Simplicity
Originally Posted by
Bretts
I saw the thread comparing the Prius C to the Mirage and showing that you'd have to drive the Prius C over 200k miles for it to be worth paying the extra cost for the vehicle... but what about the difference between a Mirage and a used Prius? I know the Prius are reliable and the battery should last over 200k miles with heavy usage.
I drive a decent amount, maybe not more than some of the fellow forum members, but a lot of city with my part time job. I have decided I'd probably enjoy the Mirage more (stick shift, plenty of options I like, amazing warranty!) and I really like being different.
What had lead you to your decision to get the Mirage over a used Prius if the end goal is MPG?
If the end goal is efficiency, a Prius C would very likely win. You could even go farther and modify the vehicle to get even better efficiency (see the folks at ecomodder forum for hundreds of small ways). I think that Toyota makes quality cars, and a used Prius would last a long time. I live in Winnipeg, where winters are cold, summers are hot, and potholes are huge. It speaks to the Prius's quality that just about every taxi in this city has run Prius (Priui?) exclusively (only exceptions being the larger vans/mobility vehicles/limos) and they keep buying them. I don't have the fear of hybrids that some have.
That said, the Prius is still a much more sophisticated and complicated car - there are more expensive systems and technologies in a Prius. The Prius gets great efficiency through the use of these sophisticated systems. The Mirage takes a different tack, and gets its efficiency mainly through old fashion Newtonian physics. It is light, small, and aerodynamic. My bet is that the Mirage would cost less than the Prius still, given that a used Prius would have higher maintenance/servicing costs than a new Mirage, unless you were driving considerably more than average miles/year.
I've been thinking about the new Mazda3, which gets great efficiency through a high-compression direct injection engine. While I don't have the mechanical knowledge to know - I am a little skeptical of this new technology at this time because I am unsure of it's long-term reliability (sort of like turbos, which give more power, but not for "free").
So, in sum, if you want best MPG, I'd get a Prius. Lowest cost of ownership, my bet is the Mirage. I suspect the Mazda will be the clear winner if "fun to drive" is part of the equation.
__________________________________________
View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)