Prius Hybrid

[whatever]

during my 2012 european tour i saw lot of prius taxis (prius 2nd & 3rd generation) in the major european countries like france & italy (here i attached few photos i got) .these taxi owners say toyota prius is a durable and less maintainance some got odo meters upto 300000 km

Prius is best suit for taxis. Point A --> B

[Magnum]

Amidst all this clutter ...not sure if you bought a Prius or not...granted I am not in Sri Lanka on a permanent basis but from what I have heard and what I know about using a Prius here (quite a few of my friends have them and I must confess my personal experience with a prius has been restricted to a 24hour test drive and a week rental) in Japan all I can say is the following :

1. Hybrids are still significantly evolving...the tech modifications that have been done between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen models are quite large, so, if you can, try your best to get the latest one as most of the hiccups of the previous models have been rectified.

2. Hybrid is not the all saving technological marvel we have been waiting for to save the planet...<but that is a different story>. So don't buy it strictly thinking you are saving the planet...but you can still ahve a warm fuzzy feeling about it inside.

3. where running costs are concerned well..here in Japan the day to day running cost is somewhat cheaper as the road tax is low and also since the hybrids over here hardly get used for more than a couple of years users don't necessarily have to worry about significant parts and labor costs as they probably will be covered under warranty. But I believe when you get it as a used import you lose most of the safety nets we have over here and you have to consider quite a few of the costs of parts and maintenance in the long run. Keep in mind a Prius, Allion, Corolla, etc can break just like any other mechanical device and as it gets older the probability gets higher (no matter what you buy just take care fo the damn thing so that it won't get knackered in to its age...sorry i hate people who do not maintain their cars...it really doesn't take that much effort and in the long run t doesn't cost that much more than having to fix all the crap that will pop-up due to the lack of it).

4. In a country like Sri Lanka the sources for parts and maintenance is quite limited and still at an infancy stage. What is the problem with that ? Well for starters they are probably going to charge you quite high for parts and labor even if it is of substandard quality. Mind you if improperly attended too Hybrids can turn in to a electro-mechanical nightmare. But then I remember a time in Sri Lanka where there were hardly any places to maintain auto transmissions and people avoided them like the plague; but with given time both the technology and the "skill" level of the local mechanics grew and owning an automatic car in SL was not the end of the world. The issue where Hybrids are concerned is that it will probably take sometime for the "skill" level to "develop" and is not going to happen over night. So whilst this evolution takes place and your car develops any significant issues you might be..well lack of a better term kinda screwed. But then someone has to bite the bullet...

So the bottom line for point 4 is that for now...you need to be prepared to pay either way. Let it be in petrol costs, purchase costs or maintenance costs.

5. As a combination of the above and the general automotive culture in SL you might have better luck winning the lottery than getting rid of your Prius as a second or third hand vehicle at a decent price.

As for the Allion...well it is a car that will get you from A to B and as long as you take care of it (maintenance and repair wise) it will keep taking you from A to B. It is just a car that is nothing more than a safe and comfy metal cage. It is not a super luxury car, nor is it a sports car and it is not the best thing to ever to be driven on any road in any part of the world as most Sri lankans hype it up to be. In fact I spec'd out a Allion/Premio early last year and 3 dealerships plus the "model specialist" at the Toyota Auto Plaza advised me to go for a Mark X for a little bit more money and forget about the Allion/Premio. But thanks to the hype created by the SL Allion/Premio owner and seller in SL you probably can get rid of the car quite easily compared to a Prius.

I as most petrol heads, would say, considering the purchase, ownership and other costs associated with these cars there are plenty of other alternatives out there that are much nicer to own and drive.

Rather than restricting yourself to what other people seem to be buying, look around, see what is out there figure out what your priorities are and buy what most suits you. At the end of the day no one on the face of this planet will ever know what you want.

Finally, would I buy a Hybrid....well depends on what it is....for starters considering the way and for what I drive (I am not too heavy footed but I do drive a lot on the highway and open roads) I seriously doubt these itsy bitsy Hybrids will be anymore efficient than a gasoline car. Also I find the Prius and Insight so ugly that I would rather castrate myself with a blunt plastic knife than have to wake up and see it every morning (but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder) same goes for the Prius Alpha...and the Aqua which seems okay if I squint my eyes hard enough, Then there is the CR-Z and Fit-Hybrids...doesn't suit my needs..Vellfire, Serena, etc Hybrids are the same. My RAV4 needs to be decommissioned soon and some of the considerations have been a JDM Camry (which is only in Hybrid over here), Hybrid and gasoline Fuga (which is probably going to be out as it is too expensive) and Mark X which is gasoline; the 86 is quite tempting but the wife keeps sticking the kid in front of me every time I gaze at it..

So anyway....just put some research in to it....and don't do it strictly by going to a forum and asking what you should buy. That is the lazy way <sorry no offence> of doing it, you should realize that the process of buying a car should be more stimulating than sitting in front of a computer screen ..trust me if you put some work in to learning about what you want to buy and end up buying it you are going to enjoy your car even more....

you are a different kind of newbie, stick around mate *thumbs up*

[Pericles]

during my 2012 european tour i saw lot of prius taxis (prius 2nd & 3rd generation) in the major european countries like france & italy (here i attached few photos i got) .these taxi owners say toyota prius is a durable and less maintainance some got odo meters upto 300000 km

You went on a tour to Europe and you spend your time taking pictures of taxis and talking to taxi owners

[Crosswind]

You went on a tour to Europe and you spend your time taking pictures of taxis and talking to taxi owners

Nano driver on a business mission perhaps?

[sanjeev]

POLICE

[nexus]

POLICE

prius police cars so there job is to protect green grocers from thieves?.

[edsal]

J D POWER SAYS TOYOTA PRIUS IS THE MOST DEPENDABLE COMPACT CAR

http://www.lacarguy....ble-compact-car

[The Stig]

Prius is best suit for taxis. Point A --> B

No it isnt. why the heck would you pay 3-4 million for a car that transports random people ?

One might as well buy a diesel for around 15-20 and buy a second vehicle from the amount saved !

[MIBSriLanka]

Yesterday at HitAd i saw prius plug in hybrid for sale.. And this is the first i saw prius plug for sale at SL

Edited May 13, 2013 by MIBSriLanka

[Californikan]

Yesterday at HitAd i saw prius plug in hybrid for sale.. And this is the first i saw prius plug for sale at SL

Is the ad online anywhere?

[Warlord]

Plug in the data cable thru your butt hole and shout Pri-ass+Plug in + Sri Lanka

Moda chuun denna enava methana

Edited May 18, 2013 by Warlord

[Californikan]

Plug in the data cable thru your butt hole and shout Pri-ass+Plug in + Sri Lanka

Moda chuun denna enava methana

Here's an example of one of our most backwards thinking fellows.

In 5 or 10 or 15 years, when plug-in vehicles are as common and ordinary as hybrids are today, this poor bugger won't know what happened.

.

.

[Warlord]

Here's an example of one of our most backwards thinking fellows.

In 5 or 10 or 15 years, when plug-in vehicles are as common and ordinary as hybrids are today, this poor bugger won't know what happened.

.

.

Ok we are the backward thinkers. Agreed.

So, how can we become forward thinkers ? by googling and pasting those info in AL?

Nikan palayan Cali magen sudda sinhalen aha ganne nethuwa...