Yeah that's how we do it too but I'm sure he was just getting to know, and enjoying his new toy. pyccku, I know you know I wasn't picking on you eh. I'm unAustralian too, blokes here are hung up on big cars too. I hate them, I have to drive a big car all day at work, no fun at all. I measured a Prius to see if we could use them for my work, the luggage space is 2 inches too short!! Damn! A Prius would look great striped up and flashing lights although I'd want the lights to be inside the windows to maintain low wind resistance.
Yeah, mileage-wise, he should have taken the Prius to the zoo. But I needed MY car that morning to go to a job, so it's not like it was sitting in the driveway! We have a car seat in each vehicle, so it's not going to be much of a hassle. We've come up with a plan for the vehicles that will hopefully save wear and tear on the Prius without costing too much extra for gas - for short trips around town, we'll use the xB. This means the xB will likely be the weekend car. For commuting, the Prius. We drive 25 miles each way, carpooling since we work within a mile of one another. During the summer, we are both off so that will cut down on miles. If we stick to our neck of the woods, everything is within about 6 miles of our house. I had to drive his to work on Friday, as he was taking Louise to get an oil change at the dealership. While it was fun to drive, I prefer my car. So he can drive his own dang car to zoo trips. I have a feeling once the novelty lessens, he'll be more amenable to calculating distance in making the decision, but for now, I'm letting him have his fun. One nice thing about the xB that we noticed - because of the boxy shape, it cuts down majorly on the amount of sun coming in the windows. That's a pretty big thing here in AZ. I know the sun comes right in through the windshield and you can just feel it on your lap/chest in the Prius. Not so in the xB. I know nobody's picking on me, no hard feelings or anything! I also like to be logical in making decisions, but try telling that to a guy with a brand new car - "sorry, you'll have to leave it here with me in the interest of economics!"
A lot of the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor cars around here have LED takedown lights mounted on the rear parcel shelf and front windshield just below the headliner Unless you really pay attention, you can't tell it's a cop car until the disco lights turn on.
Oh don't worry, plenty of Canadians drive full size pickups and suv's. Gas is $1.28 a litre, or $4.84 a US gallon
I read this article on a plane returning from vacation. I was getting extremely nervous since I had a 2004 Highlander and two local Toyota dealers already refused to hold a Prius for me for different reasons; even though I offered a credit card or cashier's check until I could return home. I wonder if the SUV trade-in market is just going to eventually die a slow death, trade-in wise. Hummer dealers will soon be a memory. Some new SUV's are being discounted $6000.00 +. I can't imagine these car dealers are going to keep accepting SUV trade-ins in this environment. Since my Prius purchase gas has risen from $3.89 a gallon and the future oil prices don't look like they will ever see ever return to even $3.50 a gallon again.
I have an 06 Rav4 that i really love but I have the same concerns on trade in. The only vehicle I would ever think of getting is the Prius. Combined mpg on the Rav is almost 25 which is competitive with cars allot smaller but I think the dealers are low balling all suv's and not just gas hogs. I would keep the Rav but I am afraid of the cost of gas next year and trade in value. If I don't get my trade in number, I might just have to wait until the Prius becomes more available with a little more wiggle room for pricing
My colleague's toyota sequoia caught on fire at work. Apparently, a backfire from another car ignited the adjacent brush and burned his car. He got paid as a total loss. What did he get? A massive Infinite QX56. I sat in it. It's nice I must say.
traded my 2005 Dodge Dakota quab cab v8 excatly 1 month ago on my Prius. Same dealer is no longer taking SUV trades as all they can do is wholesale the vehicles. I did not get what I wanted out of the trade, but glad I dumped when I did
LOL! Aren't they disappointed they swallowed the GM publicity and took those big rebates/discounts? Their SUVs have NO trade in value now. I bet private sales suck too.
For those who need them, trucks & SUVs can't be beat. there is nothing fuel efficient that can handle a muddy road under construction with deep ruts or plow snow. A lot of people use their personal vehicles for these types of activities. On the other hand, no escelade with 20's is ever going to get muddy if it can be helped. Personally, i'm going to save up for a Prius totaled from the rear so i can make a Priup (Prius Pickup) with bed sides that meet the roof line and a removeable / foldable cover that reaches the roof line to retain fuel efficiency when i'm not hauling dirt bikes or power equipment.
How did you like yours? My Dad bought an 05 as well. Extended cab 4.7L V8. They did a very nice job redesigning the truck. His is a 4x4.
A co-worker recently attempted to trade in a Ford expedition --blue book valued at $23,000 and was offered $8,000 with a take it now while you can get it talk from the salesman.... Froley
I'm am so glad I traded in my 4cyl SUV when I did.. I had a 2005 Saturn VUE and they gave me $9,000 for it, they said it was not worth as much because it was not a 6cyl.. I laughed, I said in another month you won't even be taking 6 and 8cyl SUV for a trade in and people will wish they had a 4cyl SUV.. He knew that, but I was glad to unload it.. BTW,,, they still cannot even sell my 4cyl SUV.. it has been on their lot since 4-19-08 and they started out listing it for $12,990 and now they have dropped the price to $12,490. I got rid of mine just in time. At least one good thing I did that was not a bad choice..
Sorta off topic, but: Your story reminded me of something my old boss (now retired) told me about a house that he owned. When he bought the house, the real estate agent convinced him that the corner lot location made the property more desirable and would command a premium when it was time to sell....A few years later, when he was ready to sell, the real estate agent told him that the corner lot location was not as desirable and that he may have to discount the price in order to sell. It was the same agent both times!