Japanese Demand for the Prius Continues

For the sixth months straight the Toyota Prius has been the #1 selling car in Japan. Like the U.S. Cash for Clunkers program, Japan has been offering tax breaks and government subsidies for the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles. This increase in demand has boosted Toyota’s profits after three consecutive losing quarters.

With numerous green vehicles on the market, what is it that makes the Toyota Prius so enticing to Japanese car buyers?

• Efficiency - The Toyota Prius gets up to 51 mpg. Gas prices in Japan may be at a 4 year low, but they still average over $4.00 USD a gallon.

• Pricing - Fighting to compete with the Honda Insight, Toyota has lowered Prius prices in Japan to around $19,000. Slightly less than the still affordable U.S. starting price of $22,400.

• Reliability - Long known for dependability, Toyota scored the highest in vehicle satisfaction for reliability in recent AutoPacific and IntelliChoice studies.

• Safety - The IIHS awarded the 2009 Prius top scores of “Good” on all tests.

As hybrid interest in the U.S. continues to heat up, it will be interesting to see if American car buyers follow suit. Do you have a favorite hybrid? If so why?

L.A. Auto Show - Green Car of the Year Finalists

Yesterday, the L.A. Auto Show announced the finalists for Green Car of the Year. This year’s picks are excellent examples of the the wide range of prices, styles, and technologies car manufactures are offering.

Audi A3 TDI 
Clean and stylish, the A3 TDI sports a clean burning diesel engine that gets up to 30 mpg and energy saving extras.

Honda Insight
Not only is the Honda Insight efficient, but it’s ECON Assist system will teach you how to drive more efficiently.

Mercury Milan Hybrid
America’s most fuel-efficient mid-size sedan with EPA estimated mpg 41 city/36 hwy, the Milan Hybrid runs on electric mode up to 47 miles per hour.

Toyota Prius
The 3rd generation Prius offers some of the best fuel efficiency on the market, up to 51 mpg.

Volkswagen Golf TDI
Not only is the Volkswagen Golf TDI affordable, but it’s estimated annual fuel cost is just $1,140!

The award will be announced December 3rd, 2009.

The Toyota Prius The Best Hybrid and Even More Affordable

This year the EPA's more realistic gas mileage estimates for 2008 put the Prius hybrid at 48 mpg for city driving and 45 mpg on the highway. Here at BuyingAdvice we admit we have some green-leaning tendencies. But besides spewing less harmful emissions, there are some other reasons that make this car truly impressive. With its terrific reliability record, full collection of safety features and now a price that's over $1,000 lower than last year, the BuyingAdvice Team thinks the Toyota Prius is a practical hatchback with a wonderfully futuristic twist.

The design of this car matches its forward-thinking technology under the hood. The interior design is often described as "space age", but it's also spacious and user-friendly. With its electric start-up, there is some adapting required. But overall, the car rides similarly to a full gasoline-fueled engine. It uses a continuously variable transmission to switch between the electric and gasoline motors. Acceleration is a bit laid-back, but can handle highway driving and passing just fine. Safety scores are in the 4 to 4.5 star range. And despite new hybrids coming out all the time, the Prius is still the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the market.

If you are attracted to more conventional styling, you may want to look at the Nissan Altima Hybrid, but you will lose a whopping 10 mpg and pay about $5,000 more. For over $500 less, you can also look into the Honda Accord. Although a hybrid version is no longer available, the Accord gets pretty good mileage for a regular gas engine, but about 14mpg less than the Prius.