what other cars did you consider before the prius

I looked at and drove a Hyundai Tucson, but the manual transmission was a piece of junk. I test drove a Honda Fit and loved the manual transmission in that car! The Fit was a bit too small for my needs and the interior was kind of cheap compared to the Prius. I really didn't want an automatic car, but in the end went with the Prius because I could open the rear hatch and just slide items in the back (there is a 4" or more "drop" in the Fit and the Honda Insight, and it makes a big different when you have to actually lift items up to get them out of the back).

 

Greetings and welcome aboard!!! :welcome:

The Prius seems to fit well into your criteria. Rent one for a weekend before you pull the trigger though. There are some little quirks with the car that may or may not bug you after you purchase that you'll need more than a quick demo drive to discover.
My company uses them for fleet vehicles, and the Prius seems to be a love it or hate it kinda car.
It does get good mileage. The hatch-back design is pretty decent for hauling things, and it has acceptable crash ratings. As far as family use---I'm an empty nester, so I can't say.

Good Luck!!!!!

 

My top choice was a new Hyundai Sonata. I was very impressed by that car, a ton of value.

My wife as looking at RAV4's since we were trading in a 4runner and she was a bit leary of oing back to a car. but then she found the Prius, and we learned more about it, test drove it, saw the great 0% financing, and it won out.

Glad it did, too. We've been really happy with it. (almost 2k miles in just 1 month)

 

The new 2011 redesigned Hyundai Elantra at 40 MPG hwy is one I wish i waited for. Its a winner!

Craig

 

VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI
Hyundai Sonata
Honda Fit & CRV

 

My main criteria was $$$: had to be under $25k.
Next was size: had to be big enough for my 85 lb dog to get in and out of back easily.
Finally, good MPG was desirable.

Considered the Suzuki Kizashi. Loved the fine features and gadgets. Loved the AWD and the excellent acceleration. I was a little put off by the 32 MPG.

Finally settled on Prius because it met the first two criteria and 50 MPG is hard to beat. However, I was put off by the strangeness of the controls in the Prius, as well as all of the whining about possible problems.

Now that I have had it for 6 months, I am happy with the Prius (and I do not pay much attention to the steady stream of trivial complaints I see posted on-line).

 

I forgot 1, I did test drive a VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI and likes it but the price was too high, and the seats were too narrow for my fat but.

 

We looked the Ford Fusion Hybrid and bought the Prius. The FFH fit and finish was better but the Toyota dealer offered $2,500 more for our trade. Both vehicles offered 0% for 60 months and if the Ford dealer would have given us more we would have gotten the Ford. We still love our Prius.

 

I was looking at the Jetta TDI, Honda Civic Hybrid, and the new Fusion Hybrid and wasn't even considering the Prius until I saw and drove the Gen III.
A buddy of mine was making a Chicago to New York run in the new Prius for an article he was writing. On his way back to Chicago we hooked up in Erie Pa. and he let me test drive the new Prius for about an half hour. I was SOLD on the spot.

 

When we bought the '05 Prius I was on the way to the BMW dealer to buy a blue Cooper S, but wife wanted to stop by and drive a Prius first, and we ended up getting the Prius.
When we got the '10 Prius, I really, really wanted to like the Fusion Hybrid, but Toyota was in the midst of the "unintended accelleration" issues and Prius' were heavily discounted. Fusion Hybrid is a nice car, but the Pkg V we got had more options and was $6K less than the Fusion. More car, less money, we knew the Prius and Toyota's been good to us.

 

I considered 5 cars.

1st, was the Ford Fusion Hybrid. Better cruiser but not good anough gas mileage compared to the Prius.

2nd, VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI. Decent gas mileage, but diesel is harder to get here and costs enough more to be a problem. Also couldn't get one with a Nav built in and only 1 color and dark interior available.

3rd, Subaru Outback Sport, ruled out on gas mileage alone, as I love Subaru's and their road handling. It's a fun car to own, but the gas mileage is NOT fun.

4th, Chevy Volt, not available here for some time and extended gas mileage is poor. (and I have a 75 mile a day commute.)

5th, Prius V with Nav and ATP.

you'll know what I decided.

 

Before I got my 2010, I had a 2006 Prius (which was totaled). So naturally the Prius was high on my list from the get-go.

I seriously considered the Honda CRZ. I like the sportiness and that it comes in a 6-speed. But, ultimately, I just couldn't see myself in something other than another Prius.

 

I looked at two other vehicles before buying my Prius.

1) Honda Insight - really wanted the Honda but the lower mpg and the fact that it is a motor assist and not a full hybrid changed my mind.

2) Ford Fusion Hybrid - really nice vehicle. I really like the interior and the ride comfort. The mpg was too low and the price tag too high.

18 months later and I am really pleased that I bought the Prius.

 

Venza V6 AWD
Lexus IS250

 

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. But the dealer wanted to charge me list price for a Mexican-made car. I decided the Prius was a better deal.

 

We had similar requirements as the OP and were just going to replace our aging Camry with another Camry. Until that is we test drove the Prius and never looked back.

 

I was looking for another SUV actually.
The Cadillac '10/'11 SRX is gorgeous inside and out, but after a test drive I fell out of love.
There was no life inder the hood for a V6, and fuel eco was TERRIBLE.
It just felt WRONG in so many ways.

After days and hours researching SUVs, I had an epiphany and looked at the Prius. Haven't looked back and feels GREAT to drive/own one. I feel so much better.

 

Well, I always think when someone comes to Prius Chat and say's I'm considering vehicles A,B,C,....and Prius...what do you think?

It's more an exercise in just getting a little more confidence or a pat on the back...because coming into Prius Chat and asking for a buying opinion about a Prius is like going into a Cat Lovers website and announcing you are thinking of adopting a cat and asking the regulars whether they like cats....

Given your stated criteria...Prius fits all of them excellently. You state that your criteria is in order of importance, and then put gas mileage first, underlining that the higher the better.

You must know that no vehicle currently offered is going to give you better than the Gen 3 Prius?

I suspect you want a Prius, but are looking for that final push.
I notice you joined in August of last year, and have one previous post about The Hertz rent to buy program.

Here is what I think. I think you want Prius, so buy one. If gas mileage is your #1 criteria, then nothing is going to beat it. All your other criteria will be met to varying and debatable degrees.

Toyota's and Prius hold their resale well, they have excellent reputations for reliability and I think the hatchback and mid-size ranking of The Prius offers good utility. But your best bet in judging how well it may or may not meet those needs is to physically check it out for yourself.

I don't currently own a Prius, that's my pre-emptive caveat. I would say that of all your criteria, the one it might fall shortest on would be "safety" in all weather.

I've seen threads where the Prius winter handling gets defined across the spectrum. From Bad all the way to Good.

I live close,- the NW. I have lot's of neighbors with Prius. In typical NW winters, they seem to function alright. Many threads people will suggest winter tires...

But I would say, that is perhaps it's weakest area. There are options that would be better....but you rank this as your lowest criteria...so?????

So my feeling is it really comes down to how much do you want a Prius?

I don't think you'd be asking in here if the idea of owning a Hybrid did not appeal to you. Since you joined in August of last year and still have not purchased this isn't an impulse buy.

Yesterday...a local Oregon dealer was advertising 73 on the lot-2010 Prius II's for a little over $20,000-$21,000, which even got me thinking...

I think now is a good time to deal...

Buy your Prius. Worst case, 6-8 months pass, you don't like it, you would take a hit, but changes can be made.

More likely case? You buy it, spring comes, great gas mileage and you love it....

 

1. 2011 VW Scirocco diesel GT with DSG... Still get weak-kneed when I see one, but was overruled as it only has two doors and VW dealers are legendarily terrible (I had a golf mk5 and swore I'd never buy a VAG product again!). There's now a bluemotion version too...
2. Ford Kuga diesel Titanium - great car, but very expensive for a Ford with all the toys as expensive options. Cheaper and economical 2wd available...
3. Honda CRV diesel - my previous car was a Honda and I love Japanese quality and reliability.
4. Subaru Legacy outback diesel - would have to have bought second hand as I didn't like the new generation styling.
5. Volvo XC-60 drivE - very expensive!

I had test-driven the Ford and negotiated on a deal, but when I reconsidered what I was after, I knew I needed a reliable and economical car. That lead me to the most economical and reliable car on the market and I headed down to my local Toyota dealer for a test drive and that sealed it! I spent the next three or four months tracking down the right model and colour.