Pruis -Cheap

[wildbilly]

Theres a 1999 Prius import near me for sale, its got issues, but could be a good project. From what I gather it will be around £300. Need a normal car battery and a special charger for the other batteries. If I didnt have other projects on the go Id have a play with it just to see what Hybirds are all about. Im told the MPG isnt that good in standard form though.

[frv]

Sounds interesting. Driven 'normally' hybrids aren't anything special compared to a decent diesel however with specific hypermiling techniques some great results are possible. I always wonder about battery life on older hybrids - there has got to be a drop off of battery performance as time goes on......

[Karl]

Theres a 1999 Prius import near me for sale, its got issues, but could be a good project. From what I gather it will be around £300. Need a normal car battery and a special charger for the other batteries. If I didnt have other projects on the go Id have a play with it just to see what Hybirds are all about. Im told the MPG isnt that good in standard form though.

I was asked a similar question about the gen1 Prius on FB the other day. They "only" get an official 50MPG, however the Prius'es'es-i have shown to respond amazingly to some of the "hybrid hypermiling techniques" - again not sure if they apply to the early ones.

IIRC they are also proper fugly

[wildbilly]

Yes sorry, that as me. They are ugly, I think I will wait for a Honda Insight to turn up. Missed a nice looking metalic black one of ebay recently.

[JacobA]

It's not always about the design. You don't need a beautifully-designed car than when you look at the unseen parts and features of it, it's much worse than a not-that-good designed cars. I love prius, and the design is not that bad and if you think the Toyota Prius and green cars of its ilk are just for slow-moving hipsters, you are dead wrong.TPrius racing is making a large splash, thanks to events like the 2011 Prius Cup. The event shows that hypermilers can take to the track in fashion. Pushing the throttle without sacrificing fuel economy - essentially, maximizing hybrid performance - is the order of the day.

[frv]

Interesting thoughts Jacob - The Prius seems to have quite a following in the US -what do you drive? Do you practice hypermiling techniques

[greenman]

I feel they are a bit overrated - I have never seen the point of the earlier ones especially. The idea is good but they do not seem to get that high mpg as shown on fuelly.

[frv]

I always seem to see Priuses (is that the plural ) on the M1 driven really fast in outside lane.
What's the point in having a hybrid and then driving it with a lead foot!

[greenman]

So they can drive fast with a clear conscience - saving the planet??

[frv]

Apparently above 42mph MPG in a Prius starts dropping off fast...