Not even close.  The Prius batteries are expected to
last 180,000 miles and Toyota PAYS $200 to get them
back for recycling--they've been recycling
nickle-metal hydride batteries since 1998.  When the
batteries die, you could have your Prius converted
into a plug-in hybrid for about $10-12k which can give
you 80-100 mpg.  Also Priuses are Toyotas which--in my
experience with two Priuses in the family--never see
the inside of a dealer--hard  to say that about
Vanagons with a straight face.

I love my Tdi Westy Syncro, but it ain't no Prius and
cost a whale of a lot more to build and maintain. I
even slept in the 05 Prius once. Wasn't great, but it
has enough room in the back to stretch out with the
hatch open. I'd much rather sleep in the Westy after a
steak dinner, enjoy a DVD, or the just watch stars
lighting up over the desert.

Tom

--- Sudhir Desai <sudhir.desai@gmail.com> wrote:

> > Priuses don't pay for
> > themselves either
>
> I would contend that dollar for dollar, a new Prius
> will cost much
> more in maintenance than a TDI converted vanagon,
> while giving
> relatively the same fuel economy (you cannnot truly
> compare a brick to
> a needle). I say this because after the batteries
> die, you're stuck
> with another $10k repair bill. On top of that, I'm
> sure California has
> strict heavy-metal disposal fees, which would
> increase the cost of the
> repair significantly.
>
> just my $.02 of heavily anti hybrid-as-"save the
> environment"-vehicle bias :D
>
> sudhir
>

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