How long are the batteries rated on hybrids?
10 years before they may have to be replaced right?
Cost of replacing them?

 

Toyota gives you a 10 year warranty on the batteries. They originally estimated 12 years, but it appears that that estimate was a bit conservative. Its looking more like 15 years, which is fantastic. Toyota had a section devoted to disposing of the hybrid battery packs, but they temporarily closed it due to lack of volume.

There was a Prius taxi posted a while back that had 170,000 miles on it and was still going strong. Toyota reclaimed it to run tests on it and gave the guy a new one.

 

No need. I'll fess up, I'm a dork.

 

I understand where you're coming from but keep in mind the Prius is classified as a MIDSIZE car not a subcompact which is what you're comparing it to.

correct MT Insight.

....and yes you're correct they're not nearly as practical as the Prius, but its perfect for me as a commuter car.

I am babying the car with Mobil 1 0w-20 synthetic, HID kit from xenon depot, block heater (even in Houston).

 

Toyota have lab data showing the Prius battery can do 180,000 miles (290,000km) of normal driving with absolutely no degradation of the battery’s performance. Please read:
http://www.cleangreencar.co.nz/page/prius-battery-pack

Also, batteries can be reconditioned for about $700. Please read:
http://hybridreview.blogspot.com/200...y-to-help.html

 

The used car market might have the most benefit of hybrids. Most of the car buyers I know don't keep their car for 10 years. Most of them keep it for 5-7 years. There probably will need to have a change in behavior. The longest I've ever had any car was just under 5 years. Obviously, the longer you own a hybrid the more money you will save. However, if you don't keep that particular car for longer than 5 years it may not give you the return that you want.

 

No degradation? Wow.


So I'm wondering if you would get any gains from a K & N air filter or a cold air intake.

 

But the return is the resale value

 

Not to mention less wear and tear on the ICE = fewer repair related expenses. Hell, you don't even after have to replace the brake pads of a hybrid unless you are one who drives down a mountain everyday for 10 years straight.

 

Depends. Most of the people I know that looked into hybrids were 1. Turned off at the higher initial cost. And 2. When looked at used ones where turned off by the higher asking price from the selling owners. 3. Were turned off my the looks of the more affordable ones like the Prius or Civic. Now we do have the Camry which is good though, but not back then. None of them have a hybrid right now, Some of them stuck with what they have, or bought new cars like the Yaris or Civic. Then you also have reasonably higher resale valued cars like the Honda and Toyota cars that a hybrid in reality is just not that much different.

I'm not against hybrids at all. In fact I welcome more hybrids. I am one of those; however, that rather see real economical hybrids at lower costs. If the industry wants people to move more into hybrid technology, they need to make it very worth the buyers money and time. If a hybrid make absolute sense to everyone economically, a lot more people would buy them.

 

Wear and tear on the engine is really a none issue unless the car has well over 100K miles. Almost every engine I know of can easily last well past 100K miles and in fact probably over 200K miles before needed any major rebuild if taken care of properly. Then you have the question about how much added wear and tear does cycling the ICE engine on and off constantly do to the engine itself? Either way, like I mentioned before, people are going to have to change their habits and keep their cars longer. Again, most of the people I know don't keep their cars much past 100K miles. A lot of them start looking for a new car when the warranty ends. Maybe we just live in different parts of the country so people have different car buying habits elsewhere.

Personally, I think the reaction to higher gas prices for many is just a knee jerk reaction. There are so many people I know that now have very economical cars, or now take the bus or ride a bike to work because of the higher gas prices, yet take trips to Vegas 2-3 times a year and gamble their money away.

 

people have had problems with K&N filter oil fouling the Mass Airflow Sensor - but I've driven the car with no air filter at all with no measurable difference (tested over 27 miles).

BTW - I've been offered $10K for the car a couple of times and said NO WAY!(paid $8500).

 

Prius / Camry / Corolla

Length: 175" / 189" / 178"
Width: 67" / 71" / 66"
Height: 58" / 58" / 58"


Looks to me like the Prius is just slightly larger than a Corolla and much closer in size to the Corolla than the Camry.

I mean if you really want to get that hung up on EPA size classifications, the Accord is a large car according to the EPA. The Camry and Altima are midsized cars. Yet everyone that considers the closest competitors to the Accord considers the Camry and Altima, not the Crown Victoria (another EPA large car).

 

Yeah, but its based on interior volume.

 

Oops... those were 2008 figures... 2009 Corolla is even bigger.

Point being people don't compare cars necessarily on just one stat or classification.

I'll bet far more people compare the Prius to cars like the Civic and Corolla than they do the Camry. If they didn't, why would Toyota have bothered with the Camry Hybrid?


But on the subject of interior volume...
Prius: 96 CuF
Camry: 101 CuF
Corolla: 92 CuF

Once again the Prius is closer in interior volume to the Corolla than it is the Camry.

Just kinda shows that it's a little bit narrow minded to simply divide by EPA size classification.