What would you have bought if not a Prius?

Venza V6 AWD. But now having been spoiled with high MPGs, I'm not sure if I could bring myself to buy one.

Yeah.....I could. I just love nearly everything about the Venza.

 

We were seriously considering the Jetta TDI Sportwagon. But over here, diesel costs more than premium gas. Plus, I read about a lot of problems with the high pressure fuel pump giving out right after warranty and it being a $5 to 6k repair. No thanks.

SCH-I535

 

Lexus GS, Lexus IS250, LanEvo 10(X), Forester XT, Impreza WRX Wagon....I was in the market for just about everything.

 

I'm with you.... I really like it too. I still mourn my '67 Mustang GTA convertible. That was a nice car. Lousy mileage of course.

 

Ford C-Max

It drives more normal than a Prius, better power, better handling, more grip, nicer cloth seats. The downside was worse fuel economy, bad reliability reports (worst in class), and most likely lower resale value. The wild card is the class action lawsuit, Ford might have to cover the difference between the window sticker mileage and real world mileage, in which case you could drive it as hard as you want and be guaranteed 47 mpg.

Camry Hybrid

Great drivetrain. Really boring styling inside and out. Not willing to spend the extra $$$ to get the Avalon Hybrid or Lexus 300h.

Accord Hybrid

Not out yet, but it from what I've seen and read it should be better than the HyCam. I like the way Honda builds cars, they are more exciting than Toyotas for me. 47 mpg in a sedan is outstanding. If they price it similar to the Camry Hybrid I'll get one for my wife.

 

I was half seriously considering the Sonata Hybrid. It was more the styling than the technology and FE.

 

I was all over the place. A consequence of not buying a car in 11 years. Ultimately I realized the reality of my commuting demands and the fact I did not desire to blow a lot of money on gas.

The short list ultimately was:
Acura TSX
Honda Civic
Mazda 3 hatch
'14 Kia Forte
Prius

I also thought long and hard about a GTI.

The TSX and GTI were bumped due to fuel economy.

Forte was nice and loaded. It was too new though, so I didn't know what the real world economy would be. Didn't want to buy one to find out if really got 28 mpg instead of 37.

So I got pricing for the Mazda, Civic, and Prius. Realized the economy savings with the Prius could pay for itself and liked the hatchback. Prius puts me in an HOV lane on my ride home. And the Mazda dealers were a bit optimistic in their pricing, especially with a superior new model in the horizon. Civic was nice enough but didn't blow me away other than being a safe choice for economy and reliability.

 

Much more better: what is to love about the Venza? Never understood that crossover when they have the Rav4 and the Highlander. Not sure where a Venza fits in, price wise or space. I really like the Highlander. The Hybrid is outrageously expensive though. the V6 would be the only option, but it's pretty expensive and large. I might look into a used Rav4 some point. We'll see.

 

Looked at the Rav 4 as we were trading in our 2010 Rav4, but the Maxda CX5 beat it out, nimble and fun to drive and a little cheaper and way better MPG, I was getting 26 HWY in Rav now 32MPH in Mazda that's 20%

 

Probably a Subaru or even a 4 door truck.

 

We had a Civic Hybrid (which had the most uncomfortable seats in any vehicle we've owned). Then the hybrid battery started acting up, and I knew it was a matter of time. We began looking at other hybrids, because I have a fairly long commute, and I really loved the hybrid technology. I really liked the Ford C-Max and the Prius. It was between those two.

As we did more research, there were all sorts of write-ups about the C-Max not getting anywhere NEAR the advertised mileage. We took the Prius for second test drive, and the dealer let us take it for a LONG drive. That sold us.

 

VOLT

First thing I would do is put Sta-Bil in the tank.

I'd only use gas during road trips !!

 

Nothing at the time, a Honda Fit if my car crapped out.

 

ford taurus

 

I was looking at a VW Passat TDI. I was replacing a Jetta TDI.

SCH-I535 ? 2

 

I ordered my Prius in about July of 2011 when there was a shortage due to the earthquake / tsunami. I was also considering a Subaru Impreza, Honda Fit, and Mazda5.

 

I like the styling, esp with the refreshed front end and LED daytime runners. The size is right for me, not flat like a Dodge Magnum, but not tall/boxy like a Highlander. Murano has alway been ugly with that point front end. Ford Edge is the only other crossover I would consider but it guzzels gas. The 20" 5-spoke rims are awesome. I'm a sucker for 5 spokes. I find the size more than acceptable for a 2 people. I haul hockey equipment just fine in the Prius so the Venza is just a roomier version of it. When I sit in it, first thing I think of is "road trip". I think I could spend hours in there. Other nice touches include, fold flat rear seats (I leave mine down full time), pano roof, and overall value. Esp now with $4000 rebate, I could get a fully loaded Venza for $36-37K +tax + freight. More room than I need, but not too big to be useless and cumbersome, and more creature comforts than I care to use for that money is pretty damn good to me.

 

Prius was my second choice, My first choice was a Tardes but I could not find the dealership.

 

It's the Highlander I don't understand. If you want an SUV, get a 4Runner. If you want a smaller one, get a RAV4. If you want even more space, get a Sienna. Venza is at least different enough. The Highlander is a just soft version of the 4Runner. The market obviously agrees with you, but I think it's redundant. Granted, there are probably things a Highlander can do that the 4R can't, maybe like 7 passenger seating.