Second thoughts

Well. regardless of the car you own, you should walk the 1/2 mile to the gym.

I have great fun in my Prius. My commute is only 5 miles so my mpg is relatively low - about 41.2. After a couple of road trips the last two days mine reached an all-time high of 47.2. Even my cynical husband was cheering as the numbers rose.

The Pruis and all the new things on it are basically a new hobbie that we all enjoy. Drives others a little crazy but that's just the way it is. You might just get hooked, too.

 

Well, these fine points are not burdens we are sharing but rather the fun of the adventure, the challenge of saving fuel, getting the most enjoyment out of the Prius. Change the view you have of these comments and you will rush right out and get one of your own.

 

I wouldn't worry about not using the air conditioner or the heater. I run mine in AUTO mode practially all the time, and I still get mileage in the low to mid 50's. Not only is it a fun car to drive, it's also a pleasure.

 

You are confusing those who "just drive it" with those who have gotten deeply into this technology. I would give you one caveat, beware this technology has the power to suck you in. Some of us derive great pleasure in extending this technology to it's limits. As in everything people driving this car falls into the "bell shaped curve" some are on one end some are on the other.

 

I was addicted the first day, the Prius is definitely training me. I can't improve on the rest of these comments. As the saying goes "Try it, you'll like it!"

 

nhalber;

hey i can see your point... my trip to the gym is just under a mile and in the winter time, i ALWAYS drive. even during times when the weather is expected to be wonderful.

but i usually ride my bike in the summer and its simply because its extra exercise for one and it gives me more options if i get bored with the gym and want to go riding instead. there is a nature hiking biking trail that starts less than a quarter mile from my house.

but i find it hard to believe that you are questioning the validity of a Prius purchase based on one regular trip you make.

each 25 mile round trip you make will save you a gallon of gas.

 

It's your choice to obsess or to not obsess over eeking the last bit of mileage out of your Prius. You'll most likely find that this is a very enjoyable car to drive regardless of the mileage that you're getting.

Then you'll be very pleasantly surprised when you discover that you're getting good mileage regardless of the attention you've paid to maximizing your economy. :-D

My daily commute is very short; only about three miles through stop and go traffic. Even with such murderously short trips, I'm averaging about 46MPG. With care, I can consistently get 49MPG, but I'd rather just drive it and let the Prius do its thing.

 

My mother borrowed my prius for a week (she has a classic) and she drives it like it's a regular car - and even turns off the multi-function display (unless she's using the stereo).

She did some short trips and drove around some hilly highways and when she gave the car back to me her mileage was 48.9. That's about 1 MPG off of what I get for the type of driving she was doing.

So, yes, you can obsess and you can spend time thinking and trying different techniques, but in the end, if you're a good driver (no jackrabbit starts or accelerating all the way to a stoplight) you'll get decent mileage.

Even with lower than expected mileage, the prius is a low emissions car with few equals - so you can always feel good about that.

My weekday mileage is pretty low - around 47 MPG because my office is only 4 miles from my house (yes, I actually walk sometimes!) but on weekends when I go on longer trips or link all my errands together I get about 53 MPG.

On another note - my mother LOVED my car and when she's done with her little used '01 classic, she's going to get the next gen (whatever that may be). Thanks to everyone who helped me with advice for her last year when she was contemplating the purchase.

 

Hi nhalber...

A few months back I started a thread about "the fun of driving a Prius." While one reader criticized me for "driving for fun," and the "wastes" thus created, most of those who responded were having similar feelings about the "fun" of driving. While I don't invent driving "just for fun" I *DO* find driving the Prius FUN.

My advice, don't agonize over all the posts you read regarding peculiarities of the Prius. If you become a Prius driver, you can HAVE FUN while doing your usual driving.