Is that Toyota Prius doing 80mph wasted money?

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Lucky

Lifer
Nov 26, 2000
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Originally posted by: gnumantsc
Ugh a little known fact is you are actually burning MORE gas if you drive mostly highway with a Prius. The Prius will only save you money if you drive a lot of city where the speed is about 30-40mph.

Most people don't know it because you are running with a 200 pound battery adding more weight and electric and gas engine also is not efficient.

MORE gas than what genius? Your statement makes no sense.
 

LandRover

Golden Member
Sep 30, 2000
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Depending on the terrain, as previously mentioned, a Prius can easily be getting 45 +/- MPG at that speed. There are very few cars in the same size range that even come close. A TDI Jetta is about the closest, but their city MPG drops to the mid 30's (which is still very respectable), but the Prius can realistically pull off 50 + MPG in town. Not to mention, the Jetta sedan is still not as spacious as the Prius, although the wagon is quite spacious.

The only way you're really going to exceed the Prius in fuel economy alone is on a motorbike or with an older, tiny, unsafe car. How sensible is that?

A lot of people buy a Prius because they are tired of feeling like they are on a short leash with the local gas station, and they also want something that is a decent size and safe (especially with the side air bags, which should be standard).

My folks have an '06 Prius. They really like it, and I'm equally impressed by it. I can understand how some people wouldn't like how they look... To each their own, I personally think they look nice, more so when they are in a decent color, and removing those silly plastic wheel trim pieces (around the edge of the alloy wheel) really helps.
 

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
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the prius doesn't get its rated MPG, period. and yes, hybrids are a waste of money, no matter how you drive. but chances are, they're getting better mileage at 80 MPH than you are. ;)

 

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
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Originally posted by: foghorn67
Prius gets better mileage in traffic. It uses the braking power in the conversion to electric.

the "braking power" CAME FROM THE GAS TANK. how do you think the car got up to speed in the first place? the prius loses less power in the braking process than a normal car, but it doesn't come close to capturing it all back, and then you have the multiple energy conversions that sap even more of that power. it certainly doesn't magically result in "better" mileage than highway. the prius does well on the test because it starts with a full battery and the test isn't long enough to require it to recharge fully using the engine. so it's essentially running on gas it burned BEFORE the test started, meaning it basically cheats. your average city mileage over the long haul is still going to be worse than highway driving.
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
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That is true. I have seen quite a few Priuses going very fast. But again, lots of SUVs go fast and so do other big cars. Some people just like to drive fast.

But I would love to have a Civic Hybrid.
 

dxkj

Lifer
Feb 17, 2001
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Originally posted by: Imported
Originally posted by: Alienwho
Better that they do 80mph like the rest of us than slow us all down by going 65mph.

I don't doubt that. I'm usually right behind them going 80 too.. just wondering if the money spent elsewhere would have been a better decision.

You are making the improper assumption that they are driving those cars solely because of the gas mileage benefits.

That being said, if you are going to go 80 mph no matter what, Id imagine they get better gas mileage than other cars on the market, so it is still a savings.

 

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
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My whole point is that Priuses don't get *CRAP* mileage on the highway, but their mileage on highway driving is not any better than a similarly designed nonhybrid.
? Yes, their mileage is better.

They might not be hugely better at fast highway speeds, but all else being equal, they're still better. That's the whole point of a hybrid after all.
 
Aug 10, 2001
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Originally posted by: thomsbrain
Originally posted by: foghorn67
Prius gets better mileage in traffic. It uses the braking power in the conversion to electric.

the "braking power" CAME FROM THE GAS TANK. how do you think the car got up to speed in the first place? the prius loses less power in the braking process than a normal car, but it doesn't come close to capturing it all back, and then you have the multiple energy conversions that sap even more of that power. it certainly doesn't magically result in "better" mileage than highway. the prius does well on the test because it starts with a full battery and the test isn't long enough to require it to recharge fully using the engine. so it's essentially running on gas it burned BEFORE the test started, meaning it basically cheats. your average city mileage over the long haul is still going to be worse than highway driving.
The battery in the Prius is never fully charged. And recharging doesn't just occur when the battery power is low. And you will get better mileage if you're drving under 40 MPH because the ICE can at times turn off.
 

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
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Originally posted by: Random Variable
The battery in the Prius is never fully charged. And recharging doesn't just occur when the battery power is low. And you will get better mileage if you're drving under 40 MPH because the ICE can at times turn off.
I've had the ICE turn off even at 55 mph. Doesn't happen very often though.

The ICE will never turn off at 70+ mph, but there are times even at high speeds where the battery is being recharged.

Originally posted by: suicidalpigeon
They should've gotten a Yaris.
Why do people always say that? The Prius is a mid-size car.
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
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By the way, the Yaris isn't anything spectacular for what you're getting. Rather get a Fit and Versa. I'd take a Corolla over a Yaris.
 

LandRover

Golden Member
Sep 30, 2000
1,750
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Originally posted by: thomsbrain
the prius doesn't get its rated MPG, period. and yes, hybrids are a waste of money, no matter how you drive. but chances are, they're getting better mileage at 80 MPH than you are. ;)

How exactly is a hybrid a waste of money? That statement is certainly vague. OMG, they can be bought for 22K... the insanity! How can they have the nerve to ask such absurd prices? :p

When you compare a hybrid price wise to a realistically comparable non-hybrid, it's not that huge of difference really, especially when you consider the FACT that you will be using considerably less fuel. It adds up.

And it's not like the rated MPG on hybrids is more unrealistic than all other cars. They are using an ancient and inaccurate test for the EPA figures on all cars. And hybrids come closer to meeting the EPA numbers than many other cars.
 

RU482

Lifer
Apr 9, 2000
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Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: suicidalpigeon
They should've gotten a Yaris.


Or one of these.

Year: 1986
Make: Honda
Transmission: M5
Engine: 1.5-liter V-4
Model: Civic Coupe HF
City MPG: 52
Highway MPG: 57
Combined MPG: 54
Fuel Type: Regular
Estimated Annual Fuel Cost: $828.73*


forgot to mention...top speed...53MPH
 
Aug 10, 2001
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I've had the ICE turn off even at 55 mph. Doesn't happen very often though.
Yeah, but only for a moment or two.

The ICE will never turn off at 70+ mph, but there are times even at high speeds where the battery is being recharged.
Of course. The battery is never allowed to have no charge. And when you acclerate is when the battery gets recharged the most.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
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Originally posted by: pnad
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: suicidalpigeon
They should've gotten a Yaris.


Or one of these.

Year: 1986
Make: Honda
Transmission: M5
Engine: 1.5-liter V-4
Model: Civic Coupe HF
City MPG: 52
Highway MPG: 57
Combined MPG: 54
Fuel Type: Regular
Estimated Annual Fuel Cost: $828.73*

Holy crap, Honda made a V-4? I have seen I-4's and a few odd boxer or H-4's but never a V-4.
lol, no, the site is dumb. It should be I4.
 

SampSon

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
7,160
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Compact hybrids get some of the best rated, and actual user reported, gas mileages available in a new car today.


 

newParadigm

Diamond Member
Jul 30, 2003
3,667
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Originally posted by: Imported
Originally posted by: Alienwho
Better that they do 80mph like the rest of us than slow us all down by going 65mph.

I don't doubt that. I'm usually right behind them going 80 too.. just wondering if the money spent elsewhere would have been a better decision.

I got at icket yesterday for going 75mph. Damn speedtraps...shouldn't the cops be out catching the real criminals. Just a proposal here: If cops get say $5 for each carthe pull over, what if we gave em like $50 for every burgular they caught? Less tickets...more crooks caught.
 

Dunbar

Platinum Member
Feb 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: thomsbrain
...the prius loses less power in the braking process than a normal car, but it doesn't come close to capturing it all back, and then you have the multiple energy conversions that sap even more of that power. ...so it's essentially running on gas it burned BEFORE the test started, meaning it basically cheats.

Your logic is flawed, a gas-electric hybrid recaptures some of the energy normally lost as heat in braking. A conventional car doesn't recapture any of this energy. Some of this recaptured energy is used in lieu of burning more gas to make power. So a hybrid is more efficient at turning the potential energy in the gas into useful work (at least in most city driving conditions.)