To buy or not to buy

When I bought the 2001 Prius in 2001, I was in the finacial position to get ANY car on the market. Most people at work drive BMWs and other sports cars. I considered the A4 and the VW Passat as those models were closest to matching what I wanted. Just before I reached a decision I read about the Prius due out in the fall, it was late spring at the time. I waited. Ecomobile is who I am. Techno is who I am. The 2005 is my type of car. My point is worry less about what other people think of you and more about what you think of yourself. If the Prius is right for you, don't look back.

Keep cool.

 

A contrarian view:

I like the Prius because:
1) My wife likes it (I liked her Passat better)
2) Good for the environment
3) Cool factor
4) We might be able to use it solo in the HOV lane

Notice how I didn't mention handling or acceleration. When I NEED those I drive the BMW. Make sure you keep the EVO for when you need the fun.

 

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Here's what you do. Forget the crotchies and the mitsu. The Prius is a revolutionary vehicle. It is the beginning of an engineering concept that will only become better and more refined as time goes on.

My suggestion: Get your friends interested in making these cars (Prii) go fast and handle well. Have Prius drag races. Do Prius road course races under SCCA sanctioning. Develop formulas...i.e....define a competing class by restriction/allowance. Check out the SCCA formulas. Include formulas for fast with fuel efficiency. Many new hybrid cars are coming. It can be the hybrid competition between Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy..etc.

You know, the Prius holds the land speed record for Hybrid vehicles. A paltry 131 at Bonneville. Beat that. Have fun while consuming less fossil fuel or pumping toxic emissions into the atmosphere.

I raced Can Am and Indy cars for a few years. I would love to see speed/handling competitions based upon hybrid technology. Go for it. Hybrids at Indy.

 

wanna trade me a evo for a prius its silver

 

Jordan,
My suggestion is to get the Prius and save the zero - whatever neck snapping to the closed race course.

You shouldn't have any problem convincing your Dad it is worth it. You are much more likely to stay alive to see your 21st B-Day if you aren't driving a car that says 'faster, faster' in your ear. I suspect the difference in insurance rates for a 16 Y/O male between the Prius and the Evo should suggest that the statistics support my claim.

The Prius has more than enough power to get you where you are going, even illegally fast. The temptation in a Prius isn't "How fast can I get to 60 MPH" but "How can I get to 60 MPG" You drive to a vehicles' design.

If you drive a Prius:

• My $0.04

 

Chicks dig Prii.

Even 12, 14 and 18 year old daughters of friends are captivated by Prii!
All three don’t know each other, but say their friends like Prii too - yet the Prius isn’t a “chick car†like the New Beetle or Mazda Miata.
I think it’s the cool “world community†factor at play.
Since when have 12 year old girls been into cars????

 

Well, just take a look at this from Car and Driver:

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?se...2&page_number=1

 

OK I am now old, well sort of, but I have driven a few cool cars in my days and none more fun than my Prius. My roommate in college had a SAAB 95 with a 3 cylinder 2 cycle engine it was cool because we took that ~400 cc engine car to the drags and raced it against vets and GTOs and won! They could not stand the advantage we got and jumped the lights. My friends had a Sunbeam Tiger, an original mini Cooper that I drove. If you want a hot car look into the Sunbeam Tiger. My mom had a 65 Mustang that became mine for a while. Well the list goes on. I have driven great cars and my new Prius is as much fun as any. My niece loves it, she is your age and thinks it's hot! This is a car that goes and is defiantly a statement. I have it on good authority it is a chick magnet, and with chicks that are the kind you would like to be around for more than a night. I would guess that one with traction and stability would do great in a road rally (been there done that and it is fun) and SCCA and autocross would be fun in this car. Lots of room for fun in this car. Of course fun kills that 50+mpg stuff but 40 is not bad and fun is good at a any age. Go for it!! Have fun and live.

 

Yes, tell the sales person that for every gouging dealer there are 10 or 20 or 30 that don't and you are willing to wait for one rather than line his/her undeserving pockets.

 

Don't be the follower, be the leader. Just because he is older doesn't mean he is wiser. I, however, am a LOT older than your brother, like 30 years older, so I am much wiser. Listen to me instead.

For real: Don't bow to someone else's definition of 'cool'. (Don't answer these if you wouln't want your parents to know the answers):

• Peer pressure just the same as "If it can't do 0-60 in 6 seconds, it is a wuss and so are you."
  
  For real: NO one NEEDS 0-60 in 6 or 7 seconds. NEVER. Maybe it is fun to go fast; head to the roller coaster. Most people with big HP really do feel the 'need' to use it even though the "arrival time" will not change appreciably. Unless they get to talk to an officer about reckless driving, speeding or the accident they just caused. Then you'll be waiting for them to show up.

 

SyZyGy -
I don't know if you're for real or not. You can't drive yet, but you have a sport bike and your dad's giving you an EVO? Assuming this is true, why don't you just get the Prius as well and drive whatever you feel like on any given day?

If you must choose one car, you're nuts to get the Prius IF you have any interest in performance.

 

So, add the hybrid to the stable!