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Why did you buy a Prius ??

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by revhigh, Jun 13, 2011.

?
  1. I bought it to show the world I'm 'GREEN'.

    11 vote(s)
    8.3%
  2. I bought it to save money on fuel.

    121 vote(s)
    91.7%
  1. twittel

    twittel Senior Member

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    Like you, I bought just to save money on gas. My decision is paying off and I get the added bonus of technology, low emissions and lots of comfort and fun, for the money! No regrets here.
     
  2. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    The truck cost me $100 every 4 days to fill up. The prius cost me $40 about every 2 weeks. That about sums it up.
     
  3. energyandair

    energyandair Active Member

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    The reasons you gave as choices were:
    • to show the world I am green
    • to save money on fuel
    Why would you think that either of these reasons would necessarily be someone's primary reason for buying a Prius?

    People buy cars for a multitude of multiple reasons and in many cases, neither of the reasons you listed may have been significant factors at all.
     
  4. oldasdust

    oldasdust Member

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    Why a Prius? The vehicle i was driving was getting 22mpg combined not very good for a 4 cylinder. The vehicle had good resale value . I drove the prius along with my wife and we both loved the prius seemed so smooth. The fact that i trimmed $150 a month of my car payment and only $6 a year higher insurance was very intriguing. Then 2 years or 25 thousand mile free maintance along with toyota/prius reliability helped the deal. Paying msrp and nothing extra was the frosting on the cake. P.s. I also cheated and read Prius chat for several weeks, thanks everyone you sealed the deal that parked a blue 2011 prius III in my garage.
     
  5. revhigh

    revhigh MPG Enthusiast

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    Why would I think people bought Prii to save money on fuel ???? Ummmmm .... maybe because the Prius is the highest mileage vehicle that can be reasonably purchased in the states .... and gas has skyrocketed to over $4 a gallon and is approaching $5 a gallon, when it was $2 and change a gallon a few months ago.

    And I'd say .... 'In a FEW cases, neither of the reasons you listed may have been significant factors at all'

    It seems that the overwhelming majority have done it to save fuel (95%+). Way more than I actually thought it would be.

    What was your reason EAA ?


    REV
     
  6. tedjohnson

    tedjohnson Member

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    I bought it reduce the CO2 load I put into this overloaded atmosphere, and bought a house where I could walk to work as well. While $ was a strong consideration , caring about this little rock we all live on was the main thing, I guess that makes me green - but coming from studying and teaching Climatology and Astronomy its clear we have to make major changes or face the consequences in an unbalanced planetary atmosphere, too bad our elected representatives are mostly lawyers-politicians who never took a science class.
     
    1 person likes this.
  7. revhigh

    revhigh MPG Enthusiast

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    Or any other class, by the way they act ....


    REV
     
  8. Teakwood

    Teakwood Member

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    Green-schmeen-laugh machine.
    I bought it because:
    1) I was through with the crap that American auto manufacturers put out;
    2) with the problems I experienced in my last VW, I was ready to give Japanese cars a second chance;
    3) I wanted to save money on gas.

    The clincher was that my 80 lb. dog could easily get in and out of the back doors.

    It's a means of transportation, not a way of life.
     
  9. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    It seems that the overwhelming majority of those who voted have done it to save fuel (95%+).

    I'm another person who didn't buy the Prius for either of the reasons above: I bought it to minimize my gas consumption.

    I didn't buy it to save money on fuel. I expect that over the lifetime of the vehicle I'll just about to break even compared to a Civic and I can afford it if it doesn't quite make it.

    I didn't buy it to show anyone that I'm green.
     
  10. JGC61

    JGC61 Active Member

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    1.Bought it to ride solo in the HOV lane of the Long Island Expressway. ( Clean Pass Vehicle ):D
     
  11. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Lets see if I have this straight, you eliminated all other choices except saving gas and a strawman of appearing green. (no choice for being green)

    Then you are 'amazed' that when offered NO other choices, 95% chose to save gas. Let me guess, you do 'research' for Fox News, don't you?
     
  12. revhigh

    revhigh MPG Enthusiast

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    Wow !! :eek:
     
  13. Gurple42

    Gurple42 New Member

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    I had two primary reasons for a Prius purchase. 1 to save money on fuel (I drive 15K + a year). and 2 for political reasons, I want to do my part, however small, to reduce my country's dependance on foreign oil.:attention:
     
  14. vnhk

    vnhk New Member

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    I bought it because:
    1. "different" from most cars on the road (best hybrid technology at the moment I bought)
    2. "indifferent" in regards of status symbol (both normal and super rich people drive it)
     
  15. revhigh

    revhigh MPG Enthusiast

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    Status symbol ??? .... a Prius ??? Now I've heard everything. LOL
     
  16. Rocco42

    Rocco42 Member

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    I bought mine, because the 2000 Grand Am has 160,000 miles on it, and is getting tired. I needed a new car, I wanted something with twice the gas mileage of the Pontiac, and am green. They call me froggy at work, I'm so green!
     
  17. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    vnhk is referring to the widespread idea that it's (or it was) a Hollywood status symbol. Larry David sort of started it with the Gen I Prius, and a lot more followed. Just Google "celebrity Prius" or "Hollywood Prius".
     
  18. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    I would say quite a few.

    F8L Technology

    F8L Low Emissions

    F8L Savings

    F8L Lower Dependance on Foreign Oil
    Gurple42

    Mmcdonal Toyota dependability

    Mmcdonal Availability (range?)

    Mmcdonal Mentions being green not being seen to be green
    Stream

    Ryanpl Green
    Teakwood

    I listed 9 reasons, none on your list.

    Energyandair denies your only two choices but does not list his reasons

    tedjohnson Reduce CO2

    Teakwood not American made

    Teakwood cargo room

    Notaboutthemoney Reduce gas consumption

    JGC61 HOV lane eligibility

    vnhk different

    vnhk broad range of owners, 'classless'

    Those are just the one's who cared enough to object.
     
  19. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    Hey Ted, that's great, and it really makes the distinction between trying show the world you're green and being green. Jimbo made that point very clearly (and well), too.

    The other thing is the difficult and troublesome tendency of people exhibiting certain behaviors characteristic of a larger to group to distance themselves from said group for various personal reasons, avoidance of a "label", etc., while simultaneously harming the group of which they're a part. If you're driving a Prius, you're being more "green" than most people in terms of your driving habits. Why avoid the "green" label?

    I feel particularly sensitive to this since I've gotten tired over the years of hearing gay friends saying there's no need to come out to their family, or mention it if it comes up at work, because it's their personal business. It's not. Everytime someone comes out and changes a person's mind about what that means for the better, the more accepted it is. One person who otherwise would've raised their child to actually hate another human being they've never met will now do just the opposite. Coming out today prevents a gay kid from being forced to suicide, or maybe killed, in 25 years.

    Likewise, if you're getting better mileage than 99% of everyone on the road (think of hybrid market share, then Prius market share of that, etc., this number is actually about right on), making being "green" a negligible afterthought, or worse, a shameful secret to hide, will not do anything except enhance or protect a self-conceived image about who a person is. You can choose to tell coworkers "oh, hell no, I'm not green" or you could change one person's mind about something. And maybe another person will stumble across a Prius blog on the internet and see your results, and maybe someone might be led to living *generally* more sustainable, having seen that it's possible.

    I'm purposely sort of conflating present tense, the now, with the past tense of the original poll question, because people's minds certainly change, and throughout the thread we're seeing both.

    We're probably going to, for practical purposes, going to run out of oil during my life, and then things will get quite difficult, or at least very expensive, for many, many people. So yeah, we don't have to tell people we're green (or gay), or anything else, as long as we realize we're just deferring our problems until later - when they're other people's problems, and potentially very grave and serious ones.

    fyi, I did it for the money AND to be green. Which option should I select? :D
     
  20. k9frog

    k9frog New Member

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    honestly i bought our prius because gas is $4.15 a gal, only reason im sick and tired of supporting the dirt bags in the middle east and the ones in our country called speculators, personally i dont go for green stuff or whatever,dont believe in it dont care , what we care about is how much money we send over seas to people who spit on us,and to say screw you to our govt for allowing it