Are you driving a Prius because you're Green or Frugal?

One reason I bought my first Prius was because I wanted to make a statement about oil. We were stuck in another war in the middle east and sending our young men to die for big business to profit.
I felt we needed to go in a different direction and say screw big oil.
I am A Vietnam vet.

 

True. But, it depends on the basis for the comparison. I traded in an expensive sports sedan. As with most sporty cars--this one being a higher end mega--the costs to run and maintain are very high. Going from that car to a Prius Prime, I'm saving tons on gas, about $210 per month, tons on maintenance--brakes every 25k @$700, tires at 20k @$1000--and if anything minor breaks when the warranty is up on a luxury brand, it starts at $1,000 and goes up from there. For me, I'm looking at an earlier than expected retirement--so the massive savings generated by switching to the Prime from the luxury sports sedan fit like a glove. I could have gone cheaper--much cheaper by purchasing something like a used Honda Fit, or the like. But the new Prime Advanced was a great compromise--buy new, get the extras I want while cutting costs by tons over my previous ride, and keeping the new Prime until something major/cost prohibitive happens. I'm aiming for 300,000 miles--I plan to post the happenings with this trek right here on PriusChat! Wish me luck--I hope we all get 300k trouble free miles!

 

How about neither, exactly?

We needed a car the size of a Yaris or Fit etc. I was disappointed with both of those. My wife didn't like the style of the new Accent. We gave the prius c a whirl and we both loved it!

The fact that it is a hybrid is merely coincidental. If anything I expect that to become a bit of a hardship with regards to future repair. Toyota dealers aren't common around here and I haven't found a single independent mechanic promoting their hybrid chops within 50 miles.

I know I'm new here but the more I read, the more I think the prius brand is just a way to market cars to nerds.

Another choice missing in your questionnaire: California HOV lanes. I used to live in Los Angeles, and I still visit frequently for business. I have a number of friends and associates out there who drive electric, and every single one of them picked it for the sticker & lane rights. They would line up to buy a car powered by an unshielded nuclear reactor and the hearts of orphans if it allowed them to hover over traffic.

 

That's a bit of a odd statement, since basically everyone is a "nerd" based on the rate technology is accepted now.

Camry hybrid is packed with tech too, as well as pushing a sporty look. How is perceived?

What about the 2019 appearance change expected for Prius?

Keep in mind that early on, the biggest non- hybrid draw aspect was that it was the only midsize hatchback against look available in the US market.

 

Bought our Gen II in 2004 for "green" reasons.

Since gas prices were higher then, and it replaced a pickup that got 15 mpg, and we kept the car for 13 years, it actually paid for itself in gas savings (that won't be the case for most people).

Then, we just fell in love with Prii.

Bought our 2014 V for more cargo space and our 2017 Prime because I've wanted a plug-in since I first heard about people converting their own cars in the 2000s.

 

That's a pretty good point. The amount of tech being spackled into new cars today is pretty extreme compared to just a few years ago. So perhaps it would be better for me to say it started out as a way to market cars to nerds.

 

I’m not sure what a nerd is ? But Iv had a Prius now for 13years. I have always been frugal. Never believed in waste. The Prime suits my needs exactly, being green is a nice plus, having a spotless tailpipe that emits almost nothing is fantastic. No smell, no mess, no noise, now if they could only arrange for chicken soup to come out of there ! On Coast to coast a guest said things will get intolerable to life by 2021 Unless we do something.

 

Incidently, Were Hawking, Einstein, Fermi nerds ? if so we need more. I don’t understand them but I love them.
Just what does E =MC squared mean anyway?

 

I never had the chance to meet any of them, but I have a hard time imagining that they weren't at least kind of nerdy. Please understand, I'm not using the word in the pejorative sense- I count myself as a nerd as well. I bought in, after all. Don't let the avatar picture throw you.

 

The avatar is way cool, nobody would ever suspect you of being a nerd, but, you always have good posts.

 

Yeah, both ECOs, that's ECOlogy and ECOnomy, were contributing factors for deciding on purchase of Prius. But in the end, it all boiled down to EGO. I just wanted feel good about my purchase and driving it around to satisfy my needs. If I really, really wanted to be ECOxECO, then I should have bought a bicycle. LOL

 

judging by the talents of so many members here, i'd say nerd is typical, and compliment. i definitely don't fit in.

 

I thought it was the next logical step up from diesels.

 

Not true, you have your own kind of nerdism.

That cat is definitely a nerd

 

I joked around about getting a Prius for a while. When I started actually looking at new cars, it seemed like a better and better choice. I knew I didn’t want a civic, corolla, or anything in that category. I wanted a car I wouldn’t have to maintain for years that got good gas mileage - and one that felt luxurious enough with the right amount of trim to justify buying a brand new car, that I would be happy with for years to come. It came down to a CPO bmw, new WRX, current generation Prius and the Prius prime. The prime has everything i was looking for and I couldn’t be happier.

 

Throughout my life, I have driven small cars with huge interiors. (Ford Falcon 2 door S/W, Mazda 808 Mizer S/W, Maxda GLC, Ford Escort S/W, Toyota Corolla All-Trac S/W, Subaru Forester) Both my Prius have followed this trend. Despite this clear trend, folks want to stereotype Prius owners in other ways

Gen 1 Technology freaks
Gen 2 Save the Planet attention seekers
Gen 3 Save gas money misers
Gen 4 Connoisseurs of Ugly

Once you start listening, very few owners actually fall into these stereotypes.

 

Hear, Hear!!!!

 

A bit of environmentally conscientious, and a whole lot of 2 weeks between visiting gas stations. (range in other words)

 

Absolutely! Gas station once a month is my motto!