Yep, trying to be smart with total expenditure in pursuit of a green car is about the sum total of things. It can feel like heresy around these parts to say, but the M3 is not perfect in every possible way, much as I desire one and will continue to.
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Why I gave up and bought a Prius Prime
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Yep, trying to be smart with total expenditure in pursuit of a green car is about the sum total of things. It can feel like heresy around these parts to say, but the M3 is not perfect in every possible way, much as I desire one and will continue to.
>> Gave up and bought a Prius Prime
A wise decision I say. Way better than going for a noisy polluting ICE in this day and age.
Not sure what the fuss is really, Hybrid, PHEV, EV - they are all in the same team whether one is prepared to accept it or not. Don't forget, ICE is the REAL opponent.
A wise decision I say. Way better than going for a noisy polluting ICE in this day and age.
Not sure what the fuss is really, Hybrid, PHEV, EV - they are all in the same team whether one is prepared to accept it or not. Don't forget, ICE is the REAL opponent.
If Green is #1 and a touch of sporty fun would not suck, your best bet financially is to buy a Gen1 Volt for <$10k, then spend the remaining budget on solar equipment. $10k Priuses use all gasoline, or mostly gasoline, and the sportiness was not a consideration until last year when they added a little of it so it would be on par with normal economy cars.
If Sportiness is #1, and Green is a close tie, you best bet is an Tesla Model 3LR with maybe a bit of solar.
If EV acceleration is #1, and Green is a consideration, then the Model S75D through P100D are the answer.
Sometimes the kids and I take the Volts to autocross events to put grins on our faces and sharpen our skills. It might surprise you, but a Tesla Model S laps at about the same times. The Model 3SR non-PUP, RWD, should kill the Volt though.
How often do you see Prius owners trying to compete at a closed circuit event?
If Sportiness is #1, and Green is a close tie, you best bet is an Tesla Model 3LR with maybe a bit of solar.
If EV acceleration is #1, and Green is a consideration, then the Model S75D through P100D are the answer.
Sometimes the kids and I take the Volts to autocross events to put grins on our faces and sharpen our skills. It might surprise you, but a Tesla Model S laps at about the same times. The Model 3SR non-PUP, RWD, should kill the Volt though.
How often do you see Prius owners trying to compete at a closed circuit event?
seattlite2004
Active Member
I have a 2006 Prius, with 175K miles on it....it still has the original brakes. A few weeks ago I got the dreaded P0A80 symptoms, and my buddy with a fancy OBD2 reader verified the P0A80 code..thus I needed to replace the Traction Battery. I Found a local shop that installed refurb batteries with an 18 month warranty for about $1500 installed. I could have bought a NEW battery for a wee bit more, but opted to do the refurb cuz I was afraid that I would run into brake actuator issue which is pretty expensive to repair. So for now..I extended the life of my 2006 and hope to reach at least 200K miles before needing a new battery, brake actuator or have issues with the inverter coolant pump. So...they are reliable...but just be prepared for some large repair bills the longer you keep the car.
My wife's 2004 Lexus RX330 is 2 years older, but has 40K less miles than our 06 Prius, and it has yet to have a major repair bill like the 2006 Prius.
omgwtfbyobbq
Active Member
That's what the ANL testing shows. I know car mags like to do 1-foot rollout and all that, but I'd trust testing done at any DOE National Laboratory above anything else.
I don't understand this argument at all. The regulation forces car makers to lower the average fleet consumption, and that goal is being achieved. If they want to sell less efficient cars based on customer demand, the regulation forces them to sell more efficient ones as well. Unless you want to outright ban SUVs and other large vehicles, what else are the auto makers supposed to do? And if you support selective bans of less efficient vehicles, shouldn't the Tesla Model S and X also be banned since they are much less efficient than, say, a Model 3 or Chevy Bolt when you look at the Wh/mile numbers?
I do not believe the Government hires the Best of the Best. They pay good, but hiring has little to do with talent or qualifications. Nepotism and political favors and diversity are pretty important. I was even sort of puzzled at who was doing the hiring at JPL. They must subcontract everything.
If you have any doubts, like up with Volt and point forward and flip them off. I've toyed with Priuses of all flavors, they suck at AutoX (a magazine writer was doing an article), and are cannon fodder at stoplights.
Sandollars
I bleed Cardinal
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
I remember that ! It was a component know to have poor longevity on our 2004 Prius
I replaced it prophylactically for about $60 IIRC
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
I give Toyota a lot of credit for its Prius line, impure though it may be.
More than anything, I think they dispelled much of the FUD surrounding electric drivetrains when the cars turned out to be some of the most reliable ever made. I can still remember the almost non-stop internet memes that stated with certainty how the battery would be a $6,000 replacement every 50k miles.
Incidentally, the 8.8 kWh Prime battery is about $2000 retail. Either they are are selling it at a loss, or Toyota has also figured out how to make Li packs for way under $200 a kWh
More than anything, I think they dispelled much of the FUD surrounding electric drivetrains when the cars turned out to be some of the most reliable ever made. I can still remember the almost non-stop internet memes that stated with certainty how the battery would be a $6,000 replacement every 50k miles.
Incidentally, the 8.8 kWh Prime battery is about $2000 retail. Either they are are selling it at a loss, or Toyota has also figured out how to make Li packs for way under $200 a kWh
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
This is a reasonable argument, but the Prime was so cheap after tax credits that it stands as an outlier.
Consider, I paid $17k for a car that has a very high likelihood of going 250k miles with only simple maintenance. That is about 6.8 cents a mile. Fuel costs are a big YMMV, but e.g. in my case I use the car for my 90 mile work commute. I spend 15 cents to fill the battery and another ~ 0.9 gallons of fuel per trip for an average cost of 2.75 cents a mile.
So between acquisition and fuel costs, I pay under 10 cents a mile. As I have said, the car is tremendous value. Oh, and by the way ? The included in every Prius Prime safety set includes lane keep assist, emergency braking, and TACC.
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omgwtfbyobbq
Active Member
That may be true, but at least they're better than the private sector.
I have no doubt a Volt is faster than a Prius. The numbers auto mags dredge up to magnify those differences are what bug me.
A Prius prime has 4 wheels and so does a Model 3.
That’s maybe the extent to the similarities.
People can buy what they want but I would think instead of trying to race to the bottom
you’d see post like - couldn’t wait I got a Model S instead.
Some settle, some are willing to wait longer and work harder, and have their eyes on the prize.
Not everyone understands what I mean but the waiting faithful certainly know and will be rewarded accordingly.
Chevy practically wanted to give me a Bolt and I refused. I’d have to find a way to get rid of it later to make space for that sexy AWD Titanium Model 3 with xpel stealth.
(Elon - hurry the f up) no I’m not gonna buy a Prius Prime but I’ll whine less.
That’s maybe the extent to the similarities.
People can buy what they want but I would think instead of trying to race to the bottom
you’d see post like - couldn’t wait I got a Model S instead.
Some settle, some are willing to wait longer and work harder, and have their eyes on the prize.
Not everyone understands what I mean but the waiting faithful certainly know and will be rewarded accordingly.
Chevy practically wanted to give me a Bolt and I refused. I’d have to find a way to get rid of it later to make space for that sexy AWD Titanium Model 3 with xpel stealth.
(Elon - hurry the f up) no I’m not gonna buy a Prius Prime but I’ll whine less.
Fusion
Member
Funny because I currently own and drive one also. So adding more pedal and hearing the engine cry as it tries to get up to speed is ZERO issues, then I'll agree with you. Maybe you think having to redline the car to keep speed up a incline is ZERO issues then fine with me. Also my fly is fully closed and I can unzip it just for you.
Fusion
Member
Yep. The car is great for what it is. I do find in the bay area. If you are driving a Prius, regardless of how fast you are going, people will still want to pass you no matter what. I drive can drive 80mph and get some d bag pass me and then drive 65-70 afterwards. The car definitely has the gas savings down. The new interior of the Prime is great and the new seats are more comfy for sure.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
Ah ... so now that you are finished with the hyperbole and FUD, your actual criticism is probably correct: aggressive driving can lead to loud ICE noise. I say probably because I don't drive the way you do.
FWIW though, I dislike ICE noise a lot so I tend to keep EV in reserve for those situations I can anticipate. Hybrid operation on the highway during constant speed driving is as quiet as EV mode.
Sandollars
I bleed Cardinal
N5329K
Active Member
200K for an inverter coolant pump is really pushing it. I believe they are reliably good for 100K miles, and get increasingly iffy from that point on. Mine failed at 175k, No real reason to push it. It's not a huge deal to replace and failing means calling for a tow.
Robin
I wonder how many potential customers like the original poster tesla lost by deciding to focus on premium trim cars first. They must have done the calculations which told them the money they'd make by forcing people who want the full tax credit to buy more upgrades was more than the money they'd lose in lost sales from people who wanted the 35k version and gave up when they realized they wouldn't get the credit.
But I wonder if that calculation included the losses created by preventing the tesla family from expanding as much as possible? Putting more teslas into middle class neighborhoods instead of just gated communities might have been more beneficial to the brand than selling PUP interiors and LR batteries.
But I wonder if that calculation included the losses created by preventing the tesla family from expanding as much as possible? Putting more teslas into middle class neighborhoods instead of just gated communities might have been more beneficial to the brand than selling PUP interiors and LR batteries.
I think your conjecture is quite right -- that is probably not a part of the calculation. It's pure conjecture as well, but I do sometimes wonder if Musk has simply lost touch. Even with a total lack of malice, it's easy to do that from orbit!
It is also true for me that the lack of rebates is no longer a deal-killer, but it kind of puts me out of the running for what I originally planned for-- base+PUP. But I can get many of the same "premium" features in a less-expensive PHEV. Maybe down the road a few years, I can get exactly the Tesla I really want, rather than spending at my limit now to get a base M3 and still not be there.
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