How has the Prius improved your quality of life?

Dies is supposed to be does. My iPhone autocorrected wrong!

 

1. Traffic doesn't bother me as much.
2. Gas prices rising doesn't freak me out.
3. Driving has become enjoyable again. (My wife says I like the car because it is like a video game and I am always trying to get the high scores; i.e. high MPG)
4. I love driving a car that I don't constantly wonder what will break next(my first new car).
5. I speed less so I don't always have to be looking for police.
6. Just overall less stressful having this car.

 

Completely agree!

I love hearing people complain about high gas prices now! I'll look over in traffic at the lone guy in his Escalade, thinking how he spent $64,000 on a vehicle that gets (at best) 10mpg city & 14 on the highway. Maybe he's made of money, but even if I was, I could think of better things to do with it than spend it on extremely wasteful daily transportation.

I took my daughter to a nice lunch the other day & told her it was courtesy of the new Prius. We laughed about that and enjoyed our free lunch!

 

I consider my '04 Prius to be in the top 4 best purchases I have ever made. Ever. A Sony Walkman cassette player was the first --- couldn't get over how they made something like that so small yet with the same functionality as a non-portable cassette player. The Prius was the second "no regrets" purchase. Then the iPad (I have all three generations, even though I'm more of a PC person (vs. Apple / Mac), and the Nest Learning Thermostat was the fourth "no regrets" purchase (chronologically). I would have to put the Prius at the top of the list because, after more than 8 years of ownership, the car still continues to impress (me, mostly). I guess the fact that it is very economical to own has provided me with more discretionary money to support all of the other geeky stuff I buy.

I agree with the others who have listed the benefits of less stressful driving and I truly believe that is because the Prius provides so many ways to have the driver be an integral component in the performance of the vehicle. I've had high HP cars where all you had to do was punch the gas, shift, and keep the tires on the road. Acceleration is fun, but that doesn't happen too often (too many other cars on the road, speed zones, etc., etc., etc.).

So, with respect to the impact the Prius has had on the driving aspect of my life, it has had a huge impact. For non-driving aspects of my life? Well, the stress that has settled in from waiting far too long for my '12 to come in has been a huge negative. Does that count?

Beyond that? Not so much. It is only, as others have said, just a car.

 

+1. We have a TCH & a Prius now, but they are just cars after all, some people get a little carried away IMO. I don't expect (or want) any car to ever "improve my quality of life" in any meaningful way. YMMV

 

Order waiting stress

I have no idea what that feels like

I don't know how to describe how the Prius has changed my life. My wife says I am a nerd. I always try to get high mpg numbers in whatever I drive. I now play Spot The Prius Game (STPG) while driving around. I pull into Toyota lots just to see what cool colors or what models of Prii they have When I rent a vehicle it is a Prius.

Mike

 

Hey Brett, very nice read & agree w/ everything u said.

 

Agree 100%.

It changed my driving. 0-60 to 50-60 mpg

The electric mode has made me more patient in slow traffic.

 

I have been driving Priuses since 2001 so have had quite a bit of time to notice how the car has made a positive impact in my life.

I agree with everyone's comments and here are my own, although they may copy many that have already been stated:

1. If I want to be entertained, the car can still entertain me (I know, I'm easy).

2. I began listening to more classical music.

3. I don't get home from work stressed out like I used to. Because I have changed the way I drive, listen to more classical music on my drive, I'm more calm when I arrive home which is helpful to my family.

4. I don't freak out over huge traffic jams; in some cases I welcome them because I know it will up my mpg. I mean, really, there's not a whole lot one can do about it anyway, right?

5. Besides listening to more classical music in the car, I also began a habit of listening to books on tape in the car. I've probably "read" over 100 books in my car.

6. Since I visit the gas station far less frequently, the stress of constantly checking the gas tank and worrying about getting to a gas station is gone.

7. Since I drive a bit slower than I used to, I'm a safer driver. The only ticket I've received since 2001 was a red light camera ticket, and I fought that and won!

8. I just asked my husband what he thinks and he says the most important thing about the car is not having to go to the gas station so often. "Time is money!" he says.

 

We bought the Prius III as a hedge against fuel prices in 2010 and it has paid off. We use the Prius for all long trips and use our other vehicles for specific purposes --- like hauling heavy stuff, traveling with a 50lb. dog and winter driving (we have winter tires for one of the other cars and the other is an Audi Quattro).

 

Call it sour grape if you want, but I feel being less in control by the big gas companies. It's a big psychological relief when I see the gas price inching up. I keep telling myself that the gas companies can only empty half my wallet but not all.

 

Wow, the OP has hit two deer.

I'm glad Toyota has installed VPDNS in all their vehicles.

Vehicle Proximity Deer Notification Systems.

Prius seem to attract Deer.

 

We are very heavily invested in bluegreen timeshare. Our family travels five to seven weeks a year and we rent the rest of our units (several weeks) out to friends, family, and acquaintances. Our units have full kitchens, so we used to tell ourselves "you have to eat anywhere you are so basically if you want to hike trails or lay around on the beach the only added expense is the gas to get you there." Timeshare is prepaid so it feels free (I know it's not, but you don't pay there so it's not on trip Budget.)

It got so that before the trip we would calculate the gas money it would take. I had a 2005 magnum v8 with a HEMI! 340hp! We were doing well to get 12mpg city and 19 highway. But it would cost hundreds of dollars just in gas.

We just went on our first trip with our Prius. We travelled to Branson missouri from western Kentucky on ONE tank. And the Prius tank is 1/2 size of my last car. Carried 4 people and luggage all the way to Branson for $36

That will go a loooong way towards our lifestyle. We can pay for a day at a theme park with the difference or go back home with more money in our pockets. By the way, I believe timeshare is the best way to vacation. I don't like their sales tactics though it can be a good deal in the end. The Prius will allow me to continue to make the most out of it.

Wade

 

Brett, I'm happy to have read this post. I'm buying my first Prius II in a few days, and this post exemplifies what I love about Prius and why I'm falling in love with driving all over again. Thanks for the post, and your car is beautiful.

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I bought my Prius about a month ago. It was a big change for me to go from all stick cars with RWD, AWD, turbochargers, mega hp or my 200 mph motorcycle, to driving a vehicle that feels like it couldn't chip the tires if it were coming off a patch of ice going wide open throttle.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to really appreciate the Prius or all that it has to offer, even in the very basic II form. Ah, but as life would have it, some wonderful people posted techniques, and youtube videos of how to use the hybrid system to maximize fuel economy, and how to read the HSI display. My first tank got me a calculated 56.8 mpg and my second 47.8. (display read higher by 2mpg both times.)

Whoa, whats the difference? The first tank I was going for high mpg. The second tank, I was driving like 99% of the other cars on the road and comparing the difference. Clearly, a 9mpg difference is a huge sacrifice to make.

Do you see what has happened to me? I have gone from 0-60 faster than this car can respond to you depressing the accelerator pedal in eco mode, to being upset when I don't get over 55mpg per tank. Some how, this car has become a challenge which I happily accepted, and continue to try and improve upon.

I hit some unexpected stop n go traffic which took us 2 hours to get 3 miles the other day. In my previous car I would have a very sore left leg, steam coming from my ears, fire from my nose, and bloodshot eyes from the stress and aggravation of this incident. Thanks to the Prius, I was using 0 gas, sitting in a climate controlled environment, playing music on my stereo which I upgraded entirely, enjoying myself. I never knew how funny it was to watch the drivers of the vehicles around me get so angry, and think to myself; "I remember those days." Those days, I will never miss.

Just when I joined, I forget who it was but somebody had said I'd get used to it, it's like a real life arcade game and in a way, this is so true.

With all the good comes the bad though, I've hit 2 deer in 1 month. Incidentally, I've also taken up a new hobby and become quite an avid deer hunter because of this. Just kidding. haha.

Last but not least, every person I have taken in this car, or let drive it.. has said they will most likely buy one as their next vehicle. I'd estimate that I'm the direct reason for at least 3 solid Prius sales in 2012, most likely more by 2013 so Toyota, I would like my commission check, thanks.

So that's what Prius ownership is like for me. I've been through all the colorful emotions of changing my habits and experiencing the fury of mother nature, and come out on top.

The money I save on gas, has enabled me to purchase extra things for my daughter. Everybody wins in this situation.

How has the Prius improved your quality of life?[/quote]

 

+1 Brett
I get such a buzz from the reward of great mileage after a challenging run.

 

Before the Prius I had an M3 and my avg speed was 78+ and always hanging out in the left lane.

Now with the Prius I find myself more patient and enjoying the right lane more.

 

I drive a lot safer, and slower. I can take time to enjoy my ride and life.

 

Great post! I agree with what everyone is saying. My GT3 still puts a big smile whenever I take it out but the Prius has definitely mellow me out.

 

I have had my Prius C for a total of 10 days.

I agree with most all previous posts.

We are already scheduling a family vacation list, to go to all the places we only
dreamed of before.
I now can be at ease and say... pick any hotel you want as it is "free"
We will finally get to see many places we would have never been able to.

Many things in the past have made me think differently, and the Prius has
been added to my list of "life changers".

We are also buying a new Prius as the family car in the next few days and will
be a Prius only family.

It has made me a whole less a hole~ish and more laughable when I see the gas
guzzling, furious drivers all over the place.

I finally got a prius after the C started under $20K, so that was a big peace of mind.
The main reason was to owe less to the oil scrooges (including our own government)
So it has made me very happy!

I had a 97 geo metro that got 50+ mpg
It confirmed my reasoning that some american company (chev) can buy such
a great mpg getter and then take it off the market...hmmm always makes you wonder.
now the top american manuf (f) boasts about 3 cars at 40mpg.
Still have a long way to go, haha.