Is the Prius an acceptable car?

[ravingdavis]

I'm after a car for general use, I now commute 20 miles to work and while a bike is fine in the summer it just isn't going to cut it for the winter.

So, I want a car that is dirt cheap to run, reliable, good for insurance and good on fuel.

I test drove a Prius today and it was super easy to drive, comfortable and generally ticks all the boxes. Just not sure I can get over the tree hugging reputation. I've set myself a £9k budget, not a penny more. Has anyone else got any good ideas or am I on the right track?

[Specialone]

Nope, expensive, not that economical.

Better off with a low emissions blue motion diesel VW IMO, if economy is what your after.


Top gear tested it against the lupo I think and the Prius didn't perform that well, nowhere near the claimed mpg.

[Electro]

About as acceptable as a smack in the mouth for an answer mate.

[-Ralph-]

It'll keep you dry and you can fill it with passengers and luggage. That's all cars are for isn't it?

Also depends how long you want to keep the car, quick look on Autotrader shows your looking at a 3 year old at that money. Toyota's are very reliable, but I'm not sure I'd want a 8-10 year old Hybrid as nobody has proven how well they last yet, the very first ones (of which there are very few) are only reaching 10 yrs old now.

[-Ralph-]

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201137415703424

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201137415408689

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201136413662674

[ravingdavis]

Nope, expensive, not that economical.

Better off with a low emissions blue motion diesel VW IMO, if economy is what your after.


Top gear tested it against the lupo I think and the Prius didn't perform that well, nowhere near the claimed mpg.

I raised this question with the sales guy during the test drive. The Polo is smaller, slower, less comfortable and more expensive to insure than the Prius. The test drive that I did I achieved 57mpg which is probably what the bluemotion would get. Not to mention that diesel is more expensive.

About as acceptable as a smack in the mouth for an answer mate.

These were the kind of replys I was expecting and I kind of feel the same too which is the main reason I am hesitating.

It'll keep you dry and you can fill it with passengers and luggage. That's all cars are for isn't it?

Also depends how long you want to keep the car, quick look on Autotrader shows your looking at a 3 year old at that money. Toyota's are very reliable, but I'm not sure I'd want a 8-10 year old Hybrid as nobody has proven how well they last yet, the very first ones (of which there are very few) are only reaching 10 yrs old now.

I will probably keep it for around three years then get rid. The dealer was quick to point out that the Prius has an 8 year warranty on the engine and electrickery bits. The one that I test drove was a 58 plate with around 38k miles on the clock.

Reliability is a MASSIVE issue for me, I'm not after something exotic or exiting but something that will get from home to work cheaply and reliably.

[fizzwheel]

So, I want a car that is dirt cheap to run, reliable, good for insurance and good on fuel.

You dont want a Prius then. My brother used to work at a Toyota dealer his opinion of them is un repeatable on a U rated forum.

He said the fuel economy was terrrible, I guess it depends on your drive to work, anything with motorway or dual carriageway in it, you'll be running on the Petrol engine alot and the engine is small compared to the size and weight of the car. So it guzzles petrol

You want IMHO a small Diesel engine car. Something like

Citreon C3, or the Ford Fiesta with the 1.4hdi engine in, both give decent MPG and will be cheap to run and insure and probably more decent to drive than the Prius is.

[-Ralph-]

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201121387887658

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201137415192578

[fizzwheel]

Or if you want something a bit bigger, I had a diesel 1.6 hdi Ford Focus the other day that was comfortably returning 60mph average on the motorway...

[-Ralph-]

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201138416388715

Mega economy and :cool: (for you at least) ;)

[-Ralph-]

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201135412138337

[Specialone]

A blue motion diesel polo is more expensive to insure??? Who give you the quote toyotas insurance company by any chance ;)

I've driven the polo, I thought it was a decent car tbh.

[-Ralph-]

I wont go on, you know how to use Autotrader. The only tip I'd give you is search by your requirement and budget, but leave the make and model on the search set to 'any', and age unspecified, then sort by most expensive first, and you'll see the latest model best value cars within your budget, that meet your criteria, right at the top of your list. There will be lots of Vauxhalls and Kia's and stuff like that, but it also means when you get a wee jewel like that Fiat or that Polo (depending on your taste) it stands out as a bargain.

[Lozzo]

I've had a 1.6 Hdi Focus and two 1.4 Hdi Fiesta vans and all of them have been very very good on fuel. I just couldn't buy a Prius - the whole green image is blown out of the water when you look at the damage to the environment caused by building the things in the first place, and what do you think fuels the power station that's making the electricity to charge the batteries. When you're running on petrol you are effectively lugging a huge weight of unused motors and batteries around, so don't be kidding yourself that they are economical.

[fenjer]

Citroen C3. very impressive on fuel, tax and insurance. and drove well in the snow. :)

[andrewsmith]

Avoid the prius, they use fuel just like a petrol car+ always carrying a very fat mate at all times

You can pick up a HDI C3 for around £9k
There is a good chance of getting a 1.6 tdci focus almost new for that. My old man paid £10.5k for one on a 10 plate with 8 thou on it

[ravingdavis]

A blue motion diesel polo is more expensive to insure??? Who give you the quote toyotas insurance company by any chance ;)

I've driven the polo, I thought it was a decent car tbh.

Lol no. Go compare/compare the meerkat etc. Issurance for me is nothing short of horrific. £1071 for the Prius, £1290 for the polo. Ford focus is closer to £1600. The Prius seems to be the only focus sized car that I can buy that is reasonable to insure.

I've had a 1.6 Hdi Focus and two 1.4 Hdi Fiesta vans and all of them have been very very good on fuel. I just couldn't buy a Prius - the whole green image is blown out of the water when you look at the damage to the environment caused by building the things in the first place, and what do you think fuels the power station that's making the electricity to charge the batteries. When you're running on petrol you are effectively lugging a huge weight of unused motors and batteries around, so don't be kidding yourself that they are economical.

I get your point and agree with it but I don't give a c**p about the green image. All I care about is how much it attacks my wallet as I drive. Besides, the battery in the Prius is charged when you brake and not a powerstation.

Interestingly if you have a look at http://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/prius
and http://www.fuelly.com/car/volkswagen/polo (I have ignored the petrol ones and looked for the bluemotions)

The real world usage for the Prius and the diesel Polo seems about even.

I like the Polos and hate the image of the Prius but just cant get around the fact that it seems like a decent sized car that all the figures show as cheap to run.

Those fiat 500s are awesome wayyyyyyyyyyy too small. I car share to work quite often so need space for 3 - 4 people in reasonable comfort. I also want to be able to carry a reasonable amount of stuff.

[grimey121uk]

Even if a Prius did similar MPG than a decent diesel they are 5 grand more than a more decent diesel.
I had had a Fabia greenline thing as a courtesy car and it was awsome on fuel if I drove like a granny 30seconds to accelerate to 30mph etc however for normal driving my Fabia 1.6tdi with 105bhp will do better mpg.

I must admit though I tried the greenline out at 60mph with cruise control on a 15 mile stretch of the m61 and i got 88mpg average.

The prius is for naive people who think they are saving the planet and saving money but in fact are doing the oposite while driving around in a plastic pile of crap

If you have a budget of 9k to spend on a prius why don't you get a decent diesel for 6k which will be better in every single way and then save 3k for fuel

[Tim in Belgium]

Man up and buy somethinglike this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3243340.htm

I get 35 mpg+ on dual carriageways, minimal depreciation circa 200bhp depending on manifolds/exhaust, engines go on to 200k+ miles easy.

And you can get for cheaper!! And no loads of nasty batteries to dispose of at the end of its life!

[fizzwheel]

I don't give a c**p about the green image. All I care about is how much it attacks my wallet as I drive.

Then why buy a Prius, the only reason you'd by one is because you want to be seen as a tree huggy hippy ( IMHO )

Theres more to it than just economy though, how does the servicing and depreciation compare on the Prius to a normal Diesel car of similar size ( I dont know I'm just asking )

[-Ralph-]

Even if a Prius did similar MPG than a decent diesel they are 5 grand more than a more decent diesel.

If you have a budget of 9k to spend on a prius why don't you get a decent diesel for 6k which will be better in every single way and then save 3k for fuel

Think you need to go look at Autotrader and see what age mileage Prius you get for £9k, then compare that to say a Ford Focus Diesel.

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201132409949339

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201136414327327

There are lower mileage deals than that available on a Focus because there is more choice and it's a more common car, and I'm not saying he should buy a Prius, but if you think the difference in purchase price is £3k plus, you are mistaken.

[grimey121uk]

Think you need to go look at Autotrader and see what age mileage Prius you get for £9k, then compare that to say a Ford Focus Diesel.

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201132409949339

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201136414327327

There are lower mileage deals than that available on a Focus because there is more choice and it's a more common car, and I'm not saying he should buy a Prius, but if you think the difference is £3k you are mistaken.

What im saying is getting an older, higher milage diesel compared with a newer prius, you will get a very nice diesel for 6k.

Yeah the pruis may be newer but in every way id rather have a slightly older car

[Tim in Belgium]

Or a Nissan with 2k to go towards fuel:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3194735.htm

[Icanopit]

Young man, may I refer you to Reeders thread How will I know when I've become an adult? (http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=171052)
Answer simples WHEN I BUY A PRIUS ?????

We had 3 in our R & D department, they held up for 1 very problematic year, but of course that WAS a number of years ago.

Modern small diesels 1.4+ are the way to go.

[-Ralph-]

What im saying is getting an older, higher milage diesel compared with a newer prius, you will get a very nice diesel for 6k.

Yeah the pruis may be newer but in every way id rather have a slightly older car

You could take that approach with any car, petrol, diesel, whatever, spend £3k less on an older one and have more to spend on fuel, it's not relevant to the Hybrid vs diesel debate, because your not comparing like for like, and if your looking for a car that's 3 years old or less anyway that doesn't help does it.

[grimey121uk]

so the hybrid is a good deal then even though its does not have 1 advantage over a decent diesel?

[Specialone]

Then why buy a Prius, the only reason you'd by one is because you want to be seen as a tree huggy hippy ( IMHO )



And your want your farts to smell of rotting veg ;)

[Specialone]

You could take that approach with any car, petrol, diesel, whatever, spend £3k less on an older one and have more to spend on fuel, it's not relevant to the Hybrid vs diesel debate, because your not comparing like for like, and if your looking for a car that's 3 years old or less anyway that doesn't help does it.

These cars new are lot more expensive than any hatchback diesel, surely a 3 year old diesel will be cheaper than a 3 year old prius due mainly to the original purchase cost?

[fizzwheel]

These cars new are lot more expensive than any hatchback diesel, surely a 3 year old diesel will be cheaper than a 3 year old prius due mainly to the original purchase cost?

Depends how bad the depreciation on the Prius is though doesnt it...

I would wager that something like a Diesel Golf or Diesel Audi A3 holds it value better than a Prius does.

[Tim in Belgium]

Or a proper car:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3210770.htm

I'm sure you're starting to see sense by now.....

[embee]

If you want super reliability and cheap running costs for 20mls/day use and could live with a "slightly" smaller car, look at a Honda Jazz. It might not be big enough but they are way bigger inside than a 500 for example. Topped the reliability charts for years now.

[ravingdavis]

Or a proper car:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3210770.htm

I'm sure you're starting to see sense by now.....

Haha, the insurance companies would laugh me off the phone

If you want super reliability and cheap running costs for 20mls/day use and could live with a "slightly" smaller car, look at a Honda Jazz. It might not be big enough but they are way bigger inside than a 500 for example. Topped the reliability charts for years now.

Too small.

I don't know what to do. /sigh

[-Ralph-]

These cars new are lot more expensive than any hatchback diesel, surely a 3 year old diesel will be cheaper than a 3 year old prius due mainly to the original purchase cost?

Not for the same size and quality of car, ie: Focus sized or bigger, but Japanese or German brand, the Prius may be dear to buy, but it depreciates like stone falling off a cliff.

[Littlepeahead]

Spend you 9k on one of these as they are the coolest cars on the road. Take only 1 mate in it, tell the other 2 to get the bus.

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-page.php/carno/150408

But you'll ignore me because I drive a 2.8 litre 7 series BMW that does 27mpg on a good day. Unless you need lift, then you don't mind getting in it and putting up with a fine selection of Soundgarden, Slipknot, Korn and Eagles of Death Metal.

Prius owners will indeed save the environment but for one reason only. Any man driving one will never get a shag, thus reducing the world population and this will save more fossil fuel for the rest of us.

[fizzwheel]

I don't know what to do. /sigh

Then keep looking.

Sounds like you want a car thats cheap to run and insure, that will seat 3 adults in comfort and deal with your commute to work OK ?

[Tim in Belgium]

But you'll ignore me because I drive a 2.8 litre 7 series BMW that does 27mpg on a good day. Unless you need lift, then you don't mind getting in it and putting up with a fine selection of Soundgarden, Slipknot, Korn and Eagles of Death Metal.


I'm disappointed, a 7 series needs the 4 litre V8 to make sense! It'd probably do similar(ish) economy as well!

I'm hoping it's in a dark colour!

And as for insurance, normal cars cost a lot anyway the delta isn't that great, you only live once etc!

[DJFridge]

Only just spotted this thread. Simple answer to your actual question is No. No, no, no, no. And if you didn't already suspect that, you wouldn't have asked.

[-Ralph-]

Then keep looking.

Sounds like you want a car thats cheap to run and insure, that will seat 3 adults in comfort and deal with your commute to work OK ?

+1, and bugger the passenger comfort, a 5 door Fiesta will take 4 people, and if the colleagues want to contribute to the cost of a bigger car they can moan about the rear legroom, or drive themselves into work! From the drivers seat these small cars have loads of room nowadays, and they sit on the motorway nice and quiet too. With the size of some of the 'small' models now, there's not much between the size of a Fiesta and a Golf, there's only 10cm or so in it.

[ravingdavis]

Sounds like you want a car thats cheap to run and insure, that will seat 3 adults in comfort and deal with your commute to work OK ?

Precisely that.

[fizzwheel]

So whats wrong with the Fiesta or Focus ? Focus we had had plenty of rear leg room for an adult and had a decent sized boot on it to.

[ravingdavis]

So whats wrong with the Fiesta or Focus ? Focus we had had plenty of rear leg room for an adult and had a decent sized boot on it to.

The Focus is the right sized car. However, its too expensive to insure! I said earlier that it is £1600 to insure putting it nigh on £600 more than the Prius.

The fiesta is smaller than the Prius, doesn't have the same creature comforts, the eco diesels are slower and no more economical than the Prius.

[-Ralph-]

Any man driving one will never get a shag, thus reducing the world population and this will save more fossil fuel for the rest of us.

Ha, ha! There's your reason right there!

(though not enirely true, I'm sure Heath Ledger got it when he wanted it, as does Leonardo Di Caprio and Arnie!)

[-Ralph-]

He needs an old mans car to keep the insurance quotes down, that's what the problem is.

[fizzwheel]

The Focus is the right sized car. However, its too expensive to insure! I said earlier that it is £1600 to insure putting it nigh on £600 more than the Prius.

So what if you dont spend all your £9K and buy an older Focus then ? How does that effect the insurance.

[andrewsmith]

Any man driving one will never get a shag, thus reducing the world population and this will save more fossil fuel for the rest of us.

:lol:
Eco warriors need only apply. The eco nuts see them as the future along with electric cars. Sooooooo Wrong!!! Hondas got it right first time with hydrogen cars

Get the focus!

[ravingdavis]

So what if you dont spend all your £9K and buy an older Focus then ? How does that effect the insurance.

It doesnt seem to make a difference, its seems completely absurd to me. A 2k ford fiesta is £1500 to insure making it a clear £300 more than a nearly new one.

Also http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201136413908589/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/9000/price-from/8000/fuel-type/diesel/model/civic/make/honda/page/1/postcode/rg127gg/radius/1500?logcode=p

Thats only £1050 to insure. These are decent cars from what I hear. Not the most economical but still pretty good.

[Tim in Belgium]

What's theinsurance like on one of these?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3191892.htm

Old man image....

[-Ralph-]

Focus chassis, Focus engine, but I doubt many of them have been wrapped round a tree, so probably come in lower on the insurance...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201136413802139

[fizzwheel]

Thats only £1050 to insure. These are decent cars from what I hear. Not the most economical but still pretty good.

I was just looking at Civic's on autotrader. IMHO you wont go wrong with one of those and personally I'd much rather have one of those than a Prius.

Have you looked at VW Golf insurance wise ?

[-Ralph-]

These are decent cars from what I hear

You can't beat Honda and Toyota nowadays IMO mate, Lexus is just Toyota's luxury brand, and JD Power says...

http://www.whatcar.com/NonCar/361010340442.jpg.

That said, it's not all conclusive, Seat's, Skoda's and VW's are the same car and Sandrine's Seat Ibiza hasn't missed a beat once in 8 years, but look how much further Seat is down the ranking than the other two. Dealer service, etc all comes into it with JD Power though.

[-Ralph-]

Have you looked at VW Golf insurance wise ?

VW Golf is a pretty small car nowadays, it's kind of stayed the same size as everything in it's class got bigger and bigger.

[fizzwheel]

Now I know you said the Fiesta didnt have the mod cons, but what about something like this

Leather, Air Con, Alloys, Heated Windscreen & Mirros ( bonus in the winter trust me ) Extra Urban MPG 68.9, Insurance Group 6 so more than likely cheapish I would have thought.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201133410821680/sort/priceasc/price-to/5000/fuel-type/diesel/model/fiesta/make/ford/page/1/keywords/ghia/radius/1501/postcode/ba202ne/advert-type/featured-listing/dealer/15589/usedcars?logcode=flp

[-Ralph-]

Ford heated windscreens are a god-send if you don't put your car in a garage.

[DJFridge]

JD Power is also about how good the dealers are, which is how Lexus badged Toyotas come 4 places higher than Toyota badged Toyotas. Less relevant with secondhand cars probably but still a good guide to overall happiness potential.

[DJFridge]

Ford heated windscreens are a god-send if you don't put your car in a garage.

Spot on. We've got a 56 plate Fiesta with a heated screen and it's fantastic in the winter.

[ravingdavis]

Have you looked at VW Golf insurance wise ?

Pretty good actually. Unfortunatly I think they are one of the most boring cars on the road. I'll have a good look at what I can get for 9k

Now I know you said the Fiesta didnt have the mod cons, but what about something like this

Leather, Air Con, Alloys, Heated Windscreen & Mirros ( bonus in the winter trust me ) Extra Urban MPG 68.9, Insurance Group 6 so more than likely cheapish I would have thought.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201133410821680/sort/priceasc/price-to/5000/fuel-type/diesel/model/fiesta/make/ford/page/1/keywords/ghia/radius/1501/postcode/ba202ne/advert-type/featured-listing/dealer/15589/usedcars?logcode=flp

Too old, too many miles. Maintenance nightmare impending.

[-Ralph-]

VW Golf.. Unfortunatly I think they are one of the most boring cars on the road.

Awaits the wrath of the grumpy one.... :mrgreen:

[fizzwheel]

Awaits the wrath of the grumpy one.... :mrgreen:

He's right though, the modern Golfs have had all the fun engineered out of them. Now give me a nice Mk1 Campaign GTI in completely standard trim then you are talking.

[andrewsmith]

He's right though, the modern Golfs have had all the fun engineered out of them. Now give me a nice Mk1 Campaign GTI in completely standard trim then you are talking.

Very true.

Mk1 or Mk2 GTI on the period BBS alloys and you're talking :mrgreen:

[fizzwheel]

Too old, too many miles. Maintenance nightmare impending.

Possibly, but you want cheap insurance so you might get that by buying an older car. Any 2nd hand buy could end up being a maintenance nightmare even a newer one, just depends how its been looked after.

This is the same spec, only newer...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201137415071345/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/price-to/9000/fuel-type/diesel/model/fiesta/make/ford/keywords/ghia/postcode/ba202ne/radius/1501/page/1?logcode=p

[ravingdavis]

No doubt those fiesta are great cars but they are just a bit 'meh'. The civic is a bit different I think. Not to everyone's taste but interesting.

[-Ralph-]

To be fair to Golf and Fiesta owners, calling one boring and the other 'meh', in a thread asking if you should buy a Prius is just a tad hypocritical ;-) :lol:

[fizzwheel]

To be fair I'd rather have the Civic than the Fiesta. Liz's mum had a Civic and they are just as funky inside, the dash and the control layout and everything is pretty cool IMHO.

[Lozzo]

<of Golfs> Unfortunatly I think they are one of the most boring cars on the road.

Yet you'd seriously consider a Pious. Get bloody real man!

[Specialone]

Ive owned 4 golfs now, admittedly my MK2 was the most fun, but it did help i spent £1k on a polished and ported head with fast road cam, then set up on a rolling road :)
Golfs are comfortable, economical, tdi's are torquey and cheap insurance, for me anyway, wont be changing anytime soon.

[ravingdavis]

To be fair to Golf and Fiesta owners, calling one boring and the other 'meh', in a thread asking if you should buy a Prius is just a tad hypocritical ;-) :lol:

haha very good point. In context the golf and fiestas are great cars there is no doubt about that. The Prius was just an idea, one that has been pretty much dropped I think.

[Specialone]

To be fair to Golf and Fiesta owners, calling one boring and the other 'meh', in a thread asking if you should buy a Prius is just a tad hypocritical ;-) :lol:

Exactly, coming from a man who wore his dads jumper ;)

[ravingdavis]

Exactly, coming from a man who wore his dads jumper ;)

lol. Thanks mate. I've also got that damn t-shirt that was kindly made for me.

[DJ123]

What about a 1.5 DCI Nissan Note, easily get one of the for 9k. Road tax is £35 for 12 months, the engine is pretty punchy, it handles quite well and is a good size car. Being jap it'll last for ever and you can get one with a few toys on

[The Idle Biker]

No it aint. £9k for a Prius, no way. Forget the very thought of it.

[ravingdavis]

No it aint. £9k for a Prius, no way. Forget the very thought of it.

Yeah don't worry, pretty much have.

[Sir Trev]

The biggest local taxi firm here in HW has half a dozen Prius cars in it's fleet as a test, all converted to run on LPG. They get about 50mpg overall, with runs in the town and to the airport (30 miles, mainly motorway). Had one to and from the airport two weeks ago - the drivers like them as the autobox is very good, the firm likes them as once converted they are very cheap to run, but as a punter I was not so sure. I'm only 5-10 and had very little headroom in the back. Quiet and comfortable though as a pasenger.

[ravingdavis]

Well, I bought a car today. Kind of took myself by surprise, I ended up buying a car that I have never liked and never really considered as being something I should look at. My housemate recommended I go look at one, so I did and ended up buying it there and then after a test drive, a good inspection and look around. Its a 57 plate BMW 118d. Its quick enough, its comfortable, reliable and surprisingly efficient.

[Specialone]

Nice one Dave, you won't go far wrong with one of them :-)

[Tim in Belgium]

Better than a Prius.

[andrewsmith]

Better than a Prius.

anythings better than a Prius

[Bibio]

why has no one mentioned the punto?

great on fuel, hold their value, fairly roomy inside and fun to drive.

the new 1.4 multiair evo dynamic

[ravingdavis]

why has no one mentioned the punto?



Reliability was important.

Neighbour across the road has one and its forever having issues.

[-Ralph-]

Reliability was important

Keep your fingers crossed then, you bought a BMW.

[Bibio]

the new ones are well sorted. but like any car you can get a duff one or if you abuse it they brake more often.

[ravingdavis]

Keep your fingers crossed then, you bought a BMW.

I got the dealer to give me a 3 year warranty :)

[Specialone]

If the salesman wouldve shown interest at the bmw dealer when we went to look, i would have one sitting on my drive right now, I really like them.

[ravingdavis]

If the salesman wouldve shown interest at the bmw dealer when we went to look, i would have one sitting on my drive right now, I really like them.

I was very surprised when I drove it. It felt really well put together and was remarkably quiet. Even with the diesel there was very little noise, the cabin was rattle free too.

[-Ralph-]

I got the dealer to give me a 3 year warranty :)

Good move. It seems to be common faults that plague certain models, like the turbos on 2 and 3 litre diesels, and the High Pressure Fuel Pumps on all the models with the 3.5 litre, then other models seem to be fine.

What Car? reliability survey rated the UK's 30 most popular manufacturers, analysing actual data from 31,000 warranty claims and rated BMW 17th, with the conclusion "a disappointing performance".

Honda came 1st, Toyota came 3rd

[Tim in Belgium]

118d and 120d is basically the same engine.... just some different bits on the peripheral (which may or may not include the turbo ;) ).

[-Ralph-]

Found it...

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-survey/introduction/217350

[ravingdavis]

Found it...

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-survey/introduction/217350

Thats quite an old survey now, 2004. It would be interesting to see how that has changed over the last 8 years.

[andrewsmith]

118d and 120d is basically the same engine.... just some different bits on the peripheral (which may or may not include the turbo ;) ).

Its the engine mapping that is different. Its exactly same motor found in the 3 Series Diesels

[-Ralph-]

Thats quite an old survey now, 2004. It would be interesting to see how that has changed over the last 8 years.

Japanese are still running away with top spot on every survey that gets done, BMW slipped down to 21st place. Sorry mate, but you did ask :smt102

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/reliability-survey-2011/how-reliable-is-your-car/258307

[ravingdavis]

Japanese are still running away with top spot on every survey that gets done, BMW slipped down to 21st place. Sorry mate, but you did ask :smt102

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/reliability-survey-2011/how-reliable-is-your-car/258307

Dammit. I'm having second thoughts now....

Not really, cars as a whole are getting more reliable so I am not overly concerned. Should the worst happen I still have a Japanese made bike to get to work on :)

edit: http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-supertest-2007/alfa-romeo---ford/229285

In the year my car was made BMW was 10th. Not such a bad showing.

[Specialone]

Colin, stop sending negative vibes ;)

3 years warranty, you can't go far wrong can you :)

[-Ralph-]

Colin, stop sending negative vibes ;)

3 years warranty, you can't go far wrong can you :)

Yeah, but has he checked if the warranty is worth the paper it's written on?

;)

:lol:

[The Basket]

If you notice Citroen has a far higher score than BMW and is cheaper to fix too.

Sometimes its best to stop thinking and start driving.

[Fade]

No.

That is all.

[thefallenangel]

the reliableness of a car isn't that important because most companies cross over building bits anyway with servicing being relatively cheap, tax being cheap and with cars being very similar if not the same it makes repairs easier to do too.

And in answer to your opening post no prius isn't acceptable

[yorkie_chris]

You only have a 20 mile trip to do and you're going to buy one of these bags of crap for 3 years for 9k, you might as well have something decent as the depreciation will cost you more than the fuel saved.

[SIII]

No!

Can't believe you would even consider one of these. have you been out in one?

Did a 500 mile round trip to Birmingham and back and have to say the road noise was seriously doing my head in by the time we got back. It is gutless and very noisy on the motorway.

The only thing worse than the shame of having one of these horrible do-gooders cars parked on the drive is how bad the sat-nav is!

Just bought a Jag for the same money-fully loaded, leather etc and 47 mpg!:cheers:

[Specialone]

Guys, he's bought a Beemer, the Prius was discounted long back in this thread.

[Mr Speirs]

Not quite getting the logic if I'm honest. You wanted a car that's cheap to run, cheap on fuel and cheap on insurance...generally a cheap car...then want to spend £9k!! And then bought a BMW!!

Hope you are happy with it but for a half of the price you could have got a cheap reliable car, Insured it and gone and spent some money on an expensive hooker and had your 15 seconds of fun.

;)

[Specialone]

15 seconds? Show off !