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'Fess Up, Who Hunts out of a Prius?

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
10,062
Location
Where the skys are so blue!
Buying a gently-used 32mpg four-banger has been one of the smarter moves I've made as a hunter. Driving 2-5 hours away to better hunting grounds cheaply is worth more than a truck bed, towing capacity, and off-roading capability.

The wife and I are debating a 2nd car to replace my 270k mile 97 GMC that gets 15ish mpg on a good day. I've strongly been considering an electric/gas hybrid. Probably not a Prius just because they're so small, but I have driven and liked Camries and Corollas and Toyota now makes hybrid versions. I'm leaning towards a Toyota solely because of good prior experience with their non-electric models, and my understanding that they were the first to make a mass-produced hybrid vehicle that has a pretty good track record. But I'm open to suggestions.

I know I can hunt out of a car. I've killed a fair amount of deer and pigs out of a Corolla and my wife's "1st love," a white 2-door v6 Mustang. I'm curious to see how many saddlehunters here have experience with hybrids; specifically their experience with using them as vehicles for hunting.
 
Not a hybrid but the ram eats way to much gas. So I'll be taking my wife's kia sportage on 2+ hrs away hunts this year. Trying to talk her into taking my truck and me get a 4 runner, even though they are crazy expensive.
 
I have a Saturn Ion 5 spd manual with 240k and it's my work car and after work hunter. I'm clueless on hybrids (maybe they're not that difficult to work on) so I stick to things I know since I do my own mechanic work. The 2.2 Ecotec motor is pretty bulletproof after the timing chain tensioner replacement with the newer version. From there on out, normal maintenance/wear items are all I've replaced. Ions, Cobalts, Chevy Classics, etc. use the Ecotec and can be had cheaply and get 32 mpg. They use them to race in sport compact classes so you know they're cheap, reliable and easy to work on.
I've never hauled a deer in it, I go home and grab my pickup if I end up getting one.
One day I'll probably be forced to have a hybrid or something similar but for now I'll save money by buying a cheaper car that still gets decent gas mileage and something I can work on comfortably.
I hunt in very remote areas on occasion so it's never a bad idea for me to stick with a domestic brand where parts are more likely to be in stock close to avoid a shipping delay on a part they don't have in stock.
 
Never hunted out of a hybrid, but I used to hunt out of a Hyundai Accent hatchback.

David

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
 
My buddy uses one on the regular! Hauled a lot of deer with it. He had to do some work to get the batteries synced up but he loves it.

I hunt out of my Corolla 5x as much as my tundra. I love the incognito aspect of economy car hunting, the fuel savings is icing on the cake! Most guys laugh till they see the antlers in the trunk.


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If I were serious about hybrids (and I'm not, lol) I would determine where the closest dealership is to work on it and talk to the techs in the back and see what they have to say about reliability, parts and availability of parts. Your local mechanic down the street is not going to be much use to you on these vehicles that use unobtanium and fairy dander to operate. The salesperson up front may not give you the whole story.

You live in LA (Lower Alabama) right? Make sure they would not have to send it to Birmingham for service, etc.
 
Few years ago I bought a 2019 Rav4 Hybrid, no regrets it’s great and gets high 30s year round mpg average. This year I slapped a trailer hitch on it so have some added capability with a utility trailer.

Prior setup was a WRX also with a sweet little aluminum utility trailer, got so many compliments on that rig. One time I slept overnight at a campground and when I got back to the farm I was hunting the next morning that trailer was gone, broke my heart.

Living at minimum wattage should be high on the priority list in this age.
 
Not a hybrid, but last year picked up a silverado crew cab with a 3.0L duramax diesel. I have almost 25K miles on it and when I run the speed limit I get between 32-33mpg. On a recent 800 mile trip, I drove 75 the way up (400mi) and got 30mpg and on the way home way tight on time and drove 78-82 and got 28mpg. Not bad for a full size truck....
 
The maverick hybrid caught my eye until I realized the hybrid model wasn’t available in all wheel drive. I heard there are intentions to make a hybrid awd model but it didn’t happen in 2022.
 
I am on my second Prius. The first one I put 170000 miles on it. Never replaced the breaks. Only service was the small battery changed.
My second one is a 2021. I average over 60mpg. I thought about taking it hunting but my WMA 1 hours away does not have good parking. Almost got my 4 x4 stuck last year.
My Prius site very low to the ground. With no good place to park not sure about it.
 
Lady Horn has a '20 Toyota Highlander hybrid, I've never took it hunting but if you can make a car work I can't see an issue. A LOT more room,awd, great gas milage. looks like it's about 31 high to the inside back, easy 46x 52 with the middle seats up. Hitch was extra but no problem if you wanted to do a rack.

I would 100% take it hunting if roads trails were suitable, i once took it down a 2-track lol. She was NOT happy:tearsofjoy:. Did fine.
 
Can you clarify. Do you all ready own 2 cars? Or replacing the second? I have been down this thought process several times. But ultimately I have bought nothing. Reasons.
Newer car is a car payment. Unless your buying out right, you will have increased insurance, (can't speak to AL car insurance. Mi Sucks). So you have to be driving enough to off set the cost of more insurance, interest rate if you finance, the cost of the new car, plus hybrid batteries are not cheap if they need replacing. Also uncertainty of used car hidden problems. So I always add up how many miles I plan to drive it. Factor I will have to purchase some gas either way. So at what point am I saving money? How many miles do I have to drive?
That my scenario i go thru for trying to save money on gas. I can't get there when I still have a functional car.
 
I have a 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid, and pains me to not recommend.

Pros:
+ I get near 50mpg on grandpa highway driving (65mph). I get around 32-37 in happy fast idiot mode (85mph)
+ Trunk is immense. 2 mafia bodies or 3 deer back there pretty easy.
+ back seat is really spacious - I'm 6'0, 280. It was comfy, lots of leg room. My 17yo is nearly my size, he says it's the best sedan he's ever ridden in, space wise.
+ Auto adapt cruise control and lane-keep assist are pretty cool. I once had it slow down and stop at a red light (due to the car in front of us slowing for the light) and then re-accelerate when the light turned green all on its own. It's not auto-drive, but it's a cute party trick once or twice.
+ 10k+ oil change interval
+ Android auto is pretty cool for maps/nav/music... but I can't (without unusual "root your phone & override the operating system" steps) get extra Torque Pro style gauges/readouts on the screen.
+ Just my opinion, but I still think it looks nice. It's aging well, appearance wise, with 60k miles on it now.
+ In "Sport" hybrid mode it still feels a little gutsy. But just a little. The "Sport" edition of the Accord is a sleeper muscle car. The Hybrid - not at all.

Cons:
- 5k miles before the factory warranty expired, it blew a head gasket. How did I know? The heater wouldn't get hot. It has no temp gauge, and never showed a warning, and had no engine codes. I took it to the dealer for an unrelated computer system recall, and asked off hand about the heater not getting hot- and that's how we found the blown head gasket. Honda wouldn't put a new engine in it, so I had to wait 4 weeks for them to get parts, mill the head, and get it back to me. I griped a LOT at their national number and at the local dealer. They finally "relented" and agreed to cover a rental for 2 of the 4 weeks because I bought the extended warranty with a road care plan, but that's all. Totally unimpressed with the warranty process, parts replacement, waiting, difficulty getting a person to help, etc.
- It's low. Lousy ground clearance. I scraped it just this weekend on a driveway that had an incline and a bump. It has 19-inch wheels and it's a bitch to put jacks under - I have to drive up on improvised ramps to get it high enough to slide a jack under to lift it further. Irritating as all get out. I would never take it to the slightest tricky/muddy offroad parking lot.
- It's not particularly comfortable in the front seat. My wife hates riding long distances in it, which causes un-settling whining and griping noises in the car (but not FROM the car)
- The factory speakers don't boom. They get loud, but it's all midrange. I'm old, but not THAT old. Sometimes I want the trunk to rattle a bit, and it won't.
- No spare. To save money and weight, they don't sell the car with a spare tire or jack. It comes with a wussy little air pump and a bottle of fix-a-flat. You have to buy a donut spare separately, after-market.

For all I don't like about it, I still like the car overall... just not at all ever as a hunting vehicle. It's a "take your wife out to an economical dinner" car. It's what I was ready for 4 years ago. I wouldn't do it again today.
 
I have a 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid, and pains me to not recommend.

Pros:
+ I get near 50mpg on grandpa highway driving (65mph). I get around 32-37 in happy fast idiot mode (85mph)
+ Trunk is immense. 2 mafia bodies or 3 deer back there pretty easy.
+ back seat is really spacious - I'm 6'0, 280. It was comfy, lots of leg room. My 17yo is nearly my size, he says it's the best sedan he's ever ridden in, space wise.
+ Auto adapt cruise control and lane-keep assist are pretty cool. I once had it slow down and stop at a red light (due to the car in front of us slowing for the light) and then re-accelerate when the light turned green all on its own. It's not auto-drive, but it's a cute party trick once or twice.
+ 10k+ oil change interval
+ Android auto is pretty cool for maps/nav/music... but I can't (without unusual "root your phone & override the operating system" steps) get extra Torque Pro style gauges/readouts on the screen.
+ Just my opinion, but I still think it looks nice. It's aging well, appearance wise, with 60k miles on it now.
+ In "Sport" hybrid mode it still feels a little gutsy. But just a little. The "Sport" edition of the Accord is a sleeper muscle car. The Hybrid - not at all.

Cons:
- 5k miles before the factory warranty expired, it blew a head gasket. How did I know? The heater wouldn't get hot. It has no temp gauge, and never showed a warning, and had no engine codes. I took it to the dealer for an unrelated computer system recall, and asked off hand about the heater not getting hot- and that's how we found the blown head gasket. Honda wouldn't put a new engine in it, so I had to wait 4 weeks for them to get parts, mill the head, and get it back to me. I griped a LOT at their national number and at the local dealer. They finally "relented" and agreed to cover a rental for 2 of the 4 weeks because I bought the extended warranty with a road care plan, but that's all. Totally unimpressed with the warranty process, parts replacement, waiting, difficulty getting a person to help, etc.
- It's low. Lousy ground clearance. I scraped it just this weekend on a driveway that had an incline and a bump. It has 19-inch wheels and it's a bitch to put jacks under - I have to drive up on improvised ramps to get it high enough to slide a jack under to lift it further. Irritating as all get out. I would never take it to the slightest tricky/muddy offroad parking lot.
- It's not particularly comfortable in the front seat. My wife hates riding long distances in it, which causes un-settling whining and griping noises in the car (but not FROM the car)
- The factory speakers don't boom. They get loud, but it's all midrange. I'm old, but not THAT old. Sometimes I want the trunk to rattle a bit, and it won't.
- No spare. To save money and weight, they don't sell the car with a spare tire or jack. It comes with a wussy little air pump and a bottle of fix-a-flat. You have to buy a donut spare separately, after-market.

For all I don't like about it, I still like the car overall... just not at all ever as a hunting vehicle. It's a "take your wife out to an economical dinner" car. It's what I was ready for 4 years ago. I wouldn't do it again today.

You should write more. Not interested in cars at all but that was compelling till the end. Unsettling griping noises in the car had me dying.
 
Can you clarify. Do you all ready own 2 cars? Or replacing the second? I have been down this thought process several times. But ultimately I have bought nothing. Reasons.
Newer car is a car payment. Unless your buying out right, you will have increased insurance, (can't speak to AL car insurance. Mi Sucks). So you have to be driving enough to off set the cost of more insurance, interest rate if you finance, the cost of the new car, plus hybrid batteries are not cheap if they need replacing. Also uncertainty of used car hidden problems. So I always add up how many miles I plan to drive it. Factor I will have to purchase some gas either way. So at what point am I saving money? How many miles do I have to drive?
That my scenario i go thru for trying to save money on gas. I can't get there when I still have a functional car.
I ran the numbers on this way back when the Prius was still a pretty new entry in the market, and I concluded the same thing … it was cheaper to burn more gas (for many, many more years) in my paid-off truck.
 
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