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Thinking of buying a Prius

Have you considered the Camry hybrid? I have one and love it. People think that Hybrids are always way more expensive than their gas counterparts but that's just not the case. I decided on the new Camry a while back but for me the only issue was what engine/powertrain to get with it. The Hybrid (with the government tax break) was actually cheaper than the V6 option and more expensive than the standard 4 cylinder. Horsepower-wise it is in between the two but because of the electric motor assist the power delivery is instant which makes passing a non-issue.

I also went with the B-trim package including heater leather, sunroof, power everything, GPS-Navi, Bluetooth, voice-command, auto dimming mirror, etc.

Couldn't be happier. :apple:
 
PowerFullMac said:
LA well be destroyed with smug if you buy a Prius!!! :p

Seriously, they are not really that eco friendly, as has been pointed out already, and not always that economical either, they drove one behind a BMW M3 on Top Gear at normal speed and the M3 for better milage.

The bloody things are still everywhere, though! I cant go down a road without seeing a Prius!

If you want to save gas buy a diesel car and run it on cooking oil.
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"normal speed" was actually the Prius' Top Speed and the M3 just coasted behind. Of course a car with a smaller engine that is being run to the max is going to have worse fuel economy than one with a bigger engine that is barely being tested. The moral of the story is if you want a performance car, the Prius isn't for you.
 
NSNick said:
You should buy a Hummer. They have a smaller carbon footprint over their lives than a Prius.
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I wonder what we will do about the methane problem in a million years? What are you doing about your methane foot print?

I cut out Taco bell in my diet. :) I don't want a "snowball earth".
 
Speaking from the point of view of actually having driven the car for a few months at work, I thought the Prius was a very nice, comfortable drive. I've taken the one at work for several trips that lasted a few hours each, and I was extremely happy with the car.

Others have brought up the idea of buying a VW. While I love VW and own a Passat myself, the car is *NOT* a city car. On the highway, I can get up to 37 MPG. In the city, I get around 17 MPG. Just a personal observation.

Look into possible tax rebates for the Prius.
 
Another vote here for a diesel-powered Volkswagen (Jetta TDI). It gets great mileage, fun and torquey engine, and very clean for the environment.

Also, I just can't stand hybrid drivers. Won't go into that now, though...
 
JDR said:
Another vote here for a diesel-powered Volkswagen (Jetta TDI). It gets great mileage, fun and torquey engine, and very clean for the environment.

Also, I just can't stand hybrid drivers. Won't go into that now, though...
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Many folks in the US are going to have to be convinced of that, not having had the benefit of European diesel technology. The first things most people here think of when the word "diesel" is mentioned are noisy, smelly, and slow as molasses (in January). I really want to see one of the new-generation diesels for myself, but I'm afraid they will have a hard time overcoming the awful name that the word has over here.
 
Unless you like the looks of the Prius (I sure the hell don't) then there's really no compelling reason to buy one. You have to drive a lot (way more than the average person) before you even see a difference in the money you would save over the price you paid for the car.
 
i know it's not a hybrid, but i've actually been looking at the honda fit for my next vehicle. i have a honda element right now, which is nice, but with gas at 4 bucks a gallon, getting another 10 mpg would be sweet. i have 2 kids tho (3 and 5) so i don't know if the fit would be reasonable or not. it's bigger inside than it looks, but still, it's obviously a compact. i'm thinking about going over with my two car seats and seeing if they'll let me test fit them, see exactly how we'd fit in...the fit.

i have also been eyeing the vw golf or jetta tdi, i know a few people who love theirs and get great mpg in them.
 
Huge Footprint Alert

bbotte said:
Take a look at a nickel mine, then get back to me on how eco friendly you think the car is.
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Totally! There is a lot of data that condemns the Prius for having HUGE carbon footprint. More than many SUV's! How's that for a kick in the gut?!

Still, I would buy one simply to ease the money hemorrhaging from my wallet as well as to ease up on foreign oil consumption.
 
f1sh3r said:
i know it's not a hybrid, but i've actually been looking at the honda fit for my next vehicle. i have a honda element right now, which is nice, but with gas at 4 bucks a gallon, getting another 10 mpg would be sweet. i have 2 kids tho (3 and 5) so i don't know if the fit would be reasonable or not. it's bigger inside than it looks, but still, it's obviously a compact. i'm thinking about going over with my two car seats and seeing if they'll let me test fit them, see exactly how we'd fit in...the fit.

i have also been eyeing the vw golf or jetta tdi, i know a few people who love theirs and get great mpg in them.
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I too am considering a Honda Fit (hate that the 2009s don't come out until Oct). The GF wanted a Prius but I showed her that taking into account price difference, insurance difference (not to mention interest earned on saved money from insurance and price difference), and estimated price of gas all over 10 ten years, we'd come out ahead by thousands going with the Fit.

Was thinking between Civic, Corolla, and Fit for the next vehicle (like the extra storage capacity of the fit though).
 
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