Comparison of prius with Corolla LE

 Consumer reports, in the article here:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/high-cost-of-hybrid-vehicles-406/hybrids-vs-all-gas.htm

compared hybrids to their gas equivalents and looked at projected
savings (or not) in your fuel bill. In this article, they used a
Corolla LE as their comparison car for the Prius, and came to the
conclusion that you'd save $406 over 5 years with the tax credit, but
lose $2,744 if it were not included.

My question is: if you neglect the hybrid vs. non-hybrid issue, is the
Corolla LE a good match for a Prius in terms of features, performance,
level of luxury?

Stephen

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/high-cost-of-hybrid-vehicles-406/hybrids-vs-all-gas.htm

Not really in my opinion.  My 2005 level 6 Prius is closer to the Camry than
to the Corolla and certainly more fun to drive.  A more important
consideration ignored by their tables would be hydrocarbon emissions.
Beyond emissions, a consideration for me was where I was coming from.  Just
today I compared the mileage computer on my Prius with the mileage computer
on my 1995 Explorer.  My explorer uses 3.56 times the gas my Prius uses
which, after 100K miles at $2.68/gallon yields a fuel savings in excess of
$14,000.00.  An equivalent Explorer (Eddie Bauer, 4WD, leather) has a
considerably higher initial cost too.

About half the cars and trucks on the road today are equivalent to my
Explorer.  I think it's more important our population consider the life
style change, emissions and dependence instead of worrying about nickel and
dime comparisons.  In the same vein, their are a lot of what I call "feel
good hybrids" (Toyota Highlander) that are meaningless in those terms.

 I agree on the environmental issues. In fact, I would at least consider
some conversions that let you run far longer on electric only (like
http://hymotion.com  or http://www.edrivesystems.com ). The former claims
7x longer on battery alone, while the latter claims double the fuel
mileage for the first 50 miles. Very exciting, and I predict that
plug-in hybrids will surge in popularity as some of the new battery
technologies come online.

What's the waiting time nowadays for Prius buyers? Anyone know if they
have any towing capacity?

Stephen

 

They are NOT to be used for towing.  It's in the manual as I recall, and one
reason for keeping my Explorer.

 

No, I think that's a bogus comparison, because the interior of a Prius
is very much more like a Camry than a Corolla in terms of space,
comfort, features and luxury.  I drove a loaner Camry the day my Prius
was in for its 30K maintenance and the performance felt about the same,
and the Prius has more pickup than the Geo Prizm (a Corolla in disguise)
it replaced.  Comparably equipped, a Camry is, I believe, about the same
price as a Prius.

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Mike Rosenberg
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