What is the infatuation??

IMHO, if you aren't sure and you have to ask, it perhaps isn't the right car for you. For the price of the PiP, you could get a more well equipped regular Prius aka liftback.

I'm not ordering a PiP. My 2nd gen still works fine. I'm not in the market for a new car and probably won't look to replace my Prius until either it gets totalled or the 4th gen comes out.

I can post some reasons why someone might want it, but I need to go right now...

 

For me it was Quality of Toyota, technology and carpool lane.

 

If you would be happy with a 2012 Prius Two:
- Do you think the EV and HOV lane sticker* is worth the extra $8,000 - $2,500 Fed - any state tax credits?

If you would be happy with a 2012 Prius Three:
- Do you think the EV and HOV lane sticker* is worth the extra $6,500 - $2,500 Fed - any state tax credits?

(HOV lane sticker states only) If you don't really want a Prius:
- Do you think the HOV lane sticker is worth the extra money you're paying or any other things you'd be giving up by driving a Prius?

* If applicable.

 

I'd want a PIP for the techno-fun side of it. I find myself making a game out of trying to get better mpg on my Gen II. It's entertaining in addition to saves money. My wife does not find it as entertaining so I have to hush my enthusiasm around her...

 

I suspect it's:

I drive a pure electric car for daily driving, and a 2004 Prius for road trips, so the PiP would serve no purpose for me. But all the things you suggested are reasons why many people (ladies and men both) like the PiP.

I would not call it "infatuation," though. I'd call it fascination.

 

You can always sell it on craigslist for $115k.

 

Daniel is right. Fascination is more appropriate, but only by a very small group of people, most of them are here. Other mainstream Prius buyers just want better mileage. If you want to talk about fascination, just wait till the announcement of the next ipad and iphone 5.

 

I agree with you so completely that I just about had to look and see that I hadn't written your post earlier and forgotten about it...

I, however, do not hide my enthusiasm from my wife. She doesn't 'get into it' like I do. She just rolls her eyes when I get excited about maximizing my gas mileage.

(She will certainly like the heated seats, though!)

 

Great replies, this covers all my reasons too, and the PIP will be my first hybrid, first electric and, first foreign car.

 

Gas is so much more expensive than electricity here in North Texas. There are many public Level-2 (240v) charging stations around Dallas. At many of the public charge stations there is currently no cost for charging - free fuel. That will change. But at $0.095 / kWh, I can charge my car at home for less than 30 cents to go 11+ miles. It is less than 3 miles to the grocery stores, bank, and post office. So, to run those errands, I will use minimal (if any) gas. I like knowing that I am not totally at the mercy of Big Oil and what they charge for their gasoline.

 

There is another issue about the PiP. (and Leaf and Volt to a lesser degree)

I have a 2009 Prius, it serves me very well as I rarely get in it going less than 55 miles each way. It excels at that.

But when I advise folks not to buy a Prius it is often because their daily commute will not save them any gas. It is not fantastic at commutes under 10 miles/10 minutes.

The PiP, Leaf and Volt are all great at 'short' commutes, and 'short' is twice as large if you can recharge at work. The PiP and to some extent the Volt do so with the additional 'win' of being a normal car with good gas mileage for when the trip is longer than usual.

"I have a short commute each weekday but want to get away on weekends" describes a lot of demand a 'normal' Prius does not meet well.

 

Yeah..I don't want to sound snarky..but I wish I had the financial resources to order a $30,000+ vehicle I wasn't even sure was the right vehicle for me.

I think if I had that many questions as to "Why" I wanted the vehicle to start with..I might not allow myself to get to that point.

I guess it's just the OP's sentence...."I'm still not convinced whether this is the right Car for me"?

I've never had the luxury of purchasing a newer vehicle that at least of the time of purchase I wasn't pretty well convinced the vehicle was the vehicle for me.

3 months later? Maybe I'd change my mind...but at the time of purchase? I was pretty convinced and at peace with why I was buying it.

Simply? I'm going with all of the above.

The reasons people become infatuated with vehicles are as diverse as people themselves.

Here's hoping you become totally infatuated with your purchase before it ends up in your driveway.

 

I will be driving 4 miles to drop my daughter off at school, 4 to work, plug in at my office, fully charged drive to get my daughter 4 miles, back home 4 miles. I chose the Prius Plug in over the Leaf simply because I needed a car to actually go out of town. 98% of my driving is in the city and less than 20 miles a day. Perfect Car for my needs and much better than my 20 MPG I get on my Hyundai Tucson.:rapture:

 

Its it 15miles each way to anything.. or 15miles r/t? If its 15 R/T the prius PHV should do well. If its each-way (and no remote charging), its only a little more (after tax credits) to get a car that can do 35mi in ev mode..

 

Gasoline may well be going away, Electricity is not (at least without taking everything 20th century with it). Prudence would recommend getting something which can handle that transition.

 

LenP, we live in the same area, so if you ever want to see how a regular non PIP Prius operates under average driving conditions, just shoot me a personal email for a free tour. Thanks.