Off Topic Forum (Archived)

Hi All,

I finally got fed-up enough with gas prices, so for what it was costing me in gas for my SUV I picked-up a Ford Focus Electric. The local dealer had it sitting around awhile so I picked it up for around half the price of a new one. In a word, it's awsome! I plug it in twice a week at home which sould cost me about $350 a year in increased electrical costs. I go all the same places I did with the SUV with plenty of electrons to spare. The SUV sits at the end of the garage now, I'll use it if I need to haul some lumber or somthing or take a trip longer than 80 miles. I do wave to the gas stations as I go by on my way to work, I need to keep on the freindly side because you never know, I may need to pick-up a bottle of water or something in the future. Any other electric converts out there?

Sam.

While I am not a convert, I am starting to believe that it might become the way of the future. Electric is the only alternative fuel that does not require a new distribution network to be developed.

The other (to me greater) opportunity that electric brings is that in the future, electric cars offer a merging of technology with electric/smart roads. This is a technology that while still in the fringes, offers huge potential.

Our current (pardon pun) electric grid is underutilized at night meaning that a lot of energy is wasted.

Pete

I have owned a Prius for 6 years and 100k miles. I love it. I too was concerned about the cost of a main battery replacement. I had heard estimates of $3-5k or more for replacement. But two recent learnings have lessened my concern.

1. Consumer Reports surveys show that 10 year old Priuses have less than a 5% main battery failure rate.

2. I was talking to one of the local NAPA employees about my concerns while we were waiting on something else. He looked up the Prius replacement battery on his system and said that he could get me one for around $1800.

I plan to keep my Prius until it will no longer go, but if I do have to replace it, I would probably go with something like the Chevy Volt.

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“Ideological certainty easily degenerates into an insistence upon ignorance". Daniel Patrick Moynihan

In any debate, the side which strays from civil discussion is usually the side that lacks confidence in its debate position or in the merit of their arguments. Making personal attacks on the opponents instead of staying on the subject is also a sign of weakness.

Anyone who feels compelled to respond in kind to any perceived slight is often suffering from narcissism.

My experience with a Prius is a bit different, at first it was a great ride until about a month ago when the dash warning lights went nuts. Had it towed to Bill Penny Auto, Huntsville, Alabama,which is the local dealer for Prius. Service manager calls and says it needs a through tune up, filters dirty and the cost would be $450.00. I approved that and a few hours later they call back and told me the main battery was bad and the cost went to $3200.00. I had a wrecker pick it up and it went to my Son's house. He is going to try to replace two bad cells he found, ordered some over the internet for $100.00, that project is still ongoing. This is a 2007 with 120,000 miles. The thing that gripes me is not the car but the service because I paid for a diagnostic test before they recommended the tune up..in my view the test should have indicated the bad battery before I paid for a tune up.

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America is the greatest country in the history of the United States.

...my 16 year old Dodge truck get 12/17 mph, but it is a full size 4x4 ex cab with an 8 ft bed, I always have tools or other stuff in it including my 12 foot boat...my reason for driving it and dealing with the gas situ.!!..the maniacs who text or facebook or talk on the phone and cross the yellow line coming right at us...we drive mostly on two lane roads and the distracted drivers is FAR FAR worse than drunk drivers ever were...this dangerous crap is morning noon and night...in my truck we have a fighting chance. I have a 58 TR3 that we take on lots of day trips. It is dependable as hell and gets over 30 MPGs.....while providing less fun than it used to precisely because of these inconsiderate dangerous SOBs....enjoy your econo car, we will rest a bit easier in our mobile tank and pay the gas insurance...........

btw a few years ago down the road a young guy crossed the yellow line and head on'd a semi while using the phone...talk about crash and burn...both the car and the semi caught on fire....the car was in pieces...

My experience with Toyota dealer repair shops is similar. They see nothing but dollar signs when you drive it in. The last time I took it in was to get several recall items addressed. My wife asked how much that would cost. I told her that was free, but if the day went true to form, I would get a call sometime during the day saying they found something that would cost at least $400 to fix. A couple of hours later I got a call saying that the water pump was leaking at the seal and needed to be replaced. I asked how much that would cost and they said $395, so I was wrong by $5.

I won't take the car to the dealer unless there is no other choice. As with my MGB, I have found lots of info on Prius maintenance on the web. I have used that info to address several issues myself (including having to reset the error messages when the "dash warning lights go nuts" ) and I plan to continue doing that as much as possible.

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“Ideological certainty easily degenerates into an insistence upon ignorance". Daniel Patrick Moynihan

In any debate, the side which strays from civil discussion is usually the side that lacks confidence in its debate position or in the merit of their arguments. Making personal attacks on the opponents instead of staying on the subject is also a sign of weakness.

Anyone who feels compelled to respond in kind to any perceived slight is often suffering from narcissism.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-07-29 09:26 PM by lewisrn.

SUVs are one of many things sucessfully sold to consumers by marketing scum due to pandering to a subconscious sense of fear.





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-07-30 02:32 AM by auctionwatch.

....well thats alright mama....thats alright with me....I drive a big ole truck, to do man work... and haul 2 ton man toys....no girly boy SUVs fer me, and with an 8 foot full size bed and 4 wheel drive I can load the bed chock full of 2 wheeled holier than thou health cycles found for what ever reason abandon and mangled along side the hyways and byways....and take them to the scrap metal yard for 3 cents a pound...I recycle as a concerned citizen. O btw...it is simple physics that it is safer should a selfish inconsiderate oncoming outlaw in lesser sheet metal not tread lightly.....who but a science denier would dispute that.....fill me up with gasoline...buttercup....

So, Wyatt, let me get this straight, the engineering work I do in safety, mechanical and electrical design is not "manly work"? and that the Honda Pilot that I own is only for "girly boys"? WATCH YOUR LIP! your scarcastic quips are not acceptable. Just because this is an off topic forum doesn't give you free reign to insult..........."Buttercup"? Skye, take note of this!

Sam.

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• The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
• To the intelligent person, life appears infinitely mysterious, but the stupid have an answer for everything.
First rule of forum debate:
• My opinion becomes truth if I can find one other person, on the Internet with the same opinion. It is 'chiselled in stone" if I find two!

......keep yer powder dry...sam.......

Demeaning retorts don't cut it!!! Apologies only!!!!!!

sam.....wake up.....put my post in chronological perspective!!...............a tip, it was not meant or directed at you.....nor was it serious....like I said keep you powder dry...

Wyatt, your in no posistion to tell me to " wake up" or "keep my powder dry"! As I said, Apoligies only!!!