Prius

The biggest "maintenance" cost to be be concerned about with ANY hybrid is the four to five thousand dollar cost of replacing the battery pack at some point and the cost effect on resale value at that point. Hybrids simply do not make sense if one intent is to save anything but the environment. They certainly are not a money saver in the case of fuel costs. Several source, including CR and the buff mags have reported that the premium price one must pay to purchase a hybrid, compared to a similar non hybrid, will buy ALL OF THE FUEL to run a conventionally powered vehicle for four years. If you only consider the difference in fuel cost, even at $2.50 a gallon, it will take eight to ten years, depending on ones average annual mileage, before one saves ANY money on fuel. At that point the battery pack will need to be changed. When one considers that the average new car buyer replaces their vehicle every three to four years the hybrids are a big looser. Hybrids should be left to the rich environuts to save fuel for the rest of us, they are not for the average guy, IMO

mike hunt

Ray wrote:

Which country?

The usual maintenance as any ICE vehicle for the first 10 years or so.

Then what? I have a 10 year old Corolla that I will likely have the same cost of maintenance for the next five years, at least. I suspect that the Prius will not be so economical to won long term.

The hybrids are a good idea, but someone else who is more enamored with the technology can finance its development.

Leonard

Who knows, the batteries may last longer, they are warranted, IIRC, at least

10 years/120k miles. I would not buy a hybrid from any other company at this point except perhaps Honda. The present version comes out of the 2001 Prius development which is a proven vehicle. Does anyone justify a new vehicle purchase based on long term ownership costs? If they are, they are lying. I would love to see their spreadsheets that includes costs for insurance, fuel estimated repair costs! I think the Prius stands on its own giving 50+ mpg for US$ 25k while transporting 4 adults comfortably with feautures included that are found in higher end cars.

Actually it is 8 years/100K.

The Prius is easily the choice in Hybrids, I agree.

I do. But I am lying because I don't have a spreadsheet set up to estimate the costs? It is not that hard to figure out...

If the features are not that important, the cost simply is not justified. Personal opinion and choice, but if one is interested in long term cost of ownership and you drive a car until the wheels fall off like I do, it is obvious that there are more effective choices.

Leonard

Do the battery packs actually cost $4000 to $5000? I've seen all sorts of numbers batted around for this. It would be nice to know "real" numbers. I have seen articles that claim that within a few years, the Pirus batery pack will only cost $1000. I have seen costs from $3420 (Road and Track) to $1900 ('01 Prius Owner).

&article_id83

That's for the hybrid system. The battery warranty varies even within the US. For California, I should correct my original statement to 10yrs or 150k miles. Pretty generous one should think.

I am sure there are smart car buyers and you fall into that category, for the vast majority of buyers it is the upfront cost and the monthly payments. The trick is to do a simple analysis and it doesn't even involve a spreadsheet!

No, the Prius features are a bonus that brings it cost in line with generic

4 passenger sedans out there. The main draw is its roughly 1.5-2x better fuel economy for a similar sized car. If one did not want features like GPS Nav, HID Lights, vehicle skid control or bluetooth connectivity etc etc, the base model can be had for $20k. A loaded Civic hybrid is perhaps $22k but does not have the options the Prius does.

I expect my Prius to go atleast 150k and 8-10years. I keep my cars for roughly 10 years.

Try asking an insurance adjuster. They have all of the part costs available. You might try calling the parts department at you local Toyota dealer, for the definitive answer. They can tell you the labor rate to change it as well.

mike hunt

"C. E. White" wrote:

C. E. White wrote: :: snipped-for-privacy@mailcity.com wrote: ::: ::: The biggest "maintenance" cost to be be concerned about with ANY ::: hybrid is the four to five thousand dollar cost of replacing the ::: battery pack at some point and the cost effect on resale value at ::: that point. :: :: Do the battery packs actually cost $4000 to $5000? I've seen :: all sorts of numbers batted around for this. It would be :: nice to know "real" numbers. I have seen articles that claim :: that within a few years, the Pirus batery pack will only :: cost $1000. I have seen costs from $3420 (Road and Track) to :: $1900 ('01 Prius Owner). :: ::

&article_id83:: point is that you don't need to replace all of the batteries at the sametime since they don't all die simultaneously. You can do it a 'pack' at atime.

I'll bet you're the kind that changes one spark plug at a time, as they go bad, as well LOL

mike hunt

FanJet wrote:

IMHO, the answer is that no one knows.

Articles assume that hybrids will become more popular and that volume will bring the battery cost down. That part seems like a reasonable guess.

But they are talking about new batteries for NEW hybrids. If the battery stays compatible, 2005 Prius owners can leverage the volume. But if the new battery is different, replacement batteries for a 10 year old Prius might be very low volume and thus more expensive.

Rather than gamble, I bought an Echo in 2003. Some highway mileage, half the price.

Has any of you guys purchased a battery for a cell phone lately? They sell millions more cell phones now than they did ten years ago and the battery price is going UP, not down. ;)

mike hunt

kgold wrote:

With dealer subsidies on cell phones, it's cheaper to get another cell phone than batteries for the phone.

I know someone who uses the same thinking on ink jet printers. He says he buys cheap printers either on sale or heavily rebated for under $40 and when the ink runs out he sells them on e-Bay for around $30. Add $10 to the $30 e-bay income to buy another printer and so his cost is around $10 for ink cartridges instead of $25 to $40. Clever idea in theory, probably a royal PITA to implement.

Ah yes, my son does that whenever he losses his phone, he asks for an upgrade. I doubt one could sell a Prius without a battery pack on eBay at a price that would get him another Prius ;)

mike hunt

Ray O wrote:

The tech is already financed and working fine. The maintenance is actually the same intervals as any other car. Mine's needed virtually nothing other than the standard oil and filter changes.

Jump on in. The water's fine!

I never buy a new battery. I toss the old phone and get whatever phone they will give me for signing a new contract.

Ed

You dirty polluter. ;)

mike hunt

"C. E. White" wrote: