So Long Prius

Judging by the title of this thread, it seems to me your mind is already made up.

 

Why not wait for the hybrid version as long as you are gonna drop and extra 10Gs or so? That 19city/27highway gas mileage is gonna get under your skin pretty soon after the Prius, I would guess.

It does sound like a great choice for a minivan.

 

im sure there are a lot of reasons for your decision, but having something for the grandchildren sounds like you make not be doing this for reasons i would choose. do your grandchildren live with you? do you frequently need the extra space?

unfortunately, the price of gas has dropped, we still dont have a viable energy program for the future, we still dont have nearly the money needed to maintain the current one or build for the future, and it appears that everyone has already forgotten about economy...

wouldnt be surprised to hear about an increase in SUV sales.

what the government should have done is took half the decrease in gas prices and put it into a program that developed alternative green sources like solar and wind...

(expletive)... its like all that pain we went through this past summer was for naught...didnt learn a thing

 

The Prius isn't for everyone. Maybe what's needed is an HSD equipped mini van?

 

Doug, I just read all of your posts from day one. Sure can't say you didn't give it "the old college try". Seems like you have had problems from day one and never have seen your Prius as any more than a way to get around.

I applaud you for sticking with it as long as you have.

 

Went to test drive(ride, I can't drive) the Prius the other day and coming from a Sienna it sure does feel different. First thing I noticed was the headroom in the back, a little lacking no? Second was the ride was rougher. Thrid was the increased noise from the ICE due to the CVT(higher revs). Legroom was alright though(Camry like). And as usual, the salesman had limited knowledge of the Prius(couldn't figure out why SKS wouldn't work, he put the fob in the dash and disabled it without knowing). Overall I felt it to be lacking a few things for a $27,000 (fully loaded 05). I'm sticking to the Sienna that we got for $29,000 out the door. Not saying the Prius is bad though, just doesn't meet our needs.

Might have to wait for the 2008 model year for that.

Noticed you got a Limited, might want to do the laser cruise protection mod to prevent any road derbis from causing an expensive repair.

~MT77

 

If you're looking for room for the grandkids, etc. then I'd recommend the Sienna. While I am getting a Prius I don't see using it for the family too often. Three car/booster seats is pushing it in the Prius. For family trips we will still continue to use our Volvo XC90 because it can seat 7 very comfortably.

The Prius is a wonderful car for what it does, but it IS limited in room. Now don't everyone post about how they packed six peole, a canoe, and thirteen full-grown labradors into their Prius and everyone was comfortable. We have two large SUV's, I know what roomy is. THe Prius is spacious for what it tis, but it is small.

If you only occasionally have the grandkids, and you would rather get the milage, then keep teh rius, otherwise the Sienna is the better choice.

 

The Sienna's a really nice van, but I'd look at a Honda Odyssey before I buy it. i've driven both, and liked the Odyssey a lot more.

 

I had a Dodge Grand Caravan before I bought the Prius. I still have the van, but usually only use it when we have to many passengers to fit into the Prius comfortably. I will not get rid of the van. It is fun to drive and will use it on trips, due to the larger stowage space. It also has a super comfortable ride. Granted, it only gets 20 MPG (17K miles), but life is full of tradeoffs. I enjoy driving both vbehicles and until there is a hybrid van that gets great mileage like the Prtius, I will keep, and enjoy both.

 

You had a tough choice to make, and it sounds like you made the right one.

As I'm single with usually nothing more than a plump housecat to transport around, for that matter a Honda Insight would have worked just fine for me. For me, the Prius meets my expectations of good fuel economy, ease of city parking, and proven safety features.

I've gone for rides in a co-workers Sienna (2003? 2004 model?) and like the room, comfort, and nice ride. They have 3 kids so they need the room.

Overall, about the only thing that regularly disappoints me about my Prius is the bone jarring ride quality. For example, my hobby farm is about 4.5 km down a gravel sideroad off the highway. In summer the road quickly gets washboardy, and if I don't slow down to 20 km/h, my fillings vibrate.

I wish I could run my Yokohoma Ice Guard winter tires year round. They ride so nice and soft it spoils me.

 

I saw (not heard - stealth mode) one drive by in Japan last summer, made by Toyota. Don't know when they're going to bring it out here. I would be very surprised if they used HSD for performance rather than economy on a minivan; not to many hot-rodders drive minivans.

 

I agree with SW03ES. Check out the Honda Odyssey. Of course, I'm going the opposite way. I've got an '00 Odyssey that I'll be trying to sell as soon as my '06 Prius comes in (after 12/31, of course). No complaints at all with the Odyssey, which I liked better than the Sienna at the time I purchased it. Have just decided to go more economical. Have a Honda CRV for my mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, 4WD, etc., requirements and the Prius for everything else.

 

Dave,

It is great to see the support you are getting from this group of staunch Prius folks.

We have driven an Oddyssey since '97 and love the car (we have a '99 currently.) Our second- born will graduate from college this year and it has been amazingly perfect for trucking the considerable amount of stuff the hundreds of miles that undergraduate studies have involved.

I believe that one of the main reasons the Highlander HSV does not get better mileage is due to an engineered emphasis on performance. This seems to be the current and future trend of hybridization for the US market--power and exhilaration. If you check the zero to sixty specs, I think you will find the hybrid Highlander is faster than the ICE-only version. Same with the Honda Accord. By using the improved torque from an electric motor you can get off faster without increasing the size of the ICE. And you get somewhat better mileage.

If consumers will just continue to let the manufacturers know that the carnival ride, 'whee' factor is less significant to them then saving fossil fuels and supporting oil corporations and wahabists by buying Saudi oil, in a few years you may be able to buy a Sienna that gets great gas mileage too.

Meantime, enjoy your grandchildren. You will do everything in your power to ensure that they have a safe and secure future.

storm petrol

 

Doug:

Wow you married guys must have it good. If I don't bake/cook it myself, I have to go to a restaurant and buy it.

I've tried to teach my plump lazy housecat to cook, but no luck so far.

jay

 

Good luck with the Sienna. It's an awesome minivan. I can understand the need for more space. While my '03 Prius was fine for me, and commuting, when it came to carrying passengers, it really was a bit too small. If anyone were to ride with my friends, they would instantly understand why I insist on being the driver. Add to this, the fact that my Mother has Scoleosis, as well as arthritis settling in, it made getting in and out of the car extremely difficult for her. Then there's my two big white hair hand gernades. After 60,700 miles, the compromises simply started getting old. For me though, the though of totally abandoning having a hybrid was out of the question, so I layed down the big bux on a Ford Escape Hybrid, despite the fact I could have had a Honda Element for around $10k to $15k less.

I do wish Toyota would hurry up and get HSD across the product line more quickly.

 

Hay I kept my Ford Explorer with 110K on it why not paid for, not going to get much use out of it so it should hold up for a while and it takes me places the Prius will not and I can tow with it. Not everyone can do that. So I drive my Prius back and forth to work and the Ford sits. We like having a third car for when one goes to the shop. I understand the need for space we needed it when the kids were growing up, and now grand kids yet. If I was there I would use it as an excuse to get headrest DVD for the back seats. My wife would not give me flack if was for kids!