Mazda 626 vs Toyota Prius?
Hello everyone,
I am considering about selling my Mazda 626 (2002) and buy a Toyota Prius. The reason is, I heard Toyota Prius is more economical than a gasoline car. Is this argument true? Is Prius really more economical than a gasoline car? I searched internet but want to hear it from an owner. I mean ‘economical’ by the fuel and maintenance costs, not the price for car.
I drive the car only in city traffic, rarely go to highways. Addition, I don’t expect much from a car but economic stuff, since I am a graduate student and want to save money.
Thanks!
Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it. The thing is, I’ve found a Prius which is 6100$. Let’s say I will sell my Mazda for 4000$, and with taking some help from my parents the price is for “buying” the car is not important. Only thing I care is maintenance and fuel.
Thank you for your help again,
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Comments on Mazda 626 vs Toyota Prius?
If you want to “save money” then keep the car you have. The difference between the value of your old Mazda and the cost of the Prius is so much higher that you will save orders-of-magnitude more money by keeping your old car.
Let’s say your Mazda gets 30 mpg average and you drive 10k miles per year. At $2.60 per gallon you will spend $865 on fuel in one year.
With the Prius at say 45 mpg you will spend $577 a year on fuel. Now, how many miles will you have to drive to make up the price difference between what you will pay for the Prius and what you will get for your old car? That’s got to be at least a $20,000 spread I should think.
The prius still uses gas. just works in a motor into the equation. If price isn’t an object, go for the prius.
You also should compare car insurance quotes for cars before buying one, for example here – carinsurance.deep-ice.com
The Prius is economical and has a reputation for low maintenance cost. It also has one of the highest owner satisfaction ratings. It will give exceptional MPG if driven correctly. In fact, if you only get 45 mpg you’re either doing something very wrong or you only drive a couple of miles per trip. My 2004, with over 100,000 trouble-free miles, has been:
2003-2004 — 50.8 mpg
2005 — 52.6 mpg
2006 — 56.3 mpg
2007 — 57.3 mpg
2008 — 59.9 mpg
2009 — 61.4 mpg
This consists of about 15% vacation trips and 85% commuting. Note that the Prius gets fine mpg on highways, though people who have never owned one are full of incorrect ideas.
As for insurance costs, it’s been around $250 for six months through Progressive. Hard to beat that.
Maintenance consists of an oil and filter change plus tire rotation every 5,000 miles, replace the engine and cabin air filters ever 15,000 miles, drain and fill the transaxle every 40,000 miles (all easy DIY if you’re so inclined) and change the coolant every 50,000 miles (after the first 100,000 mile change). sparkplugs are also changed at 100,000 miles as well as brake fluid. This is all pretty minor stuff.
Because it’s a used car you’ll want to have it checked out by a firm that does this, just like any used car purchase.