71mpg VW Diesel Hybrid Prototype

[85_SS]

let me guess, 2.0l? or maybe the 1.8t 20v? like i've said the gassers suck. actually the problem is more the mexicans who build it than the design work. the same car, built in germany, is a lot better. the gassers are still only designed to last about 3years though.
PM me with the problems i may be able to figure some out.

It's a 2.0L gas. No major problems as far as the driveline is concerned - just extremely annoying problems that a car that new shouldn't have IMO. Cat has been replaced twice, console door broke, two interior vents have broken, sunroof stuck open, chews through brakes quick, not good on gas, antenna had to be replaced, coil packs replaced twice, seat heaters replaced a few times. DS heated mirror died, etc etc. There's more that I am surely forgetting, but they aren't reliable cars as far as I'm concerned. It's also a touch annoying to work on with regards to some of the maintenance, but most new cars are - you know when you find yourself saying "who the heck designed this thing?" LOL Like why on earth do you have to rotate the rear calipers while turning them to retract them? And why wheel bolts rather than studs and lugs? No reason really, just because the Germans like being different/difficult I suppose.

This is an adult only occupied car, so it's not abused in any way, shape or form either. Like I say - nothing major, but it's pathetic that a car this new has had this many problems, but that seems to be the norm with today's cars (ie. throw aways)... My 15 year old Saturn has been 1000X more reliable (so much that I bought another for when it finally dies).

 

[andrewmp6]

Thats a nice vw a prius is a joke a geo metro and 82 civic get the same mileage a prius really does with out the extra weight of the hybird systems.Theres one small thing on the hybirds that sucks if you run the ac the engine is running thats the only thing they couldn't make electric power steering and brakes are.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Funny thing is, I used to top the highway MPG pf a Pious with an automatic 1995 Nissan Sentra GXE by setting the cruise control at 80mph. The car was dead ugly after getting "Ram"ed by a Dodge Ram Quad Cab pickup in the side, backing in to a Merc Sable, and having 4 mis matched wheels, but it got 50-55mpg on the highway. The Pious is very over rated, but it sells because most of the people who own it then get to have a holier than thou attitude towards every other motorist. I also love how the EPA dropped it's MPG ratings by , oh, 20mpg since it's introduction. It used to be advertised at somewhere north of 60mpg, but no one ever saw that.

 

[Coveted]

buying a new car to save money is stupid.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

buying a new car to save money is stupid.

It all depends on a number of factors. You need to weigh the overall costs associated with operating a given set of vehicles over time vs your actual needs. My truck was bought new 10 years ago, and has proven to be a worthwhile investment. For me, small cars only make sense under a few sets of circumstance. Most of the newer used cars do not come with a lot of factory warranty left, and the finance charges are higher than new, so you pay the same payment for new as you would used. Owning a really old model makes sense if you can get it cheap and fix it yourself. Also, if the driver drives enough miles to offset the additional costs associated with the financing, then it is a fiscally responsible decision. For me, one break down can cost me up to $150 in lost wages, plus the cost of parts, so I need something that is mechanically reliable.

Also, most of the cars that are at buy here, pay here lots require $50-60 a week in payments. The cars are usually slapped together junk, and have no warranty. What is sad is that with 4.5 weeks average in a month, that means you are paying $225-270 a month for a car that will be dead shortly after paying it off. For that money, you can get a basic new car which will not be prone to costly repairs immediately. Yes, the payments are for 5 years, but in that time the costs associated with most cheaper new cars will exceed the costs for running a new car provided you get good financing terms. Most used customers never pay these lemons off, and wind up getting another used headache or tow at that same payment within the 5 year term of normal new car financing.

I will also add that many of the subcompacts on the market are beaten to death by cheap owners who neglected the car, or rental companies, and were not owned by enthusiasts. If you can get a used small car with a full documented service history, that would be a better used choice. In a perfect world, I would find my cheap Sentra and be done with it. However, I am also someone who weighs every option as to maximize my return on the money I spend. That is why I am thinking along these lines from a total cost perspective.

 

[85_SS]

Just curious - what is the Prius rated at for mpg? My 93 Saturn gets 40+mpg and only cost me $1500 🙂

 

[megaladon6]

it depends on the year. the first ones were rated at 60, then 45, then 40. now it's going up again. but that's rated mpg. the actual numbers are more like 35-45 from people who see alot of city driving and 30-35 on the highway. i have heard 2 claims of 50-60mpg from owners. 2 only! with what you pay for them you could drive a corolla s for something like 5years before the prius would save you money on fuel, and that's NOT counting the HV battery replacement.
my 89 golf with a gas engine got 28mpg combined and 38highway with a 3spd auto. the tdi gets 45-49 combined and 56highway. i could hit 60mpg if i actually drove the speed limit though.

 

[85_SS]

Wow - that's pretty pathetic. I really don't get the hybrids, they really don't seem to offer anything much in the way of fuel savings, and besides it just kills the environment in other ways through the production and disposal of batteries. We just got a hybrid Escape at work and it only averages 28mpg. It's sad that this is suppised to be considered good when vehicles have done so much better 20 years ago.

I had to laugh when I read in the manual that the "batteries are designed to last the life of the vehicle". All I could think was they should add right after that "life of vehicle determined by life of batteries" 😀

 

[Geesie]

I've heard 35-45 from a few people. One person says he gets 45-50 but he also keeps his speed under 60MPH.

The problem as I see it is that the Prius is economical but inefficient. It doesn't use much gas, but it doesn't put out much power - a 3800 Series II gets less MPG but it puts out more horsepower per gallon.

So when the Prius is driven very conservatively - slowly, no load - it gets high MPG. However, when you load it up or drive fast - thereby increasing wind resistance - it just doesn't have enough power to push through the load. So its mileage drops incredibly.

Basically, the Prius does not have power to spare.

 

[megaladon6]

"batteries are designed to last the life of the vehicle". All I could think was they should add right after that "life of vehicle determined by life of batteries"

never have truer words been spoken!!!!