What Car Did You Drive Before Your Prius?

BMW 318i E46. I don't miss it at all. It was cute, but my Prius is cuter. My Prius has waay more features believe it or not.

 

I drove a Chevy Venture van! The Prius is much better, although in the van the kids didn't seem as loud as they do now!

 

Since my wife gets the Prius most of the time it goes something like this....

She drove a 2005 Beetle convertible (Dark Flint edition) -- I inherited that as my daily driver - 24 city/30 highway. I'm still pretty happy as I was driving an F-150 Lariat Supercrew every day. A really nice ride, but 14 mpg and 30 gallon tank was killing me. Had to run the pump twice to fill up -- cut off is $75 with credit card at most pumps around here. It is still in the garage as I need the truck for towing / hauling.

Looking at a 2010 model for me in a year or two. Then my daughter will likely inherit the Beetle.

 

I rode the school bus.

 

2006 Audi A4 Quattro...

I LOVED my Audi, but alas our romance was meant to end with the lease. I told the Audi dealership, and Audi International, that should they embrace hybrid technology, I might be around again. But I feel it's imperative that we support this important technology, so 'Hello Prius!'

 

Prior to my 2005 Prius:

2001 Toyota Camry XLE
2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder (most fun car I owned, but couldn't haul even my golf clubs)
1997 Lexus ES300
1993 Eagle Vision (ugh)
1989 Suzuki Sidekick (double ugh)
1985 Acura Integra
lost track before that...I know I also had a Toyota Celica GT hatchback
Honda Prelude circa 1982 (first car with a glass power moonroof)
Honda Civic (circa 1978)
Ford Mustang (1972)
Ford Pinto (1972---totalled after 3 months)
Ford Mustang (1966) THE best car EVER!

I love my Prius, although I'm sorry it doesn't have leather (not an option back in 2005) and all the Nav stuff.

I miss my power moonroof, although we rarely use it on my wife's vehicle (Lexus RX 350).

Is the Prius the most luxurious car ever? No...not even close. But I paid $24,000 for it (plus the full tax CREDIT)...so you can't compare it to my wife's $46,000 Lexus.

Am I comfortable in it? Yeah, most definitely. Do I insanely LOVE the 52-52 mpgs I get? Yah...isn't that the overall reason to buy one?

I have my name on the list at my dealer for a 2009 version, fully loaded. And, if necessary, I will put my name on the list for a PHEV 2010 version.

My wife is actually sick of the price and gas mileage in her third Lexus RX (300, 330, now 350) and is considering a Prius.

21 year old college daughter has a VW New Beetle...also considering a Prius next time around (on her dime, however...LOL).

 

I personally bitched and moaned about the lack of driver seat adjustment (see the 2010 Prius section), but after renting a 2008 Prius 3 times and adjusting the seat better, it works well for my 6 ft 3 in frame. I feel like a million bucks driving my 09 around. I could dare say a telescopic steering wheel would be nice, but I'm not going to complain, I'm driving a Prius!

Very, very few people do not like their Prius.

Have you test driven a few times or rented from a Toyota dealer for a day or two?

Oh, I came from driving a 1988 Toyota pickup and Yamaha FZ1 motorcycle, both of which I still have.

 

1990 Ford Probe LX (bought new). A nice car with power seats and a systems monitor which told which door was open, which light was out and what fluids were low. It was a hatchback and you could drop the rear seats down like the Prius. Still, it was a two-door and I realized that my next car would be a four-door.

Prior to that, I had a 1967 Mercedes 230S and before that a 1967 200 Diesel.

 

Most recently a 2002 Tundra 4WD extended cab, w/LSD, ABS, and TRD off-road package. (Also had an F150 V8 Supercab briefly but it sucked a$$.) Before that 1991 Nissan 240SX/SE modded to perfection. Before that 83 then 86 Plymouth Reliant, before that a 1973 AMC Ambassador. (Anyone who wants to know why AMC went out of business should have the opportunity to drive one of these.)

I still drive the Tundra frequently as the wife gets the Prius preferentially. In comparison the Tundra can seat six for short trips (I really wish the Prius could do this, or even handle five comfortably with a car seat or two in the rear.) The Tundra can go off the beaten path when needed. The Tundra can haul an amazing amount of stuff when I put my siderails on and this has been very helpful on multiple moves over long distances. The V8 will launch it hard when needed. The Tundra allows me to see much further and guess less about what is happening in front of me. But I don't miss paying an extra $70 to fill up the Tundra for the same distance, and I like the quiet nimble character of the Prius.

Loved my 240 once I modified it (chip, intake, exhaust, strut brace/sway bars, shocks/struts, beefier clutch, V rated tires.) It was very light, had a 0.29 drag coefficient (very low for the time) would fly and handled like it was on rails. Looked bone stock so it was a lot of fun kicking the snot out of unsuspecting turbo and V8 sports cars. It was an awesome car before the kids came along, loved the hatch and all the gear I could put back there on camping/diving/astronomy trips. Managed to get this non-LSD vehicle in and out of back country places it never should have managed to go without ever getting it stuck (keep the throttle moderately down in the mud and rally car on through.) I won't be treating the Prius the same way of course. The 240 even after mods got respectable mileage on the interstate (30+).

Wish I had all three of these today. The Prius will get the most use and is a lot of fun in its own right (the kids love it and want to play with the displays while I'm driving), but I still need the Tundra for various trips. If I still had the 240 it would be for when Dad get's a wild hair up his butt and wanted to run some twisties at the limits of adhesion. That car fit me like a glove and was some of the best fun I've had with clothes on. (Completely undriveable in ice/snow with performance tires.)

 

Waiting on 2005 Prius: Hopefully in next 2 weeks

Currently driving 1997 Honda Accord V6 (okay car now 200,000 miles) 22-25mpg
Previously 1994 Isuzu Trooper 14mpg city, maybe 18 hwy
1996 Honda Civic EX (loved it) 38 mpg

 

My previous car is (still have it) a 02 Mazda Protege-5. Since it is similar in body style, nothing missed there. The ride in the Prius is softer, but the Protege handled like a rail-road car (tracked well) on the strait-away and like a high-end sports car on turns. It is a gas to drive. The Prius on the other hand requires constant vigilance to keep it in the center of the lane on the strait-away, making it extremely tedious on long Interstate Highway trips. In fairness to the Prius, it is in the shop being looked at, but has been there before with no joy (they check the air in the tires and send me on my way). If I can't get it fixed properly, I'm going to start screaming soon (and will probably sell it - just too much of a pain-in-the-nice person to drive on trips. -dave_m

 

New Body style Jetta TDI. Absolutely loved it. Just sold it. Didn't like the price of Diesel...didn't trust it. Awesome car for 3 years though, lifetime REAL AVG MPG 42.

 

Did you inquire about stiffening the suspension and picking a different set of tyres ?

 

1994 Honda Civic
1987 Mitsu Mirage
Peugeot 104, about my age

wife:
1996 Subaru Impreza. Still in family, used as rare second car and for 'truck' duties

 

Hi - I go the call yesterday. My Prius will be here in a couple of weeks. I currently drive an Escalade pickup. I love the truck but the gas mileage just doesnt make sense to continue to drive the 25K-30K I put on a vehicle with only me in it.

I can't wait for the Prius. I did rent one for a couple days and I was pleased with the roominess and performance.

 

previous to my '08, I had an '02 classic Prius bought used in '04...before that a monster of an SUV...Isuzu Trooper..maxed out with every bell and whistle known to dealerships..as comfortable as anything I'd ever driven...

but...

when I took the '02 Prius out for a test drive...I just knew it was right, it felt like going home...

walt Q

 

2004 Mazda 6 Sport

Loved it, but I was getting 17 mpg for whatever reason. Even when I took it easy on the pedal. Got closer to 30 on highway.

 

2000 Maxima GXL - drove nice, but even with a light foot I only averaged 21 MPG around town (50 MPG now). I still miss the leather seats after a year, but the Prius is better in so many other ways.

 

We got rid of a '99 Passat Station Wagon and an '04 Toyota Sienna. Instead of a two big car family, we're now a one Prius family.

 

-'73 Saab Sonett III - Amazing how much fun you could have with 74hp. Fiberglass body 2 seater, FWD, I swear my head was only about 2' off the ground. Really wish I still had it. Sold it for $300, needed reliable transport :-(

-'96 Ford Contour SE Sport V6 5Sp - Surprisingly great car. Very true to its Euro roots, really fun to drive. Amazingly awful service at multiple dealerships in multiple states

-'99 Ford Contour SE Sport V6 Auto - Amazing how quickly Ford destroyed this car by cost cutting. SE used to share common platform with SVT version, GL and LE were on a cheaper platform. '99 SE was on lower platform, no stick available. Should have test driven more.

-'89 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible - My daily driver on the 405 when we lived in CA. The ultimate beach car, top down year round, loved it. Still have it but not kept up and rarely get to drive it.

-'99 Land Rover Discovery I - Awesome for exploring the SW deserts. Slow as anything, but great visibility and offroad performance. Ran difficulty 7-8 trails stock with heavily modded Jeeps no problem. Sequestered in back yard so no one has to suffer the effects of 14mpg/Premium only.

-'05 Saab 92X Aero 5sp - Love this car, hate its emissions and mileage. Saab styling, all Subaru WRX under the skin. I usually end up driving this car now, as the wife won't give the Prius back. Can get 22mpg if you can keep your foot out of it. I can't, so I get about 18mpg. Will probably sell soon, buy her a Camry Hybrid or new Prius.

Rob