what other cars did you consider before the prius

Test drove - 3rd gen Prius (a lot!), Accord EX sedan & EX/EX-L coupe, Civic LX-S, Mazda3 five door Grand Touring, VW GTI, Venza 4 and 6 cylinder, Matrix S, Rav4,

look only - Insight II, CR-V, all other Hondas, Subaru Impreza, new Jetta, too many to list ..

bought Accord Coupe EX

 

I considered the toyota camry hybrid. I really liked the drive but camry is being redesigned in 2012, I believe. Husband wanted something different - not another camry or honda Liked the accord interior but not the exterior. I really liked the acura tsx but the gas mileage was 20/29, I believe.

Once I narrowed it to a must hybrid, I had only few options - hyundai hybrid, altima hybrid, ford hybrid, honda civic...(again all of these seemed boring compared to the prius..always had toyotas or hondas so getting a ford or a hyundai was hard to settle for ..) Ultimately liked the hatchback style and you can't beat the Prius mileage.

I would suggest you rent one over the weekend..it takes a bit getting used to but the gas mileage is so worth it. From what I have read in the posts, if I were to drive the prius regularly in snowy wintry conditions, I would consider appropriate seasonal tires. From your criteria, I do believe Prius is a good choice, ultimately it is finding the right car at the right price..with the options that you like.

 

1. Something small like Scion xA, Yaris, Corolla and Civic - affordable
2. fully loaded Honda Insight (or a base Prius)
3. Another Camry - it would be the 3rd in MY family haha

Initially, I wanted something smaller than a Camry because that car is just big for me. A Yaris was way too small. Something between a Camry and Yaris would be a Prius .... PERFECT. Although I almost considered another Camry because it was cheaper than the Prius.

 

I was choosing between a used

1. Toyota Prius
2. Honda Fit


I ended up purchasing a used 2007 Toyota Prius with 45k miles for 12k. The gas mileage is much better than the Honda Fit. Cargo space is similar. I personally love all the gadgets that a Toyota Prius offers. The Toyota Prius is like a video game to me. I attempt to keep the bar graph at 100 mpg as much as possible.

 

I had my heart set on a Civic Hybrid till I test drove both and also discovered that the rear seat of the Civic did not fold down. Salesman really pushed the Insight but it seemed really plasticy (is that a word?). Plus, the Insight got poorer mileage and had far less room. Voila, the Prius.

 

Me and my wife had 2 2009 model cars: Accord V6 and Civic. Wanted something more fuel efficient, especially to replace the gas hungry Accord (and the Civic wasn't as fuel efficient as I thought it would be, either).

We considered, but didn't test ride:
Chevy Volt
Ford Fusion Hybrid
These two vehicles didn't make it to the test ride list because of a combination of price and the specs as posted on their websites. Also, very concerned about the newness of the Volt, I'd wait at 2 or 3 years if I really wanted one to see what flaws shake out with time.

We test drove:
Prius
Camry Hybrid
Honda Insight (good price)
Honda CR-Z hybrid (sporty, good price, but a 2-seater)

We settled for the Prius because it had everything we really wanted. Plenty of space, 4-dr hatchback, great fuel efficiency, high-tech interior, and a well established hybrid design that's been around a while now. It has a few flaws but we haven't regretted our decision.

Vic

 

I researched Honda Insight, Civic, Civic Hybrid and Corolla. Prius was a no-brainer decision for me! Prius was best in class for my criteria of efficiency, mpg's and emissions.

Happy Motoring,

Tom

 

In 30 years of owning cars, I had never owned anything not made by GM, Ford, or Chrysler. That being said, I test drove five cars.

1. 2010 Honda Insight.
2. 2010 Honda Civic.
3. 2010 Toyota Corolla.
4. 2010 Toyota Matrix.
5. 2007 Toyota Prius.

The salesman at the Honda dealer told me the insurance rates are higher on the hybrids. Drove the Insight and didn't like it. Was leaning towards a Civic, but decided to check with my insurance company. They quoted my cheapest insurance price on a 2010 Prius. So I made my decision to buy it, and I didn't even test drive a 2010.

 

Lexus ES 350
Toyota Avalon
Toyota Camry
Lexus HS

Practicality won out.

 

So, did you first test drive it on January 6th?

 

My priority was high fuel economy, which had put the Prius at the top of the list for a long time.

It also fit because it's a hatchback and I didn't want another sedan. I set myself a limit of $25k all in (price + 5% sales tax + 2.4% year 1 excise tax). Also wanted it to be the main family car so wanted something Civic sized or bigger.

HCH was out due to form factor.

I was willing to consider diesels but I didn't realize the Golf TDi still had a tax credit so I didn't look at that. All the other diesels were over my price limit.

It came down to Prius or Insight.

I tested the Insight EX first. (My wife would insist on cruise so I'd have to have bought the EX) I was satisfied with the normality of the driving experience, especially being used to a Civic, but the Insight turned out to be a bit too small, with the rear headroom the deal breaker. I didn't mind the "snug" driver's seat.

Then I test drove the Prius and ... it was an anti-climax. It was really nothing special and actually felt rather unresponsive and disconnected. But, although it felt odd I figured I'd get accustomed to it.

When my wife (who'd been sick) eventually test drove it she found it unresponsive too, with only PWR mode coming close to what she wants from a car. She took my word for it on the Insight and didn't test drive it even though I think she'd have preferred driving it.

So, we got the Prius. I adjusted to the Prius quickly and now I enjoy driving it, but my wife still doesn't like the Prius. My wife wants more say in the purchase of "her" next car so I just hope that by 2018 there'll be something really efficient that she enjoys driving.

 

Since our 09 Corolla got totaled in an accident that forced us into car shopping. Had a 2010 Hyundai Sonata as a rental for 3 weeks and I really enjoyed that car. I liked it a lot better than the Camry and Accord. The Accord drives better than the Camry but I wanted something that got netter MPG than our Corolla especialy if its major role would be a daily commuter.

Love the look of the new Focus coming out and the new Elantra is sharp as well. The lease option on the Prius was too good to pass up considering gas prices soaring at the moment. The Prius costs less to insure than the Corolla, drives better, and of course gets a lot better MPG!

So now we have an SUV - 09 Highlander and a Hybrid - 2010 Prius

 

Before I bought my used Prius, I was considering a new VW Golf TDI and Honda Insight. After considering that I could get a Prius with relatively low mileage for half the price of the Golf or Insight, I decided to go that route. I have since done some upgrades, added an Enginer kit and STILL have enough to buy another one if I wanted.

 

I looked through Consumer Reports Car Buying Guide for cars with good gas mileage, reliability and safety features. I looked at the follwing:
Toyota Corolla (new and used)
Toyota Camry (new 2011 with 0% financing)
Honda Civic (new and used)
Hyundai Elantra (new 2010)
Toyota RAV4 (used)
Honda CRV (new)

 

I was looking at used 09 Corollas since all I really wanted was a commuter car and they were cheap. But then I decided I would also look at some new ones since they had incentives attached, but on the S model the incentives were practically nothing. When they refreshed the 2011s, I liked them better, but the price of the S went up about $1,800.00. I decided I was not willing to pay what they wanted for a Corolla when it wasn't really something I liked in the first place.

I put myself on the waiting list for an iQ, but decided the Prius was a better value and suited my needs better.

 

Ok..the suspense is killing us ..I think you should go test drive (or better rent overnight) the hyundai and the prius..see where you get your best deal and go from there. We always had Toyota or Honda (or Acura) so we just wanted to stick with one of those.

 

Audi R8
Hummer H3
Laidlaw School Bus

 

I've actually been mulling this over...and over...and over.

I think I'll finish paying off the house before pulling the trigger on a third car. I have 2 motorcycles already, and I'm going to need my pickemup truck for at least another two years, since my Kawasaki and the Prius have the same manufacturers rated towing capacity (0 lbs.)

We'll see. I actually looked at an Insight this weekend.
Nice car.
Great Price....
There's only a 10 mpg delta in the mpg rating, so I'll have to do some mental gymnastics to see where the the break-even point will be for TCO.
By the time I get really serious about pulling the trigger on a third car, hopefully the green market will have tightened up a bit more.

The Prius is a really great car, and I'm glad that I get to drive one almost every day, but I'm just not sure that the extra 6-kilobucks will be worth it for a third car.

JMHO

 

I drove a Sonata last week. I wasn't impressed, but it's a viable car for some folks. The "Rhymes with Sunday" coompany has come a long way in quality---but it's just not my car.
If a new Prius is juuuuust outside your depth band, you may want to consider an '11 Insight. I know that some Prius Cheerleader will shriek at me for mentioning it on this forum, but it's worth considering if you cannot afford a Prius, or you can do without all of the golly-whogg creature comforts on the Prius. I't a compact (Priuses are mid-sized) so not an 'apples to apples' comparison, but the Honda is a 'green' car too, and should not be disregarded as a POS juuust because of Prius snobbery.
In the end....you have to ride your ride.
Here's some advise I gave another P3 (Prospective Prius Purchaser)
TIFWIW.... (about 2 cents...)

Good Luck with your decision!