Prius Owner Survey: Motivation

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Curious @ Oct 10 2007, 08:43 AM) [snapback]523575[/snapback]</div>

1) a. the economics speak loudly to me, GAS $$ SAVINGS
b. I like the technology in the car, I'm absolutely amazed nearly every time I drive. B)

2) 2 months, no I didn't. I bought it used from my parents who owned it for a 18 months. They bought a new one.

3) a. gas mileage
b. comfortable. i have knee problems but I can sit in any seat have the room to stretch out
c. it has a great manufacturer-installed sound system, at least to me
d. again, the technology behind the car

4) no, not really. The "lower carbon imprint" is a good thing, but not something I considered when contemplating buying a Prius (or any other car for that matter).

 

Didn't care if it was hybrid, but wanted great fuel economy, Nav, and lots of cargo space.

Bought a 2004 and just traded it in on a 2008. I get very near 50 MPG with fairly normal driving ( I am somewhat conservative in my driving habits). Turned AC system when I got home and have never turned it off. Nav is very handy for trips out of State.

Hybrid technology fills the current need for providing great fuel economy. However if another technology comes along such as hydrogen that provides better economy then I would probably switch. Can't really get excited about plug-in technology unless economics are better then current hybrid system and battery systems are greatly improved.

 

Answers for the 2001 Prius:
1) REASON: Gas mileage AND willing to pay money to a car company that went all out to reduce gas consumption. (i.e. Voted with wallet.)
2) HOW LONG: Six years and counting. Yes....2001 was as early as possible.
3) BEST PART: Gas mileage....and it's still a Toyota. (After the fact I can claim environment, foreign oil dependence, etc.) The really great part is that in 2001 it was considered foolish by some, now it is considered wise. Go figure.
4) LIFE FULFILLMENT: Partially, Total Fulfillment will be when the Prius becomes full electric.

Answers for the 2007 Prius:
1) REASON: Even better gas mileage AND previous proof that voting with wallet works!
2) HOW LONG: One year and counting
3) BEST PART: Now whole family can contribute, not just one member.
4) LIFE FULFILLMENT: Partially, Still waiting for next step even after six years.

 

1) What were the most compelling reasons for you to buy a hybrid? (1-3 would be nice)
a- My son was killed in Iraq and I do not want to spend one more penny for oil/gas than I have to.
b- Wanted to lighten my carbon footprint on this precious earth.
c- Wanted the latest (affordable) technology

2) How long have you owned your hybrid? Did you buy one of the first prius models?
-6 months, I purchased a 2007 model

3) What do you like best about your hybrid (1-3 is enough)
a- Good mileage/Spending less for gas (Why give George Bush and his cronies any more money than we have to?)
b- It's comfy & fun to drive- the technology, the sound, the coolness factor.
c- Lower emissions

4) Does the hybrid fulfill a particular need in your life that non-hybrids have left unmet? Were you aware of this before hybrids came on the market?
-I am always happy to find ways to be socially, ecologically, politically conscious. Owning a hybrid fills that need for me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Curious @ Oct 10 2007, 10:43 AM) [snapback]523575[/snapback]</div>

1- gas economy, gas economy, gas economy
2- 6 months (2007)
3- gas economy
4- yes, gas economy
and no.

 

Comments from Munich, Germany - the land of diesel engines, BMW, Audi, Mercedes and VW (you get the idea), as well as of small and fuel efficient FIAT and Renault/Peugeot...

1) What were the most compelling reasons for you to buy a hybrid? (1-3 would be nice)
a) stop consuming fuel when stuck in traffic *and* when crawling in a traffic jam (start&stop systems don't achieve that) - I mean, we live in 2010, not in the 1950s anymore; finally something "new" on the market (the Prius is a 15 years' old concept)
b) achieve at least the same consumption of my previous car in town (4.7L/100km in summer - VW Polo 1.4L 75HP Turbo Diesel Engine; I actually achieve the same now in winter, with winter tyres....so I am curious to see what happens in summer/spring... ); I cannot say that I have a *much* better fuel consumption and my commute is mainly in town, so I needed something that consumed less in town - and nothing beats the Prius at this time; otherwise you have a pretty *wide* range of *very* fuel efficient diesels to choose from in case you drive mainly in the countryside or highway (that suck in any case as soon as you hit traffic and traffic lights...);
c) no other car on the market was compelling, looked modern enough for me - all "old" technology for me...

2) How long have you owned your hybrid? Did you buy one of the first prius models?
2 months - the Prius 2010 is my first hybrid ever

3) What do you like best about your hybrid (1-3 is enough)
a) the silence and the comfort of the ride
b) the extra HPs (about 50% more) compared to my Polo, still with the same or better fuel consumption
c) though it sounds a bit weird, the design of the 17" alloy wheels that makes it look quite aggressive when looked sideways.
d) 36€/year in taxes instead of 231€....until 2014....and 1/3 less insurance (since "nobody" owns one in Germany... )
4) Does the hybrid fulfill a particular need in your life that non-hybrids have left unmet? Were you aware of this before hybrids came on the market?
see point a) of question 1 and no.

 

Fair warning...if you think *this* group is indicative of the general population, you should be warned that your results *will* be seriously skewed. I'm wondering whether we even are representative of the general Prius owner...or if we fall into some enthusiast sub-category.

Might be an interesting way for you to fill a paragraph, in your paper.

1) High gas mileage
2) Toyota quality
3) Tech geek cool

Notice, points 2 and 3 have nothing to do with it being a hybrid...only with it being a Toyota Prius.

Just over a month of ownership. 2008 model, purchased pre-owned.

I did not own an original Prius, though I test drove several. They were good cars, but not yet "seamless" enough for the general public...and the broomstick sticking out of the dashboard was bizarre.

I work with computers. I learned a long time ago...never buy version 1.0 (or worse, the beta version) of something that you consider a necessity. To me, a car is a necessity.

Gas mileage. Gas mileage. Gas mileage. Even using the crap they currently sell, tainted with ethanol and additives, it gets phenomenal mileage. With real gasoline it'd probably do even better!

And, one self-serving point...I have a computer tech business. The fact that the Prius is widely recognizable and immediately identified as high-tech serves my purposes, nicely.

No, and no, in that order. It fills the need of transportation...big surprise. And, I wasn't alive before hybrids came on the market, so the question is irrelevant. I've known about hybrid drive trains for 30+ years!

First, let's begin with a little history lesson for you. Hybrids have been around a long, LONG time...over a century. They were developed as a way to supplant steam powered models, even predating fully gasoline powered models!

History of Hybrid Vehicles | Hybrid Cars

They were not, however, available during my lifetime...until Honda brought the Insight to the US, and then Toyota brought the Prius.

Second, my needs are simple. I'm a pragmatist. To me a car is an appliance...a means to get me from point A to point B, in relative comfort and safety. I certainly don't refuse myself some of the more indulgent comforts, but they're not necessary.

Some of my previous "gotta-have" cars were the Datsun 210 (42mpg), Dodge Stratus (38mpg) and Honda CRX (45mpg). Notice, all are simple, small cars with unusually high gas mileage, especially for their times. It is obscene to me to waste a resource, unnecessarily.

(NOTE: I am not some tree hugging eco-weirdo...just a conversationalist. In fact, I am a card carrying conservative Republican! I will fight for anyone's right to own whatever car, SUV, or steamroller they choose to drive.

I made my choice...they have the right to make theirs. But, my approach to conservation has always served me well through the years.)

Chuck

 

1. Mileage
Reliability
Size, capacity, hatchback
2. Owned 11 months
3. Ride & handling
Capacity (hauling)
Economy of operation
4. I haul a lot of stuff for a small ranch & the hatchback & folding rear seats is a huge plus. I use it to haul smaller loads of feed, equipment, etc. I can haul 4-5 people & still have the rear for lots of stuff.

 

Uh, guys, you have re-activated a thread that died two years ago. I am sure the original poster, who had an academic reason to do the survey, has moved on.

If you just want to continue the discussion for its own sake, carry on.

 

1) What were the most compelling reasons for you to buy a hybrid?

Fuel Efficiency, cargo room, interior passenger room

2) How long have you owned your hybrid? Did you buy one of the first prius models?
2005 was first one and just traded for the 2010 w/Solar Roof

3) What do you like best about your hybrid
I love the interior space, flexibility (taking 2 70# dogs and one 6'4" SIL to Tucson this weekend), techie stuff (setting control preferences, auto stuff)

4) Does the hybrid fulfill a particular need in your life that non-hybrids have left unmet? Were you aware of this before hybrids came on the market?
I actually drove smaller trucks before this including a Sport Trac which was the worst gas mileage car I ever had and was constantly in for one recall or another. I needed and dependable vehicle that was easy to transport my invalid mother in with w/c and all.

 

1) My wife wanted a hybrid. When mama's unhappy, everyone is unhappy. I was waiting on the Saturn Vue 2 mode Hybrid, (which will never be sold) as I doubted a Prius could hold my networking gear.

2) It holds all my stuff. I was very skeptical that it would, but the dealer offered to let me take a test drive over night so I could load all my gear in it and test the mileage. Wise choice on his part. Many Hybrids are sedans, I can't get a 17 foot ladder in a sedan, but I can in a Prius

3) I fit through the doors. I am very tall and inflexible in the torso. I would bump my shoulder on a Toyota Matrix, even if I lacked a head.

4) It pollutes less than any other car that meets 2) and 3). While owners may buy a Prius for mileage, I suspect the Toyota engineers designed the Prius for reduced emissions. (One of the solutions to less emissions happened to be: use less gas in the first place)

5) I like good gas mileage, some day we will be out of petroleum, and wonder how we could have thought it was a good idea to burn it up.

6) It is quiet. I like not being the 'loud exhaust' in my neighborhood. The less my neighbors think about me, the better!

7) My wife complained about my owning a manual transmission, I set out to get a CVT so my car would be 'more automatic' than hers. A solution no one can use is no solution.

8) Both my wife and I's most reliable car ever was a 1989 Toyota Corolla, buying another Toyota appealed to us. (My Alltrac wagon is still in the family, 20 years and 230,000 miles later. Her sedan fell victim to nephews)

9) I bought a Subaru Forester when I lived at 5000 feet and worked at 6500 feet in Nevada. It snowed ten months a year and all wheel drive was a great idea. Now that I live in Mississippi, it is hard to explain why I needed an all wheel drive SUV. 42 MPG is better than 24 MPG when you have a 110 mile daily commute.

Seven months, I deliberately bought the last year of Gen II instead of the first year of Gen III, reliability won over new features. When the first models came out, I needed AWD.

1) It is frugal, low gas cost, simple maintenence.

2) Advanced technology user interface.

3) roomy, both for people and cargo.

I have always tended to own the most fuel effiecient wagon available, Ford Falcon, Pinto, Mazda 808 Mizer, GLC, Escort, Toyota Corolla All-trac, Forester, and now a Prius, which is only a hatchback. I suspect this trend will continue. I try to 'step lightly' on the worlds resources. Currently hybrids are that lightest footprint.

 

1) What were the most compelling reasons for you to buy a hybrid? (1-3 would be nice)

a) Hybrid technology b) Fuel efficiency, low emissions c) Less foreign oil

2) How long have you owned your hybrid? Did you buy one of the first prius models?

a) Three months b) No

3) What do you like best about your hybrid (1-3 is enough)

a) See 1 above b) Fun to drive c) Learning new driving habits

4) Does the hybrid fulfill a particular need in your life that non-hybrids have left unmet? Were you aware of this before hybrids came on the market?

a) Yes. Knowing that I am reducing the dependency on foreign oil and contributing the least to emissions. b) Yes.

 

<blockquote>1) What were the most compelling reasons for you to buy a hybrid? (1-3 would be nice)

1. Reduced emmissions.
2. mpg.
3. No reliable public transportation where I live (you have to drive something).

2) How long have you owned your hybrid? Did you buy one of the first prius models?
1. 10 days.
2. No.

3) What do you like best about your hybrid (1-3 is enough)
1. Greenest car I have ever owned.
2. Encourages what I would consider safer driving: mpg goes up when you slow down, slowing down allows for more reaction time in defensive driving.
3. Its a pretty car

4) Does the hybrid fulfill a particular need in your life that non-hybrids have left unmet? Were you aware of this before hybrids came on the market?</blockquote>[/QUOTE]
A need, interesting... definately fulfills a desire to see cars that provide better fuel economy and less dependence on foreign oil. I am happy to see hybrids having success. However, my hope is they are just one step in the right direction. The modern hybrid is a good way to ease the country into a making better choices. They are a link in what I hope is a long chain of changes in our behavior. Was I aware of the emmissions problem before hybirds? Yes, absolutely.

 

I guess they are carrying on...