Jeep Junkie thinking of purchasing a Prius - HELP ME!

I would like to expound on what was previous said. If you are just using the Jeep as a transportation vehicle and not for any off road stuff, etc. then it is a waste of resources. Also to further the mantra of this cult, by getting the Prius you are doing the environment and this country a favor even if it means a small amount of sacrifice.

Oh, one other thing... Which package are they trying to sell you? If one of the main issues is cost maybe there is a lesser package you could be totally happy with if they are trying to sell you a 'BC' package. Also, watch out for port options, in some regions they can drive the cost of the car way up.

Excuse me now, my grape juice is ready. :lol:

 

I think if jeepgirl is so hell bent on owning a Wrangler, then she should probably buy one. That will leave one more Prius available for someone who can really appreciate it.

 

she'll think about the Prius as gas prices start going up...

 

Unleaded regular is already $2.30 (in my neighborhood, anyway). And as the Jeep girl pointed out, she's not going to recoup the price differential between the Wrangler and the Prius anytime soon.

But we're not dealing with a rational choice, here. We're dealing with one person's love of the Jeep image. We know she never drives off the pavement; otherwise, she would never consider a Prius. She likes the image she presents to the world in her Wrangler: a woman mastering the quintessential masculine vehicle, like the consumate horsewoman in total control of a powerful stallion.

As for the rest of us (nerds), how many of us would have bought a Prius if the thing didn't also happen to be the ultimate gadget? I doubt that I would have done so. The Prius fits right in with my digital camera, PowerBook, GPS receiver, nautical navigation software, smartphone, digital video camera, and all the other electronic gizmos with which I surround myself.

 

Hi All,

Now, now, let's be nice... remember we WANT her (and other's like her) to decide that this is the right car for them and being less than friendly about it is not a good way to help.

Believe me, I am as much a Prius Pusher as all the rest of us have become and I really want to see everyone who is considering the purchase of a new vehicle to be getting a hybrid... any hybrid. It is the only way to send the message the way it needs to be received via the pocketbook.

Ok, so she may be teetering on the brink of another Jeep, lets not push her over the edge and into an auto she will not only regret but we will regret in the long run. Not all of us were certain that the Prius was the car for us until we owned one.

I think that the most important thing to remember here is that she came to us to get reasons why she SHOULD get a Prius. Things beyond fuel economy and making the environment feel good.

Let's remind her that this is probably one of the most trouble free cars on the market today. That it is unsurpassed in safety, resale value and has some wonderful features that even cars twice its cost still don't have available yet (SKS anyone?).

Let's tell her about how good you feel driving the car, how nice it is to go out to a parking lot and see that the coolest car in the place is yours. How much fun it is to have perfect strangers come up to you and start a conversation just to find out more about your car. How easy it is to drive.

Let's share some of our enthusiasum about this car and why we love it. I think if we try we just might land this one and we would all be the richer for it.

Take care,

Tisza

 

Buy, or buy not. There is no "torn".

 

i first looked into the prius because of Toyota's track record with quality cars.. then safety.. then value.. all the rest fell into place after that. it helped develop my love for gadgets.. although the prius is my only gatdet.. besides my Motorola V551 which replaced my Zire 71... but the Zire was given to me *shrug*

As for problems with the Prius. all recalls should be completed on any prius you purchase by now. So.. no flaws.. my center console material came up.. but they are replacing that. I have an 8 year 200k mile warranty on my car.. 200k mile warranty.. so.. battery dies.. fixed.. engine.. fixed... not many cars last that long. But.. suppose you don't drive that many miles.. ok.. you still have several years on it.


In the long run, the major savings would be 1. no transmission to replace 2. no timing belts to replace. there is none 3. Fuel. In my case i save 2,000 gallons a year. For many, it will be a lot less 3. Brakes. They last over 100k miles. 4. Oil. Changes are every 5k miles. You can wait even longer if you are using sythetic

ok.. so i'm getting tired.. lol.. i'm already warned people of my nonsense when tired. lol. But... it all adds up. It's extremely reliable.

There is a taxi owner who had a classic prius. I was the most reliable car he ever had. It was also a lot less cheaper to run. This comming from a person who drives his car a lot.

I myself drive almost 200 miles a day. 0 problems. tire wear.. but that's my fault :/ hmm.. maybe i should take it easy on the tires. no more autocrossing.

Overall, you'll get attention in the prius. It won't be the woman mastering her vehicle.. but if you have a BC package.. it will be keyless entry and start. People are stunned by this when i tell them.. it will be stealth mode while driving residential.. and parking lots.. it will be the conversations you have at the pump when filling it up

as people have mentioned. the prius has a really high resale value. when you get it.. you could sell it for the same amount soon after. .. well.. you could sell it for more if you wish.

Jeeps are good too. I know people who own jeeps.. but.. i don't like the big 3 anymore.. this comming from someone who grew up with Fords... and possibly that Calvin symbol peeing on Toyota... *shrug*.. i didn't now any better. lol.

 

If you are looking for great mileage, you might not get as high as many of us get. You mentioned that you fill up the jeep twice a month. That suggests really short trips. Prius doesn't optimize it's MPG until about 5-10 minutes into a trip. You should achieve at least mid 30's even if all your trips are under 5 minutes though. If your trips are over 20 miles, but not often driven, then you'll get 40's to 50's MPG.

Just something to add to your consideration.

It is really a cool car. Whether you get a Prius or not, I probably would trade up your Jeep. As you said, why pay more years for used when you can get new?

If you do buy a Prius, there is no reason to pay any more than MSRP. With your willingness to get something else other than a Prius, you should be able to pay a little less than MSRP, or get something thrown in, like free oil changes. Try dealers just outside your area. Probably why that dealer has Prius on his lot is because he overcharges.

But whatever you decide, if it makes you happy, go for it.

 

My 2 cents: had a Jeep for 10 years, loved it...time to move on. Had a 2-door Pathfinder for 3 years...loved it time to move on...now have THE best car out there for one year...would never have thought I'd love a vehicle as much as those past two. Either you want to help the environment, do the green thing, save fuel , get us off imported oil...or you don't. I've seen the light and it's a no-brainer from where I sit now. I don't miss the 4WD or the macho image or the rock-crawling. I've evolved. So has my transportation. Now I'm smug when in traffic knowing I'm polluting less and consuming less. Our choices now WILL affect the future. Love my Prius!

 

Bardgal,

You asked about reliability. Well, bare in mind that anytime something bad happens to somebody's vehicle, they post here to get others opinions. That is going to make reliability look awful. Consider that I don't open a new thread every day saying that my car is running wonderfully. But if I did, and everyone else did you would see that the vast majority of these cars are beyond reliable.

Some of the negative posts you see are about people doing things to their cars which will cause the master alarm to go off but are not catastrophic, such as not tightening down the gas cap after filling up, or trying to put the car in a drive mode when they have the door open.

But reliability goes beyond the surface of not having any problems to date, it is also about the overall engineering package. The Prius uses a special hybrid transaxel which basically don't shift. It isn't a transmission in the sense that there are specific gear ratios created by combining different gear groups or belt groups together. Both of the motor/generators working together with the gas engine allow the computer system to optimize ground speeds and power source mix. It is hard to describe here, but there are various sites which describe it well. Maybe some of the more technical posters can give you a heads up. I learned most from this site: http://www.wind.sannet.ne.jp/m_matsu/prius...e=en?Country=US

I tend to be a very visual person and the above site was very helpful. I hope your have updated your Java Virtual Engine lately because if not it won't work very well. Anyway, the point is that there are areas of this car which are very reliable because it has done away with conventional mechanics in favor of new approaches to mechanics. Transmissions are usually a weak point in overall vehicle reliability. If you eliminate a conventional transmission and replace it with something better, you definitely create a vehicle that should last much longer.

People ask about battery life. Toyota has thought about that also. The main traction battery is basically designed to last the useable life of the car. Estimates are floating around out there, but it is anywhere from 10 to 15 years, or longer. The on-board computer system is designed to never over charge or undercharge the battery, thus prolonging its life. In other words, if the battery display is full you are only really at about 80% charge. If the battery display is totally empty, you are at about 40% charge. The vehicle likes to keep the battery between these points, thus preventing memory effect in the battery.

Anyway, the point is that unless you are a mudder, or serious offroader, the Prius will serve you very well for a very long time. I'm sure of it.

 

I'm gonna have to differ here. With musical backup:

Practical Car lyrics & mp3

 

I traded my 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee for a 05 Prius. The Prius is much more fun to drive and I save $200 a month on gas. Because I was leary of the high-tech items I purchased the extended warranty and because it is a Toyota I don't worry about anything else.

Jump in, the water's fine.

 

And I traded my '97 Jeep Grand Cherokee toward the Prius. With a 90 minute one-way commute, there really wasn't any contest.

Plus, unlike your Wrangler, I had SO many things go wrong with my Jeep that I've sworn never to even entertain buying another one.

Although, a hybrid Wrangler might be kinda fun...

 

Don't know if bardgal has made up her mind yet, but if she hasn't...

While I am certifiable about my Prius and would love to welcome yet another convert to The Truth And The Light, etc., I wonder if, given the lady's strongly expressed feelings about Jeep Wranglers, she would be truly happy with a Prius. It seems as though the two vehicles are so different that it would be quite an adjustment to switch (I've never driven a Wrangler, or for that matter, any SUV, so perhaps I'm mistaken).

In any case, I wish her all the best in her automobile purchasing journey and I hope she can keep us posted as to her decision. And if she does decide to join the forces of Automotive and Environmental Goodness, so much the better!