Why did u buy the prius?????

I'm sure I was a billy goat wandering around here somewhere. Perhaps I should look under this bridge?

 

Does voice recognition system understand/misunderstand their "bark" command?

 

The little one in the background is busy programming the GPS for Petco. It's where the pets go..... When they are in the v.

 

Originally, we were just looking for a decent slightly used fairly economical car for around 14-16K, wasn't even thinking hybrid or Prius particularly. Drove most of what was available in our small town and couldn't find anything that didn't feel "junky." Had to rent a car one way to the airport, and Enterprise gave me a Prius rental. First thing, get in, put the key fob in the little slot and press the "start" button and ---

Nothing happens.

Finally had to have the rental agent show me how the car worked. Drove it for a weekend, like the way it drove and handled and was sold. Later that afternoon went to Toyota dealership, found a pre-owned Prius with low mileage and in our price range, beat on the sales department on price for a couple of hours and finally drove it home. So initially the reason was: handling, comfort, driveability. Added benefit good gas mileage.

 

I bought mine because nothing else even comes close. Now I have 2. When it comes to mpg's, there is no competition the Prius blows them all away in the real world. 500 miles on 11 gals in the city, that's crazy. Proven design and reliability, comfort, technology that makes sense and the list can go on and on. The fact is that Toyota came up with a rock solid hybrid design and patented it. This limits what other car companies can do. No one can touch it.

The claim that other cars can match it are false. I always say, "trust but verify" and I've yet to verify anything that beats it. According to Fuelly.com, the 2009 Prius avgs nearly 51mpgs and the 2009 HCH averages nearly 41 (10mpg difference). The VW diesel (Jetta in NA) is a paltry 37.4. With the higher cost of diesel, there is absolutely no comparison (not to mention the reliability difference and the higher cost of repairs).

 

Interesting to read about the lack of competition for the Prius in the US.

In Europe there is a huge number of alternatives.

For example of a similar sized car the new BMW 320ED will do 68mpg (UK) and do 0-62mph in 8 seconds. A Bluemotion VW Golf or Passat will do close to 70mpg (UK) too, and both cost considerably less than the Prius. A EcoBoost Ford Focus will do 67mpg (UK) and costs £5,000 less than the cheapest Prius. The Mercedes C class, Volvo C30 and S40, Audi A4... in fact pretty much every car maker you can name makes a diesel that will do over 60mpg, and many cost less than the Prius, often considerably so.

On top of that you've got all the B and A segment cars that are more efficient than the Prius (albeit smaller) such as the 88mpg Kia Rio. You've also got all the other hybrids. Most car makers already have a hybrid on the market or planned for a 2012/13 release, such as the Focus Hybrid. Toyota themselves already sell two hybrids in the UK (the Prius and the slightly smaller Auris) and have a third (the Yaris) coming in 2012.

For me the Prius only makes sense in Europe as a used car, because the spec levels are much better for a similar price point than you'd find on a BMW, Audi or VW. A £10,000 Prius is much better equipped than a £10,000 BMW 3 series, for example. Now that the new efficient diesels all have the stop/start technology the fuel savings in a Prius are very modest indeed, you would have to be buying a Prius for more than just financial reasons to justify one. (e.g. particulate emissions or aesthetics).

One benefit however, is that if you want to support hybrid technology the Toyota technology is tried and tested and has shown itself to match Toyota's usual standards of reliability. This might tempt you to go hybrid rather than diesel.

 

The problem w/ diesels here is that diesel is about 50 - 60 cents more expensive per gallon. This negates advantage a diesel may have (and none of them have an advantage here). There are no diesels w/ start/stop sold in the US (that I'm aware of). The biggest advantage for the Prius is city mpg. When you compare that, nothing even comes close. With the high cost of diesel here, it is very hard for a diesel to compete (and I'm pretty sure the environmentalists like it that way).

PS: A used Prius makes the most economic sense here as well.

 

Maybe now he knows why we bought a prius

:welcome: We should welcome the starter of this post as he might have a prius now

 

Why did I buy a Prius? VW blows.

 

Must vary by region; as here in Seattle it's only about 40 cents; 50 at the more expensive stations.
But still, an extra $5 per tank for similar range doesn't make a whole lot of sense.


Are there any diesel hybrids with plug-in capabilities? I imagine that's a good reason why many have chosen the PIP, as it is significantly less than its only close competitor--the Volt.

 

...because when you boil it all down it is the most logical and practical vehicle available.

Coming from owning both a European 4-door sedan and an SUV, those vehicle are only about status and possibly better traction in snow.

The reality is, the prius provides most things that people need/require in a vehicle; safety, room, comfort, storage (hauling capacity), fuel economy, reliability, ease of ownership, and the list goes on..

I'll take my 46-48MPG Prius any day over the status symbols most people drive.

my 2 cents...

 

Having just bought my used Prius I think I can adequately reply.

I drove Honda civic for the last decade. It was perfect for me. Cheap, good gas mileage, almost never had a repair more than $300 and even so only in last 1.5 years. I was so impressed with that investment that I was fully committed to Honda as a brand. My car had reached 210,000 miles and I knew the time would soon come to replace it. I wanted to go with a 4 door as we have 2 dogs and loading them in and out of the back seat of the coupe was getting annoying.

When I started to research cars I actually was hoping to go EV and really liked test driving the Leaf. However we own a condo and until the HOA realizes that we will need to figure out a system for installing and permitting an EV charging station an EV out of the question.

Even though I wanted to be loyal to Honda I knew that my alternative was Toyota. Reliability is important. I grew up with my parents driving American cars and they were so problematic and costly to repair all the time. When I began to look at the insight I realized a few things. It is no smaller than a Prius and it gets far worse gas mileage. Add to that he fact that it has only been on the market here for now 3 model years and it doesn't sell as well as Prius so the used options in the local market place are extraordinarily limited. I started researching the civic hybrid and found 3 problems. They also get far worse gas mileage than a Prius, are similarly priced used and have had a fair amount of problems with the O2 sensors and that for years Honda mis-diagnosed the issue and hasn't really taken full responsibility in the way I see fit.

My choice was pretty simple.

Great fuel econ
Good bridge gap until US has better EV infrastructure
Toyota reliability and resell value.
In the right color very sexy looking.
Great prices used.
Very smooth drive experience.
Enough room for wife two dogs and camping gear.
Awesome gadgets.

 

I purchased a prius for a number of reasons.

1) I wanted a car I could own and take care of long term. I hope I can get this baby going strong for at least 10 years.

2) gas mileage of course

3) its unbelievably FUN to drive. When you drive it you can feel all the time and effort put into making this car run like a dream. Everything is in sync.

4) it doesn't feel like driving a motor vehicle.

5) I was surprised how nicely the sound system worked in the nav package I purchased. Again it just feels in sync with the whole experience.

6) wanted something I could impress clients with. So far they have been impressed. The whole hybrid thing turns into a topic of conversation

7) I really like the 2011 design. I was hoping for a grey car but they only had black at the time. During the winter I am happy that the car is black. It stays warmish if I leave it in the sun, and the paint looks slick as long as I keep it clean

 

Hey all,

If you haven't noticed, the OP's last activity was on 3/21 and he never answered my question at http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/105431-why-did-u-buy-prius-2.html#post1500228.

I don't think it's worth spending any time on further replies unless we see some legitimate activity from the OP. Just let this thread die as it seems like he's a troll who has "thrown a grenade".