Wife won't drive my Prius

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ronald56 @ Jul 18 2007, 11:54 PM) [snapback]481380[/snapback]</div>

There are several things you might say, if this is a reaction that is amenable to facts and logic.

I mean, if she just just likes being in a big vehicle, not much you can do about that.

A generic SUV-vs-Prius argument is not really what you want. You'd like to compare the data on her SUV to the data on the Prius. For example, based on injury claims experience, the Prius appears safer than the average SUV, but there are some SUVs with lower claims experience. Putting that another way, based on accident claims, the Prius appears at least as safe as the average SUV. But your wife doesnt' drive the average, she drives what she drives.

Then, if you got the vehicle stability control (VSC), note that research suggests that cars with VSC get into fewer crashes, fewer fatal crashes, and far fewer one-car (run-off-the-road) crashes than similar cars without VSC. Exactly how large the VSC (ESC) impact is depends on the particular study. Google VSC accident reduction and see for yourself whom you believe. Does her SUV have VSC? If not, that's a major, major selling point for the Prius.

What I'm saying is, if this is just the way she feels, well, there's no arguing about taste. But if she thinks she's making a logical decision to go with the safer vehicle, then there is a good chance (but not a sure thing) that the Prius actually measures out as the safer of the two vehicles. You just have to poke around a bit on the internet to find the data. The IIHS gathers insurance claims data and crashes cars, private sector. You already have URL above. The NHtSA does that for the Federal government, http://www.nhtsa.gov.

Finally, if the Prius isn't noticeably better than her SUV, then you can talk about "what price safety". I find it funny that people will perseverate on this one tiny aspect of auto safety and ignore: all the other things that contribute to auto safety; all the other vastly riskier things that you do; and the very low overall probability of serious accident if you don't drive drunk or speed, particularly if you live in an urban area (car crash deaths per capital are much higher in rural than in urban areas).

Think of all the people who buy an SUV for safety (and thereby reduce risk by a few percent relative to a midsize car), then drive like a bat of of heck (and thereby increase risk several-fold relative to not speeding.) Clearly, a rational attempt to minimize risk is not driving that set of actions. The perseveration on size as a safety factor, I attribute it to advertising, to a covert desire for conspicuous consumption, and to the fact that a good gory car wreck is a must-show on the TV news. So every blessed one of 'em gets press coverage. So you can one-up the Joneses with a bigger vehicle under cover of concern for your family's safety and everybody's OK with that because we all see car wrecks all the time - on TV.

But if you actually look up the statistics, likelihood of death by car is low. Here are the averages from NHTSA


Driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles 1-3 years old, 2004
Vehicle, size, Rate
Cars
Mini 117
Small 98
Midsize 68
Large 67
Very large 50
Pickups
Small 118
Large 100
Very large 104
SUVs
Small 68
Midsize 65
Large 56
Very large *
*Insufficient exposure for estimating reliable death rates

That's per million vehicles, per year. Half those decedents were drunk, and almost all the rest were speeding (you can find that in other NHTSA summary reports). A highly disproportionate number were in rural areas. If you don't drive drunk and don't speed, and live in the city, likelihood of death by car is small. For myself, I estimate that my annual likehood of death from all other causes is roughly 500x my likelihood of death by car accident. Basically, I buy something reasonable. I drive reasonably. Beyond that, I have far better things to worry about.

 

It's an age-old question...

 

My wife hasn't driven the Prii either, and now just uses the Tacoma for errands. It's not because of size, she "says" she doesn't want to do the first ding. (That's already happened moving bicycles in and out of garage.) I think it's due to the technical nature of Prii, but she is getting used to it. She does enjoy riding in it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ronald56 @ Jul 18 2007, 08:54 PM) [snapback]481380[/snapback]</div>

There's a post around here that shows what happened when a Prius got hit TWICE in quick succession. First by a SUV, then by a big commercial truck (about the size of a UPS truck).

Result? The Prius was totaled (any car would have been), but the passengers were fine.

 

Dude,
I'm 6'-0"
250 lbs
50" chest and 40" waist
theoretically I routinely travel long distances at 90+ miles and hour
even with my 6'-3" buddy in the back
Never elt unsafe.

So how big IS your wife and how BIG a car would it take make her feel safe???

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusincc @ Jul 19 2007, 08:51 AM) [snapback]481596[/snapback]</div>

My Dear Hubby doesn't drive the Prius much, either... says it is because he will NOT be the one to put the first scratch or ding into it.
I think he's also a bit worried that, at first, his MPG will be lower than mine.

Or, it could be that he truly enjoys being the passenger!

 

Even if it doesn't convince her, I found repeatedly crashing the various vehicles found at the Consumer Reports crash test site to be entertaining, fun, and cathartic. It looks like the ratings for the '07 Prius are exactly the same as the RX350 and the Mercedes M class.

(The Consumer Reports site was originally posted to this forum by Slair in this post. Never thought I'd say this, but... Thanks, Slair.)

 

There may come a time when you need to take her car to the shop for maintenance/repair, leaving her with the Prius for the day. What will she do then? I had a similar issue. I explained she needed to be familiar with the Prius, just in case. She has agreed to reluctantly take it on short rides periodically.

 

Just you wait. A year ago my girlfriend (former SUV driver) thought these things were small, underpowered, and "stupid-looking." So obviously I bought one anway . Then she drove it, and then she complained that I didn't let her drive it enough, and then she finally gave up and bought her own. Yesterday she complained that her gas mileage is lower than mine because she can't help but drive it fast. :blink: But she loves her 48mpg clean machine to death.

Point is things change. For now enjoy your freedom from posting "my S/O screwed up my gas mileage!" threads. Just don't make any effort to push her into liking it because it never works.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jul 18 2007, 10:54 PM) [snapback]481365[/snapback]</div>

Only if you put both names on the title. Something I would never recommend.

Enjoy "your" car for as long as you can. Sooner or later it will become "her" car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Jul 19 2007, 06:08 PM) [snapback]481932[/snapback]</div>

Depends on the community property laws of your state. Here in WA, whether the spouse's name is on a car title or not is immaterial... everything belongs to both, and both are equally liable (the reason, I suspect, for your recommendation).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FiftyOneMPG @ Jul 19 2007, 08:04 AM) [snapback]481497[/snapback]</div>

Separate gas credit cards.

 

I am so glad I don't have to worry about this sort of thing.

Another good reason not to get married.


Just drive your own car and worry about something useful - like "Why does my spouse soend my money? or Why does my spouse drink too much?"

 

I, on the other hand, am I wife that does not let the hubby drive MY Prius!
I got "sick and tired" of having to take our '95 Benz from one mechanic to another, I wanted to sell it, the hubby wanted to keep it, after it was all said and done. So....I said "keep it" and "I am getting myself a new car".
So, I did and here we are.... The Benz is his, and the Prius is mine.
He was a passenger in it about two times, complained about the non-adjustable seats, he's about 5'10" broad and thinks its just "too small" for him. Whatever.
Now that I think about it...his driving would ruin my mpg's.
See? married people can work things out.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Jul 19 2007, 08:08 PM) [snapback]481932[/snapback]</div>

Jim,

Why would you never recommend putting both spouses names on a title? I ask because as others have said, this tactic won't protect you in a divorce. Everything you own is considered communal property and equally owned unless there is some sort of prenuptial agreement before the marriage. Not to mention that if you are planning and preparing for a divorce it doesn't say much about your relationship and marriage.

What not having your spouse as a co-signer will do is prevent them from building any credit. That is not a big deal until the couple splits up or a spouse dies.

I'll give an example: Some friends of the family were married for over 40 years. He owned a business, in his name only, and she was a housewife and raised 4 children. She was never named on the mortgage, on a credit card, a utility bill, a car loan, nothing. He made the money and paid the bills, she took care of the house and family. All was well until he died in his 60's. Suddenly she had to change everything to her name but the problem was that she was in her 60's with no credit. Suddenly companies that the couple had done business with for decades found her to be an unacceptable risk. She had to pay a security deposit to all her utilities because she had too low of a credit score. All her insurance rates when up because she had a low credit score. She had to get a really high rate car loan because she had no credit. All of this on top of the personal and financial hardship that comes with loosing a spouse.

So there is the downside of keeping your wife's name off the financial and legal documents. What is your reasoning for it being a positive?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ronald56 @ Jul 18 2007, 08:36 PM) [snapback]481334[/snapback]</div>

Leave her !! my girlfriend made fun of me when i was telling her i was getting one because of that southpark episode when Kyle's dad was driving one around and waving at other prius owners and smelling his own farts :blink: till she drove it now she wants one too

 

I'll add my $.02 --

Would she feel safe in a Camry? Or is that also too small?

One day when I was just starting to consider getting a new car, I happened to park my old Camry next to a Prius and was surprised to find that they were almost exactly the same size. The Prius is a bit shorter and not as wide, but the difference literally is inches. I confirmed this by doing a comparison on fueleconomy.gov, which compares vehicles in terms of EPA gas mileage estimates plus all sorts of data available from edmunds -- engine details, brakes, tires, whatever. There was a whole section comparing the interior and exterior dimensions of both cars, and they were very close in both respects.

So if a generic midsize car like a Camry is okay with her, then there's no reason the Prius should seem unsafe.

And by the way, my brother-in-law worked for years at an auto body shop on Long Island, and he told me that the day after any snowstorm, the shop was guaranteed to be filled with SUVs that had crashed in the bad weather.

 

Educate your wife:

Size doesn't matter.