New Here- trying to decide on my first vehicle! 2016 Civic vs 2016 Prius

Sushimaster

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1. Over $30,000 for either car is crazy must not be in US dollars.
2. What is your order of importance for what you want in a car.
3. For MPG the Prius is not a no brainer. Calculate actual dollars saved in gas based on avg miles driven or go a step further and calculate over life of you will have car 160,000 miles.
4.what are the maintenance cost vs both cars
5. Safety, Reliability , comfort.
6. I have two kids 6&8 and a civic 2012 and if we go any where over 30 miles we taking the 2012 CRV. MPG gets trumped over space and AWD every time. The CRV is a very nice family vic.
7. DON"T BUY A PRIUS BECOUSE THEY ARE SUPER DUPER LAME!
The new civic have alot of space, me at 5 foots 10, 2 of my friends are both 5.11-6 foots in the car at the same time and they can't believe how much space the Civix have,
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nhlducks35

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Let's do some math:
Assume the Civic gets about 34 mpg average fuel economy in mixed driving, and the Prius gets 53 mpg. Now assume gas costs $3 per gallon and you drive 18,000 miles a year.

Civic uses 529 gallons of gas per year, while the Prius will use 339 gallons per year. That's a savings of $570 a year.
 

oneover

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I traded in our 2013 Prius 3 for my new 16 Touring. There really is not a comparison between the 2 cars. Totally apples and oranges, from head to toe. I don't even hardly know where to start. The Prius was my wife's car and she selected it. It had a cheap tinny sound when closing the doors from day one. It had a lot of road noise and engine noise as well. I was very comfortable to drive, the seats were like sitting in your living room. The milage was the best feature, one trip to Michigan we got 59 MPG the whole 850 miles. As far as handling it was kinda ok, for it being a hybrid milage machine it actually handled pretty good. Easy access to the rear compartment but very hard to see out the back. The 3 model came with a back up camera but they are somewhat limited in your field of view. The car was good to us but the Touring is in a whole different class. I have only had it a couple weeks but it is more of an Acura than a Civic. It has so many luxury features it really is no comparison the the prius. In city driving it gets 31 to 35 mpg and highway so far has been about 39 to 40 which will improve on break in. You need to drive both, then you will see why it's nearly impossible to compare the 2 cars.
 

hunter44102

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If you drive mostly highway, the difference is only 8 MPG (official EPA numbers 42 vs 50). I can tell you I get almost 50MPG on all-highway on the Civic but I am driving it very easy. The PRIUS would wipe out the Civic for any kind of city or stop and go however, but you would have to drive a lot of city miles to get that back.

The Prius costs like $5k more at the low end, and $3.5K more at the high end. It would take ages to make that up in mileage if you only get 8MPG more.

I think they are both wonderful vehicles but totally agree they are different as OneOver suggested.
 


jks

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The new Hyundai Ioniq is a direct competitor to the Prius and will probably better it in most respects. It goes on sale this fall. Toyota is still going after the weird Jetsonian space pod meme, inside and out, with the Prius. Hyundai wanted normal-car styling, inside and out, with their hybrid Ioniq and the body is just as aerodynamically efficient. It will equal or better the Prius in mpg.

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/ioniq/index.aspx

Honda Civic 10th gen New Here- trying to decide on my first vehicle! 2016 Civic vs 2016 Prius 2dwapt2
 

rickkonk

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If you drive mostly highway, the difference is only 8 MPG (official EPA numbers 42 vs 50). I can tell you I get almost 50MPG on all-highway on the Civic but I am driving it very easy. The PRIUS would wipe out the Civic for any kind of city or stop and go however, but you would have to drive a lot of city miles to get that back.

The Prius costs like $5k more at the low end, and $3.5K more at the high end. It would take ages to make that up in mileage if you only get 8MPG more.

I think they are both wonderful vehicles but totally agree they are different as OneOver suggested.

I traded my 2011 Prius IV for a 2016 Civic Touring. I had no problems with my Prius but when comparing the 2016's the extra cost of the Prius was the major factor along with the great looks and features of the Civic. Love my Touring model. AVG 41MPG for the first 3000 miles. Not to bad.
 

gtman

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I've seen a lot of car designs in my time but the 2016 Prius is right up the with the most hideous cars ever made.

Honda Civic 10th gen New Here- trying to decide on my first vehicle! 2016 Civic vs 2016 Prius 2016-toyota-prius-fd-inline-photo-664208-s-original


Please buy a Civic.
 

Sushimaster

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The money you'll be saving from gas is basically equal to the extra cost over the civix when buying a Prius, what you'll get in return is a shitty looking car, less feature, power and driving characteristics. It's a no brainer.
 


Balto

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The money you'll be saving from gas is basically equal to the extra cost over the civix when buying a Prius, what you'll get in return is a shitty looking car, less feature, power and driving characteristics. It's a no brainer.
And potential battery issues. Even if the turbo dies on a Civic, it's 700$. Battery on a Prius? 3,500+.
 

slowride

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And potential battery issues. Even if the turbo dies on a Civic, it's 700$. Battery on a Prius? 3,500+.
The associated parts list for the turbo looks to be about $1200, though the bulk of it is the turbo itself at around $725, and I am not sure what the labor estimate is.

If the Prius has one saving grace, it is the extended battery warranty.
 

syncro87

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The Prius, especially the new body style, gets a lot of guff, mostly from people who have little clue. People mock what is unfamiliar or stands out from the norm. It's human nature. The Prius looks weird, is relatively slow, and attracts a certain type of clientele. So it is a relatively easy poke fun target, low hanging fruit so to speak. When the first little Hondas came to the USA, most people laughed and said those weird little cars will never last. Those little 4 cylinder engines will wear out fast running at high rpm all the time. Et cetera.

I drove a new style Prius last week. The difference old Prius to new Prius is on the same scale as 9th gen Civic to 10th gen Civic. Night and day. Now, I am picking up my new Civic tomorrow, but here is my take on the Prius:

The fact is, the Prius has been proven to be one of the most high quality, reliable cars available at its price point for many years. The engineering that goes into the Prius is remarkable. It is amazing they can sell it anywhere near the price on the window sticker. People worry about battery issues, but in the real world, the batteries have proven to be very durable on the whole. Many folks with 150k+ on their original batteries. Many, many Priuses out there with really high miles and an exceptionally low number of problems. Toyota knew that the Prius was going to cast a very long shadow on their company reputation, and they pulled out almost all of the stops to make sure it was bulletproof. No company is perfect, but for the price, the Prius is really a very high quality and well engineered car.

This is not to say that the car doesn't have things about it that you may not like. It is designed to do one thing and to do it well...provide the most economical, long lasting, low cost of ownership transportation possible. It is not, however, a sports car. You will likely not blow Mustangs off the road. The steering is a touch numb and the brakes feel a tad funny due to their design. It's quirky.

Aesthetics? Bah. I'm old enough and secure enough to where I don't really care whether my neighbor or some stranger in traffic thinks my car is ugly. They can kiss off.

The Prius, especially the newest version, is remarkable. The only reason one isn't coming home tomorrow is that I can get a Civic with Sensing for many thousands of dollars less than a Prius with equivalent safety tech. Probably $7k less. If money were no object or the lane departure and collision braking stuff were of no value to me, I'd buy the Toyota--provided I drove enough miles and was going to keep the car long enough for the savings to pay off. You can get a Prius Two Eco for $25k, and an equivalent Civic EX for $20k. You have to do the math and see if you will recoup that $5k in fuel savings.

It's a bit of a wild card, depending on fuel prices, too. If fuel goes back up to $4 a gallon USD, you'll see the resale value of used Priuses skyrocket. They already hold value well, but when fuel is high, they REALLY hold their value. Right now is a low point for the Prius. Gas is cheap, people have short memories. So it's a buyer's market on hybrids right now. The current value equation is weak. Normal cars like Civics get pretty good MPG for way less money. At $4 or $5 a gallon, the extra $ you spend up front for the Prius gets recouped a lot faster.

The new Prius is light years better to drive than the old car. I was shocked. Felt way quicker, better steering, better suspension, etc.

The Civic is a great choice, and is a bit of an apple to the Prius' orange, really. I think the Civic is the best car in it's class right now. A Prius really isn't in the Civic's class in large part. The Civic has a different mission than the the Prius. Honda needs the Civic to be a volume seller at a relatively low price point...a workhorse model, a do it all car. Pretty efficient, low cost, good reliability, etc. Civic buyers are more price sensitive and less affluent than Prius buyers, so Honda has more cost cutting pressure to deal with. This being said, Honda has done a super job with the new Civic. Very premium feel and design for the price. Class benchmark, now.

I am somewhat disturbed, as a long time Honda owner/family, at the number of issues Honda is seeing with the new Civic. Uncharacteristic for Honda. Somewhat worrisome. The panel gaps, fit and finish, in my opinion, are not up to Honda standards. For example, our 2014 Civic has far tighter and more consistent panel gaps than the 2016s.

You are making a good choice either way, here. Take a pencil to it. Look at what kind of driving you do, how much gas you use per year, how much the Prius efficiency matters to you, how long you keep your cars. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks about your car.

@ $2.14/gal, 15k mi/yr: Car one 35 mpg avg, Car two 50 mpg avg...Car two saves $275/yr
 
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hunter44102

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Also consider the 2017 Accord Hybrid that is coming out very soon. It will get 52MPG combined using today's standards. And it looks awesome (uses the 2016 Accord exterior)

But like the Prius it would take a decade or more to pay itself back in gas vs. the Civic along with higher insurance due to higher upfront cost
 

tacthecat

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The Prius, especially the new body style, gets a lot of guff, mostly from people who have little clue. People mock what is unfamiliar or stands out from the norm. It's human nature. The Prius looks weird, is relatively slow, and attracts a certain type of clientele. So it is a relatively easy poke fun target, low hanging fruit so to speak. When the first little Hondas came to the USA, most people laughed and said those weird little cars will never last. Those little 4 cylinder engines will wear out fast running at high rpm all the time. Et cetera.

I drove a new style Prius last week. The difference old Prius to new Prius is on the same scale as 9th gen Civic to 10th gen Civic. Night and day. Now, I am picking up my new Civic tomorrow, but here is my take on the Prius:

The fact is, the Prius has been proven to be one of the most high quality, reliable cars available at its price point for many years. The engineering that goes into the Prius is remarkable. It is amazing they can sell it anywhere near the price on the window sticker. People worry about battery issues, but in the real world, the batteries have proven to be very durable on the whole. Many folks with 150k+ on their original batteries. Many, many Priuses out there with really high miles and an exceptionally low number of problems. Toyota knew that the Prius was going to cast a very long shadow on their company reputation, and they pulled out almost all of the stops to make sure it was bulletproof. No company is perfect, but for the price, the Prius is really a very high quality and well engineered car.

This is not to say that the car doesn't have things about it that you may not like. It is designed to do one thing and to do it well...provide the most economical, long lasting, low cost of ownership transportation possible. It is not, however, a sports car. You will likely not blow Mustangs off the road. The steering is a touch numb and the brakes feel a tad funny due to their design. It's quirky.

Aesthetics? Bah. I'm old enough and secure enough to where I don't really care whether my neighbor or some stranger in traffic thinks my car is ugly. They can kiss off.

The Prius, especially the newest version, is remarkable. The only reason one isn't coming home tomorrow is that I can get a Civic with Sensing for many thousands of dollars less than a Prius with equivalent safety tech. Probably $7k less. If money were no object or the lane departure and collision braking stuff were of no value to me, I'd buy the Toyota--provided I drove enough miles and was going to keep the car long enough for the savings to pay off. You can get a Prius Two Eco for $25k, and an equivalent Civic EX for $20k. You have to do the math and see if you will recoup that $5k in fuel savings.

It's a bit of a wild card, depending on fuel prices, too. If fuel goes back up to $4 a gallon USD, you'll see the resale value of used Priuses skyrocket. They already hold value well, but when fuel is high, they REALLY hold their value. Right now is a low point for the Prius. Gas is cheap, people have short memories. So it's a buyer's market on hybrids right now. The current value equation is weak. Normal cars like Civics get pretty good MPG for way less money. At $4 or $5 a gallon, the extra $ you spend up front for the Prius gets recouped a lot faster.

The new Prius is light years better to drive than the old car. I was shocked. Felt way quicker, better steering, better suspension, etc.

The Civic is a great choice, and is a bit of an apple to the Prius' orange, really. I think the Civic is the best car in it's class right now. A Prius really isn't in the Civic's class in large part. The Civic has a different mission than the the Prius. Honda needs the Civic to be a volume seller at a relatively low price point...a workhorse model, a do it all car. Pretty efficient, low cost, good reliability, etc. Civic buyers are more price sensitive and less affluent than Prius buyers, so Honda has more cost cutting pressure to deal with. This being said, Honda has done a super job with the new Civic. Very premium feel and design for the price. Class benchmark, now.

I am somewhat disturbed, as a long time Honda owner/family, at the number of issues Honda is seeing with the new Civic. Uncharacteristic for Honda. Somewhat worrisome. The panel gaps, fit and finish, in my opinion, are not up to Honda standards. For example, our 2014 Civic has far tighter and more consistent panel gaps than the 2016s.

You are making a good choice either way, here. Take a pencil to it. Look at what kind of driving you do, how much gas you use per year, how much the Prius efficiency matters to you, how long you keep your cars. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks about your car.

@ $2.14/gal, 15k mi/yr: Car one 35 mpg avg, Car two 50 mpg avg...Car two saves $275/yr
At $3.00 per gallon you'd have to drive 194,444 miles to break even (276,586 miles at $2.14), if the Prius battery lasts that long.
Dollars and cents-wise it doesn't add up - there must be another reason to consider such a purchase.
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