I bought a Toyota Prius hybrid last year. I was the 4th person to buy one in this company of 120 people, so had the benefit of their experiences to guide me. There are now 5 of us with a Prius. Four of them are used for 90 mile commutes per day while mine is used primarily for regular 1000 mile round trips. I also use mine for 12 miles of surface street driving per day to/from work.
All five have proven to be flawless in operation. The commute group averages between 45 and 55 mpg on their daily commutes. When they are in very heavy traffic, they get considerably better mileage. I get an average of 40 mpg in my surface street travels. On my long (7 hours each way) trips from the Los Angeles South Bay area, I get 55 mpg if I drive 75 mph and I get 45-50 mpg if I drive 90 mph. That is with the air conditioner running, by the way. I had one stretch, on cruise control with no slowing or accelerating, on level ground, 75 mph, no a/c, where I got an average of 85 mpg for over 30 min! I have absolutely no trouble keeping up with traffic, even on long, steep climbs.
One thing I can pass on is perhaps more telling than anything. My wife drove her new BMW 330CI convertible over here, took the Prius back home, then refused to give up the Prius. I had to drive the BMW home and bring the Prius back myself. She is now going to buy a new Prius when they come out next month since she misses this one so much.
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I bought a Toyota Prius hybrid last year. I was the 4th person to buy one in this company of 120 people, so had the benefit of their experiences to guide me. There are now 5 of us with a Prius. Four of them are used for 90 mile commutes per day while mine is used primarily for regular 1000 mile round trips. I also use mine for 12 miles of surface street driving per day to/from work.
All five have proven to be flawless in operation. The commute group averages between 45 and 55 mpg on their daily commutes. When they are in very heavy traffic, they get considerably better mileage. I get an average of 40 mpg in my surface street travels. On my long (7 hours each way) trips from the Los Angeles South Bay area, I get 55 mpg if I drive 75 mph and I get 45-50 mpg if I drive 90 mph. That is with the air conditioner running, by the way. I had one stretch, on cruise control with no slowing or accelerating, on level ground, 75 mph, no a/c, where I got an average of 85 mpg for over 30 min! I have absolutely no trouble keeping up with traffic, even on long, steep climbs.
One thing I can pass on is perhaps more telling than anything. My wife drove her new BMW 330CI convertible over here, took the Prius back home, then refused to give up the Prius. I had to drive the BMW home and bring the Prius back myself. She is now going to buy a new Prius when they come out next month since she misses this one so much.
Pat