I have betrayed you all...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boulder Bum @ Nov 17 2007, 02:17 AM) [snapback]540860[/snapback]</div>

When I bought my Prius we had 2 kids. Just a week after picking it up, we found out #3 was on the way. I know some have fit three car seats in, but I was just not able to make it work safely. The seats were jammed up against each other and there was no space between the doors and the seats. Having the car seats actually be the crush zone was not something I wanted to consider.

So, was I able to "get by"? Well, sort of. Other than not being able to pick drive all three kids safely, of course. When it was just me driving back and forth on my commute, then yes, it was perfect.

As for why I got it in the first place... well probably for the same reason most of us here did. I love the technology and of course the gas mileage. I was also commuting a long distance every day, so it just made sense. My commute now is much, much shorter.

But as the family grew I realized the severe limitations the Prius had. Was it a great car? Of course, I loved the Prius. Now if it was only a couple of feet longer and a bit wider, and had a third row of seats... With 2 kids it would have been perfect, with three it was just too small. It's that simple. I would have no second thoughts to buy one again, as a third car, if my commute again gets long. But we need the room.

What it came down to was that we were having to do with a single car, and that simply wasn't working. We needed one now, not later. For me the ideal would have been the Yukon hybrid, but they are not out yet, and I couldn't wait until it did (early 2008 according to Chevy/GMC). Yes I know it "only" gets 25 mpg, but for a full size SUV that's pretty good. Right now I'm only getting 16 mpg, and at $3 a gallon, of course it sucks. But we do what we have to do.

I bought a car based on my needs. The top two were safety and space. If good gas mileage comes along with it, great, but for me it was not the deciding factor.

Anyway, the fact is I already have the car. I am fully aware of all the different cars you are telling me I should have gotten instead. I can tell you that I drove nearly each and every one of them, some of them twice. Either the particular model/features I wanted were not available or they simply weren't what I needed. And of course now I'm paying for it because nearly every day I had a different dealership/manufacturer calling me and asking what they could do to get me into their car. I hate to hear the disappointment in their voices when I tell them I just bought one. (OK, not really...)

So here is where it stands. I am happy with the car. Yes, I do regret that the mileage is so bad, but I do not complain about it when I fill up. When I see Prius I do think about hte great gas mileage, but I am happy with the space I have now. We have comfortable room for everyone and everything. If we had been in a situation where time was not an issue, then yes, I would have waited. But as it stands, there are NO hybrid full size SUV's out right now. If there were, and one would have given us all the room of the Navigator, then I could understand the criticism.

And as far as waiting goes, I know how some here think. Even if I had waited the 3-6 months for the Yukon hybrid to come out, they would have said that I should have waited for a bit more until the next car comes out that is even better. Of course then there would only be a short wait until the newer and better next car. And so on.

Regardless, while I appreciate all the discussion, it really isn't anything new being said here that wasn't said years ago when I joined. Even today, hybrids are a trade-off. You gain some, you loose some. This car serves my needs now. In a few years when there are a plethora of hybrid/electric/hydrogen full size vehicles, then I'll get one of those. But for now, this is the ideal car. For me. Not you.


And, as promised, here is that picture of the Navigator vs. the XC90. For those who said the Navigator is not much bigger than things like the HiHy and so on, here is the proof. The XC90 is close to those in size. The Navigator is not.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Nov 19 2007, 04:30 PM) [snapback]541653[/snapback]</div>

That's the one. I used to have an Explorer, and beleive it or not, the Navigator gets better mileage than the Explorer did. Granted, the Explorer wasn't exactly set up to be fuel efficent, but then I could drive over pretty much any obstacle (probably including a Prius ). It was fun, but it was extremely impractical. It was a 2 door, and did not have any safety features other than it was a block of metal. Crush zones? That's what the other car was called. Well, it did have airbags.

Anyway, speaking of mileage, on my drive today I averaged 22 mpg. It was primarily highway, but still, that's pretty good considering the size/weight of this thing.

Also, I found two negative things about filling up this beast. And no, paying for it is not one of them. First is that most gas stations limit a single transaction to $75. Never had this experience with the Prius or Volvo (or any other car really). I had to start a second transaction to finish filling it. Of course it was only $2, so it wasn't much more. The second bad thing though is if the station doesn't have the little latch to hold the handle in the open position. Your hand gets pretty tired holding the filler so long. Now I know that some of you are preparing some witty/sarcastic/complaining/whatever remark, but this is supposed to be funny. If you take it so seriously that you feel the need to post a response to the fill-up...


I've been reading all these posts, and I've noticed a basic trend in the style.

1) Supportive (only a few, but then I wouldn't expect otherwise on here)
2) Negative (both from people whose opinions I value)
3) Negative (simply for the sport of it, these are the most fun)

Then there are a few which I just don't get, like this one:

"I had to go back to the first post for another look because I couldn't believe anyone would pay money for something so ugly, sorry but it is butt ugly. I'd have bought a 1998 suburban ahead of this thing, it has more style. Oh well each to his own. Will you drop it to the max and a set of 30 inch chrome billet wheels shod in licorice strap tyres? How bout hydraulic suspension and a chain steering wheel? Big fluffy dice and some bullet holes? Pimpin' dawg.
No matter what you do to it how will you get past the Daihatsu Applause looking rear end?"

What is the source of the extreme spite here. It has to be more than simple disdain of the environmental impact. What are the emotions underlying a post like this? Is it just anger? Is it jealousy? What exactly is it that causes people to develop this level of hatred of a vehicle. I have never understood this. "Pimpin' dawg"? Well since you asked, yes, my dogs do like the car. I can actually fit both of them in at the same time now. Comfortably. But seriously, can anyone explain in a reasonable manner what spawns such fierce emotions about a car? :angry:

Anyway, regardless of what the reasons are for this level of hatred, it doesn't matter. This attitude will NEVER convince anyone of anything, regardless of the topic.

I mean, this whole thread was meant to be amusing, as should have been obvious by the title. Honestly I really don't NEED approval from anyone. I'm happy with the car and it provides everything I need and want in the manner that I want. Of course I could have done things differently. But the fact is that I didn't. I (and my wife) made a choice that was fitting for our lifestyle.

People commented things like I could have gotten an Excursion for less. Yes, but then it would have been used. I don't buy used cars, as I feel you never know what you are getting. I only bought one used car, and that was from my parents. Since I put a number of miles on it myself, I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting. Otherwise though... Like i said in a previous post, this was the best option for me. Everyone has a right to disagree. But also remember that I didn't ask what I should do before I bought it.

I figured it would be funny to should "how far the mighty have fallen," to use a well known phrase. Of course I don't see it as falling, but that's just my opinion. From my perspective, other than gas mileage, the Navigator is the better car all around. Now I must qualify (although I shouldn't have to) this by saying that it does not mean the Prius is a bad car. Far from it. It is a wonderful car. Had things been different I would simply have bought another. But since they were what they were, I decided to get what I felt was best for us.

So if you have something amusing or informative to post, go right ahead. Or if your criticisms a of the constructive sort, please post. Or if it's about anything at all, like how many quarts of Norwegian Lingonberries you can fit in the back of the Navigator (with 3rd row up or down?), then go ahead. But if it's just a bunch of hateful crap, please spare us all, including yourself, from wasting time.


And conclude, I have decided my first mod. Lincoln (Ford) has a factory iPod interface called TripTunes Advanced. Let's you do all the same stuff as the VaisTech or Dice(?) unit. Should be getting that soon.

And 30" chrome billet rims shod with licorice strap tyres (tires)? Well, unless I can eat the licorice (my favorite candy, I've nearly eaten enough to put myself into adrenal insufficiency!!!), the answer is no. My limit is 24 inch rims!


Be happy everyone!

I am.