver error have been blamed officially.)

    Nonetheless the govt levied massive fines etc.

    IMHO predatory lawyers and the govt. are far more worthy targets of blame than Toyota for the advent of this "safety feature"....even if my facts aren't 100% on the mark.

    At any rate, I vowed to buy a Toyota as my next car, and I did. Last week I bought a 2011 Prius IV right off the truck.

    Go Toyota!
  • subjectivesubjective Member Posts: 62
    I'm happy to report that we purchased a new Prius lll Dec. 19, 2011 and it is working out well for our use of family errands. Milage indicated has been from 55 mpg on secondary highways at 50 to 65 mph down to 45 mpg at 70 to 75 mph. Earlier I posted concern about a new 2011 Prius ll loaned to us while our Tundra was being serviced in which the engine unintentionally shut down when the brake and accellerator were depressed at the same time. This has not occurred one time on our new one in 1200 miles. The experience has not been good with our dealer. We have reported the Toyota dealer, which we have purchased from and serviced with for 25 yrs, to the Florida Attorney General for what we see as deceptive sales practices. They advertised 20 % off on any 2011 Prius in stock which you simply don't get. We are also reporting this to the Chairman & CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA.,
  • maximus43maximus43 Member Posts: 14
    My 2009 Yaris four door sedan (automatic) was my daily commute road warrior since May 2009. However my daughter recently totaled her POS Chevy Cobalt (she is just fine, thank goodness) and so she is inheriting my faithful Yaris. The Yaris has ZERO problems after 66,000 miles, and still obtains about 30 to 32 mpg in mostly city driving, about 36 mpg in hwy. Even the original brake pads still have decent amount left and may go until 80K or 90K. What an amazing little car.

    Anyway, I have now acquired a 2010 Prius with mileage of 45K for what I think was a very fair price ($15,400 plus tax and $399 dealer fee), and I am hoping that the increase in gas mileage and the stellar reliability reputation of the Prius will make me a happy customer when combined with the various small creature comforts that the Prius offers over the Yaris (SmartKey entry system, steering wheel controls, a conventional cupholder, a real center armrest, a hatchback for easily hauling various flea market items, and a more firmly planted, quieter ride, IMHO). My Yaris is a wonderful utilitarian vehicle, and I damn near bought another one, but the very good price I paid for this Prius convinced me to take the hybrid leap.

    However I never would have purchased a new Prius; the cost of a new Prius seems so high that it seemingly would take a decade of driving to realize any petrol saving, unless you do a LOT of driving. Furthermore, the argument for the Prius over the Yaris has more to do with the overall comfort of the driving/ride experience rather than the comparative operating costs, because the Yaris is relatively inexpensive, extremely fuel efficent, and so darn reliable.

    So far, after just 1/2 a tank, my car seems to be averaging only 47mpg according to Prius trip computer )which means I am probably getting just 45 mpg). I placed more air in the tires and am learning from all of you how to goose more mpg from the beast. Janaury is a horrible time to set the bar for this car, so perhaps with warm weather and a few tankfuls I will see something over 50 mpg. The problem is my city commute is only 8 miles one one, and the car is barely warmed up by the time I get to work or to home.

    On the freeway I easily acheived a mpg over 50 mpg . . .which i find a little odd given the EPA estimates--but I realize athose estimates are based on paritial usage of the EV mode in the city, something that can't be accomplished on the freeway.

    Anyway, I am a total computer/mileage geek, and so I am completely in love with the "geek-ou" experience offered by the Prius computer readouts and such. It truly is an engineering marvel :-)
  • lowflyer1lowflyer1 Member Posts: 4
    We bought our Prius back in November 2011 and now have just over 2000 miles on it.

    So far, it's a mostly good report. We love the car, it's amazingly smooth riding for such a small car -- heck, it's a better ride than the 2005 Odyssey we traded in on it, which was a far better ride than the Cadillac I had before that. I am very impressed with the quiet cabin and the aerodynamics of the moon roof, which is the quietest (when open, of course) of any car I ever owned.

    The cockpit layout is well done, especially the shifter which is perfectly located for using the "braking" function for speed adjustments on the road or braking assist when slowing/stopping. I can see we'll get a LOT of miles out of the brake pads as I hardly ever use the brakes. Instrumentation is superb.

    My only cockpit complaint is the instrument light dimmer which is unlighted and difficult to operate. This makes it impossible in the dark. Maybe it's just me but I feel the ergonimics folks at Toyota dropped the ball here.

    Cruise control is great in function and operation but is slow to react when adjusting speed in one MPH increments. Operation is a bit awkward sometimes when I forget that the control stalk turns with the steering wheel -- I occasionally find myself operating the wipers when trying to operate the cruise control.

    We got the remote a/c and solar roof package but I wish now I'd known about the Advanced Technology package as I feel it would have benefited me to a greater degree on the highway and my wife in parking. The solar roof will be of more apparent benefit in the warmer months, but I don't think it'll really be worth the money, even here in Georgia....we'll see.

    Right after we got the car I found oncoming drivers flashing their lights at me at night, indicating that they thought my high beams were on. They weren't. So left my garage door down, pulled up to it, and looked at where the lights hit it. I was disappointed to see that after Toyota did so much right with this car they sent it out of the factory in Japan with the left headlight aimed egregiously high.

    When I took it back to my dealer I was pleased with their prompt attention to the matter but again disappointed that: #1 - they aimed the low beams so low that now I can hardly see more than what I estimate to be 100' in front of the car, and #2 - that the service advisor indicated that the techs made the adjustment without knowing where the lights SHOULD be aimed (No headlight adjustment specs and/or equipment???) I'll be going back for another adjustment and to ask the obvious questions.

    Now, for the trip computer and speedometer. I was pleased to see mileage calculated in the 50 MPG range on the trip computer. However, in our town we have several radar equipped traffic signs that flash your speed when you approach them. It was disappointing to see that my speedometer indicates (after numerous passes) exactly two MPH faster than the radar sign indicates. This is a great lawyer buffer to help Toyota avoid frivilous lawsuits by idiots who simply look for anyone to sue over anything, but appears to me that it will lead to erroneous mileage indications which likely will cause owners to over maintain the car for mileage based service procedures.

    Erroneous speed indications also give a false sense of fuel economy in the form of inflated MPG figures. That also disappoints me. Additionally, I am in the habit of calculating my mileage based on gallons pumped and miles driven at each fillup. Sorry Toyota, I am consistently calculating about 2-4 MPG LESS than the trip computer shows. Combine this with the fact that the odometer is likely about 2 MPH fast and you have a potential for a rather large difference between TRUE MPG and INDICATED MPG. Maybe some of the math geniuses on the forum could figure out what's going on. If I'm wrong, I'll be the first to apologize to Toyota...oh yeah, I know about the differences in fuel pumps etc but most of my fillups have been at the same pump.

    Don't misunderstand, I'm happy as a clam about the mileage I get, but would be a lot happier if the instrumentation were more accurate. Technology this seemingly perfect deserves to have these speed/mileage/mpg indications to be closer to perfect. I can deal with a couple of MPH on the speedo but the MPG off, on a Prius????

    In summation, I absolutely love the car overall and still look forward to driving it each day. We've tested it on local roads in Georgia, South and North Carolina Interstates, as well as the winding, steep secondary roads of western North Carolina and have been pleasantly surprised at the acceleration and, especially road hugging handling. Aw, heck, I might as well admit that a Miata driver who was trying to shake me on a nice curvy road near my house couldn't do it. Now, I must admit that I have no idea how accomplished a driver he was but my Prius was not even near its limits of lateral traction. Maybe this is nothing to crow about, I suspect not, but I was impressed that this little "turtle car" had so much spirit.

    Would I buy a Prius again? You bet I would, in a heartbeat....even though some of my Conservative friends are calling me a Democrat and shaking their heads at me when I ghost by in EV mode. ;)
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Just because the speedometer is a couple of mph inaccurate, doesn't mean that the odometer is inaccurate, so this shouldn't affect your manual MPG calculations.

    And for the previous poster, it's hard to compare a Yaris to a Prius, since their different classes of vehicle. The Prius is about the same inside as a Camry and has more cargo space than a Camry. I'd say most folks buying a Prius aren't in the market for a car the size of a Yaris, otherwise they'd be better off comparing the Yaris to the Honda Fit, or some other similarly sized car.
  • snowboarder4snowboarder4 Member Posts: 42
    Yaris is not the same vehicle as Prius. For anyone who feels they want a subcompact with fuel economy similar to an Eclipse or Rabbit, which I have also owned over the years, the Yaris fits well. I am glad to drive the Prius. Much of my time is spent climbing Fourteeners and snowboarding. The Prius fold-down seats are almost always down with gear stuffed across the storage area. Not only does the Prius handle steep grades in the mountains, people I meet are amazed that my vehicle goes as far up Forest Service roads as most other vehicles. With respect to fuel economy, I achieved 50 MPG during summer driving for a few years, taking care in driving habits. In winter, my mileage can drop off to about 43 MPG due to the cold. As to the owner who only commutes 8 miles to work in the Prius, my workplace is 8 miles from home. Usually, I ride my bike to work: much higher fuel economy. However, the Prius does take me places in about half the time as my bike.
  • lowflyer1lowflyer1 Member Posts: 4
    That's food for thought in this electronic age (I'm showing mine with that comment.)

    I think "old school" from the time when odometers and speedometers were mechanically connected so that an error in one would definitely mean an error in the other. I had not even considered that they might be separate electronic components. But I must admit that I was puzzled by the disparaties between electronically calculated vs. old fashioned "miles driven/gallons added=mpg" methods I've experienced with the Prius. I just figured to stay at it till it all made sense (maybe with enough calculations.)
  • maximus43maximus43 Member Posts: 14
    Sorry if I implied that the Prius and Yaris are comparable for anything beyond a basic desire to achieve good mpg . . . the two vehicles offer very different driving experiences and capabilties. That's why I stated "the argument for the Prius over the Yaris has more to do with the overall comfort of the driving/ride experience rather than the comparative operating costs" . . .but I obviously didnt make my point very clear in my rambling discourse :-)

    I do wish the Prius had as much soft plastics in the cabin as the Camry does, but other than that, you are right-- the cockpit experience is much more comparable to a Camry than a Yaris.
  • subjectivesubjective Member Posts: 62
    I have found at night on a dark highway our low beam headlights are not bright enough. They shine in a narrow band more like fog lights than low beams. I took it to the service dept. today and complained about the right low beam was not as bright as the left. The tech reported that the right projector housing was distorted from overheating. They ordered a new projector housing to be installed tomorrow. I would think a high tech car like the Prius should have better lights in the full line, not just in the top of the line. This is a new car! I expect more for quality and safety sake.
  • nv2011nv2011 Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2012
    This happened to me too, but Toyota disregarded my report and informed me that I must have done something to cause the shut down. I am afraid to drive this car! Where can I find information about this "engine shut down feature"?
  • nv2011nv2011 Member Posts: 2
    A few weeks after we purchased the 2011 Prius the car’s engine stopped running while I was on the highway with no warning. Toyota disregarded my complaint and told me they could not replicate the problem. Next, the car made a metallic banging noise when I started the engine. The motor mount was replaced and Toyota says they are aware of the problem and cannot guarantee this will permanently fix the issue. Now, our energy saving sun roof’s seal suddenly disintegrated for no apparent reason. Toyota is trying to figure out if they will repair the seal or if we will have to repair the seal. I am frustrated and will never buy another Toyota again! This comes from a person who comes from a three generation Camry family. The Prius has multiple defects that Toyota needs to address before I will ever purchase another vehicle from them. :sick:
  • lowflyer1lowflyer1 Member Posts: 4
    Mine hasn't been a nightmare and the engine has not shut down, thank God.

    However, I JUST this minute came back from a quick trip to the grocery store. When I started the car it did the metallic banging thing as soon as the engine started (not after the customary delay when starting the car cold.) THAT is disturbing as we bought it new on Nov 22, 2011.

    Will be visiting the dealer tomorrow for sure.
  • subjectivesubjective Member Posts: 62
    I believe you should study over the lemon law of your state. In Florida the lemon law works and it very likely will work for you. If I were you, I would go for a replacement car from Toyota. The problems on unintended engine shut down occurred on a 2 day loaner of a new 2011 Prius ll from the service dept while our Tundra was being serviced. Dec. 19 we purchased a new 2011 Prius lll. We now have 2100 miles on the car and this has not once happened. Toyota's official responce is if you push the brake and accellerator at the same time, the engine will shut down. Perhaps the first loaner car was more sensitive to this planned safety feature. If they don't fix this for you Toyota will have to replace the car or purchase the car back under most State Lemon laws which usually reads they have 3 tries to fix it or else! Good luck and be safe :lemon:
  • willieg4willieg4 Member Posts: 1
    Picked up my Silver 5 right after Thanksgiving. Deal was OK, car is great. Zero issues, however, I have not tried to push the brake and accelerator at the same time...yet. You can bet I will on my next venture on a clear road to gain that experience. Some times I two foot drive and I can read that this may not be the best practice with Toyotas.

    I installed a front upper tower brace, small mud flaps and also the premium Lexus/Camry horns. Installations were a little involved, but accomplished without incident. The car handles very well with the Bridgestone tires and 17" rims and the horn is excellent rather than the wimpy OEM junk.

    Getting 47.5 average mileage from day one with just over 2,000 total miles. Recently the mileage went up about 3mpg which is most likely due to engine break in.

    I am very pleased with the car that I will use mainly for client calls within a 200 mile range. Also very pleased, and truthfully surprised, that the power is very adequate. This coming from an owner of a 1999 Ford Lightning truck with 440hp.

    I am also finding the Prius very quiet compared to my Ford 500 which I drove for the past 6 years over some 95,000 miles.

    I got every upgrade that is offered for the 5 series. The tires, handling and headlights are some of the best features. I find the hard plastic expanses rather cheap however. Wish they had put in more of the soft touch feeling stuff.
  • subjectivesubjective Member Posts: 62
    I know that there is a SB about a design problem in the intake manifold causing noise during cold temp start ups caused by water build up from frozen condensation melt, but not a recall to the best of my knowledge. I recently found out from a Toyota service source that a production change for this problem is on our 2011 lll built in Oct. 2011. I believe an engine mount change design was also made. I hope this information will be of some use to you in getting this design flaw corrected in your Prius. It requires changing the intake manifold to the new design manifold. It may also require an engine mount change.
  • abelieverabeliever Member Posts: 2
  • abelieverabeliever Member Posts: 2
    I bought a 2011 Prius hatchback I. So far each day gets better and better ----I can't believe the power of the gas engine, when you ask it to accelerate onto the interstate -----it's a rocket!!!! I gave my brother my all-wheel-drive 2000 Subaru ----and I am not sorry that I have front wheel drive ----the engineering of the vehicle is spectacular -----I drove a Volvo and that car doesn't move in cross winds, however, they use the highest grade of steel available, Boron ----and of course they can not get the mileage because of this. Two great manufacturers ----I would like to see them get their heads together to make an ultimate car!

    I find that handling and not power has saved my life on many occasions. Only once, in my lifetime did I need power, and that was because of my poor planning in keeping up with everyone in traffic. Now, I try to stay away from the pack. And that is the best way to be safe and to be able to find a way out. Never let yourself get boxed in. Drive Safely
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    A reporter is looking to interview parents who own a Chevy Cruze Eco, Toyota Prius V and/or Honda Civic Hybrid. If you are willing to share your experience with the car, please email [email protected] no later than March 10, 2012.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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    Share your vehicle reviews

  • gopriusgoprius Member Posts: 15
    I have a Toyota Camry. When you close the driver's door, it makes this nice thoomp sound. Our new Prius doesn't make the same sound. There's sort of a kind of metal sound when I close the door. I took it in for service, and they said it's normal. For those of you who have a Prius, how does your door sound when you close it?
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    My doors close with a solid thump. If it is all the doors, I wouldn't worry. One cool characteristic of my prius is that when sitting at a light in the rain, the wipers on high rock the car back and forth. How cool is that !!! Great car. No problems and lots of room.
  • bigbutrbigbutr Member Posts: 111
    I've recently acquired a 2012 Prius II and noticed the same thing. It is almost like a hollow sound when you shut the door, like it's missing soundproofing or something inside the door. I am going to stop by the local dealer and shut the doors on some of their display models to see if it is the same. If it is, then I'll just live with it. Kind of hard to be upset with a car giving me over 52 mpg.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Light weight = high mpg! :)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    A news reporter would like to talk with hybrid car owners in Northern California. If you fit the description, please contact [email protected] by Wednesday, April 25, 2012
  • imani2imani2 Member Posts: 3
    About my brand New 2010 Prius - At first it was wonderful....
    I'm not sure if I'm out here alone with this problem, but on my new (25 miles) 2010 Prius the brakes are slipping when it hits a bump. When I went to the dealer, Bayridge Toyota, Brooklyn, they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about and tried to charge me 189.00 to look at the car even though it is under warrantee. I asked them if they had a specialist to take care of this well known problem (It was in all the papers in 2011 with the recalls) and they said they had never heard of it.???? But it seems the only ones who hadn't heard about it was me and these Toyota Dealers - but the rest of the whole world had heard about it. My misfortune was to buy a floor model for a 2010 in 2011 and I trusted the dealers at Plaza Toyota.
    This brake problem is very scary and I wonder why more people aren't complaining. Please write me if you have this problem. There is a class action suit against Toyota for it and I'm doing all I can to get mine properly fixed. I only found all this out after researching the issue. Now all the joy has gone out of my new car buy. Great Mileage or not bad brakes are a hazard and no fun at all. :mad: If anyone has advice let me know.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    The discussion you should post this in is Toyota Prius Brake Problems. You'll find that you get a better and faster response by posting in a a discussion where your area of interest is already being talked about. You may even find that someone has posted a similar problem and the solution is waiting for you to read.
  • jordanbev5jordanbev5 Member Posts: 2
    Love our new 2012 Prius 4! Mostly due to getting 50 MPG already! have filled up half the tank because I haven't used any more!!! Great to drive and it is a beautiful car! We got the 4 because of hating the fabric on the sides of the inner doors, and the console. I like the all "leather" like feel instead, and it will stay cleaner in the long run! Also, got the darkest interior color for that same reason, as well as, the black dash looks awesome! Great little car and intending on going on a long trip to test it out soon.
    thank you to all for all your comments which helped me make my final decision on buying it!!
    Beverly :)
  • rustyxmrustyxm Member Posts: 2
    I bought a 2011 Prius on 6/16/11 and have already 39,879 miles on
    It this is do largely to several trips back east i,am generally happy
    With the car but i do have some complaints the first one being
    Gas economy 51/49 i dont think so! my car does much better on the
    Hwy then around town but where i live it is very hilly and i,am lucky
    To get 40! i have talked to other owners where i live with a similar
    Gripe! i would think for the estimates to be close to accurate you
    Would have to be driving on a flat surface all the time and that,s not
    Realistic! also you can never recover the miledge back going up a hill
    And going down the other side it being equal of course.

    I have a hill locally that takes 3.5/10,s of my meter but only puts
    1/10 back on going down the other side.

    Another gripe! NO REAR AIR CONDITIONING VENTS it get,s very hot
    In the back seat this is something that needs to be addressed.
  • rustyxmrustyxm Member Posts: 2
    I have the same sound of course (The metal sound) as i call it
    The reason the saving of weight through out the car including
    Door panels in back less solid less weight!
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    MPG estimates are based on flat terrain. Any car you drive on hilly terrain will produce poorer MPG, although I do think that smaller-engined cars will show a more noticible difference. So a big car's MPG may drop from 20 to 17 mpg on hilly roads, while a small car may drop from high 40's to high 30's. Then of course high 30's mpg is still better than 17mpg!

    Same with speed. In the southwest the MPH Limit is 75 or 80, meaning that you can legally drive 80-85mph without worrying about getting a ticket. But that will really cause small engine cars to lose a lot of MPG.

    I do agree with the rear AC vents, so I ended up tinting the windows and that helped. Seemed like in the old days, no car outside of a minivan/SUV had rear AC vents, but then they probably had more powerful ACs.
  • imani2imani2 Member Posts: 3
    Hi - MPG, I bought a new 2010 recently as a floor model and was very disappointed because I only got like 29MPG. I went to different discussions to see what I was doing wrong and got a ton of answers. After about a month it went to 30 - 35, then after a few months it went to 39 max. On my last fill up it went to 50 and has hung in there at 46 or higher - even though I'm city driving, using the same hills and valleys.

    I did take advice though and allow it to cruise (foot off of gas) when I'm up to speed on a city road. And I can only find gas with 10% ethanol, but the same gas has seen my MPG go higher and higher so that isn't much of a factor. I'm in NY and there are a lot of hills. My opinion is that it will break in after about 5 months - I only drive on ECO, except when I must enter a highway - this requires more horsepower.

    So drive in ECO, the pickup is a bit slower, but I do 65 or more in it and I don't change it on a hill, only when I enter a highway. And give the car time to break in. I'm hopeful of getting that 50 or 55MPG like some others have reported, but doubt I'll every get much more than 65. Good luck :blush:
  • snowboarder4snowboarder4 Member Posts: 42
    I have had my Prius now for nearly five years and 55,000 miles. I live at 9,600 feet, so drive many mountain passes above 10,000 feet on 6% grade or better. I also drive a lot of unimproved Forest Service dirt roads.

    My lowest fuel economy is 43 MPG with all-season radials in winter. My best fuel economy has been driving down in Denver, only 5,000 feet, during the summer with the factory original tires, about 55 MPG. I am gentle on acceleration, coast into intersections, and try to drive under all posted speed limits.

    If you want to maximize fuel economy, I suggest driving slowly, anticipate stop lights, empty the vehicle of luggage and other gear, drive on half-tanks of fuel, get on a weight-loss diet, and buy lightweight tires that will likely fail you on icy roads in winter. ;)
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    edited July 2012
    just finished a 1500 mile trip in my 2010 --- 70 mph --- hwy with grades --a/c--- averaged 52 mpg on the computer. No attempt to hyper mile. Plenty of power up hills and to pass.
  • michaelcozensmichaelcozens Member Posts: 23
    edited August 2012
    Just purchased a new Prius Plug In Base Model. I am sure there will be a seperate discussion on these soon! Have only had this a week and I can tell we will not need to fill up but once a month. The charger plugs into 110 and takes a few hours to charge. We can go about 10 miles on all electric, my wife works 5 miles away so for a commute she can be all electric for the week! Will be interesting to see what the electric bill looks like next month. Impressed so far. I will follow up post in a few months once I can get a line on the average mpg- I suspect it will be 80 plus for us.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    edited August 2012
    I go 40 to 47 miles per charge with my Volt. I got mine last April and still have over a half tank of gas that came with it and over 3500 miles so far. :P
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    that's a good point. What people pay per Kw varies widely throughout the country, and what time of day you charge the car also matters in calculating a real world cost-per-mile.
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    You might want to add some fuel stabilizer at that rate !!!!
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    edited August 2012
    A Volt gas tank is pressurized and recomends Premimun gas as it has a longer shelf life to keep the fuel from getting old. The computer is programed to run a tank of gas per year through the car in order to make sure the gas doesn't get stale. This car isn't for all but if most of your driving is 40 miles or less it can save you a ton of money. I was spending $200+ a month and now zero on gas. My electric rate is 8.6 cents and 11KW is a full charge. So 99 cents to fully charge it. I think Hybrids are the wave now and in the future, no matter who you get it from.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    wow...very low electric rate you have. Lucky you. I think some of us, under peak conditions, would be paying 3 to 4 times that amount per Kw.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    edited August 2012
    I'm still wondering on the true cost/mile for an electric car. I know that with a Prius, if I'm getting 50mpg for 10,000 miles at $3.5 per gal that equals $0.07 per mile.

    From what I've read, if you can go 40 miles on a charge, then a full charge will cost about $1.50 depending on the price of electricity. So if a person fully charges a Volt 5 days a week for a year they'd pay $390 for 10,400 miles driven, or $0.0375 per mile.

    So if I drove purely electric in the Volt, I'd pay $0.0325 less per mile as compared to a regular Prius. That would equal $325 for a 10,000 mile commute per year where I could drive the Volt purely in electric mode. A regular Prius will cost at least $5,000 less than a Volt, so it would take about 15 years for the Volt's increased price to be matched by the reduced price per mile driven. Another downside to the Volt is that it only has 10CuFt of cargo space as compared to 21CuFt in the Prius, and the Prius can carry 5 people as compared to 4 in the Volt.

    Another factor to consider is the after the battery runs out, the Volt gets about 35MPG, so if you drive a few thousand miles a year on the gas engine for road trips, vacations, etc., you'll probably save $100 per year with the Prius, so this reduces the $325 saved in the above example down to $225 for the Volt, which also means the payback to the Volt over the Prius is about 22 years (and that's with the smaller trunk and less passenger capability).

    Nothing against the Volt, but when it comes to comparing a regular to plug-in hybrid, if the plug-in is going to cost more than a few thousand as compared to a regular Prius, then it's probably not worth getting the plug-in unless gas gets above $5.00 per gallon, or you have really cheap electricity where you live and you don't drive too much between charges.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    To Dmathews3...what was your previous vehicle before the Volt that was costing you $200 per month in gas? If you're now putting zero in gas that makes me think you're only driving 40 miles per day, so in a month that would be about 1200 miles. If you were paying $200 per month in gas previously, than means your previous vehicle was only getting about 22mpg (at $3.8/gal).

    Now you're paying $30 per month in electricity as compared to $200, which is great; however, if you bought a regular Prius, at 50mpg $3.8/gal it would cost you $91 per month in gas, so you're saving $732 per year with the Volt over the Prius. I wonder how much you paid for the Volt as compared to a regular Prius...maybe $5,000? And what vehicle do you use for long road trips?

    I think when regular hybrids and plug-ins become equal in price, then I'll buy one.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    The big plus to me is I'm almost no longer giving my money to foreign oil. We also have a Fusion Hybrid. I leased this time do to the new technology and the rebate was figured into my lease payment as to buy I don't have the tax lability to get the $7500 credit. I had a Equinox I sold. Like I said its not for all and just doing math and buying isn't my cup of tea. Also the plug in Pruis in my understanding costs as much as the Volt and if so in my book the Volt wins. Also the Prius plug in wasn't out to even look at then. And lastly I like a high end car.
  • michaelcozensmichaelcozens Member Posts: 23
    We looked at the Volt also and it is a very nice car! The wife had an 07 Prius that was rear- ended and she wanted another one. The base Plug in is about 30K after figuring the $2500 rebate for this. It has a fair amount of equipment and was ok for us- there is another trim level- Advanced with Leather etc and would likely compare to the Volt in the nice factor and cost once the Gov't rebates are figured in. We leased also due to the whole thing being new. I think both these vehicles are great and I'll post again when we get some more miles under our belt!
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Good points. It does really make a difference what you're looking for in a car...space, value, reliability, luxury features, resale, etc...Any hybrid buyer out there is a winner in my book! The less gas we use in this country the better. It's more then just saving money at the pumps.
  • michaelcozensmichaelcozens Member Posts: 23
    It has not been more than a few weeks and we can see the Average MPG for this based on how we
    drive it will be 70 plus. The wife drove to work and back 9 miles all on electric. And SHE plugged it
    back in when she got home!! The MPG on the tank we are working on shows 73. I'll post again
    later but thought I'd add some real world experience on this "new" hybrid!
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    edited September 2012
    It's going to be a little tricky trying to compare mpg with plug-ins, since you have to add in the cost of electricity. So your MPG of 73 on 50 miles driven for example include 9 miles that were powered by plugging it into your house. 73MPG for 50 miles driven really means that the computer has calculated 0.685 gallons of gas were used to drive the 50 miles; however, in reality 0.685 gallons of gas were used to drive only 41 miles, since 9 miles were from the charge from your house), so 0.685 gallons for 41 miles = 56MPG, not 73MPG.

    Of course it's hard to say how much of a charge you got from home. Was your battery totally drained, or only a little bit? It sounds like you drove 9 miles on electricity only, then plugged it in at home, so if your car was totally charged before the 9 miles driven, then you can estimate that the 9 miles was from the house charge.

    Another way to calculate would be a cost per mile estimate, which will probably soon replace MPG as the standard as more electric and plug-in vehicles are on the roads. In this example, if you used 0.685 gallons of gas at $4/gal that would be $2.74/gal, plus let's say $0.50 in electricity, so that would be $3.24 for the 50 miles driven. If a person with a regular Prius getting 50mpg drove the 50 miles at $4/gallon they'd pay $4.00 for the 50 miles driven, thus you just saved $0.76 on the 50 miles driven or $0.0152 savings per mile.

    Of course if you only paid $.025 for the electricity, tha would be $2.99 for the 50 miles or $1.01 savings for the 50 miles or $0.202 savings per mile.

    The main thing for people to understand is that you can't just compare the computer MPG readout from a plug-in to a non-plug-in. And because with plug-ins when you actually "plug it in" the amount of house-electricity as compared with gas powered generated electricty from the car will vary depending on the amout of remaining charge in the battery when you plug it in your house, so that will add to the complexity of trying to calculate a cost per mile.
  • michaelcozensmichaelcozens Member Posts: 23
    edited September 2012
    We just got our electric bill, to my suprise it went down slightly from same time last Year. I am sure it has been a little less hot so our home AC is running a little less- but this is telling me this plug in is not using an extraordinary amount of electric. I really expected the KWH to go up some amount but not seeing it..as yet. I'd say we plug it in to recharge 5 days a week. I'm sure the usage will "show" somewhere along the line on the bill.
    You make a good point about the MPG readout- the "MPG" gain from adding in the electric is not "free" there is some cost for sure. Also, real pleased with how the engine/hybrid/batteries seem to run in a seamless manner. The transition on our old Prius 2007 was much more noticeable than this one.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    It would be nice if the charging unit would keep track of the Kwh used in charging the battery, so at the end of the month you could take that Kwh of usage as a percent of your electric bill to add in the electricity cost to the gasoline usage.
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