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Anyone buy the Prius not just for the MPG?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by slair, Oct 17, 2007.

?
  1. of the MPG

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  2. It's a Hybrid Electric

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  3. Its "green"

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  4. Just because I liked it.

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  5. Cops dont pull over Priuses because they think they are slow

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  6. I'm snooty

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  7. It's considered a "car of the future" and I like to keep up on technology

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  8. I've been seeing more and more of them in my area and wondered why

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  9. Celebs drive them so I have to also

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  1. slair

    slair Ubër Senior Member

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    There may be another type of Prius owners among us who we haven't thought about before. People who buy the Prius just because they like it, not because its amazing on gas millage, a hybrid, or considered "green". I bought the Prius because I loved the features and looks of it. Ya, the MPG is a definite plus, but it isn't something that I considered when buying it. I drive about 1-2 miles a day so MPG rating isn't really a priority for me. I've read about some Prius owners at gas stations that would go to a pump after an SUV left it and laugh at how much they spent at the pump... Is it really worth making yourself look like a snobby @$$ because someone has a different opinion on what kind of car they like? Who's to say that they only drive in town mildly rather than some Prius owners who drive 50+ miles one way to work, burning more gas, and having to fill up more often. I'm not trying to side with the SUV owners, but I don't believe its respectable for another person to make fun of someone else just because they like something that you don't. They bought the Ford Excursion because they liked it. I bought the Prius because I liked it also.
    I was just wondering if there were other people in the same boat as I am. Dosent really care about the high MPG, but just loves the Prius for what it is. Another thing I have noticed is that the cops dont eyeball me all the time. Even with my illegal tint. I would always be followed around by cops in my tC when I had it packed full of friends. We would be sober and just sitting along for the ride, and I would be harrased. But in the prius, I get none of that. I've actually packed it full of drunk friends yelling out the windows and such, ( I was not drunk, nor have been drinking, this is why I was driving ) quite a few times now, and the police couldn't care less about me. I have a scroll bar on my driving record because back in my younger days I loved to speed, and my record shows it. So the prius is actually a record cleaner car for me as well.
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

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    Like anyone else who buys any other car the decision is multi-factorial. While getting a car with high MPG was part of the decision I never would have gotten a car like the Prius if it hadn't been a high tech and low emissions as well. It was the concept. It was that it met my needs and still was the most fuel efficient thing on the market.

    So I'm not answering your poll...no one answer fairly represents my decision.
     
  3. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 17 2007, 07:10 AM) [snapback]526811[/snapback]</div>
    Evan summed it up for me. The poll didn't fit my decision either.

    My main reason was to push the idea of efficiency and low emissions. To try and push the market in that direction.
     
  4. okiebutnotfrommuskogee

    okiebutnotfrommuskogee Senior Member

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    After driving one for a day, I just had to have it, even though I already owned another brand of hybrid. I can't answer your poll either because no one of the answers fits how I feel about the car. I like the high tech stuf, the utility of the hatch-back, the smoothness of operation, the low emissions and of course the great MPG.

    You need to add another line that says "other" with a box to write in an answer. Better make it a big box.
     
  5. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    If the Prius didn't fit my needs in every other way (except I can't tow with it) I would never have bought it. Saving fuel, well if that is to save money forget that, I paid too much over the price of a Corolla to have been about saving money. I like the concept and the look and the size, low fuel consumption was considered as well.
     
  6. Danny Hamilton

    Danny Hamilton Active Member

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    Same problem here. You need an option that says "None of the above" or "Other" or something like that.
     
  7. Prius101

    Prius101 Paid off Prius Member

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    Or at least let us pick more than one answer! I like the looks and gadgets, but the mpg was my original reason for checking it out. The comfort of the ride was the final reason to actually get it.
     
  8. ACORNBLUES

    ACORNBLUES New Member

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    My reason for getting the the prius was based on cost - $ saved from tax credit, 3% financing, $ saved at the pump, and the utility of a hatchback. I'm not thrilled w/ the cheap quality of the cloth seats (the cloth are stretching/wrinkling!), the crappy cup holders (does not hold cups of varying sizes, outdated MFD, why do i have to switch screens to see the battery charge?! Actually it should be next to the fuel gage.), lack of metrics such as coolant temp, etc.
     
  9. markderail

    markderail I do 45 mins @ 3200 PSI

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    Why, I even started the LOW MPG CLUB !!!

    Drive Fast - Live Fast - Still Eco-Conscious
     
  10. Pinto Girl

    Pinto Girl New Member

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    How about: I used to drive a flashy German sports car, but actually prefer to fly under the radar, and play the role of the underdog...
    :)

    ----------

    I agree with Slair. I don't drive much, either (and the route doesn't really favor the Prius) but there's just something about the car that's "right."

    The mileage and cleanliness of the Prius were definite selling points, but I also love 4-door hatchback automobiles for their utility and shape.

    Maybe that it's a clean sheet of paper design...curious how the engineers would address some things, given the chance to re-think them a bit. And I think they did a great job, honestly.

    There was also the no idling in traffic (the Porsche always sat there begging to go, with tons of heat pouring off of the engine in the back, and it made me nervous).

    Also how the HVAC will operate without having to constantly run the gasoline engine.

    What else?

    The quiet, the smoothness.

    The curiosity about a seemingly benign car that literally polarized a country for and against it, and everything it is supposed to stand for. Anything that's causing this much of a stir, I've just *got* to learn more about!

    Also, from a long-term car-keeper's standpoint, automobiles that are controversial, like ours --especially when it's combined with some different technology, and it's a pleasant car to drive in the first place-- can sometimes become interesting collectibles (if one waits long enough). Sort of like my '73 Pinto has. That one is cheap to run, a bit of a conversation piece, and has that whole 'BBQFOR4' thing about the fuel tank, etc., as part of its legacy...
    [laughing]

    Don't know how the systems in the Prius would age over the next few decades, but hopefully I might end up finding out.

    What finally sold me, however, was learning of the availability of the TRD suspension and a few other TOM's parts. I'm one of those "never leave well enough alone" types, I guess.

    A tuned...Prius...?!?

    To coin a phrase, YES!
     
  11. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    I got it for lots of reasons: low emissions, high MPG, 175" length, hatchback design, safety features. But I never buy a car unless I also love the way it looks. I think that's why I ultimately scratched the other 2 contenders on my list --- Honda Fit and Suburu WRX --- and went with the Prius. I think it looks great, and almost as revolutionary as recent groundbreaking automobile designs like the VW New Beetle, Audi TT and Cadillac CTS.
     
  12. San_Carlos_Jeff

    San_Carlos_Jeff Active Member

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    The only reason I replaced my Acura with the Prius was for the HOV stickers. The great mileage and low emissions are a very nice bonus ;-)
     
  13. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    "Just because I liked it" sums it up nicely for me.

    Yep, I chose the Prius Just because I liked it more than any other car I would have considered purchasing at the time.

    I also think I will keep this Prius for a long time . . . just because I like it. ;)
     
  14. subarutoo

    subarutoo New Member

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    Mostly mpgs. Everything else is a plus...I can't think of any minus.
     
  15. brick

    brick Active Member

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    I guess I "just liked it" for a lot of good reasons. The primary reason for trading my old car wasn't gas mileage (it did fine) but the impracticality of driving a 2-door and constantly wishing I had a way to carry cargo larger than a suitcase. Given that we're talking about boxes and small furniture rather than 4x8 plywood, the Prius is the perfect fit for me. I still have moments of "no, all this won't fit...wait, yes it does!" It's almost as good as having my old station wagon back. (I probably would have settled for a four-door sedan at the time but I'm glad I didn't!)

    Obviously mileage was a factor. I couldn't justify trading my car for something less efficient, and I was already pulling 35mpg from that car without much effort. I think a Fit would have done the job just fine, but those were almost impossible to find. No chance whatsoever. And I don't like the Scion box things very much. So that left the Prius alongside a handful of other small to medium-sized cars that didn't seem all that special to me. 50mpg+ was special.

    There's also a certain elegance to the hybrid system. Maybe it's in a similar vein as what Pinto Girl is talking about as it seeming "right." When the engine needs to work, it turns on. When it doesn't, it shuts down. It saves some braking energy rather than wasting it all, it always chooses the right gear ratio, and it still has plenty of power despite the small engine. (In 15,000mi of driving I have yet to need more.)

    What more could a guy want? I don't feel particularly inclined to compensate for anything. I don't need a daily driver that also goes to the track on weekends. It just needs to make sense for my day-to-day wants and needs. I have a hard time imagining a reason to replace it.
     
  16. inventor00

    inventor00 Active Member

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    I agree with Evan- High tech, low emissions, hatchback (used to have 280zx and 300 zx w hatch) - made it a very desirable car to have back when we got our 2004 prius.
     
  17. Banjoman

    Banjoman Member

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    On July 4th I was in Oregon and met friends with a Prius. They said they got 47 mpg driving there from So. Cal. When I returned I heard a news story that Al Gore's son was arrested for driving his Prius at 100+ mph! On July 7th, I bought mine. Any car that gets 47 mpg and goes 100+ mph is the one for me! The only "green" I'm interested in saving is greenbacks.
     
  18. LoreePrius

    LoreePrius Junior Member

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    I wanted a hatchback (or 5-door). The prius looked funny looking in the beginning but it grew on me. The gas mileage won me over! :D
     
  19. Bill Lumbergh

    Bill Lumbergh USAF Aircraft Maintainer

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    I don't particularly care for the looks of the Prius, but it has plenty of room and is incredibly cheap for me to drive. It gets the job done. I really do like getting good mileage.
     
  20. aaf709

    aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Oct 17 2007, 07:14 AM) [snapback]526813[/snapback]</div>
    I voted, but Evan is correct. There should have been one for "Some of the Above."