Top 5-10 Reasons why you Bought a Prius

1. Wife's 2001 Echo was getting 'long in the tooth'
2. Good deal (not great but good enough)
3. Already have 2003 Prius and very happy with it
4. Awesome new technology built-in to ZVW30
5. Beat the dollar devaluation
6. Knew we could afford it

Bob Wilson

 

My Mercedes diesel wagon has 316K and the leather is starting to crack. We needed a reliable, comfortable ride. I've had only one other new car in my life and being retired I thought it was time again. We wanted something that would do the least amount of polluting. We wanted to help advance the state of the art and so we were trying to hold out for a PHEV. Alas, we couldn't wait any longer and when the Gen III came out we went for it; and very glad we did... what a great automobile!

 

1- Save $$$. Exactly! I drive 1K per week in my Prius. In 3 years, it will not only pay the extra cash I spent to buy it after my trade-in but will also save me about $1K in gas assuming a gas price average of $2.80 (very generous) over the next 3 years. Keep in mind that if you have a short commute, chances are you will not save any money at all by replacing your previous car to the new Prius (to "break even" was not a consideration by many folks but it was for me!).

2- Cargo room.

3- Decent power for a hybrid.

4- Being a Honda guy for years I figured Toyota would offer the same or better level of reliability and value.

5- Green attitude.

6- Prius chat folks convinced me it was a good idea to buy it after several overtly enthusiastic, yet educative debates

 

1 Radar Cruise
2 Price
3 FE
4 Reliability
5 Other tech (LKA, IPA, etc)

 

1. It was the nicest car we could reasonably afford. Our original price range was way below the cost of the prius, but if you consider fuel savings over the life of the car, we felt that the prius allowed us to have all sorts of great things that weren't available in other cars because of the fuel savings long term.

2. It has enough room for cargo and dogs and a decent back seat to comfortably accommodate my elderly parents. It has comfortable and flexible space.

3. Reliability (great historical reliability, no belts, brakes last forever, etc.)

4. Safety (good crash scores, abs, traction control, brake assist, lots of airbags)

5. As someone here has as their signature, "The prius is the least obsolete car we could buy for under $100,000." Buying the prius had an insurance-like quality to it. If gas goes sky high, we will at least have a fairly efficient means of tranportation. If gas stays artificially low, we still save plenty to make up for any added cost initially.

 

1) cash for clunkers (clunker was worth $2k - gov gave me $4500)
2) low cost of ownership
3) cool yet sorta proven technology
4) not as common or boring as some other midsize cars (Accord/Camry, etc)
5) insurance against rising gas prices (this could fall in under #1)

 

1) FE
2) New stronger/lower-maintenance beltless engine
3) Easier to park than a Cummins Diesel Dodge Ram (my trade-in)
4) Toyota Reliability (fingers crossed)
5) Fear of the unknown (refer to reason 1)

 

I considered other cars that fit into the same total cost of ownership range, like Yaris, Smart, Insight, etc. What drove me to the Prius:

1) Total cost of ownership (purchase price + maintenance price + fuel price)
2) Previous positive experiences with the Prius from friends
3) Larger size compared to other cars with the same total cost of ownership
4) Previous positive experience with Toyota in general
5) Wanted to feel good about my carbon footprint

...that's about it. Fuel economy was a consideration of course but only as part of the big picture. If I had known the fuel economy would be this good, I might have gone with a III or IV, as I am now actually saving money compared to buying a smaller car.

 

1. My commute is 160 miles everyday. My Prius payment is less than $100 more than I spend in gas for my GM car.
2. I recently spent $1800 repairing the head gasket on my GM car with 75000 miles.
3. I'm a cool nerd and my car should reflect that...
4. I need a sunroof because I spend so much time driving that I feel like I'm in a tomb when I drive my GM car
5. Because I'm sexy.

 

1) Wife said it needed to be a four door (for kids)
2) Wife said it needed to be fuel efficient
3) Wife said it needed to be reliable
4) Husband decided the 2010 Prius was cool enough for him
5) Husband wanted the 17" wheels and splurged on a V with Advanced Technology Package

 

2010 Prius

1. Because I love my 2007 Prius so much.

2007 Prius

1. Comfort and styling (i.e. attitude) as compared to its competitors
2. Fuel economy
3. Environmental considerations
4. Toyota's reputation for quality
5. Uniqueness

 

I only have 3.

1. fuel efficiency
2. resale value
3. the car impressed me in the test drive

I was holding out for the Honda Insight. I had been reading info on the production of the Insight weekly for 2 years. I test drove it & was not impressed. So then I thought ok I'll start looking into this 2010 Prius. Read about it & was lucky enough to find a dealer that had one to test drive the week it was released. I drove it & was really impressed. I placed my order after the drive.
I had driven a second gen in the past but didn't like the breaks or the feel of the steering so I never considered that model. I loved the civic hybrid's interior but wasn't going to pay more $$ for a car that didn't get the best gas milage ... I mean that was the #1 reason I bought the 2010 Prius!

 

1. It was time to think about buying a new car. I figured if we were going to do that, it was going to be one with the best darn FE out there that could fit the four of us comfortably (read no compact). I was originally thinking another Camry, but after starting the research the Prius better fit the needs and wants. Asked the neighbors about their 09... very happy. Test drove the 10 and was instantly hooked. Found PC just a few days before buying and that sealed the deal.
2. Size overall.
3. Advanced.
4. Perhaps the footprint thing.
5. The darn deal just went so smooth I would have to believe there was divine intervention.ray2:

 

(Inspired by yadax3 above)

Reasons for buying the 2007:

1. Great FE
2. Cool techno-gadgetry
3. I'm geeky enough to really like the styling (interior & exterior)
4. Toyota reliability and safety features
5. All of it for a great price -- what else could I buy in the price range that had the advanced technology?

Reasons for buying the 2010:

1. See the "Reasons for buying the 2007" above (My 2007 was better than I imagined it would be)
2. The 2010 was bigger, more powerful, had more gadgets and got better FE
3. Did I mention the cool gadgets? (got the AT Package)
4. Improved safety (especially with the AT Package)
5. The exterior look is significantly better than the 2007; the interior I'm getting accustomed to
6. Toyota made me an offer I couldn't refuse

 

1. I lost my car in an accident. The IS250 was t-boned by a, irorny of all ironies, Toyota Landcruiser, so my insurance co. declared it a total loss.
2. Wife said we needed the space. Thought about a replacement IS but the backseat is non-existent in that car.
3. Fuel efficiency. I'm averaging about 1.5 visits to gas stations per month.
4. Technology. Available features were more impressive than the Honda Insight or Civic Hybrid... Leather, navigation, sunroof, solar panels, EV and PWR modes, the HSD!
5. Quality and reliability.
6. It runs in the family... wife has a Gen II Prius that she loves.
7. Impressive ride and handling in comparison to previous generation Prius and other Toyotas in general.
8. Those catchy commercials... well, maybe for a small bit.

 

1) Toyota reliability
2) FE
3) styling of 2010V
4) fits my long range financial plan for retirement
5) it made me smile when I saw it.

 

Just got my Pkg 2 Silver/Dark Gray last Monday.

1. To replace my 15yr old Integra with 300k miles.
2. FE, I don't even bother to look at the Insight.
3. Reliability.
4. Wrap around dash.

I'm so excited I can't think of anything else.

 

1. Sending my money to Japan instead of Exxon/Saudi Arabia/Venezuela.
2. Future-proof: Retains its blue book value better than just about any other car out there.
3. Mileage: My company, at the time, was paying 60 cents per mile driven.
4. Mileage: I'm doing my part with keeping the garbage out of the air.
5. Technology: It's just a cool car if you like gadgets.
6. Toyota quality should be in the top 3. Oops!