Prius or smart car

Discussion in 'General' started by CannabisCrusade, May 10, 2011.

  1. lol i know its funny but alls i care about is gas mileage. the prius is more expensive but gets slightly better gas mileage and has more space, but the smart car is cheaper. i got about a month or two to decide and any input, especially from any of u blades that currently own one of these vehicles, would be greatly appreciated. :smoke:
     
  2. care about gas mileage = care about money

    spend a little more on the Prius and enjoy the gas mileage.
    eventually it'll make it a better deal.
     
  3. If you want good gas mileage for a good price, and aren't afraid to look stupid, look into Motorized Scooters man.
     
  4. id love to just have a scooter or bicycle but its not an option. i need a dependable, reliable vehicle.
     
  5. 100 miles to the gallon = FUCKING WIN

    They are dependable, and reliable. The only down side is that you can't carry a lot of stuff while using it.
     
  6. so what your saying is gay or very gay?

    Edit: holy fuck i thought 98 people liked your post. Boy was i pooped.
     
  7. Put yourself on a wait list for the Chevy volt.

    http://assets.cobaltnitra.com/teams...6efa6b30/0ac74778e7d21004845b00146efa6b30.jpg

    They're freaking sweeeeet.

    [​IMG]

    They are all electric for the first 60 miles (which is usually enough to get you to your destination and back) and after the batteries run out if functions as your average hybrid car.

    Then get a few solar modules and you can literally power your car from the sun. :smoke:
     

  8. i live in the northeast, scooter would be useless in the winter.

    i wouldnt be ashamed to drive one at all, id even ride it dumb and dumber style with my work suitcase lol. its just not practical for my needs.

    i am open minded to other cars, the 2011 honda insight is nice, gets almost 50 mpg...but its like 25000 and im not trying to spend that much right now.
     
  9. No it wouldn't

    [​IMG]

    ^^^^^^^^^^
    Not if you have this.
     
  10. ahh i would love to have this right meow.

    little too expensive for me at this point in my life though (im only 22)

    own your own house with mad solar panels + this whip=win
     
  11. I drive a bog standard jetta diesel automatic. I get 38/43 dependably, it is a 2006 I paid 16000 for a year and a half ago. It is reasonably inexpensive to insure, and is not on the top 10 list of cars stolen. It also does not need expensive and hazardous material/toxic waste to dispose of batteries that need replacing about every 5 years. I can run it on petroleum diesel or biodiesel. If you buy a new one, in the US there is a rebate on taxes in many states for fuel efficiency vehicles you can take advantage of. [and it has a line to jack in my ipod with to run through the stereo, sun roof, heated seats and heated side mirrors.]
     
  12. neither. TDI VW or a motorcycle.

    hybrids might save you money in gas, but the first time you need a repair on it versus your run of the mill car ... you'll lose all the money you saved.

    later on, yes. get a hybrid. they're still in the infant stages.
     
  13. Get a turbodiesel. They can often be more fuel efficient that hybrids, and they have less environmental impact. They use less resources to manufacture. Diesel engines last very long because of their sturdy construction, but batteries wear out much more quickly and must be handled properly to cause minimum environmental impact. If a diesel engine wears out, its just a hunk of metal and some oil.

    Plus, you're still driving a "real car", with good performance. They can still be fun to drive.

    I really think it's irresponsible of Toyota mostly and the public who buys hybrids. Some of the hybrid owners act all smug because they drive a hybrid and think they're doing the environment a favor, but they're really not helping that much.
     
  14. im diggin the volkswagen TDI's...thanx for the recommendation
     
  15. Right on dude, hope you make a good decision.
     
  16. #16 NasaJoe, May 10, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: May 10, 2011
    Yes zero emmisions, how detrimental to the environment.. Responsibly recycle the battery pack and theres no problems. If you think lithium batters are detrimental to the environment then you better put away your cell phone (and your laptop, which uses a lithium ion battery). Till you do, quit being a poser..

    The cost is slightly high right now, but in time these will make as much economical sense as they do ecological sense.

    Awesome thread on cost benefit analysis with a customizable excel spreadsheet that shows the economical payback on the volt:

    http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...-can-personalize-Answer-to-%93is-the-Volt-wor
     

  17. Zero emissions? A hybrid has an internal combustion engine inside it. To say it is zero emissions is nonsensical.

    Even a plug in hybrid or full electric can't be called zero emissions if the grid electricity isn't sourced from hydro, nuclear, wind, etc. Which in some areas is the case. However, that's only running emissions. Production still invariably has emissions.

    Not that a diesel is necessarily any better than that, but I wanted to point out your fallacy.

    Secondly, my phone and computer have much less battery mass. Yes, production and recycling of batteries is detrimental to the environment. But it is scale which really matters. And the less the better.

    Also, Priuses use Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, not Lithium Ion. I'm not an expert on which is more harmful to the environment, but it's clear that a battery that has a mass of 30-40 kg is going to have a much larger impact to one that weighs less than 1 kg.

    Regardless of responsible handling, the technology in the Prius (both the batteries and motors) use elements that have a limited supply compared to steel and aluminum and therefore take more resources to obtain. Mining elements can often have a large environmental impact. (Still, aluminum can be bad, look at the disaster in Hungary last year from the red mud)

    To be honest, I really don't see electrochemical batteries taking over the role of providing traction power for vehicles unless there is a new technology that vastly improves energy density and life cycle. Batteries work well but storing very large amounts of energy they do not do satisfactorily for vehicles.

    In the mean time, I'll keep to using public transport (electric trains), human transport (walking, skating and cycling) and highly efficient internal combustion engines (turbodiesels are the most efficient and practical category of ICE). This new tech needs to prove itself to me first.
     
  18. [​IMG]
    Get a Ford F450 King Ranch, yea you might not get 40mpg but least youll have some self respect.
     
  19. If you buy either one of those, don't be surprised when your windows are shot out on the highway :p
     

Share This Page