Ok, this is the guy who indicated I was stupid for buying a Prius back in April. Today he quotes Clark Howard about the payback period of a Prius. He says I should have bought a Yaris (or Civic like he did). What should I tell this idiot? BTW: I have to carpool with said idiot.
Some possibilities: - Smile and say nothing. - Smile and tell him he's probably right. - Smile and ask him what's the payback period for his Civic. - Smile and tell him he'll have to pay for his share of the carpool gas based on what his Civic would consume. Why do you *have* to carpool with him?
Well, I'm not sure on the Yaris, but the Prius scores better than the Civic on the Safety ratings. See here: http://www.libertymutual.com/omapps/ContentServer?cid=1058289250434&pagename=PersonalMarket%2FDocument%2FShowDoc&c=Document 74 Better than Average . . . . . . . . . . Prius. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Honda 2 dr. . . . . . . . .Honda 4 dr Injury. . . . . . . 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Collision . . . . .108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Theft . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
I love all the suggestions except for red johnnys. I have to carpool with him because we work the same exact wierd shift, we both live close to each other, and far from work. I used to save lots of gas money car pooling (pre-prius) but now I'm starting to think screw it! $100 bucks a month isn't worth the pain in the A** he is. Now which suggestion to use....?
Just tell him thanks for his concern and then enjoy your much superior, IMHO, vehicle. You will have the last laugh
well... you're the one who spent the money on the car. so i think you're the one who gets to make the call on what you buy, and you're also the one who has to live with it until you buy another car. unless he would like to buy your next car for you. not his call. you like the car, end of story.
Where have all these snert/trolls come from? Could it be the layoffs at McD's have given them some extra time. Ah well, just some more to send to the ignoratorium. Rod
Nice. Just tell him you can probably sell yours for more than you bought it for right now. Usually the people talking about payback period on the Prius only calculate gas, but hybrids, in addition to saving on gas, tend to be very reliable and the Prius in particular holds its resale value extremely well. Consumer Reports calls it the cheapest family sedan to own and most reliable family car period, based on total cost of ownership but even the Wall Street Journal (which only uses gas usage as a measurement) says the payback on the Prius is only 3.5 years. Besides, even if it didn't save you money in the long run (which it does), the Prius does more to prevent the environmental, economic and political problems that our country's oil consumption causes.
When I was considering what car to buy to replace my crashed Camry, I was thinking about a used Prius and thought about the battery problem. Then I realized the only ones making this claim were idiots about so many other things ... so I bought my Prius the next week and never looked back. But who needs convincing? The usual problem is those making these comparisons ignore the cost of what is extra on their car but standard on the Prius. Compare the options. Then for good measure, compare the warranty intervals. But then ask yourself, is this even worth discussing? If he brings it up again, say, "OK, you win ... the car pool ends today. It is infinitely more stupid to break-up this car pool by insulting me and my free American choice of buying a Prius. Welcome to the gas pump because I need and can afford the peace of no longer having your company." Bob Wilson
I always have the same response: How many adults can comfortably sit in the back of your Civic (or Yaris) all the way from LA to Vegas? (Answer: zero) How many mountain bikes can you put in the back of your Civic (or Yaris) without dismantling them? (Answer: zero) Answer to both questions for the Prius is two. If your goal is cost savings, certainly there are better ways to go. If your goal is seating four adults comfortably and decent cargo space, you don't have ANY choices other than the Prius that can do better than 25-26 mpg in mixed driving. I wonder what "comparable vehicle" Edmunds found that goes for less than $20K. By "comparable," I mean one with similar space and features. I can't think of one in that price range. -btc
You're driving one of the coolest and most advanced vehicles in production, and he's harassing you while he hitches a ride with you to work??? That's jacked-up!! Do me a favor and smack him once for ME!!