I'm 25, and my main reason for buying the Prii (which I actually don't have yet, but hopefully will have next week!) is for the carpool HOV stickers. Admittedly, that may seem to be the "wrong" reason for buying one, but now that I've done some research, test driven a few, browsed this site, I gotta say: I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT MY PRIUS, beyond the stickers. I can't wait for the mileage, the toys and gadgets, and to have a salesperson-is-shocked-to-see-some-huge-item-fit-in-my-car experience! I do also have to admit that I drive like a 25 year old, going 75-80 on the freeway in the fast lane (but I don't tail people, I swear!). After reading many posts, I wonder if my driving habits will change...
Sad isn't it? I want to do some of my famous maths over there so I am waiting for a validation email. I'll only post once.
Strangely odd, I'm 22 turning 23 this April and am looking to purchase my first new car (which will be a Prius) and I am finishing up my engineering degree. Just thought it was odd.
age doesnt matter...its a mindset. i bought the Prius because it fits the duality of driving BETTER THAN ANY CAR ON THE ROAD PERIOD. roles 1) commuter... need it to be functional, good gas mileage, reliable...everything else is gravy and there is a lot of that!! 2)family car... granted if you have 4 kids, it wont work... but no car works for everyone. but for 4 its great... 5 is doable. but its the safety ratings that did it for me. ranked #1 for child restraint testing for European Union in 2005 if equipped with side curtain airbags... not much else to say *edit* and for most of us in our 40's and 50's, i can probably speak truthfully, that if the Prius would have been around when i was 28, i would have jumped on it, no questions asked!!
I'm neither a 20-something (I'm 46) nor some wacko-environmentalist tree-hugger (actually I tend to vote Repbulican) and I love sports cars (just sold a BMW to buy my Prius). I love it's mileage (I hate waste), the hatchback aspect of it (I couldn't carry anything in my BMW - I'm a part-time musician and that was a problem. I can carry all my amps, cabinets and guitars in Prius backseat down). That's what drew me to it. Is it funny looking? A little. Does it have any HP? Hardly any. I've adjusted my driving habits accordingly. Last tank of gas? 51 MPG, mostly commuting. THAT is why I like it. And it's looks are growing on me.
73, be 74 in another month. I have owned my Prius for a year and just love it. It is far superior to the Civic Hybrid that I owned for almost 5 years before buying the Prius. This forum has taught me a lot about the inner workings of the car and it is fun to visualize how things are working as I drive along. In a way, I feel sorry for the Prius owners that just think of it being the same as any other car. They don't know what a magnificent machine they are driving.
That was a blast to read. Sort of like listening to the kindergarden class discuss quantum physics. They can talk about it without any understanding.
I am a perfect demographic match - 46, PhD in physics from an Ivy League school, etc. The only missing part is the Prius itself. We have a minivan (more or less a necessity with three kids) and an old Volvo wagon that will soon (within the next year or two) be replaced with either a Prius or a microvan - Mazda5. As Prius most certainly is a contestant, I am frequenting this website and am a bit confused: While many of you think of it (Prius) as a car, some of you elevate it to some kind of status symbol! You are smarter, your IQ is higher, you are saving the planet and so on. Of course, owning such a status symbol also can make some of you too important to obey simple rules of the road and move over to the right lane when a faster vehicle approaches you from behind. I have to admit that so far I have only crossed my path with the unimportant Prius drivers - they all seem to be happy to vacate the left lane when I needed to pass - no different from other make drivers; however, do you folks realize that this "Holier than Thou" attitude can reflect on the whole community? As I am driving and seeing another Prius in front of me I am starting to wonder whether its driver is paying attention to the rear view mirror, or the MPG monitor! I hate to admit that while I like the car (Prius), some of the attitudes I see on this website start turning me off from owning it. And this comes from a Volvo wagon driver!
OK, so some of us get a little carried away sometimes. Though we're united in our choice of cars, there's quite a variety of experiences and attitudes here. That shouldn't influence your opinion of your car.
I only had it a week, but I am sure I made the right decision. We had a 1993 Toyota (157K) that was still looking and running great. However, we wanted something newer, even a Toyota does not last for ever. I am 58 and within a year or so of retirement. We could not afford a new one, but got a good deal on a 05 that was well cared for. We have no reason to think that the Prius will not hold up to many years and miles of trips to see the grandkids. It going to be hard this spring deciding which car to take on trips. We have a 1990 Miata that has taught us to enjoy the back roads, open air, and twisting highways. Gas prices were our biggest motivator however it is nice to be green.
Seems like a fair number of owners are high end of middle age and/or engineers. We fit into both categories. We're also fiscally conservative, politically left, environmentally conscious (but still have the big honkin' gas-hog languishing in the driveway to pull the camping trailer) technology hounds, and prefer the road less traveled. We haul 3 kids around in the Pri every day. The majority of Pri drivers we see in and around Boise seem to be upper-middle-age or older, plus a few 20-somethings.
I am 34 years old, I have been a auto techician for 16 years working mainly in Ford dealerships. I left the dealership scene 4 years ago and now work in the fleet world. I drive 60 miles a day round trip for work and I am tired of the gas prices. I was VERY nervous on buying a Prius but now that I have one I am VERY IMPRESSED!!! There is alot of high-tech stuff in this car, but is all relatively simple. It is time for the rest of the car companies to step up to the plate!
After working on Fords any Toyota would be impressive. volvovod, I wonder what you are saying. On the road you have never seen the "Volvo driver" attitudes you say you are worried about but because when a few people with a common interest get together for a chat express common views on issues of environment you think the majority of us are ignorant of our obligations and of common courtesy on the road. Have you read of anyone saying they deliberately block the fast lane? Does it go hand in hand that because I drive a Prius I must also drive too slow to ever venture into the passing lane? I can tell you I have first hand experience that Prius will exceed 100 miles per hour so it isn't a car incapable of exceeding posted speed limits on any North American road. Sorry, but one post trying to show your superiority then putting crap on Prius drivers for a behaviour you admit to having never seen one display is indicative of a troll. This IS a behaviour I have observed you engage in.
i bought an 08 prius this year. Im 33/ wife 37 and 2 young kids. im at the end of my first tank and getting 45.6mpg in cold weather------and im a republican. I traded in a 05 acura tl 6speed and figure on saving a fortune between gas and monthly payment. I cant wait til summer for even better mpg.
volvovod, I wonder what you are saying. On the road you have never seen the "Volvo driver" attitudes you say you are worried about but because when a few people with a common interest get together for a chat express common views on issues of environment you think the majority of us are ignorant of our obligations and of common courtesy on the road. Have you read of anyone saying they deliberately block the fast lane? Does it go hand in hand that because I drive a Prius I must also drive too slow to ever venture into the passing lane? I can tell you I have first hand experience that Prius will exceed 100 miles per hour so it isn't a car incapable of exceeding posted speed limits on any North American road. Sorry, but one post trying to show your superiority Quote: PhD in physics from an Ivy League school, etc. then putting crap on Prius drivers for a behaviour you admit to having never seen one display is indicative of a troll. This IS a behaviour I have observed you engage in. Today 07:46 PM Sorry, since when having a PhD in Physics from Ivy League school indicated superiority? Also, I have never said that the majority of you lack the common courtesy - just some of you. And, yes, driving 2 miles over the speed limit in the left lane is, in effect, blocking it.
