Talk Me Down ...Thinking of trading Prius for Maxima

Too bad the OP doesn't live in a CARB state, otherwise I'd suggest the Altima Hybrid.

Nissan Regional Offers - Nissan USA Official Site shows a $5000 incentive again when I put in 95120. To top it off, the $2350 New Energy Tax Credit for Hybrids is still in effect.

When I lived in CA, I've driven my mom's 07 NAH a bunch and it's almost a rocket ship compared to my Prius. A big downside is that the power transitions and ICE startups and shutdowns are nowhere near as refined as even the Prius.

 

If you're going to trade the Prius for something that gets less gas mileage, at least get soemthing worth it. With a turbo. Like an Evo X or a BMW 335i. Or a GT-R.

 

Keep the prius, then go rent a sports car for the weekend and knock yourself out. When you fill the tank you'll come to your senses and still be a prius owner.

 

I'm trading in my Maxima for the Leaf. It is high time we took some personal responsibility for the ills of oil.

 

The Nissan Maxima has a five star safety rating and is considered by some to be a four door sports sedan.

I find that when people give me their unsolicited reasons for not owning a hybrid, their reason pretty much mimics the marketing for the vehicle they are going to buy or already own.

 

Take that money you just calculated saving and put it in a dedicated savings account. Let it accumulate over 5+ years and then drain it for a "toy" car to play with when the mood suits you. If gas prices escalate, the faster the savings account will grow. Just give yourself a "minimum" time frame to let it grow (5 years). Heck, if you drove the Prius for 10 years, you could have $30,000 in that account, which would pay for your next vehicle outright. A final gift from your Prius.

 

I'd suggest keeping the Prius long enough to let it grow on you. A couple of months is not enough. Renting a sports car sounds like a good idea. For those times you can't deny the need for speed, get a motorcycle and leave the Maxima shrinking in the distance. The money you save on gas over the years with the Prius will pay for the bike. Maybe even the speeding tickets.

 

Interesting analogy - "talk me down" - as in, keep you from jumping off a bridge.

So, really, you DO understand, in your heart, that the Prius is a better vehicle for the planet, and you are really just looking for some validation for your decision to buy one.

In terms of saving the planet, you would do better driving a Hummer (or some other gas-guzzling, macho, penis-replacement) and being a vegan, than driving a Prius and continuing to eat dead animals and animal products.

That's the extreme scenario, of course. In a more moderate world, think about doing what you can with what you have, to reduce dependence on foreign oil and to also reduce emissions. If nothing else but the emissions, just think about the impact of pollution on the health of the planet, your neighbors, and yourself. Look at how many children have asthma now... somehow, that is related to pollutants in the air.

Just step back down here, okay? No need to jump. Really.

 

If you were thinking about trading it for a BMW I'd say take the Beamer--I bought this car to save money on gas and 135,000 miles later I have saved A LOT. But I find Nissan's quality to be minimal...seems like crap to me. I say keep the Prius and get your monies worth out of it. It definitely isn't a 'cool' car in my book, but it saves you a ton! I say keep it. Good luck

 

How do you guys save $3000/year on gas???  I've filled up 35 times this year (~every 10 days) and gotten almost exactly twice the mpg as my Volvo (50mpg vs 25mpg).  I pay about ~$27 per full tank everytime for my Prius vs $50+ for my Volvo on the same distance.  That means I spent ~$945 on gas for my Prius but wouldve paid ~$1890 for my Volvo, a savings of just under $1000.  Nowhere near your $3000.

Can any of you who claim a savings that great explain your situation (driving distance, fill up frequency, etc etc)? I don't mean to be nosy but I'm really confused.... thanks.  

 

See that still doesn't make sense though.

12000 miles * 1gal/18 miles * $2.80/1 gal (premium natl average) = $1900, you were paying for gas on your BMW

You can't save more $$ than you spent originally.

 

Hmm, I'd be a little wary of cars w/turbos, at least if the car is known to have turbo lag. The issue is with uneven power delivery when you punch it while waiting for the turbos to spool up. I know that's the case with my friend's Evo and have always read about those complaints on cars w/single turbos.

The 3.5L VQ V6 debuted in the US on the 01 Pathfinder and first came to the Maxima and Altima in 02. The 02 and 03 Maximas (5th gens) were rated at 255 hp and the Altima was 240 hp. Nissan has played around w/the hp ratings since then but now the car is on its 7th gen.

 

Do what makes you happy...

If means driving a Hummer or something else, then great. I understand that a Toyota Prius is not for everyone, but for me it's an engineering masterpiece.

 

Sounds like you've already made up your mind to jump, so why ask? If you don't like the Prius so much it's hard to "live" with it forever. Some people can take the good and live with the bad, some don't. My son refuses to drive my Prius claiming he feels sea-sick in it. Must be similar to your "bouncy feeling". It all depends on if it really makes you "sick", or you can "live with" it. No money saved can counter being "sick".

But why would you go for a Nissan? For the same money go get something better and even more fun! Don't follow Prince Charles who dumped Princess Di to marry a cameleon.