Anyone buy the Prius not just for the MPG?

<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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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of the cloth seats (the cloth are stretching/wrinkling!), the crappy cup holders (does not hold cups of varying sizes, outdated MFD, why do i have to switch screens to see the battery charge?!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.

 

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

Drive Fast - Live Fast - Still Eco-Conscious

 

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!

 

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.

 

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 ;-)

 

"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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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!

 

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.

 

<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."