Why did you buy your Prius?

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My first criteria for selection was safety. Both the wife and I wanted ABS and any other traction control available. It also had to be automatic. Next, in my mind, was that it had to be distinctive. Didn't want any of those common cars, but still had to be within my budget. This ruled out all the luxury cars, which is really what my wife wanted.

So you can see that fuel economy and emmission control was way down my list. However.......

Once I had read up a little on hybrids, these two became a much more important point. It really became a no-brainer when you look at the Prius - distinctive, safe, lots of neat things normally only found in luxury cars, and finally, really good fuel economy.

 

1) Changed job. Longer Commute.
2) More gas station visits in the middle of rush hour in dense traffic. Really painful.
3) Decide (in 2001, while at gas pump) next car will be best possible MPG car possible...but still family car.
4) Lo and behold this new "Prius" line at Toyota. Other than the mixup between 42 hwy and 52 city, I'm sold.
5) Find out I'm mixed up, not Toyota.
6) Pass Gas Station routinely.

 

1. I needed a new car. I was in year 10 of owning a 1996 Saturn coupe with over 175K miles on it, and hubby and I were looking to expand our family in the near future and the coupe was just too small for anyone/anything to comfortably fit into the back seat.

2. The price was right. I was looking at other midsized sedans such as Accord, Camry and Mazda6. Checked out a Prius in a parking lot (and did some research) and realized that for the same price as a similarly equipped Accord, Camry or Mazda6 (all around 28-29K for all the options I wanted) I could get a Prius and pay less for gas (per tank) and get more miles out of that tank than with any of those cars.

3. Reliability of the Toyota brand.

4. Roominess of the hatch area.

5. Carpool/HOV lane stickers.

6. The cool, futuristic look.

Did lots of research, checked out PC and ordered one in Sept 2005 sight unseen. I was able to test drive one later that month and it confirmed that I'd made the right decision. My Prius arrived in February 2006 and I haven't regretted my decision. (I should note that several Priuses matching my critera arrived between Sept and Dec 2005, but I wanted to hold out until 2006 to take possession in order to get the $3150 tax credit that became available 1/1/06).

 

I bought my Prius on a recommendation from a friend. I was looking for a new car after my last car was totalled, a sporty Nissan econobox. With gas prices still at a decent level, I wasn't too concerned about consumption at the time. I decided to give the Prius a test drive, and I have never looked back. I was reeled in by the technology and fuel economy. I was able to afford the Prius since I got back any money I paid into financing my last car from the insurance company.

 

I thought that it would be really cool to have a car that was better for the environment, and that was economical.

Oh, and the geeky factor, of course.
And, the safety ratings.
And, oh, it's a Toyota, and I'm disillusioned by the "Big 3"

And, it's CUTE

 

Bought the Prius since there is still no modern, long-range EV to own as our second car. And our back-up car had to be able to drive to the boonies and back. The size of the Prius was perfect, and is certainly the best car that fits our "second car" needs.

We suffer the crappy mileage and high pollution by not driving it much.

 

There is another recent thread discussing this subject.

Main reason for buying a Prius?

 

1 to drive the new technology
2 to show off the new technlogy
3 to support the new technology
4 to modify into a phev
5 to brag about the low emissions
6 to brag about the mpg
7 to reduce emissions
8 to spend less on gas

 

I bought one simply because Leonardo DiCaprio has one, and he's soooo dreamy!

 

We bought a Prius due to the great gas mileage. We also wanted a car that had good safety ratings. We will buy a second Prius if and when Toyota comes out with the next generation and if it gets at least 10 mpg more than the current model.

 

When I put $49.99 in my 2003 Eclipse in early May, I decided the time was right to go for the best gas mileage possible - and that was the Prius! I did a significant amount of research, even looking at E85 vehicles and decided that the 20 cent price difference between E85 and straight gas coupled with the scarcity of E85 stations ruled those out. I stumbled on PC during my research and "the rest is history." I actively searched for a used Prius for about a month after test driving one in early May. After that test drive, I put the search into high gear but had a great deal of difficulty actually finding one to buy. On 6/6/07 I found and bought my baby, "Tink," and it has been love ever since. Not only do I get 2 to 2 1/2 times the mpg, I also don't have to shift hundreds of times a day (my Eclipse was a 5 speed, which I LOVED.) I also have much more room now and don't have to boost myself up and out of my car! ATMs and Drive-Thru windows are more accessible. AND my dog is loving his enlarged back seat with his own windows to slobber out of. All around the trade was a wonderful idea - and to think it was mine! My husband was opposed at first for a variety of reasons (primarily because it WAS my idea) but now he is the first to sing "Tink's" praises to anyone who gets within earshot. Ain't life grand???

 

I bought mine because one of the people I admire most has had one for years. He inspired several of us and in our church there are now eight of us driving our Prii.

We lost Gary three weeks ago to heart failure. There were a whole flock of 'em in the parking lot at his funeral.

Lou,
who has a beautiful gray '07 pkg 5, and is averaging 53.7

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Jul 20 2007, 07:28 PM) [snapback]482607[/snapback]</div>

Laughed so hard that my wife just ran in to make sure I wasn't having a seizure.

 

Our 10 year old van was dying, so I started looking for another one. I've been waiting for the chance to get a hybrid car, but no hybrid minivan was available in the US.

We went to a Toyota dealership to test drive the hybrid Highlander. Didn't like it at all.
On the way out the wife asked since we were already here could we check out the Prius. I said sure why not.
It was love at first drive, though I didn't say anything because I didn't think it would fit our situation.

Back at the house that night the wife commented, "You know, we already have the SUV for camping trips, getting a Prius for everyday driving wouldn't be such a bad idea. If you want to get one, my only request is that it has leather."

I said, "Honey, you sure?!?"
The rest, as they say...

Post note: Last July 4th we went on a five day camping/boating trip. Sure glad we took the SUV. The Prius would NOT have been able to handle the extremely rough and muddy off-roads we took (with four bicycles in tow to boot!). The locals had to confirm what we were driving before showing us where the "real" kayaking area was...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jul 21 2007, 12:02 PM) [snapback]482588[/snapback]</div>

In some way our road rules help - the max speed limit here in Aust is 110Kph (approx 70 mph). Go over it, and you can almost guarantee being caught, because the cops are real keen to catch speeders - real good revenue for them - the fines start at around $200 and go up exponentially (I will ignore the fact that a large percentage of all the road deaths are speed related).

Certainly the topography helps - what we call a mountain, most of you would call a hill, and certainly most of us do not need to worry about snow. Here in Sydney we are complaining about a cold winter - it has got down to -2C (approx 30F) overnight on all of two days , and we still have an average max of 15C (approx 60F) .

 

We had a 2003 325ci BMW which we loved but as it neared 50K, we investigated the extended 2 yr maintenance warranty and BMW had raised the price from a quoted 925 to 1450! I knew that even if we purchased the extended maint warranty ( we already had a 100K mechanical warranty) that after 2 more years I would sell it because the ongoing costs are just too high. So this was the straw that broke the camel's back! However, I had in the back of my mind that when I sold the BMW that I definitely wanted a Prius because of the environmental impact of non hybrids. I dont do alot of driving, but decided that it was the right thing to do, a statement of sorts.

Victoria

 

1 to make a statement about myself re: technology
2 to make a statement about myself re: environment
3 to make a statement about myself re: how cool I am
. . .
11 to spend less on gas