Nube :)

Welcome to PC. You should be able to answer many questions by lurking about.

Tom

 

:welcome: Welcome to PriusChat Mad Jack!
You're taking the right approach by reading and searching first, but don't be afraid to ask questions (in the appropriate forum) if you need to. We're mostly a friendly lot.

 

G'day Jack the artificial oil man, good to have you aboard.

Maybe you can help some of us with a few oil tips of your own or some Amsoil information. Not sales speak mind you but real information. You have most likely found the hard core guys here who test their old oil, you might like those discussions.

 

Here's the bottom line. Beg, borrow or (rent/lease) steal a Prius & drive it one week-end including a couple hundred mile trip & some city driving. Try it out in several different environments & see how it fits you and your needs.

I was interested in the Prius from day one. I watched it with mild interest in Japan & when it came to the US. A different propulsion system, a little different look, let's see what happens. Maintenance is always extremely important to me, then gas mileage.

Fast forward a few years. Yes I'm still watching & it seems the Prius has proven itself (kind of an understatement). My car is just about done. 19 years old & 165,000 miles. I have driven every vehicle I've owned over 200,000 miles but this one was giving me a lot of electrical problems & I needed something more reliable. So shortly before Christmas, I'm looking for a car. First car I want to drive: Prius.

I went to closest city that has one & I drove a 2008 with some lease miles on it. It was bitter cold, snow mixed with ice & I drove the car at night. Hmmmm. Well, drives ok, but I felt a tad confined although the car performed flawlessly. It didn't get totally de-iced after driving only a couple miles. Wasn't turned off, but wasn't all gushy about it. They wanted me to test drive it a day. I told them I was heading for Kansas & would be gone 4 days. They offered to let me drive car for the next four days. I declined at first, then agreed.

I drove the car in a 330 degree/ quartering 30 - 35 mph crosswind, cold weather & cruise set on 77 mph. I forget my mileage going, but think it was 42 range. I do remember the round trip ended up being 48 mph plus. I purchased the car. They had a deal after several hundred miles.

I was impressed with the ride & handling, quietness (some very mild wind noise under those conditions), and mileage. I hauled a bunch of Christmas gifts home including a carriage for children that attaches to you bicycle.

I found the car was all I expected and more. I purchased at a time in the market that was advantageous to me & financing was cheap. I averaged 1,400 miles a month on my old car. Today I have driven appx 7,000 miles since Christmas. !! I certainly tend to drive more because 1. I like to drive this car & 2. The good mileage tends to suppress your reluctance to drive/burn gas.

I absolutely love this vehicle. Last time I was this much "into" a vehicle was an evolution Harley. It would be a very fine vehicle at 30mpg. It is an outstanding vehicle at 45mpg. Oh, yeah, I get my 50+ tanks of fuel, but average is 45. Drive this vehicle a few days & you will know if it is the vehicle for you. It fits fine for me. Give it a shot. You might like it.

 

Hi MadJack and welcome!

I'm new to PC myself, but after reading your post and the above quote I just had to say that wicastawakan hit the nail on the head there.

On a business trip two weeks ago I needed to rent a car and, since I was in California at the time, where every third car you see on the street is a Prius I decided "when in Rome" and rented a one (a Prius that is). Anyway, to make a long story short-ish: day one, no reaction, complete ambivalence, but day two...something happened. I woke up feeling oddly excited about facing L.A. traffic in that rental Prius and by the fourth day I was seriously bummed about having to return it. That car made me happy. I can't explain it, but it did and now I'm happy to report that I've wait-listed myself for a 2010 model and can't wait!

Anyway, rent one for a couple days and I think you'll find, as I did, that it's really quite an amazing car.