Econetic?
To be investigated ...
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I think HJ was running a Focus Econetic for a while...
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I too am waiting for HJ's report on the Econetec - I would be interested in a Focus estate in that spec, but wonder how under powered it will fee with wife, kids and dogs on board.
MPZ
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12 mile commute seems just about perfect for a supermini - does she need the extra space? Otherwise look for a band b small diesel for half the price (or less) of a hybrid.
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BTW I'm not convinced about these "eco" cars, especially as they charge a lot extra for them and they do not seem much better than the standard versions which have similar mpg and same tax band....
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There's a bloke down the road from here trying to sell his 07 Prius, no buyers, and no wonder considering the price he's asking is double the value it's actually worth, a brand new car Eco Focus/Golf etc. are £thousands cheaper.
Edited by MikeTorque on 03/08/2008 at 17:20
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If the car is only doing 12 miles each way a day, that's only 6,000 miles a year ... which isn't enough to justify investing in an exotic piece of kit (which a Prius is, laden with fancy electronics).
Better, surely, to buy a cheap bangerish small car, which will easily match the Prius on fuel economy, and will cost a fraction of the price to buy. Plus if the car is a banger you won't have to worry about scrapes and dents
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Might not the distinctive, slug-like style of the Prius along with its newness, shininess and part-time total silence, appeal to a well-heeled, respectable person NW? You or I might quite fancy a stripped-out Peugeot 106 GT or similar, but others may fancy emulating Whitehall mandarins or Kensington residents and their wives who are filling London with Priuses.
I wish some Prius owners wouldn't paint naff little flowers on them though. Like a hippo in a tutu if you ask me.
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Might not the distinctive, slug-like style of the Prius along with its newness, shininess and part-time total silence, appeal to a well-heeled, respectable person NW?
It might indeed, but I'm sure that OP's wife is much too wise to fall for the foolish notion that the baroque engineering of the pseudo-green Prius is something to which any respectable person should aspire.
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The Prius full life cycle costs make it one of the most unworld friendly cars on the planet.
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Really? What is it about the Prius that makes it so bad?
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The Prius may not make economic sense here in the UK, but it does in other parts of the world.
Earlier in the year I rented one for a week in the States, where Toyota aim to sell one million in 2010, or so I read! In May in California, diesel was 25% more expensive than petrol, and small economical diesel cars simply do not exist. Neither do small economical petrol cars! MINI's were aplently in San Fran, but with the strict state emissions regs, this reduces their mpg compared to their European counterparts. Sorry I do not have accurate figures, but the Prius is much cheaper Stateside and makes a much more valid case for ownership.
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Really? What is it about the Prius that makes it so bad?
Something to do with the extra production costs and pollution in providing two engines, running gear and extra batteries perhaps?
(Or were you saying that tongue in cheek?) ;-)
Edited by b308 on 04/08/2008 at 12:00
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A little:) I don't have one, so no axe to grind. However, it is generally accepted that the energy use by driving greatly outweighs the energy use of manufacturing and disposing of a car. The ratio is of the order of 15% mfg. to 85% fuel usage. So it seems unlikely that the Prius is a great sinner, given its respectable mpg.
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If it were used around town when the battery use is at its greatest I suspect that might be true... but most Prii aren't... and then there's battery replacement (every 5 years?), so thats an extra pollution cost at least 3 times in its life....
I'm just not convinced re Hybrids - I can see that there are many non-hybrids that are just as clean, if not cleaner and cost less to produce both in costs and pollution...
We should be looking for a proper electric car with decent range and speed... say 400/500 miles and top speed of about 90mph....
To me the Hybrid just looks like a dead end development for a car...
Edited by b308 on 04/08/2008 at 14:46
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The Prius chat boards indicate there has not been one replacement battery required for the 2003 onwards model, except where the car has been in an accident. Battery (168 cells) can be recycled, and is repairable on a modular basis. It has a 8 year/100,000 mile warranty, but should last the life of the car. In the context of the USA, where there are very few small cars, and almost no economical ones, a few diesel imports excepted, its a pretty good buy. Over here: more of a luxury, but it seems to suit quite a few people.
Edited by nortones2 on 04/08/2008 at 15:10
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the baroque engineering of the pseudo-green Prius
Hybrid drivelines aren't really baroque NW. Ferdinand Porsche had a bee in his bonnet about them and was making petrol-electric army lorries during the first world war and kept designing diesel-electric tanks and so forth. Don't think they were all that good though.
The very fine-looking (and also slug-like in appearance although quite rapid) Tatra 603 had a steering column gearchange whose linkage went down the steering column, wnt there through an acute angle and then under the floor for the whole length of the car to the gearbox just in front of the rear axle line. Now that's baroque. 'Only a Czech would have thought of it,' a Czech car-freak friend told me with wry pride.
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