Going from a BMW to a Prius: thoughts?

haha... the prius is a great $hit test for women... folks in LA are clueless... they calculate net worth based on what model of Mercedes or BMW you have.. little do they know that most are driven by folks up to their gills in debt with little to no real assets.. trust me the 8 figure guys are more likely to be driving a Prius.

 

slower?

 

For example, Mike Scioscia (the Angels' manager) drives a Prius and he makes a ton of money. And many of the people living in Santa Monica make a ton of money and drive a Prius. (Maybe not the 8 figure people, but definitely the 6 figure people). The underlying thought is that you can't tell the net worth of a Prius driver.

But unfortunately, we L.A. folks still make our decisions about you if you drive a Mercedes or BMW vs. a Prius. So, if image is in the OP's interest, that has to be given some consideration.

The other thought is that many of the expensive cars driven by the younger crowd were purchased by their parents. They have no debt but they also have no assets that their parents didn't pay for.

Mike

 

I've ridden in and driven my friend's 1989 535i with well cared for leather seats. I wouldn't say my fabric seats are worse than the bimmer, maybe even better. However, I will say the Prius driver's headrest is perhaps a tiny tad too far forward into the back of my head.

 

I also went from a BMW to the Prius. Still have the BMW but I may sell it soon. It's an e46 3 series with a 5 speed and sports package so quite different from the Prius. They are 2 different cars but I don't miss driving the BMW when I'm in the Prius. The Prius is perfect for commuting in traffic and I can use the HOV lane. The BMW is perfect for the track or curvy roads which I rarely encounter. I don't find the Prius boring at all to drive either.

 

Everything will be worse except the mileage.

 

You want to attract women, get a puppy, not a Bimmer!

 

LOL! Problem is, I don't like dogs nor any pets. :/

 

At least you didn't say you don't like women!

 

I just did; went from 12 years of a BMW 323 Ci to a 2012 Prius Version 3. I am not happy, and try to feel better by thinking of the mpg and the larger cabin. Really dislike the marshmallow suspension, or facsimile thereof, and the loose steering. I don't trust it. Yet I am grateful I can drive a new car and that I can put regular gas into it. Lots more space. But no fun at all, to drive. Perhaps a penultimate driving machine.

 

So air up the tires to 44/42psi or swap to a 17" wheel.

 

How many A list movie stars own a Prius? Of course they own other cars as well. The moral of the story is when you pick up and start dating a gal with a BMW and you own a Beach house you got to wonder is she a gold digger. However when you have more assets than a hedge fund manager and keep a low profile in a Prius than you know the gal diggs you and not your money. This is another fringe benefit of driving a Prius.

 

I find it intellectually entertaining.

 

apples vs. oranges. the prius is designed for fuel efficiency and low emissions, but toyota throws in some goodies on the highest trims (like plug in, radar cruise, LED lights, heads up displays, upgraded NAV) to entice the "luxury" crossover buyers. yes, my PiP is a really fun car to drive albeit for different reasons than the merc it replaced.

no prius is going to have great 0-60, a sweet cockpit, and a rich door closing sound. but i also don't miss the chronic Check engine lights, insane cost of repairs, service A/B, low mpg.

 

Perhaps another advantage of a Prius is when someone dings the door in the parking lot your heart drops but in your 650i your blood boils.

 

I traded in a 328i with 6 speed and sport package for my Prius a few months ago. The only thing I like better on my Prius is the mpg. I think the interior plastics feel cheap (even compared to non luxury brands) and the ride reminds me of economy cars in the 80's. If If I had a shorter commute I'd have probably sold it already just because the ride bores me to tears, and probably will anyway within the next 6 months since I bought it cheap enough to not lose anything.
All that being said I think it more than serves its purpose and understand why it has the fan base it does. I think it is also a sign of some great stuff in the future.

 

(From someone who is NOT a BMW fan, but has a driven a bunch including the Z4 and current gen (F30) and previous gen 3-series (E46 and E90) and also used to own a car that had plenty of power w/good handling brakes...)
If only someone created a full hybrid w/FE similar with 40+ mpg combined, made it RWD, gave it a low-end luxury car (or better) interior along w/good handling and steering feel combined w/Toyota reliability, there'd be a market for that.

 

IMO nothing on the Prius is $12,000 worse than my 3 series, and nothing is $25,000 worse than my 5-series.

 

It's called a Lexus CT200h. Except for not being RWD.

The CT has a much tighter suspension, better seats, higher quality materials, and a Prius engine. One of the things I noticed in looking at the engine is that there seems to be a lot of extra space there. Like maybe Lexus is ready to put the Camry hybrid engine in there is a few years?