Square pegs and round holes

I was very cautious and spent a week running all the numbers and the pros and cons, including the venerable "pimp factor", which I did quantify and add into the final tally as to whether I'd get the car or not (it scores low on pimp factor, BTW). I expected a slow and mostly boring car and it's what I got, which is why I had a hard time going from a sports sedan to it. I bought it to gain a practical, cheap to operate vehicle and the techno portion did attract me a little, too. Today I ALMOST paid $20 for a 40 watt light bulb because, finally, LED light bulbs are actually real and we can buy them. And I wouldn't mind a Leaf, either. I suppose I do like tech after all.

 

Interesting!! Makes me wonder!!

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Multiphasic_Personality_Inventory]Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

Hey...I love the Prius and I think it would fit my needs fine. The reason I chose to wait on a Hybrid purchase had nothing to do with my expectations concerning Prius not being met by the actual product.

I'm happy for the time being with my Honda Fit...but I think had I took the plunge- I also would of been happy with The Prius.

What it really came down to for me, was that I wasn't 100% comfortable buying a redesigned 1st model year Prius...and I did not really want to go used.

And...I whimped out.

So for now I'm the weird guy that hangs around Prius Chat but drives a Honda Fit.

Circumstance and economics willing I will probably someday make the plunge. But just for clarification my decision to NOT purchase The Prius had nothing to do with a feeling that Prius wasn't the right answer...as far as efficiency goes...it admittedly is a better answer than The Fit.

But you know...Heaven can wait....

 

and, i wonder if people who bought genI, II or III are distinctly different as a generalization. it sure seems so here as the postings seem to have changed dramitically since the III came out.

 

Absolutely. Gen II owners are intelligent, refined, and good looking. Gen III owners are knuckle dragging troglodytes.



Tom

 

that's it, i'm holding out for the phev.

 

I love hatchbacks for their practicallity. I was in engineering and now in computers, so I'm a 100% geek. I learned from computer experiences that we should not jump into version one of anything even though it might look interesting.

I was interested in the Prius ever since Gen I, but it didn't fit my needs. Gen II was not satisfactory either. Gen III comes, I jumped, especailly my 14 years Honda Civic died (literally).

 

I've always wanted a Prius, but for some reason it didn't feel right until I sat in a GenIII. That's when I heard the voice...."Ground control to Major Tom". It was love a first sitting. And yes I hear other voices...."That's one small step for man.....". OK the nurse said lights off.

 

As one blessed with an abundance of logic and a dearth of emotion, the practicality and footprint are what I liked. Looks and price were not really important. As such, advertising is pretty much wasted on me.

As for personality types, Myers Briggs makes a great deal of sense.

 

I used to be that guy!

 

There are differences between early adopters and those who are suspicious of Trends. I have always been interested in the Prius but it had to demonstrate "staying power" before I would consider it...by Gen III I thought that's it this really works it is not a fad Toyota will contiunue to support this.

I wish I would have been among the bold and brave Gen I buyers but that's just not me and I suspect not a lot of others.

 

I know enough to know that I don't know enough about it. But I know the relative strengths make a big difference - some people score strongly on some indicators, and weaker on others. Take a further look into 'INTJ' to see if it rings true for you.

I really liked the idea, but the car was too small for a family of four that likes camping. When the hatchback came out, I said 'that's it!'

 

hey, I resemble that remark. I can scratch my knees without bending over. LOL

 

My dad bought a laserdisc player in the early 90's. Remember those? That's ok, most people have never seen one. What a waste of money that was. Unfortunately that lack of suspicion for trends also saw him buying an HD-DVD when the bluray format had not yet won out. Oops again!

 

I think your probably right that gen 3's appeal to different people then gen 2's. I wouldnt have ever bought a gen 2, In fact, i paid so little attention to Prius commercials that i didnt even know they got redesigned...

So when i was out test driving cars, Subarus, Mazdas, Hondas, and finally Toyotas (I had an Xb at the time) I stopped in my tracks as i walked past the gen 3 Prius. Like, "wow, what happened? That thing actually looks kinda good!" Something about the new roofline and the wider stance really grabbed me. When i test drove it, i couldnt stop giggling knowing i was running down the road at 35 with my engine off. It was the only car I drove that day that felt like it was actually from 2010. The math worked out between the gas id save and the new payment, so i would basically be even on my payment for my xb, so i pulled the trigger. I love the car, and I tell everyone I can to take a look at the new generation before they dismiss it. About half that look at my car say they dig it much more than they did the old one.

Im probably going to tee alot of people off by saying this, but if you buy a Prius for environmental reasons you are fooling yourself. Its great on gas, super efficient on oil and brakes and all, but the rare earth metals ,(Neodymium) computer equipment, batteries, and all the extra copper used to make our cars pretty much ensure that the "carbon footprint" at the end of its lifespan will probably be equal to that of any other midsize car (or maybe large truck?). Mining is a very carbon intensive activity, as well as refining, and all the extra manufacturing involved. I got this car cause i love the technology of it, and I love how 50mpg feels on my wallet. (and even that can be debated)

 

Checking out the "rare" earths in question, Neodium and Lanthium in a little more detail [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neodynium"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neodynium[/ame] and [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanum"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanum[/ame], it appears that they are actually not rare at all. It seems that up till now there just has not been much demand so there has not been much supply and that any shortage if it exists at all, is likely to be short lived.

I`ve also noticed that other arguments against the Prius which I`ve read also tend to fall apart with closer scrutiny.

 

I bought a Prius because I got a great price due to Toyota's media Prius troubles in the spring, and I could finally afford to move up to the performance car (the Prius) that I had wanted for a long time.

I'm an energy nerd anyway, with solar hot water, among other things.