People who trade in an SUV for a Prius

I just wanted to interject with something that caught my eye in dnoh's story:


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dnoh @ Apr 24 2007, 01:32 PM) [snapback]429096[/snapback]</div>

You actually think he's well educated?...sound like he's an idiot actually and is typical of the kind of person most of the world sees us as being. And how you can call this lame jack**s a friend when he belittles you is beyond me.

Its these people, and not the rednecks, who are the most danger to the world.

I'm sorry if this was mentioned before, but I'm running behind and won't get a chance to read the rest of the thread til later.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SandMan @ May 21 2007, 06:11 AM) [snapback]446535[/snapback]</div>

We only had our new 2007 Prius for four days now (less than 150 miles on it now) and like I said in a previous post we are TWO drivers, had TWO SUV's and decided to get rid of the "nicer" one (Acura MDX Touring w/NAVI) because of it's "premium fuel only" requirements and the fact that that powerful, but gas sucking V6 got 22 MPG with my Wife behind the wheel but only 19 MPG with "aggressive ME" !!

All this past weekend, while driving around town and the highway, we have been extremely "watching" OTHER vehicles on the road and believe me, down here in Florida there are quite a lot of gas-guzzling Ford F250 and F350 pick-ups, GM Suburbans, and of course quite a few Hummers, but there are also lots of "older" widow and widowers that have their passed-on spouses big Buicks, Olds, Lincolns, Caddys, etc. These are another "group" of gas guzzlers, but some of these older folks can afford the extra $$ for the gas, others (on a fixed income) just forced to drive short distances. All-in-all NOT that many MiniVans down here as there were 5 years ago but the big, gigantic SUV's like the Escalades are still popular with (gotta be careful how I put this.....) "minorities" as well as "the rich" !! I still see a few gas-guzzling (Premium fuel only) Beamers, Audi's, Porsche, etc. but all-in-all lots of Toyota Corollas, Honda Civics, Ford Echo's, etc. (which is a "good" thing to see !!)

MOST people (like us) are just so frustrated with the gasoline prices but are just NOT in the "position" to sell (or trade-in) the gas-guzzling SUV. For a long time we wanted a Prius, way back last year in 2006, but we were buying a house back then and certainly NOT in the position to take on any additional loan, no matter how small. I bet you more than HALF of the present SUV owners "WISH" they had a more fuel efficient vehicle but just can't afford to trade-down or sell what they have. Like I wrote before, we took a big, big hit "trading-in" a vechcle ('03 MDX) purchased in Feb. '03 for over $45K and getting LESS than $20K from the dealer on trade-in..... we really hoped (and thought, thanks to Kelly Blue Book) our used MDX would have been an "even swap" for a new '07 Prius Touring, but when the dust settled, we had to pay a few thousand more in addition to the trade-in.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bgdrewsif @ May 20 2007, 08:45 PM) [snapback]446346[/snapback]</div>

I am sorry for my poor grammar. Yes, english isn't my primary language as you can tell. I'll be little more careful next time.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ May 21 2007, 07:33 AM) [snapback]446546[/snapback]</div>

It is all supply and demand. With gas prices approaching all time highs, vehicles like the Prius are in demand and SUV's are not. Any dealer that takes an SUV in on a trade right not knows there is a good chance that it is going to sit on the lot for a good while before it is sold. The longer it sits, the less they make, so they try to ensure their margin by giving you a low trade-in. It is just economics.

On the other hand, if you are in the market for an SUV right now, you can almost name your own price, especially on a used SUV. Heck, the whole used car market is soft right now becuase of the huge dealer incentives and rebates that are being pushed down from Detroit. People are buying new cars rather than used because of the lower interest rates.

 

I think there are lots of reasons why people choose to buy a big gas guzzling SUV verus a fuel efficient hybrid. Reasons I trade my 03 Toyota Sequoia for a 07 Touring Prius is because of several reasons. First we need it for towing my boat, second transportation for my family and my in-laws and third gas prices is not what they are now. Since I sold my boat last year I no longer need the big suv and due to raising gas prices I just can't see driving a big suv as a commuter for work. So we decided to get rid of the SUV, we could have bought a midsize BMW, Lexus or mercedes, but we decided on the Prius because of one reason, its to help reduce pollution, globle warming and reduce gas consumption.

 

Who cares why they buy one, as long as they do.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wayne60014 @ May 21 2007, 12:22 PM) [snapback]446702[/snapback]</div>

The exact reasons that my Wife and I purchased OUR new 2007 Toyota Prius Touring (Pkg. 5) four days ago !! (mainly the reduced gas consumption !!) B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ May 21 2007, 10:09 AM) [snapback]446737[/snapback]</div>

CONGRATS on your new '07 Touring Prius. You will love it, I've had my alittle over a month and I drive it more than I drive my 07 XLE Camry.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wayne60014 @ May 21 2007, 02:09 PM) [snapback]446777[/snapback]</div>

Thank You Very Much !!

I like the "front end nose mask" (a.k.a. bra) you have. Here in Florida we get (TWO times a year, for about a one month period each time) these very, very acidic insects called "Love Bugs". They were actually imported years ago by the University of Florida to "rid" some other insects and the entire experiment failed terribly............ These "Love Bugs" attach themselves rear-to-rear (to mate) and just fill the air with millions of these things, clogging radiators, A.C. coolers, and worse of all, they are sooooo acidic they can (if left on your paint for any length of time) "eat right down (corrosive)" to bare metal........... yep !! They are the worse thing (besides ants and roaches) you'll find around here (Florida) in addition to the deadly spiders and small, killer snakes (Pigmy Rattlesnake). Every night my Wife comes home from work, I am out in the garage trying to "remove" these "sun-baked-on" dead, splattered bugs............ Meguiars Quick Detailer and a damp rag (or windex in a pinch) can help get their acidic, splattered juices off the nice paint !! You should see the vehicles of people that DON'T CARE......... like utility trucks......... thousands of black bugs splattered all over the front of their vehicles, including windshield. Try to use wipers and it "smears", even with Prestone BUG REMOVER "window washer" !! Like I said, each night, for a month and this is TWICE a year, we have to go through this. People buy "bug SCREENS", "bug Deflectors", all kinds of items, but the "bra" will work the best, although they still get through the cooling openings and get wedged into the radiator fins and block it up after time............. :angry:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ May 21 2007, 11:33 AM) [snapback]446794[/snapback]</div>

You don't seem to have a lot of love for those bugs.

 

"perhaps they climb dirt roads to go into the woods to save baby owls?"

Hysterical. Positively.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dogfriend @ May 21 2007, 02:49 PM) [snapback]446805[/snapback]</div>

Seriously, they are so acidic that they have NO natural enemies..... birds and lizards WON'T eat 'em !!

If you really want to find out some very interesting info. about "Love Bugs", please visit:
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/lovebug.htm

 

How about this quandary:

We have a 2004 Prius (replaced a 95 Escort used for commuting). We kept the Ford, but it has >200K miles and is aging.

We also have a 2000 Grand Caravan (not a SUV, but it only gets about 16 MPG.) We bought that because so many people said you 'need' a big car if you have chldren. Well, this car is now 7 years old - and has 30,000 miles on it.

Here is the quandary. I would like to replace the Ford and the Caravan with anohter Prius. However, if I am interested in 'protecting the environment', aren't I doing more by keeping the van, since anyone else is quite likely to drive it more than I would.

I think that the switch to a Prius is effective if the SUV's being dumped were really being removed form service, but they are still being driven around.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(oxnardprof @ May 21 2007, 02:15 PM) [snapback]446874[/snapback]</div>

No, because the person who purchases your van would likely purchase a different van if not yours. That being the case, by keeping your van, there are essentially two van drivers (you and the would-be buyer) instead of one van driver and one Prius driver.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(oxnardprof @ May 21 2007, 04:15 PM) [snapback]446874[/snapback]</div>

I think you are reading way too much into this...

Just remember the parable of the starfish.

One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.

Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing?"

The youth responded without looking up, "I'm trying to save these starfish, sir."

The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"

Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, "It will make a difference to that one!"

In other words, do what is best for you and your family by making the difference in your home.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ May 21 2007, 01:10 PM) [snapback]446870[/snapback]</div>

Sounds like their only natural enemy is the automobile. Take out a few million for me. :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dogfriend @ May 21 2007, 05:32 PM) [snapback]446947[/snapback]</div>

My Wife ran a 5K Road Race (running) last week and they were flying into the runners faces, even into their mouths <yuck> ....... and that was in the "semi-rural", almost "city" area of Lakeland, Florida. You should see these friggin' things in "swarms" out in the "boonies"......... especially near wetlands and open fields. You gotta take a BIG bottle of Windex and two rolls of paper towels and stop like every mile or so just to clean the windshield......... like I said, they just SMEAR with windshield wipers and even the best "bug cleaning" window washer fluid !! If ya' leave 'em on for over 24 hours, the "acid" in them eats through the paint, past primer, into bare metal. I AM NOT JOKING................. that's why I gotta get some ZAINO on this new Prius real fast (just ordered some Zaino products today !!)
Most other Floridians use a "bug screen" and/or a "bra", some use "bug deflectors" (like spoilers mounted on front of hood) and the lazy, I don't give a crap people just let the Love Bugs savory juices eat away at their vehicles.......... :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ Apr 24 2007, 12:12 PM) [snapback]429085[/snapback]</div>

Since when do you have to pass a test of political correctness to purchase a Prius?

A Prius is a commercial product that is available for sale to anyone with sufficient funds or credit to buy one. That is the ONLY requirement (other than a valid driver's license and proof of insurance) for ownership and the motives and reasons for making such a purchase are not subject to your or anyone else's judgment or "approval". The same principle applies to the purchase of any other vehicle -- SUV, truck or whatever.

Get over yourself!

 

I guess the wife and I are a pair of evil bass-turds. We traded my '98 F150 for an '07 Prius and kept the '00 Jeep Grand Cherokee. My wife drives the Prius to work and back daily (120 miles round trip) and I use the Jeep for commute (40 miles round trip). My wife's with a dog rescue group and needs the Jeep to transport crates and animals. I use the Jeep to trailer my motorcycle.

We watched the movies "An Inconvienent Truth" and "Who Killed The Electric Car". We decided we could do something to help reduce our "carbon footprint" by getting the Prius and save money on gas at the same time. Oh, the inhumanity that we'd bastardize the Prius by saving money AND helping the environment. Next week we'll be installing a high efficency A/C unit on the house. Damned if we won't be saving money and helping the environment there, too. We're just a pair of evil people.

Some folks just can't be appeased. <_<

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ Apr 24 2007, 12:12 PM) [snapback]429085[/snapback]</div>

I must say that the three huge weimeraners much preferred my SUV, but I can squeeze them in to the backseat of my Prius. They just can't move around.