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Location: Southernmost tip of the southernmost island in the southernmost state
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Looking at what cars are good choices to bring to the BI.
I already have my wife's caren-route via Matson and am looking at shipping a second. Seems like a Toyota mini-truck with the inline 4 is probably a no-brainer as a good BI choice. Likewise, if I don't need a truck, a Corolla or Civic might be a good choice.
My question is specifically regarding hybrids. The thought of bringing overa hybrid car (Toyota Prius/Ford C-Max etc...) has crossed my mind But wouldthis be a poor choice? Does humidity or Vog take a premature toll on thecomponentry? Would service be an issue? Hybrids have become common here in California,but on my visits to the islands and specifically BI, I don’t recall seeing many(though, to be fair, looking for them wasn't on my radar at the time).
And if a hybrid is in fact a poor choice, which of the high mpg compacts seems to be the island champ?
I ask as I usually buy cars for the long-run and will often work on my own. When sourcing repair parts, the availability of local "donor cars" is an important consideration.
Any thoughts or personal experiences would be appreciated.
We know someone here who owns a Prius: get's lousy mileage because the hills, mountains, etc. require the gas engine to kick in often. It's also struggles up some mountains.
To bad they don't sell Lexus over on the Big Island. I have a ES300h, rated 41 City/40 Highway, takes regular gas - over the life of the car, the lifetime MPG is over 38 - When I'm in town, I take a very steep hill/mountain - Pali Highway or H3, and while the MPG suffers going up, what goes up must come down so it nearly balances out. And never have a power problem passing cars going up the hill. I'd highly recommend that model to anyone.
They sell Honda's, Toyota's, and Ford's over on the BI, take a test drive - you'll be fine.
Location: Southernmost tip of the southernmost island in the southernmost state
982 posts, read 1,167,166 times
Reputation: 1652
Quote:
Originally Posted by whtviper1
To bad they don't sell Lexus over on the Big Island. I have a ES300h, rated 41 City/40 Highway, takes regular gas - over the life of the car, the lifetime MPG is over 38 - When I'm in town, I take a very steep hill/mountain - Pali Highway or H3, and while the MPG suffers going up, what goes up must come down so it nearly balances out. And never have a power problem passing cars going up the hill. I'd highly recommend that model to anyone.
They sell Honda's, Toyota's, and Ford's over on the BI, take a test drive - you'll be fine.
whtviper, would you say there are no real issues to be concerned of regarding a hybrid's added complexity and vog/humidity/servicing on the BI?
I can bring about any car I want from the mainland; but if there are issues with servicing, parts availability or otherwise, I just want to factor that in. Whatever car I bring will be driven into the ground, and the longer that takes, the better. If a hybrid is a good fit, and I don't hear otherwise, I may go that route as mpg is a major driving force in my decision making.
And yes, I know there are also plenty of non-hybrid cars getting close to 40 mpg too.
whtviper, would you say there are no real issues to be concerned of regarding a hybrid's added complexity and vog/humidity/servicing on the BI?
I can bring about any car I want from the mainland; but if there are issues with servicing, parts availability or otherwise, I just want to factor that in. Whatever car I bring will be driven into the ground, and the longer that takes, the better. If a hybrid is a good fit, and I don't hear otherwise, I may go that route as mpg is a major driving force in my decision making.
And yes, I know there are also plenty of non-hybrid cars getting close to 40 mpg too.
If I were you, I'd call or email the Honda, Ford, and Toyota dealers on the Big Island regarding service issues - I wouldn't personally buy a car that doesn't have a dealership on the BI. I have zero issues with my hybrid - at least on Oahu, they are extremely common. Hybrids actually do well in Hawaii as the batteries keep the charge better in warm weather as opposed to cold or super hot climates.
Well - the 3-Series Hybrid only gets 25MPG in the city, but at 335 horsepower, you won't find power problems, and the base model starts at $49,900, so it'll get pricey with options.
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