TOYOTA PRIUS [merged threads]

[phat_boy]

or what about the SMART car? what do you think about that guys?

[boybi]

if money is no problem and i already own one or more cars, i'll get a hybrid for the cool factor. but if i'm going to buy a car just to save on fuel, i'll buy a subcompact. the smart car is not suitable to our driving environment, with those stupid drivers behind those jeepneys, buses, and trucks/trailers on our roads.

[OTEP]

Smart car used to be Php800k ++ from the gray market. Not exactly cheap for a two seat plastic car.

[niky]

Even in Europe, Smart cars from the dealership are roughly as expensive as a fully loaded Honda Fit/Jazz. Imagine what they'd cost here with a full factory warranty and CBU taxes (no Asean manufacturing partner... so they'll cost more) in the Philippines.

The Smart Roadster cost 1.6 million when it was still being sold here officially. Damn expensive for an 800cc sports car, considering you can get a Hayabusa powered Westfield for just over a million.

Judging by that price, the Fortwo would be 900k to 1.2 million pesos...

RE: Prius versus one of these?

Possibly. I've seriously thought about buying a commuter car like a Charade or a brand new Getz. I even took a look at a Norkis Legacy, but the interior was so pathetic, I just bought a Nissan AD Resort. May have been a mistake... the Resort is a swell delivery car, but I can't fit my family in it...

The question of Prius versus subcompact is the same question posed by the new CRDis...

A Getz CRDi costs nearly 100k more than the 1.4, and almost 200k more than the 1.1. From a fuel savings standpoint, it will also take four or five years to recoup the price difference, considering the 1.1 is fuel efficient, too.

Haaaay... decisions, decisions.

[n2knee]

after reading so many opinions...would you prefer a subcompact car to a hybrid?

i'll take a sub-compact like a Civic. fuel consumption is already excellent and it's classified as SULEV (super ultra low emission vehicle) to appease the environmentalists :lol:

check this out guys. this is a program we have in our area.

http://www.citycarshare.org/

what do you guys think?

[GasJunkie]

I'd hit it.




:fly:

[GasJunkie]

like i said, people purchased these cars for the sole purpose of saving money at the pump. NOT for the sole purpose of saving mother earth (this is only secondary). if you look at the various ad campaigns from Ford (Escape Hybrid), Toyota (Prius), and Honda (Hybrid and NGV Civic and Accord), they all have one thing in common. the ads emphasize the fuel consumption of these vehicles. various slogans such as "not thirsty" with a picture of a gas pump next to the hybrid/electric car or a picture of a stack of coins clearly support my belief that the message is about saving money. these cars are being marketed to entice people who are sick and tired of paying too much at the pump. however, like i said before, majority of buyers tend to become one dimensional when making big purchases (such as cars for instance) and only focus on the benefit at the pump without regard to the initial investment required.

:cool:










:fly:

[eggman]

Maybe we'll see another Hybrid here but not the Prius.

[niky]

We're probably not going to see any other hybrids, unless the Luxury car manufacturers bring theirs in.

Hybrids are just too expensive... the Prius is actually the one closest to Philippine saleability, as it's cheap compared to most other Hybrids... and the chances of it being sold for under 2 million pesos are still slim. (CBU+taxes=ouch).

I'm waiting to see if Hyundai is willing to put out a small-scale run of their Hybrid system (a much simpler one than Toyotas)... and I think we're all waiting for the Hybrid Fit/Jazz... maybe that'll force Toyota to consider the SKD or CKD route to get the Prius firmly into the ASEAN market.

[userfriendly]

The Prius might not be enviromentally friendly and it will take years to recover the cost of the car vs a petrol engine; provided you don't have to buy a new batterys after 8 years. But it seems tailor made for our traffic situation in Metro Manila. Imagine stuck in traffic for hours and not using a single drop of gas cuz your using the battery and its recharged by the brakes.