Hybrid/Gas Mileage Cars

[bigbluedefense]

Ok guys, I need a little help here. I'm in the market for a cheap used hybrid car. My budget is 6k, I really don't want to spend more than that on a car bc I am most likely selling it again in 2 years and I don't want to invest a lot of money in a car I'm selling again in the event I wind up getting stuck with it.

So far I'm eying used Prius' and Civic Hybrids. Does anyone have either of these cars, and can you shed some insight on maintenance for these vehicles?

To give you a better idea of what I'm looking at, here's an example:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3615454349.html

Something along those lines.

Does anyone have another car they would suggest for gas mileage? My goal with this car is basically gas mileage. I need a cheap commuter car that will maximize highway gas mileage as much as possible. That's the goal

[bigbluedefense]

No one has a hybrid?

[P-L]

My wife drives a hybrid, but it's a 2013 Ford Fusion.

[bigbluedefense]

What's the pickup like? I heard it can get brutal when accelerating.

[Raiderz4Life]

I've come around to the idea of owning hybrids but I still don't know why anyone would own a Prius.

[P-L]

Accelerating does suck, but I really only notice it if I need (or want) to accelerate quickly. If you're stopped or going slow and someone wants to get in front of you, they're going to get in front of you. That said, we've only had the car for six weeks, so I've only driven it a handful of times.

[bigbluedefense]

What's wrong with a prius? A hybrid is a hybrid as far as I'm concerned.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

What's wrong with a prius? A hybrid is a hybrid as far as I'm concerned.

This is an old car, and the system on it isn't very effective. Actually you get a lower MPG in this one than if you buy a newer VW Golf with a BMT diesel engine. Not sure what the cost of those are in America.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Razor

This is an old car, and the system on it isn't very effective. Actually you get a lower MPG in this one than if you buy a newer VW Golf with a BMT diesel engine. Not sure what the cost of those are in America.

the diesel VWs get good mileage but repairs for a diesel engine can be far more expensive than on a petrol engine.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by Brent

the diesel VWs get good mileage but repairs for a diesel engine can be far more expensive than on a petrol engine.

The thing about VWs is that they don't break down. They're really reliant. I'm currently looking to buy a 2010 or newer Golf TDI. However, they're like $40,000+ here in Denmark.

[CashmoneyDrew]

Originally Posted by Razor

The thing about VWs is that they don't break down. They're really reliant. I'm currently looking to buy a 2010 or newer Golf TDI. However, they're like $40,000+ here in Denmark.

That's the opposite of what I've heard.

[bigbluedefense]

Wow I'm looking at Prius reviews on youtube. Are all Prius owners really this douchey?

[dabears10]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

Wow I'm looking at Prius reviews on youtube. Are all Prius owners really this douchey?

www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155193/thanks

[Brent]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

Wow I'm looking at Prius reviews on youtube. Are all Prius owners really this douchey?

Most, yes.

I am also looking at a hybrid, but only if the pricing is okay.

[BmoreBlackByrdz]

The newer V-dubs tend to be more reliable but anything under 2011, I would think twice before buying.


As for BBD, what do you think about this ?

Lower miles than that Prius you were looking at, plus, I'd recommend Honda >>>> Toyota. Both are reliable, great on gas and cheap to maintain, but my family owns both and if I had to choose between a Prius or a Civic, its the Civic every time.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/3643273396.html


Also, if you want good gas mileage, would you consider a diesel? My cousin has a VW Jetta TDI and she made it to Blacksburg Va, from Northern Va in 1 tank of diesel.

It burns a lot slower than gas and you get INSANE MPG but it does cost more per gallon.

[Flyboy]

Living in Cali, with gas prices... I wish I owned a hybrid so damn bad. :(

[niel89]

The answer for most car questions is probably just Honda Civic. Good mpg, reliable, and good resale. It's boring simple and just works. Something like the civic hybrid above looks like the deal.

If you want to go full hybrid crazy...



1st gen Honda Insight. Last made in 2006. EPA 58 mph highway.

[bigbluedefense]

I've been looking into the civic hybrid too. I heard the civic hybrid is more problematic. Toyota's system apparently is more reliable and more efficient. The problem is it's a prius, whereas the Civic hybrid is much more stealth so you don't have that stereotype attached to you.

But at the end of the day, I could care less about anything other than gas mileage and reliability for this car. It's strictly a commuter car for my long commute to work (70 miles one way, mostly highway).

I just read that the Toyota battery is warrantied for 150k miles for California emissions states, which is huge bc I can get a Prius with less than 150k and have them replace the battery for free.

The only thing that sucks is I'm a performance guy, so going from that to a hybrid is a major kick in the balls, plus I heard the first generation Prius is extremely slow.

I'm still shopping around. Still haven't decided btw the Civic Hybrid and Prius, but leaning towards Prius right now just from the stuff people are saying about the 2.

[bigbluedefense]

Just getting a regular barebone Civic is my 3rd option. Can never go wrong with a Civic. I want to try to maximize my mpg though bc my commute is so long.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

Just getting a regular barebone Civic is my 3rd option. Can never go wrong with a Civic. I want to try to maximize my mpg though bc my commute is so long.

The Civic LX gets nearly 40 MPG, and the Hybrid gets around the same number on the highway. Why pay the extra for a hybrid if most your driving is on the highway?

Also, 70 miles? What the ****?

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by Brent

The Civic LX gets nearly 40 MPG, and the Hybrid gets around the same number on the highway. Why pay the extra for a hybrid if most your driving is on the highway?

Also, 70 miles? What the ****?

Yeah man. 70 miles. They made me an offer I can't refuse. But at the same time, gas is a ***** and I need to save somehow so the plan is buy a commuter car which I need anyway and use that for work.

My budget is only 6k though (at most). So can I get a civic LX for that with that 40 mpg estimate?

I heard the 2003 Prius if you learn how to drive it right can get up to 60 mpg on the highway. The risk I take is if it craps out, it's expensive to fix, but I heard they're rock solid for the most part.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

Yeah man. 70 miles. They made me an offer I can't refuse. But at the same time, gas is a ***** and I need to save somehow so the plan is buy a commuter car which I need anyway and use that for work.

I was more wondering why you wouldn't consider moving closer to that destination, but, as I type this, I realize that I don't know your situation, so nevermind.

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

My budget is only 6k though (at most). So can I get a civic LX for that with that 40 mpg estimate?

I heard the 2003 Prius if you learn how to drive it right can get up to 60 mpg on the highway. The risk I take is if it craps out, it's expensive to fix, but I heard they're rock solid for the most part.

I don't know if you are going to find a Prius for that kind of price. I currently have an '03 Civic with a manual, and if I am doing almost entirely highway driving, I average roughly 38 mpg. Coincidentally, my Civic is worth 6k according to Kelley Blue Book.

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by Brent

I was more wondering why you wouldn't consider moving closer to that destination, but, as I type this, I realize that I don't know your situation, so nevermind.


I don't know if you are going to find a Prius for that kind of price. I currently have an '03 Civic with a manual, and if I am doing almost entirely highway driving, I average roughly 38 mpg. Coincidentally, my Civic is worth 6k according to Kelley Blue Book.

Yeah I can't move, that's the problem. I'm working on a 1 year contract and I accepted the position bc it's a great career growth opportunity for me. Basically if I can last the duration of the contract, I can then put that experience on my resume and be set for the rest of my career.

But at the same time, I'm not moving for a 1 year contract, nor do I want to. I want to complete the year, then find something closer to home once I have that on my resume.

I thought it would be easier to find Civic hybrids than Prius' but so far I'm seeing better deals on the Prius. And from what I read, the Prius gets better gas mileage and has less problems than the Civic. Plus the warranty and battery life is better for the Prius.

Ideally I want a regular Civic but if I can get an extra 10 mpg out of a Prius, that might be worth it. The plan (for now) is to drive this car for the year of my contract, while saving money on gas, then I'm selling it after a year to minimize the loss. So if I take like a 1k hit on the car, but save a good 5 grand on gas for the year, I come out on top.

Or if I like it enough, I just might keep it and make it my commuter car. That's why I want to keep my budget to a minimum, in the event I do keep the car I want to spend as little as possible on a commuter car bc spending more defeats the purpose of saving money to begin with.

[vidae]

[cmarq83]

Actually that was a math fail by me. It would be more like 3466 vs. 4457, but the point still stands.