School me up on Hybrids!

[SV_Dude]

I am somewhat in the market for a second vehicle. I'm looking at hybrids or another car that will get 30+ MPG, hopefully 40+ but will settle for at LEAST 30+ MPG. I'm mainly looking at hybrids but am open to suggestions for other vehicles. My budget is 10k or less so obviously I'm looking at used vehicles that are 5 years old or somewhere in that range.

I'm seeing a lot of pruis's and honda accords within my budget. I like the accords so far since they look decent, have leather interior, heated seats, nav, etc. They have a lot of goodies that the prius doesn't have.

I have also been looking at some VW's but am not sure on their mileage since they have mixed reviews. Any suggestions here?

If you have any other suggestions for a used vehicle that's under 10k and gets the mileage that I'm looking for, let me know. Also, is there anyone here with hybrid experience that can point me in the right direction as to what I should look for in a hybrid with 100k miles on it.

 

[CXS]

My wife is very thorough in her research and wanted a hybrid. She decided a Prius was what she wanted and then took a few used ones for a drive and changed her mind since she was very unimpressed. She finally settled on a new Civic which is not a hybrid and gets mpg's in the range you're talking about. I know you're not looking for new but figured I'd toss it out there any way since financing is a good deal right now - .09% is a good investment even for those of us that don't like borrowing. The hybrid (battery) technology is not the only way to get good mileage, check out 4 cylinder gas engines.

 

[bofa]

I have thought about this but have a concern about any newer tech that falls outside the warranty period. So that means taking a risk with out of pocket expenses or paying extra for a warranty, which raises the cost enough for me to consider new (or just get the car I really want). With that said I haven't done a lot of research on the longevity or repair costs of a 5+ year hybrid yet. I'm usually able to talk myself out of it before I get that far.

 

[wnelax04sr5]

Have you thought about a jetta or golf TDI? those are 40+ vehicles and while I'm sure someone will jump in and tell us all how they are nightmares to work on and break down all the time, i have a good friend with a jetta tdi who gets awesome mileage and its never seen a repair shop since he's bought it, has over 180k on it now.

 

[SV_Dude]

The biggest thing that I have found as far as hybrids go are the batteries. Some last up to 80,000 miles and others last a few hundred thousand miles. Most batteries are between 1500-2000 bucks. If that's something I only have to do once within the life of the vehicle then I am okay with that.

 

[SV_Dude]

Have you thought about a jetta or golf TDI? those are 40+ vehicles and while I'm sure someone will jump in and tell us all how they are nightmares to work on and break down all the time, i have a good friend with a jetta tdi who gets awesome mileage and its never seen a repair shop since he's bought it, has over 180k on it now.

The Jetta TDI is definitely catching my eye. I have seen a handfull of 06's(ish) for under 10k that still have nice interior packages. I have heard mixed things though about the reliability of them once they hit 150k+ miles.

 

[RandyDaytona]

The biggest thing that I have found as far as hybrids go are the batteries. Some last up to 80,000 miles and others last a few hundred thousand miles. Most batteries are between 1500-2000 bucks. If that's something I only have to do once within the life of the vehicle then I am okay with that.

+1. My wife has a 2005 Passat that gets 45 MPG. She loves it and has had no issues with the vehicle.

 

[bofa]

Oh yeah, and :hippie:

 

[nevada]

I am somewhat in the market for a second vehicle. I'm looking at hybrids or another car that will get 30+ MPG, hopefully 40+ but will settle for at LEAST 30+ MPG. I'm mainly looking at hybrids but am open to suggestions for other vehicles. My budget is 10k or less so obviously I'm looking at used vehicles that are 5 years old or somewhere in that range.

I'm seeing a lot of pruis's and honda accords within my budget. I like the accords so far since they look decent, have leather interior, heated seats, nav, etc. They have a lot of goodies that the prius doesn't have.

I have also been looking at some VW's but am not sure on their mileage since they have mixed reviews. Any suggestions here?

If you have any other suggestions for a used vehicle that's under 10k and gets the mileage that I'm looking for, let me know. Also, is there anyone here with hybrid experience that can point me in the right direction as to what I should look for in a hybrid with 100k miles on it.

have you driven any? obviously you will test drive one before you buy...but I suggest driving as many different ones as you can.

ive driven a few different ones over the years, and have been disappointed with all of them so far. the regenerative braking is VERY annoying. it is far from smooth. its harsh, very abrupt. I imagine like anything, with more time/miles I would get used to it. but I wouldn't be able to get over how rough it is in order to put on those miles.

 

[LandCruiser]

-the cost of the car won't offset your fuel savings unless you drive a LOT
-most have the driving dynamics of a golf cart
-only the small ones are efficient, the SUV based ones are worthless
-people will think you're a homosexual/Obama voter, you seriously could look like a poof unloading two R.E.P.R. rifles and several hundred rounds of ammo
-they're rubbish in the snow
-used hybrids may be at the end of their battery's useful life

 

[Chuckles89]

It doesn't have the MPG ratings you want, but my 2000 Celica GT-S 6-speed realistically gets 28 City and around 32 Highway. They are pretty cheap around here.

 

[snivilous]

-the cost of the car won't offset your fuel savings unless you drive a LOT

This. Unless you want it for some other reason, spending 9k on gas at $3.50 a gallon is over 2500 gallons which in your 4Runner can equate to 40,000+ miles easily.

A guy at work bought a Prius-C or something since he was sick of getting bad mileage in his lifted Taco. Though he wasn't the brightest finacially, since spending $19k on a new Prius to save gas is still spending more money on the car than he would otherwise of spent on gas/eating out/modding/etc. combined.

So in that regard, I would go for the most reliable vehicle there is that doesn't run on batteries so they don't need replacing since you're gonna have to drive it for a long ass time for it to have a positive turn around.

 

[MyHigh]

I must say, I agree with most on this topic. To buy a hybrid just for the saving of fuel costs is not a smart move. I see most hybrid owners as wanting to make a statement, such as the fad of Hollywood left wing libtards. The technology just isn't there yet. My vote would go toward a Honda, for one it gets very good gas milage, second is tried and true reliability and let's face it they are the only other manufacturer that compares to our Toyotas.

But if your dead set on buying a hybrid, please by all means don't let us stop you, but buyer beware, those come pre bumper sticker installed with a
( I voted for Obama and am still proud of it) .

On a side note, I heard somewhere that for every Chevy volt sold it cost us tax payers an estimated 45,000 bucks. Is this true? Or just a media spin?

And I apologize for any name calling, I respect all political sides.

 

[EatonKyleH]

I work on a lot of different hybrid vehicles and have replaced many high voltage packs on the Prius' (or Prii to be Toyotically correct), the hybrid Civics, hybrid Ford Explorers and so on. And did several extended range pack installs when there was the tax credit for it 2 years back. Pack price varies from $1500 to nearly $5000 depending on if you purchase a reman pack, new, or just have an individual cell replaced. This choice will also determine what longevity you see from the replacement pack.

Many of them also have had problematic EVAP issues as several use a bladder inside the fuel tank which eventually ruptures requiring fuel tank replacement. The batteries are also rather temperature sensitive in extreme cold or heat.

Really they are for the most part boring to drive, often poorly equipped for the price point, non friendly to a DIY minded owner with repairs, and still require the normal gas engine maintenance with some added quirks. And if you break down in the boonies for anything related to the high voltage system it is likely to become a nightmare.

I like the technology and I've enjoyed working on them and learning where things are headed in that market but I would not consider purchasing one.
The minimal MPG gains compared to a similar sized and equipped vehicle are just not worth the extra money, complexity, and the need to seek out a dealer or specific shop in case of issues.

 

[SV_Dude]

I'm not looking to get one to replace my dd. right now between my wife and I, we only have one vehicle. We have a 2010 double cab Tacoma. We need a second vehicle. I'm not opposed to a 4runner obviously but for me to find a decent vehicle that I can feel comfortable driving I will need to be prepared to dump around 10k. I don't want to spend 10k and still get bad mileage. I would prefer to stay economical and affordable. The tdi's are starting to look better and better... Or I could have more fun and get an Audi A6!

 

[BrianSD_42]

Hey man I really would recommend getting a 2010+ Prius.

2010 was the year they did the redesign and it looks A LOT better than the 09 and below.

The Prius is a really great car. My GF has one and I've driven it plenty. Lots of my coworkers drive them as well.

They are a lot quicker than most people believe. Take one on a test drive and put it in Power Mode .... very zippy. .... and you will still get 45 MPG.

They are also the most reliable and cost effective car you can buy over the life of the car. This is because of the regenerative braking which results in minimal pad & rotor wear. Also since its a hybrid it doesn't have a 150k or 200k engine life expectancy like normal car engines.

In California (and possibly all other states) the battery warranty is 15 years / 150k miles - with any owner.

Yes there are other choices out there but Toyota was and still is years ahead of these other companies. They were first to the game and it really shows with the reliable (PROVEN) design you get with a Prius.

:hatsoff:

 

[541joseph]

Just get a regular camary they are tiyotas so no issues there and great gas mileage I'd stay away from European cars. They are just a money pit impossible to work on labor times are really high. Like 3.5+hrs just to do a radiator in a Volvo. They are built cheap and don't last well.

 

[bigslimdog]

I bought my wife a 2008 Prius brand new in 2007. It's got 60k miles on it now. Only maintenance I have ever had to do was change the oil with Mobil1 every 5k miles and engine and cabin air filter every 10k.

People mentioned they are sluggish, well of course they are it's a Prius. If you want acceleration get a sports car but you aren't gonna get 45+ MPG. I have never felt like I couldn't keep up in traffic or accelerate quick enough from a stop. My wife and I have been extremely happy with ours over the past 6 years. I will also add the navigation is not great because of the DVD update. I have never bought a yearly DVD update for it so it is missing some major roads. The 6 disc CD changer is pointless too, never even used that. I prefer to use my iPhone for navigation rather than the in car nav. Bluetooth phone connectivity is a must have feature, not sure which year they added that but I have it in my 2008.

 

[jgue467]

Get it loaded

my daughter has an 07 prius, great reliability, pretty fun to drive. It takes a little time to learn to master the regenerative aspects but once you do your batts w/b in the Green zone, you'll know what I mean. Get a loaded one, I think they have 6 packages, go with #5 (or 6 if you want leather). You'll get dual zenons (wow r they bright), fog lites, no action car entry, keyless start, Bluetooth among other cool features. Like other said, if batts become an issue they can be replaced in balanced modules or you can find a good used one at a junk yard for a few hundred bucks (they made millions). :banana:

Toyota Prius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ndcent]

I think a pink or a purple Prius would be pretty cool.