I do not own a Prius. I don't even own a Hybrid. I am here because I am trying to make an intelligent decision between the different hybrids and tdi's. I am also the ultimate lurker. I have been on the web since the 80's and have posted 3 times iirc. However this forum has impressed me to no end. Intelligent, well thought out (and researched) posts, very little sniping, respect for others. It almost seems too good to be true. Honestly. I have spent hours on other auto forums, freds tdi, insight forums, not to mention other non-related auto related forums I have interest in. But NONE have the decorum and gentile spirit of this one. My hat is off to ALL of you. I did not think forums could ever be this refined. I honestly don't know if it's the moderators or the posters or some combination thereof, but as I said I am overwhelmed by this forum and am honored to join in. You all deserve a pat on the back. I'm proud to be a small part of this community. Thank you.
Thanks for the nod. Get the Prius. TDI is old-school, and Honda and other even weaker hybrid systems are limited in their abilities. Specifically, Honda lacks a true "full-electric" mode; IMA is inherently less powerful and less efficient than HSD, and Diesel is nothing new. In short, the Toyota (and somewhat the Ford system) is a leap forward into the future. You want to be overwhelmed? Get the Prius. You'll notice its genteel spirit and respect for others. Also, its intelligence can't be missed. Refined? You won't believe the level refinement as you drive. I like to think this forum is a reflection of its owners and of the car itself. When I first showed my Prius to a coworker 2 years ago, he took it for a drive, and concluded, "Wow. This is a good car." And he smiled. I smiled back. Many people say a car is "good" and they mean the car is well-built or reliable. He and I both knew he meant "good" as in implying moral judgement. I think you will find that in general, Prius owners are good people. ;-) Welcome to the club. Nate P.S. I don't know if I qualify as genteel. I can be curt and impatient at times. However, I am definitely a Gentile. ;-)
From a fellow North Carolinian - thanks for the kind words to the PriusChatters. I'm pretty new here so can't really take any credit. I would like to think that the good-nature of most of the posters here is directly related to the fact that they are lucky enough to have a Prius.
Thanks for the kind words! I've found that a lot of folks here on Priuschat are welcoming and kind and helpful. Of course, we get the occasional troll/bad egg but for the most part, 99% of the people on here are fantastic.
Even the Yahoo Prius groups are pretty darn nice--most of the time! The biggest problems there come from off-topic conversations, and that's handled very nicely on this site by Fred's House of Pancakes. Prius owners tend to skew older and more intelligent (and oddly enough, that was true even before *I* got one!), and I guess a spirit of helpfulness is more present in that demographic. We just think our cars are so way cool that we want everyone to enjoy it! (Or maybe we're all a little bit geeky at heart and love to talk about our techie toy!)
I have to say the "Clint" is onto something! PriusChat is almost refined - I too, have noticed the amazing way that contributors conduct themselves on PriusChat. I was in the Navy for two years, some time back - -so I am not easily offended. But I have checked into some other chat sites & felt deeply disturbed at the conduct displayed! I cannot believe the juvenile actions of some people.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Crtnt @ Sep 29 2006, 05:47 PM) [snapback]325841[/snapback]</div> Maybe it's the car. :lol: I call mine my Prius Meditation Chamber. Many have posted how the Prius has made them a calmer, more relaxed driver, and I'm sure there are residuals which carry over into their daily lives too. Welcome out of the cold Crtnt.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Crtnt @ Sep 29 2006, 07:47 PM) [snapback]325841[/snapback]</div> But PriusChatters are surely not all gentiles! It's just the tribal spirit on PriusChat?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Crtnt @ Sep 29 2006, 08:47 PM) [snapback]325841[/snapback]</div> You've come to the right spot and you're considering the right car. Welcome to PriusChat! I come from the Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and, most recently, the SUV (Jeep, Ford and MDX) clans. The Prius is intelligent, efficient, well designed, well built, roomy, comfortable and loaded with technology and convenience features. I started with a weekend rental from my Toyota dealer (drove the Prius to a Chevy dealer to test drive the 06 Corvette - my other choice) and haven't been without a Prius since then. It's not just about cutting edge technology, great fuel economy and near zero emissions, the Prius is a fun car to drive!
He does have some truth. This is the most intellectual and most polite forum I'm ever surfed. Thanks for the kind words crtnt. I hope this forum can be of even greater help in your quest to decide between the vehicles you've mentioned.
Alright everyone, Clint's officially joined. Have at 'im! Seriously. Thanks, Clint. As for the roles played by the Moderators, we try to be hands-off as much as possible. I think that point is proven in the knowledge that - except for Danny - there are only three Mods for a forum of more than 16,500. The bulk of the praise belongs squarely on the shoulders of the members. I hope you stick around for a long time. And what better reason to keep coming back to PC than after you buy your new Prius!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius biker @ Sep 30 2006, 07:47 AM) [snapback]325970[/snapback]</div> Oh yeah!!!
I belong to other boards, but have never had as much fun or gather as much information as I do here. I've chatted with some really cool people and made some new friends as well. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcbrunnhilde @ Sep 29 2006, 08:11 PM) [snapback]325897[/snapback]</div> ABSOLUTELY true! Now go get yoursef a Prius Clint!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Sep 30 2006, 12:53 PM) [snapback]326073[/snapback]</div> ::Begins polishing sniper rifle:: Welcome, and thanks for the kind words! I'd say the spirit you see here is partially due to the calming effect of driving such a great car. However, most of it comes from those original risk takers. Those who first got the Prius and joined the forum were (like many of us) extremely interested in discovering everything they could about the car, and sharing the information in kind... that developed into the atmosphere you see here, and when others (including myself) finally showed up, we felt much the same way you did, so everyone tends to help work on it... if someone steps out of line, it's usualy in FHOP, so no one notices :lol:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Sep 30 2006, 12:52 PM) [snapback]326072[/snapback]</div> I have to say that I had exactly the same thought...
